Nowadays, hair loss is the most popular issue among women. Alopecia refers not just to hair loss but also to hair thinning or balding anywhere in the body. Hair is made of a protein called keratin. This protein is produced inside the hair follicle on the uppermost layer of the skin. The production of new hair cells in the follicle pushes the old dead cells out. The compact strands made of dead keratinized cells are the hair visible on the head. 90% of the hair on the scalp continues to grow and no two hair strands have the same pace of growth. In fact, the hair follicles have an entire growth cycle of their own. These cycles are normally influenced by age, ethnicity, nutrition, and illness. It is due to the different growth cycles that an individual experiences hair loss every day.

There are three stages that the hair goes through from growth to eventual shedding.

• Growing phase (anagen)
  This phase lasts from 2 to 7 years. At any given time, most (80 – 90%) of the hair on the head are in this phase. During this phase, the hair could grow from one centimeter to half an inch every 28 days. The amount of time that the hair follicle stays in the anagen phase is determined by your genetics.
• Regression phase (catagen)
  The active growing phase ends during this time. At any given time, approximately 1% of hair is in this phase. The catagen phase lasts for around 10 – 14 days.
• Shedding phase (telogen)
  It is at the end of this phase known as the resting phase, the hair is released and finally falls. The telogen hair is pushed out by the growth of new anagen hair. 10% to 15% of hair is in the telogen’s phase at any given time. After which the follicle remains dormant for three months and then the whole cycle starts again.

A number of causes lead to hair loss but aging is the most common and natural cause. Being a natural phenomenon regular hair fall often goes untreated as it is not considered as a disease.

To lose about 50 to 100 hair strands per day is normal but if there is a lot of thinning and bald patches, it could be hair loss. The most common cause of hair loss is known to be hereditary. In the country, about 80 million men and women suffer due to this condition. Women have hair loss after childbirth. Stress can also cause noticeable hair loss. Exposure to strong sunlight, anemia, hypothyroidism, vitamin B deficiency, auto-immune disorder, and chemotherapy could cause acute hair loss.

When there is an unexplained loss of hair in clumps, excessive thinning, loss of hair from any part of the body, partial hair loss on the scalp or eyebrows or habitual pulling out of your hair, it is best to consult a physician immediately.

Most cases of hair loss can be stopped or treated by a dermatologist, trichologist or endocrinologist in cases of hair loss related to hormonal imbalance. A psychologist may be referred to if you suffer from trichotillomania.