What are the factors that contribute to hair loss? I know I have friends and relative that have suffered hair loss, but they are so different. As I checked into it farther, I found that there are a lot of factors that can contribute to hair loss. Some are natural and others are not caused by natural factors. It seems that there are as many hair loss factors as there are individuals. However, there are some main factors that contribute to a majority of cases.

Perhaps the most common factor in hair loss is genetics. Likely when you hear the words hair loss, you think of male pattern baldness. To be fair, it is probably the most common form of hair loss. Male pattern baldness is greatly affected by genetics. The genes can be carried on both the mothers side of the family and the fathers. Some men will even start to lose their hair by their late teens or early 20s. Genetics is one of the most powerful factors when it comes to hair loss, but make no mistake, there are plenty of other factors that can contribute.

Another factor that can cause hair loss, though to a lesser extent, is high levels of stress. If a person, male or females, is experiencing high levels of continual stress, they will sometimes begin to lose their hair. A classic historical example is that of Roger Maris as he pursued Babe Ruths single season home run record. As the pressure mounted and he approached the record, Maris began to lose the hair on his head in chunks. The only reason for this hair loss was the stress he was experiencing. Stress is a powerful force, but some dont realize it is powerful enough to cause people to lose their hair.

A third factor in hair loss, and one that is, sadly, becoming more common is cancer treatment. Sometimes cancers are treated via chemotherapy. That means radiation is used to kill the infected cells. A common side effect of this treatment is hair loss. The radiation cannot magically attack only the cancer cells, so the body does end up reacting to the radiation all over. Often this includes a mal function of the hair follicles causing the hair loss. Fortunately for those who are lucky enough to recover, the hair generally grows back when the therapy has concluded.

In experiencing day to day life, you likely see people suffering from hair loss. Those people also likely vary in race, age, sex, and lifestyle, so what are the factors of their hair loss. The truth is that the factors causing hair loss are as varied as the people losing their hair. There are however, certain common factors that are found across the board: genetics, stress, and chemotherapy are just three of the more common of those reasons. In the end, those who suffer from hair loss must conclude the cause of their problem and decide on the best treatment for their particular situation.