Hair

Why you are losing hair: six causes and how they differ

Transplantation only solves one of them. Diagnosing the other five first is what separates a clinic from a shop.

Androgenetic alopecia

The pattern loss that responds to transplantation: receding temples, thinning crown, stable donor at back and sides. Genetic, progressive, and the only one where surgery is the primary answer.

Telogen effluvium

Diffuse shedding 2–4 months after illness, surgery, childbirth, crash dieting or severe stress. It recovers on its own once the trigger passes — transplanting into it wastes grafts and money.

Nutritional and hormonal causes

Iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency and PCOS all cause diffuse loss. A blood panel costs a fraction of a transplant and changes the plan in roughly a third of female cases.

Alopecia areata, traction and scarring alopecias

Autoimmune patches, tension from tight hairstyles, and scarring conditions such as lichen planopilaris each require dermatological treatment. Operating on active scarring alopecia destroys the grafts — which is why diagnosis, not enthusiasm, comes first.

Swedish Clinic
Swedish Clinic IstanbulReviewed by our clinical team
Frequently asked questions

Why you are losing hair: six causes and how they differ

We ask for them in every female case and in male cases with diffuse or unusual patterns.

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