Thinning hair: causes and what helps
It depends where and how fast. Slow thinning on top is usually pattern hair loss. Treatment may slow it. Shedding all over usually regrows. If it’s sudden, the clue is what happened 3 months earlier.
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Why is my hair thinning?
Look at where it’s going and how fast. Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, often without you noticing.
Slow thinning on top is usually pattern hair loss. It’s the most common type in men and in women. The NHS says it’s permanent and usually runs in the family.
Other thinning may be temporary. Illness, stress, weight loss and low iron can all cause it.
| What you notice | What it may be | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Men: a receding hairline or thinning on top, over years | Male pattern hair loss | Minoxidil or finasteride may slow it. |
| Women: thinning on top and a wider parting. Front hairline normal. | Female pattern hair loss | Minoxidil on the scalp may slow it and partly restore hair in some women. |
| Sudden shedding all over, about 3 months after a trigger | Shedding after a trigger (telogen effluvium) | Usually nothing. It tends to grow back on its own. |
| Thinning where tight ponytails, buns or extensions pull | Hair loss from pulling (traction alopecia) | Stop the tight styles. Caught early, hair can fully regrow. |
| Thinning with tiredness, breathlessness or paler skin | May be low iron | See a GP. A blood test can check. |
Sources: BAD: men; BAD: women; BAD: shedding; BAD: pulling; NHS
Pattern loss and shedding sometimes turn up at the same time. Round bald patches are a different type: see alopecia.
Your next move: find your row, then read the section for it.
Why is my hair suddenly thinning all over?
Think back 3 months. That’s the clue: shedding after a trigger can start around 3 months later.
Triggers include a birth, a severe illness (especially with a high fever), surgery, stress, a crash diet, a new medicine or coming off the pill. In 1 in 3 people, no cause is found. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Normally about 15 in 100 hairs are resting, ready to fall. After a shock, that can rise to 30 or more. Each one falls when a new hair pushes it out.
How shedding after a trigger usually goes
- 1
The trigger
Illness, stress, a birth or a crash diet.
- 2
About 3 months later
Shedding starts, often suddenly, from all over the scalp.
- 3
3 to 6 months
Shedding lasts this long. Then new hair starts to grow.
- 4
Many months more
It may take many months for hair to get back to its usual thickness.
Source: BAD
Medicines don’t speed it up. But it can come back if a cause like low iron isn’t treated, so a GP may check your iron and thyroid. See stress hair loss and hair loss after a baby.
Thinning hair in men: what works?
For pattern loss, minoxidil and finasteride are the main treatments. Neither works for everyone, and both work only while you use them.
Picture each hair root as a tap being slowly turned down. A hormone called DHT makes the hairs thinner and lighter, until the root stops making hair.
Treatment may slow the turning. Stop it, and the loss carries on.
| Treatment | What it may do | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Minoxidil 5% liquid or foam | Slow the loss. Give it at least 6 months, possibly 12. | Not on NHS prescription. You may shed more in the first 4 to 6 weeks. |
| Finasteride tablets | Slow the loss and possibly help regrowth. Can take up to 14 months. | Lower sex drive or erection problems in about 2 in 100 men. |
| Low-dose minoxidil tablets | Work at least as well as the liquid, in certain cases. | Ask a prescriber whether you’re one of them. |
| Hair transplant | Moves roots from the back and sides to thin areas. | Private only. Not offered on the NHS. |
Pattern loss in men tends to move very slowly, over years to decades. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
More detail in hair loss treatment for men and does testosterone cause hair loss.
What is the best treatment for thinning hair in women?
For pattern thinning, minoxidil on the scalp. Only the 2% strength is licensed (approved) for women, and it’s not on the NHS.
Skip finasteride. The NHS says women should not use it.
Source: Cochrane
So most women don’t see big regrowth. In trials, 5% did no better than 2%, though that evidence is only moderate to low quality.
Use it every day for at least 6 months before you judge it. Avoid it if you’re planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding.
See hair loss treatment for women for tablets and other options.
What helps thinning hair at home?
Gentle hair care. The BAD, the UK body for skin doctors, lists these for shedding hair.
Six things the BAD suggests while shedding settles
- Brush and comb gently.
- Use hairdryers, straighteners and curlers less.
- Skip bleaching, relaxing and other harsh chemical treatments.
- Wear tight hairstyles less often.
- Stop smoking. Cigarette smoke can make hair loss worse.
- Eat foods rich in iron and protein, plus fresh fruit and vegetables.
Source: BAD
Want it to look thicker now? A volumising shampoo or hair fibre spray can hide thin areas.
Scalp showing? Cover it with sun block or a hat in the sun. Before you buy a regrowth product, read which hair loss products work.
When to speak to a GP
A GP may be able to tell the cause by looking at your hair. The NHS says see one before you pay a hair clinic. Book an appointment if:
- You’re worried about your thinning, or it’s affecting how you feel.
- Shedding doesn’t get better.
- You also feel tired, short of breath, notice your heartbeat (palpitations), get headaches or look paler. These can be signs of iron deficiency anaemia.
- You also feel very tired, feel the cold more or put on weight. These can be signs of an underactive thyroid.
- Thinning comes with acne, more facial hair or irregular periods. These can be signs of PCOS, a condition with raised hormone levels.
If hair loss is getting you down, your GP may be able to help you get counselling. Which tests help? See our hair loss blood test guide.