TREATMENTS &
RESEARCH
latest
treatment
information
here.
Dr. Huntley's
Diagnosis
Checklist
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
Symptom: Hair loss
- Introduction: Hair loss
- Causes (413 conditions)
- Causes of Types
- Diagnosis Checklist (16 listings)
- Misdiagnosis
- Diagnostic Guides (Online)
- Diagnostic tests (13 listings)
- Multiple Symptom Checker
- Drug causes (453 listings)
- Drug interaction causes (2 listings)
- Videos
- Definitions
- Choose Doctor
- Classifications
- News (19 listings)
- Stories from Users
Introduction: Hair loss
Some amount of hair loss is normal every day. However, excessive hair loss or unusual hair thinning can be a symptom of a disease, and needs prompt professional medical diagnosis.
» Review Causes of Hair loss: full list
Causes of Hair loss:
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Hair loss.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
- Baldness
- Male pattern baldness
- Female pattern baldness
- Hereditary baldness
- Normal aging
- Menopause
- Nervous hair pulling - usually in children
- Excessively tight hair accessories
- Excessive shampoo or hair-drying
- Childbirth - hair gets stronger during pregnancy and falls out after birth.
- Poor diet
- High fever
- Chronic fever (see Fever)
- Excessive dieting
- Alopecia
- Alopecia areata
- Telogen alopecia
- Anogen alopecia
- Skin conditions
- Skin injury
- Eczema
- Dermatitis
- Burns
- Psoriasis
- Hormonal disorders
See full list of 413 causes of Hair loss
» Review Causes of Hair loss: full list
Causes of Types of Hair loss:
Review the causes of these more specific types of Hair loss:
- Baldness
- Loss of eyelashes
- Temporary hair loss
- Patchy hair loss
- Thinning hair
- Hair thinning
- Pubic hair loss
- Reversible alopecia
- Male-pattern baldness
- Bald
See full list of 32 types for Hair loss
Hair loss: Multiple Symptom Checker
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Hair loss, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms
Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations
- Hair loss and Baldness (264 causes)
- Hair loss and Head symptoms (259 causes)
- Hair loss and Face symptoms (255 causes)
- Hair loss and Hair symptoms (246 causes)
- Hair loss and Thinning hair (166 causes)
- Hair loss and Skin symptoms (139 causes)
- Hair loss and Skin problems (138 causes)
- Hair loss and Body symptoms (131 causes)
- Hair loss and Behavioral symptoms (125 causes)
- Hair loss and Personality symptoms (124 causes)
- Hair loss and Infant symptoms (114 causes)
- Hair loss and Growth symptoms (113 causes)
- Hair loss and Poor growth (112 causes)
- Hair loss and Mouth symptoms (109 causes)
- Hair loss and Eye symptoms (106 causes)
- Hair loss and Mental problems (105 causes)
- Hair loss and Muscle symptoms (97 causes)
- Hair loss and Nerve symptoms (90 causes)
- Hair loss and Weight symptoms (86 causes)
- Hair loss and Sensations (84 causes)
See full list of 1588 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Hair loss
Causes of General Symptom Types
Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:
Causes of Similar Symptoms to Hair loss
Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Hair loss:
Diagnostic Guides for Hair loss
12 MEDICAL SYMPTOM BOOKS: FULL TEXT ONLINE! Read the full text of published book sections related to Hair loss from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Hair loss. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Hair loss
Full text. Free access (no registration).
Alopecia
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter"
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Misdiagnosis and Hair loss
Rare form of hair loss often misdiagnosed: a rare form of extreme hair loss called "Atrichia with papular lesions" (APL) is often misdiagnosed as alopecia totalis. Researchers...more »
Hair and scalp disorders misdiagnosed in African Americans: A higher than average percentage of misdiagnoses of hair or scalp disorders seem to occur in African Americans. Some of the...more »
Subtle changes in hypothroidism can be missed: The early changes in hypothyroidism are subtle and can be misdiagnosed especially if only a single...more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Hair loss
Diagnostic tests for Hair loss:
Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Hair loss. Some of these are listed below :
- Physical examination
- Determine the pattern of hair loss - e.g. male pattern balding, focal alopecia areata (localized loss of hair in round or oval areas without any visible inflammation of the skin in hair bearing areas), alopecia totalis (loss of all scalp hair and eyebrows, alopecia universalis (the end stage of alopecia areata with complete loss of all body hair).
- Examine area of skin where there is hair loss to determine if there is a skin rash, skin inflammation or skin scarring
- Examine nails. If alopecia areata- type hair loss and nails are also affected, this suggests poor prognostic chance of hair re-growth
- Blood tests
See full list of 13
diagnostic tests for Hair loss
Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Hair loss. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- How long have you had problems with hair loss? - to determine if acute or chronic.
- Is the hair loss focal or diffuse?
- If the hair loss is focal, is there a rash in the area of hair loss? - If rash is present must consider tinea capitis, lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis. If rash is not present, should consider alopecia areata, syphilis, burns and other injuries to the skin.
- Is there a family history of male pattern baldness? - i.e. receding hair line at the front, especially each side which results in an M-shaped recession. Following this, a bald spot may appear on the crown.
- Is there a family history of female pattern baldness? - e.g. diffuse thinning of the hair on top of the head.
See Diagnosis Checklist for Hair loss (16 listings)
Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Hair loss) may include:
- If female pattern baldness, are there signs of androgen excess? - e.g. acne, excess hairiness (of genitals, nipples, abdomen and face), irregular periods, deepening of the voice, enlarged clitoris - may suggest endocrine dysfunction.
- Symptoms of menopause? - e.g. hot flushes, night sweats, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, dry vaginal, dry skin, headaches and sometimes diffuse hair loss.
- Symptoms of chronic Vitamin A excess? - e.g. bone or joint pain, hair loss, dryness and fissures of the lips, poor appetite, itchy skin, weight loss, low grade fever.
- Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism - e.g. preference for cooler weather, increased appetite, heart palpitations, increased sweating, nervousness, irritability, diarrhea, lack of menstrual periods.
- Symptoms of hypothyroidism? - e.g. husky voice, tiredness, weight gain, constipation, cold intolerance, loss of hair.
See Diagnosis Checklist for Hair loss (16 listings)
Stories from Users for Hair loss
Real-life user stories relating to Hair loss:
- hair loss, Eye-skin Allergy, irregular period
- Chills, Cracking Shedding Skin, Hair Loss
- Hair loss in a 11 year old girl
- Scalp irritation and hair loss
- weight loss and hair loss
- Hair Loss; Sore Scalp; Headaches
- Hair Loss
- hair loss
- Pubic hair loss
- hair loss and tingling
- Losing hair, waking up at night constantly, neuralgia....help!
- Hair Loss
- Thinking of purchasing a hair loss product ? Read this first !
- pubic hair loss
- Hair Loss Shampoo from animals
Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Hair loss or relevant symptoms:
- Constitutional (General Wellbeing) (125)
- Gastrointestinal (Food - from entry to exit) (301)
- Integumentary (Skin) (187)
- Allergic/Immunologic (62)
Videos for Hair loss
Female-pattern Hair Loss
Though hair loss can be embarrassing and unpleasant for anyone, our society considers hair loss in women a sort of cosmetic disaster. But it's...
Current Hair Loss Treatment
Advertisements on late night television and in the back pages of magazines may give the impression there are scores of drugs to combat hair loss. In...
Genetics and Hair Loss
You've probably heard people say that hair loss is passed down to men through their mother's side, or to women from their father's side,...
Genetics of Hair Loss
The genetic causes of male pattern baldness and other common diseases of genetic hair loss are more complex than most people think. Researchers are...
Patient Surveys for Hair loss
- Patient Profile Survey
Take Survey View Results - Survey about diseases related to your Hair loss
Take Survey View Results
Causes of Hair loss listed in Disease Database:
Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible
causes of Hair loss as a symptom include:
- Ablepharon-macrostomia syndrome
- Acrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex
- Adrenal cortex insufficiency
- Albendazole
- Alopecia areata
- Alopecia mucinosa
- Amiodarone
- Atopic dermatitis
- Autoimmune adrenalitis
- Biotinidase deficiency
- Canada-Cronkhite syndrome
- Cantu syndrome
- Chagas' disease
- Cidofovir
- Clomifene
- Combined oral contraceptive pill
- Cutaneous T cell lymphoma
- Danazol
- Dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis
- Dubowitz syndrome
See full list of 413
causes of Hair loss
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medications or substances causing Hair loss:
The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible
causes of Hair loss as a symptom.
Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using,
including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Chemotherapy
- Gout medications
- Arthritis medications
- Antidepressants
- High-dose Vitamin A
See full list of 453
medications causing Hair loss
Drug interactions causing Hair loss:
When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Hair loss as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Birth Control Pill and Vitamin C interaction
- Phenytoin and Levothyroxine interaction
See full list of 2 drug interactions causing Hair loss
Definitions of Hair loss:
Baldness; absence of hair from skin areas where it is normally present.
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Organs affected by Hair loss:
The list of organs typically affected by Hair loss may include, but is not limited to:
Detailed list of causes of Hair loss
The list below shows some of the causes of Hair loss mentioned in various sources:
- 1q deletion - sparse hair
- Aarskog-Ose-Pande syndrome - sparse hair
- Ablepharon-macrostomia syndrome - sparse hair
- Ackerman syndrome - sparse body hair
- Acrofacial dysostosis, Palagonia type - sparse scalp hair
See full list of 413 causes of Hair loss
How Common are these Causes of Hair loss?
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Hair loss. Of the 413 causes of Hair loss that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
- 4 causes are "very common" diseases
- 15 causes are "common" diseases
- 4 causes are "uncommon" diseases
- 2 causes are "rare" diseases
- 4 causes are "very rare" diseases
- 394 causes have no prevalence information.
See the analysis of the prevalence of 413
causes of Hair loss
Conditions listing symptoms: Hair loss:
The following list of conditions have 'Hair loss' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Symbols
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Conditions listing complications: Hair loss:
The following list of conditions have 'Hair loss' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
A
Join in at the forums
Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
Causes of Hair loss Based on Risk Factors
This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Hair loss based
on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:
Doctors and specialists: Who should I consult about Hair loss?
Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Hair loss, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.
Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :
What are the alternative names for Hair loss:
Hypotrichosis, Alopecia, Atrichia, Bald, Balding, Baldness
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Classifications of Hair loss:
Subtypes of Hair loss:
Baldness (280), Loss of eyelashes (5), Temporary hair loss (1), Patchy hair loss (7), Thinning hair (193), Hair thinning (1), Pubic hair loss (4), Reversible alopecia, Male-pattern baldness (3), Bald (2)
Medical Conditions associated with Hair loss:
Hair symptoms (481), Baldness (280), Head symptoms (3286), Face symptoms (2382)
Symptoms related to Hair loss:
Graying (11), Hairiness (122), Hair symptoms (481)
Hair loss as a disease:
You may also want to research other Diseases in our Disease Center.
Medical articles on signs and symptoms:
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
- What to tell your doctor about your symptoms
- What questions will the doctor ask about your symptoms (and why)?
- What does your doctor do in a physical examination?
- What questions should you ask the doctor about a symptom or diagnosis?
- What questions to ask the doctor about the treatment
- Steps to take to get the most out of a doctor visit
- More articles on symptoms and diagnosis
These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Medical Symptom Books
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Online Diagnosis
- Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
- Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
Books Related to Hair loss
- The Concise A-Z Of Medical Terms And Symptoms
- Dictionary Of Symptoms - An Encyclopedic Guide To Medical Complaints, Symptoms and Terms
- Women's Symptoms - A Comprehensive Guide To Common Symptoms And Diseases: Their Causes and Treatments
- The Australian Encyclopedia of Medical Symptoms
See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
Medical News summaries about Hair loss
Our news pages contain the following medical news summaries about Hair loss and many other medical conditions:
- Breast cancer triple assessment
- Combination of Taxotere and Estramustine for prostate cancer therapy
- FDA fails to approve testosterone patch for women
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hypothyroidism
- Healthy diet leads to man suffering mercury toxicity
More Ways To Research Medical Signs and Symptoms:
- Symptom Center - over 2,500 symptoms listed
- Symptom List
- Symptom Descriptions
- All Symptoms
- Diseases Center - find symptom lists for over 8,000 diseases.
- Books on Medical Symptoms
- Books on Medical Diagnosis
Books Related to Hair loss
- The Concise A-Z Of Medical Terms And Symptoms
- Dictionary Of Symptoms - An Encyclopedic Guide To Medical Complaints, Symptoms and Terms
- Women's Symptoms - A Comprehensive Guide To Common Symptoms And Diseases: Their Causes and Treatments
- The Australian Encyclopedia of Medical Symptoms
» Next page: Causes of Hair loss
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
- Causes of Hair loss
- Causes in Children
- Diagnostic Guides Online for Hair loss
- Misdiagnosis of Hair loss
- ALOPECIA (Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs)
Tools & Services:
- Bookmark this page
- Take a survey relating to Hair loss
- Symptom Search
- Symptom Checker
- Medical Dictionary
- Give your feedback
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
Major Disease Research
symptoms, treatments,
and misdiagnosis
of major diseases.
Multiple Symptom
Checker
or many
symptoms
» Symptom checker
» Medical dictionary
» Videos
» Ask a Doctor
» Find a Doctor
» Find a Therapist
» Misdiagnosis center
» Forums & Message Boards
