If your parents have the problem of baldness, or your family has a history of baldness, then you might be at risk of hair loss. The lead cause for hair loss in men and women is termed as male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. These baldness can be identified when the hair falls in front of the scalp and gradually moves to the back and the top of the head.

The male pattern baldness can be identified with the diminishing hairline and thinning of hair growth. In female pattern baldness thinning of hair is the general symptom of hair loss. This thinning of hair can be noticed at the back of the head rather than the hairline.

Just the hereditary factor cannot be the reason for hair loss. Compulsive hair pulling or trichotillomania is a condition which may cause hair loss. If any part of the scalp is been pulled, then this condition will make that part the target. Generally this cannot be the only reason for serious alarm. The cure for this is to stop pulling the area that is been affected and automatically the hair grows.

A slightly more serious and long-term hair loss condition is known as scarring alopecia. Certain hairstyles can put someone at risk for scarring alopecia. Tight braids, for example, around the scalp can cause excess tension and eventually lead the hair to fall out. Constant pressure on the hair follicles leads to inflammation and eventually to scarring.

Other reasons for hair loss include medical treatments. Certain prescription drugs are known to cause hair loss in a small percentage of individuals. Blood thinners and certain medications for heart conditions are two of the leading types medications that can result in hair loss.

Another medically related treatment that causes hair loss is chemotherapy. Most of the drugs used in chemotherapy cause hair cells to stop dividing. The hair becomes thin and breaks off as it pushes through the follicles. Although the patient is likely to lose all of their hair when on chemotherapy, it generally does not contribute to any long-term hair loss. When treatment is over, the hair will grow back.

The causes for hair loss include infections as well. There are many infections which will lead to hair loss, one such infection is caused by the ring worm which is the fungal hair loss infection experienced by children. This condition is contagious and should be identified by the circular patches appearing on the scalp. And one more symptom of this infection is that the skin of the infected area will turn into pink scaly looking skin. Anti fungal cream is the treatment for this infection, the cream has to be applied directly to the scalp infected. This infection takes up to 3 weeks to get cured and cleared.