Hair Loss

Also called: Alopecia

On this page

Summary

You lose up to 100 hairs from your scalp every day. That's normal, and in most people, those hairs grow back. But many men -- and some women -- lose hair as they grow older. You can also lose your hair if you have certain diseases, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, or lupus. If you take certain medicines or have chemotherapy for cancer, you may also lose your hair. Other causes are stress, a low protein diet, a family history, or poor nutrition.

Treatment for hair loss depends on the cause. In some cases, treating the underlying cause will correct the problem. Other treatments include medicines and hair restoration.

Start Here

Hair Loss (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Hair Loss (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
What Causes Hair Loss? (American Academy of Dermatology)

Treatments and Therapies

Hair Transplants (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
Lavender (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Treatment for Hair Loss (American Academy of Dermatology)

Living With

Experiencing Hair Loss? Your Hair Care Matters (American Academy of Dermatology)
Living with Alopecia Areata (National Alopecia Areata Foundation)
Missing Strands? Dealing with Hair Loss (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Can stress cause hair loss? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Chemotherapy and Hair Loss: What to Expect during Treatment (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Do You Have Hair Loss or Hair Shedding? (American Academy of Dermatology)
Hair Loss (Alopecia) and Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Telogen Effluvium Hair Loss (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
What Is Alopecia Areata? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Alopecia areata: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
Androgenetic alopecia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

Alopecia Areata (VisualDX)
Hair Loss, Female Pattern Baldness (Female Pattern Alopecia) (VisualDX)
Hair Loss, Male Pattern Baldness (Male Pattern Alopecia) (VisualDX)

Statistics and Research

Researchers Identify Cellular Pathway that Regulates Inflammatory Hair Loss (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Alopecia (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypotrichosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Children

Alopecia (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Hair Loss (Alopecia) (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) (Nemours Foundation)

Women

Female Pattern Hair Loss (American Osteopathic College of Dermatology)
Thinning Hair and Hair Loss: Could It Be Female Pattern Hair Loss? (American Academy of Dermatology)

Patient Handouts

Alopecia areata (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Coping with cancer - hair loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Female pattern baldness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hair loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Hair transplant (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Male pattern baldness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Trichotillomania (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Hair Loss is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.