First of all, you can assume that hair loss of up to 100 hairs is normal. Since the spontaneous impression can be deceiving, especially with long hair, you should definitely make the effort of recounting. However, pathological hair loss should also be distinguished from constitutional hair loss, androgenetic alopecia. It is the typical hair loss in men, which can begin at a young age, but from middle age increases more and more.
When to see a doctor for hair loss?
In addition, hair loss can also occur suddenly – virtually overnight – and in a circular form. In technical terms, this phenomenon is called alopecia areata and mainly affects children and young people. An inflammation of the hair follicle is discussed as the cause, which is presumably triggered by a reaction of the immune system to its own body. In addition to a number of other disease-related causes, there is also occupational alopecia, which can be caused by constant pressure (headgear) or pulling (e.g. ponytail) If all natural causes can be excluded, one should go to the dermatologist for examination. The dermatologist has various examination methods at his disposal, e.g. the trichogram, which is used to determine the hair root status. For this purpose, a tuft of about 50 hairs is plucked out and examined microscopically. In addition, microscopic examination of skin samples or blood tests can be performed.
