African American Male Experiencing Hair Shedding Certain Times of the Year

My hair grows  well for most of the year, but by the month of June, I start to experience a hair shed.   I have found a lot of hair in my comb which may be from physical damage.    The loss always seems to occur around the top to mid section of my scalp.     I am typically more stressed around  this time, but I am wondering  if the loss could be due to  some cheap relaxers.   I am African American.   Could my race have anything to do with this?

Thank you for your inquiry.

Hair shedding can be a normal thing depending on whether or not you are experiencing any signs of visible hair loss.  

If visbile signs of loss isn’t being noted, or it thickens back up at various parts of the year,  the  hair shedding that you are experiencing may be due to the normal hair growth cycle.   It is certainly possible that cosmetic hair treatments of any kind might be attributing to this shed if you are using them a lot during this time.  

If your hair is progressively getting thinner, you may be experiencing hair loss.   The most common type of hair loss is Androgenetic Alopecia (hereditary hair loss).   Normal stress  is would not be a factor in this as it is based on genetics.      FDA approved hair loss medication such as Propecia  (finasteride) and Rogaine  (minoxodil) are typically helpful at preventing future hair loss related to genetics and may even reverse the hair miniaturization process.

Though race in itself does not cause shedding or hair loss, it is true that certain races may be more geneticly disposed to hereditary or genetic hair loss.

If you are experiencing visible hair loss of any kind, you might also want to consult with a dermatologist or hair restoration specialist  to determine the cause of your hair loss.   Only then can a viable hair loss treatment be recommended.

I hope this helps,

—

Bill
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

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