What causes hair to thin?

Any number of lifestyle factors, genetics, recent life events (such as extreme weight loss in a short period of time or giving birth), or medical conditions can cause your hair to thin.

Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet.

People who have immune system deficiencies could also have thinning hair.

Why is my hair suddenly thinning?

Suddenly thinning hair could be caused by a variety of reasons, such as a period of extreme stress, pregnancy, discontinuing birth control pill use, hormonal changes, a high fever, or pulling at your hair.

Treatments for Hair Thinning

Eat hair-healthy foods

Diet plays an important role in the strength and health of a person’s hair. Proteins, fats, and certain vitamins and minerals are especially important for hair health.

People may notice improvements in hair growth when they increase the amount of certain foods in their diet.

Get more vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiencies can contribute to hair loss. Addressing this deficiency could improve thinning hair.

They may ask a person about:

• Their current diet
• Any preexisting medical conditions
• A family history of thinning hair
• A family history of medical conditions that can cause thinning hair