Hair loss conditions

What is causing your hair loss?

Hair loss has many causes, and the right next step depends on which one you have. These guides explain each condition in plain English: how to recognise it, how it is diagnosed, every treatment option including the ones that are not medicines, and when to see a doctor. Where we cannot help, we say so and tell you who can.

The back of a man's head showing his hair against a pale background

Hair loss in men

Pattern hair loss and the questions that come with it.

We can help Male pattern hair loss Male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, is the most common type of hair loss in men. Read the guide → We can help Receding hairline A receding hairline is the most common first sign of male pattern hair loss, but a small, even change at the temples does not always mean you are going bald. Read the guide → We can help Thinning crown A thinning crown, where hair at the top and back of the head becomes sparse, is one of the classic signs of male pattern hair loss. Read the guide → We can help Hair loss in your 20s Noticing hair loss in your twenties is more common than it feels, and it is usually early male pattern hair loss. Read the guide → Depends on the cause Diffuse thinning Diffuse thinning means hair becoming less dense across much of the scalp rather than mainly at the temples or crown. Read the guide →

Hair loss in women

Female pattern hair loss and the hormonal changes that affect hair.

We can help Female pattern hair loss Female pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss in women. Read the guide → Depends on the cause Postpartum hair loss Heavy shedding a few months after having a baby is very common. Read the guide → Depends on the cause Menopause hair loss The NHS lists hair thinning or hair loss among the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Read the guide → Depends on the cause PCOS hair loss Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which the NHS now calls polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), can cause hair loss on the scalp as well as extra hair on the face and body. Read the guide →

Affects anyone

Shedding, patchy loss and conditions that need a different kind of care.

We can help Hair loss after a hair transplant Losing hair in the weeks after a hair transplant is common and usually temporary. Read the guide → Depends on the cause Telogen effluvium Telogen effluvium is a temporary type of hair shedding in which many hairs move into the resting phase at once, usually after a trigger such as illness, stress, surgery, childbirth or a crash diet. Read the guide → See your GP Alopecia areata Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, usually causing smooth, round bald patches that appear suddenly. Read the guide → See your GP Scarring alopecia Scarring alopecia is a group of conditions in which inflammation destroys hair follicles and replaces them with scar tissue, so hair that has been lost cannot grow back. Read the guide → See your GP Traction alopecia Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by repeated pulling on the hair, most often from tight hairstyles. Read the guide →

Not sure which one it is?

Many people have more than one thing going on, for example pattern hair loss made more obvious by a period of shedding. A doctor looking at your history and the pattern of loss is the quickest way to an answer. Blood tests can rule out common contributors such as low iron or thyroid problems, and our sister clinic WMG Health offers them.

You can also browse our medication questions, read about side effects honestly, or look up a term in the glossary.

Free online assessment

Get a doctor’s view on your own hair loss

Answer questions about your hair, health and history. A GMC-registered doctor reviews them and tells you honestly whether medication is likely to suit you, or whether a blood test, your GP or a specialist is the better next step. There is no charge for the assessment or the review.

Start your free assessment → How it works 020 3239 3378