by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
When people talk about hair loss they usually think of balding, but for many of us there are short term causes of hair loss as well.
At any one point, 90% of your hair is growing and 10% is resting. Each hair grows about one centimeter each month during a cycle. After two or three months the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in. To give you an idea about how many hairs you have, it is normal to lose 100 hairs each day.
What many people don't realize is that stressful things can lead to hair loss. Wigs, tight braids and the use of hair curlers can damage hair. Some real tough things for the hair are hair processing such as bleach, coloring and perming.
There is good news. Your hair usually grows back after the stress is gone. As for the gradual loss of hair like in male pattern baldness there are treatments including minoxidil or rogaine. Minoxidil is sold over the counter and it slows hair loss. There are also prescription medicines but it can often take three to six months to work.
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