Listen guys, hair loss is not the end of the world, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s everywhere – your dad, your uncle, your buddies, you must know someone who is losing hair. And yet, so many people obsess about it, or worse yet, ignore it. In fact, people don’t know much about hair loss, despite being such a large part of many people’s lives. Well, these hair loss statistics and facts are there to break some myths, and answer some questions.
The Top Ten Facts and Stats on Hair Loss
- Roughly 95% of hair loss in men is caused by androgenetic alopecia.
- Around 50% of all women start losing their hair by the time they are 50 years old.
- Hair loss in women is linked to depression.
- Caucasians have a higher hair density than people of Hispanic or African descent.
- Hair loss is a matter of both genetics and epigenetics.
- Hair grows, on average, between 0.2 and 0.7 inches per month.
- Hair loss statistics state that you can start losing your hair as early as 15 or 16.
- Native Americans seem to be immune to hair loss.
- Roughly 65% of chemotherapy patients experience hair loss.
- Tattooing your head is a valid option.
Causes of Hair Loss
1. Roughly 95% of hair loss in men is caused by androgenetic alopecia.
(American Hair Loss Association)
Androgenic alopecia, otherwise known as male pattern baldness, is responsible for most of the hair loss experience in men. In fact, roughly two-thirds of men will definitely see some hair loss by the time they reach the age of thirty-five.
2. Baldness can be a sign of coronary heart disease risk…
(Medical News Today)
According to balding statistics and data gleaned through multiple studies that in total included roughly 40,000 men. The authors of certain studies claim that the possible link can come from baldness showing increased sensitivity to testosterone, insulin resistance, or chronic inflammation.
3…but the type of baldness matters.
(Medical News Today)
However, the risk is indicated by the extensiveness of the balding and the location. If the baldness is on the top (crown) of the head, then the risk of developing coronary artery diseases is higher. The risk increases by roughly 48% if there is extensive crown baldness, 36% with moderate, and 18% with mild.
4. Hair loss can be caused by hairdressing techniques.
(Harvard Medical School)
Ponytail hair loss statistics are not a myth. Traumatic alopecia is a very real form of hair loss that happens by having your hair exposed to extreme heat or hairdressing techniques like cornrowing and braiding that essentially pull your hair. Bleaching, coloring, and permanent weaves are also common causes of this type of hair loss.
5. Hair loss is a matter of both genetics and epigenetics.
(Huffington Post)
Hair loss is primarily a genetic issue. However, hair loss can be sped up by epigenetic (environmental) factors, such as stress, a hormone imbalance, a poor diet, or direct damage to the scalp.
6. Black women are more susceptible to traction alopecia.
(The New York Times)
Traction alopecia can happen when your hair is being pulled too tight for too long, thus inflaming hair follicles. The traction alopecia hair loss statistics and data imply that it’s very common among the African American community. In fact, Crystal Aguh, who is an assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, claims it is the most common form of hair loss in the black community.
Hair Facts and Stats
7. Native Americans seem to be immune to hair loss.
(Belgravia Centre)
When talking about hair loss facts, researchers have found that tribes whose ancestry can be traced to the North of the country are seemingly free from androgenic alopecia. In other words, Native Americans seem to keep their hair for life, for a vast majority of the time.
8. By the age of fifty, 85% of men will have thinning hair.
(American Hair Loss Association)
Hair loss and thinning, caused by androgenic alopecia, can start early. In fact, while a large majority of men will see hair loss by the time they reach fifty, hair loss statistics show that for a quarter of men, this hair loss begins even before they reach twenty-one.
9. You can start losing your hair as early as 15 or 16.
(Bosley)
While it is rare, it is not unheard of for men to start losing their hair when they are teenagers. However, it certainly won’t be visible, and will most likely be accompanied by a receding hairline, or slightly thinning hair.
10. There is not much difference between how hair loss affects European men.
(European Journal of Dermatology)
Hair loss statistics by country are hard to come by. However, there was a study done that included men from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy. With just a slightly lower impact in the UK, the effect was pretty much consistent for all four countries – lowering a man’s confidence.
11. Tattooing your head is a potential solution.
(CBS New York)
For men that simply want to stick to the Jason Statham/Vin Diesel type of a look, micropigmentation is an option. It is essentially a tattoo of many small dots on your scalp, meant to make it look like you have a buzz cut. And no need to be ashamed of this. Almost half of people aged 18 to 34 have a tattoo, so why cant you get some to cover your head?
12. Roughly 65% of chemotherapy patients experience hair loss.
(The Skin Therapy Letter Journal)
Chemotherapy is not a guarantee that you will lose your hair. This is important for many people – 47% of female patients find hair loss the most traumatic part of chemotherapy. At the very least, chemotherapy hair loss statistics show that 35% of people undergoing chemo won’t see significant hair loss.
13. Wearing hats doesn’t cause baldness (and neither does over-shampooing it).
(Huffington Post – Myths)
There are many hair loss myths abound, wives’ tales that simply aren’t true. For example, over-shampooing your hair won’t make it fall out – you’re just wasting shampoo. Furthermore, hats do not, in any shape or form, make your hair fall out.
14. Hair loss in women is linked to depression.
(Brazilian Annals of Dermatology)
It probably comes as no surprise that hair loss is linked to low self-esteem and depression. In fact, womens hair loss statistics show that 29% of women with hair loss reported two key symptoms of depression. This data has been acquired from a study that tested 157 women, with a median age of 51.
15. It’s normal to lose roughly 50 to 100 hairs per day.
(Cleveland Clinic)
No need to freak out if you see some hairs on your pillow every morning, or in the shower. A little bit of hair loss is completely normal. In fact, all of us lose somewhere between 50 to 100 hairs per day.
16. Hair density varies between races.
(Journal of Skin Appendage Disorders)
In 2017, a study involving 169 people was published, a study relevant for male pattern baldness statistics by race. This study included 23 Caucasians, 44 men of African descent, and 99 men of Hispanic descent. The results showed that men of African descent had the lowest hair density, followed by Hispanics, and then Caucasians.
17. It is not completely true that bald men have more testosterone.
(Reader’s Digest)
Testosterone is part of male balding. However, the amount of testosterone is not as important as the sensitivity of the hair follicles to this hormone. Hair growth and hair loss facts show that within the body, testosterone converts into a chemical that leads to the shrinking of follicles, making the hair become finer and finer, until it disappears. However, some follicles are simply immune to this issue.
18. Hair grows, on average, between 0.2 and 0.7 inches per month.
(Medical News Today)
If you have ever wanted to know how quickly hair grows, you are at the right place to find out. One of the more interesting hair growth and hair loss facts is that hair grows somewhere between 0.2 and 0.7 inches per month. That’s somewhere between 0.1 and 0.6 millimeters per day.
Hair Loss Demographics
19. Around 50% of all women start losing their hair by the time they are 50 years old.
(American Hair Research Society)
Hair loss is not reserved for men only. In fact, a large percentage of women start losing their hair at a later age, most likely due to a natural increase in the male hormone (androgen) levels.
20. Child hair loss is responsible for 3% of all pediatric office visits.
(American Hair Loss Association – Children)
Hair loss statistics in children can be frightening. Hair loss is rarely a natural part of childhood and is most likely caused by scalp ringworm, a natural immune response, or trauma to the scalp. However, pediatricians have been highly successful in treating these problems.
21. A quarter of all men start balding before they are 21 years of age.
(American Hair Loss Association)
Balding statistics are not fun. Men who suffer from hair loss tend to have this issue affect their relationships and their professional lives. What exacerbates this issue is the fact that 25% of men will start seeing this process begin before they turn 21.
22. Roughly 250 million Chinese people suffer from hair loss issues.
(Global Times)
Chinese men have not dodged the hair loss bullet. According to a Nielsen report that included 1800 men from Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, all aged between 20 and 40, 54% had hair loss. Another 6% reported “severe hair loss problems.”
23. For 1.5 million Australians, baldness is an issue.
(Executive style)
Hair loss statistics for Australia are no joke. In fact, baldness influences a big part of the population. Roughly 45% of all Australian men will see significant hair loss in their lifetime.
24. Roughly 63.2% of Indian men ages 21 to 61 suffer from various levels of hair loss.
(International Journal of Trichology)
A study involving 1005 subjects, with a median age of 37, showed that hair loss is indeed prevalent on the Indian subcontinent. In fact, almost two-thirds of Indian men suffer from some level of hair loss.
FAQ
What is the best vitamin for hair loss?
(Healthline)
If you have a genetic predisposition towards hair loss, you can’t really prevent it completely. However, many nutritional deficiencies are tied to you losing your hair, and fixing up your diet will stop hair loss caused by vitamin deficiencies. Even if the problem is genetic, you can give your hairline a fighting chance, and slow your hair loss down.
Vitamins such as Vitamin A (found in milk, eggs, and yogurt), B-Vitamins (whole grains, almonds, meat, fish, leafy greens), Vitamin C (citrus), as well as minerals, like iron (found in clams, eggs, red meat) and zinc (spinach, beef, lentils) can make your hair stronger and nicer.
Is balding reversible?
(Men’s Health Forum)
There is no cure for male pattern baldness, and it can’t be reversed. However, if your hair loss is caused by something else – medication, chemo, stress, trauma done to the scalp – then there is a chance you can get your hair back once the hair loss issue disappears.
If your hair loss has been caused by involutional alopecia (thinning of hair with age) or androgenic alopecia (the most common cause of balding), then you can’t really reverse these issues as much as you can fix them up by getting a hair transplant.
Is hair loss a sign of poor health?
(Everyday Health)
Most of the time, hair loss is completely genetic. However, there are some other factors that can cause your hair to fall out, some of which signify poor health. These are:
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disorders
- Lupus
- Stress
- Chemotherapy
- Various medication
- Autoimmune issues
- Falling estrogen levels after giving birth
- Sudden weight loss
- A lack of protein
- Eating disorders
- Anemia
- Fungal infections
What do dermatologists prescribe for hair loss?
(Pariser Dermatology Specialists)
Every individual is different. A dermatologist will properly diagnose your hair loss, and will give you the appropriate treatment. In order to give you the right type of hair loss treatment, the dermatologist will ask you questions, maybe do a blood test, or inspect your hair and your scalp. They might prescribe minoxidil, certain laser device procedures, as well as other drugs, depending on what is causing your hair to thin out or fall out.
Conclusion
Hair loss shouldn’t be a dark, shameful mystery. It’s a part of life, and many people deal with this problem. Our hair loss statistics are there to help you understand just how common this problem is, and maybe teach you a thing or two about hair that you didn’t know before.
Sources:
- American Academy of Dermatology Association
- American Hair Loss Association
- American Hair Loss Association – Children
- American Hair Research Society
- CBS New York
- Cleveland Clinic
- Everyday Health
- Executive style
- Global Times
- Harvard Medical School
- Healthline
- Huffington Post
- Huffington post – Myths
- International Journal of Trichology
- ISHR
- Journal of Skin Appendage Disorders
- Medical News Today
- Medical News Today
- Medical News Today
- Pariser Dermatology Specialists
- The New York Times
- The Skin Therapy Letter Journal
- University of Utah
