You're not alone 50% of men and women are likely to loose hair at some point in their lives.

The factors may be various:

Let's group the known contributing factors to find out how each plays a role in the health of your hair.

1- Genetics

Genetic hair loss refers to male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness (also known as Androgenetic Alopecia). Genetic hair loss in women can be subtle. Women may start noticing thinning where they tend to part their hair and hairline, whereas men may start losing hair from the crown and the temple area.

This type of hair loss can be inherited from either or both parents. Most people affected by genetic hair loss start noticing the first signs of thinning hair in their forty's and fifties, yet for some, hair loss may start as early as their late teens and early 20s.

2-Stress and trauma

Stress, trauma, and hair loss are closely connected. Under stress your body produces higher levels of cortisol which has been shown to be a contributing factor in hair loss.

When we think of hair loss, we think of baldness in men. But in midlife, women may also experience significant changes in the texture and growth of their hair, including thinning.

Both short-term and chronic stress, which trigger increased cortisol secretion, can promote hair loss.

High cortisol levels reduce the synthesis and accelerate the breakdown of hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans in the scalp by about 40%.This deters the normal activity of hair follicles and can lead to hair loss.

Aging makes things even worse. The synthesis of proteoglycans, which are vital to hair growth, generally decreases as a person ages.

Research shows that exposing human skin in culture to low cortisol levels stimulated the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans and slowed their breakdown by about 25%. That may support hair growth and health.

Hair loss occurs when going through a situation that increases your stress levels. This could mean getting a new job, experiencing pressure at work, living a hectic lifestyle, having a new baby, or losing someone close to you. Most often, hair loss is not immediate, showing up 3 to 6 months after the stressful episode, so you may want to reflect on the past when asking yourself, “Why is my hair falling out?”.

When our bodies experience stress, this can cause a large shift in our hairs transitioning from the growing phase to the shedding phase months later. This is referred to as telogen effluvium, it usually resolves completely without any treatment over several months. The normal duration of telogen is approximately 100 days (3 to 6 months) after which period the hair starts growing again.

3-Nutrition and diet

Our diet can play a significant role in the growth of healthy hair. It is important to remember that a healthy scalp supports healthy hair. The hair grows from the scalp thanks to a rich environment of vitamins and nutrients that are obtained through what we eat. For this reason, it is important to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Hair Growth Supplements can help if you are not getting all the nutrients that hair needs, such as zinc, iron, biotin, or vitamin D. It is also important to talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement if you have a medical condition or health concern that is being monitored.

4-Health concerns or medication

Hair thinning can be a result of several health concerns, such as thyroid conditions, natural hormonal changes that women experience after pregnancy or during menopause. Alopecia areata is another medical condition that leads to smooth patches of hair loss. Hair loss can also be a side effect of certain medications. The hair follicle is incredibly sensitive to changes in the body. Any hormone therapy (including birth control) can contribute to hair thinning as can steroids, certain chemotherapies and some medications for blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and acne.

If you are worried about hair loss it’s always best to consult your doctor. A medical professional will be able to diagnose or treat the condition or cause of the hair loss. It is also important to not start or stop any medications without first speaking with your doctor.

5-Environmental factors

Newer research is showing that our environment can also impact our hair. Beyond hair styling, elements in our surrounding environment such as air pollutants and minerals in water may impact the quality of the hair and potentially contribute to thinning.

Sun exposure and common hair styling practices such as dyes, heat, and chemical straighteners can weaken the hair shaft, also playing a role in hair thinning.

A parting note: Hair loss became an incentive and catalyst on my decision to become a professional cosmetologist in the early mid 1970's, I was seeking answers as a teenager on why I was loosing my hair, I was very self conscious about this, little help was available and the answers I did find were not satisfactory, so in the process I began learning about nutrition, health, self, environment and life, decades later I remain curious about what else I may discover on these subjects which affects us all , my encouragement to you is seek qualified professional medical help, become a student of your body and yourself and the role you play in the environment. Hair is not merely superfluous or dispensable as some would have us believe, hair is loaded with significance for us male and female, we may not confide this to others but our hair matters to us. The answer to hair loss is not found in one single place, one magic nutritional supplement or diet, hair is not "superfluous", it affects us in profound ways emotionally, relationally and otherwise.

I wish you good health, be good to yourself, remain curious, conscious and aware of the world surrounding you while keeping a thankful attitude.