Reviewed and updated by a physician | September 2026

5 Common Types of Hair Loss: Causes, Patterns & Treatment Options

Hair loss is not a single diagnosis. Different types of hair loss can involve very different biology, from genetically driven follicular miniaturization to temporary shifts in the hair growth cycle, autoimmune inflammation, mechanical tension, or permanent follicular scarring.

Five of the most important patterns to understand are androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, traction alopecia, and scarring alopecia. The location of the hair loss, how quickly it develops, accompanying scalp symptoms, and what is happening inside the follicle can all help distinguish one type from another.

Understanding the underlying biology is important because some forms of hair loss often recover, while others benefit from early medical treatment to preserve as many functioning follicles as possible. For a broader foundation, explore our Hair Biology guide to understand how follicles grow, cycle, and change over time.

5 Types of Hair Loss at a Glance

Type of Hair Loss	Typical Pattern	Timing	Follicle Damage
Androgenetic alopecia	Patterned thinning at the temples, crown, or central part	Gradual	Progressive follicular miniaturization; non-scarring
Telogen effluvium	Diffuse shedding across the scalp	Often begins weeks to months after a trigger	Usually non-scarring
Alopecia areata	Smooth, discrete patches or more extensive hair loss	Often sudden	Autoimmune; generally non-scarring
Traction alopecia	Hair loss in areas exposed to repeated tension, often around the hairline	Gradual	Can become permanent if prolonged
Scarring alopecia	Variable pattern, sometimes with redness, scale, pain, or loss of follicular openings	Variable	Permanent follicular destruction

These categories are useful, but real-world hair loss is not always perfectly separated. A person can have more than one process at the same time, such as androgenetic alopecia plus telogen effluvium or traction alopecia.

Normal Hair Shedding vs. Hair Loss

Some hair shedding is part of normal physiology. Hair follicles continuously move through phases of growth, transition, rest, and release, so seeing hair in the shower or on a brush does not automatically indicate a hair-loss disorder.

Approximately 50 to 100 hairs per day is commonly cited as a normal shedding range, although the amount someone notices varies with hair density, hair length, washing frequency, styling habits, and individual hair-cycle patterns.

Hair loss becomes a different clinical question when there is:

• persistent or markedly increased shedding
• visible reduction in hair density
• widening of the central part
• recession of the hairline
• progressive thinning
• discrete bald patches
• increased breakage
• scalp redness, scale, burning, tenderness, or pain

If it is difficult to tell whether the problem is shedding from the follicle or breakage along the hair shaft, our Hair Shedding vs. Hair Breakage guide explains the difference in more detail.

What Is the Most Common Type of Hair Loss?

Androgenetic alopecia, also called male or female pattern hair loss, is the most common form of hair loss. It develops when genetically susceptible follicles progressively miniaturize, producing shorter, finer hairs over time. In susceptible follicles, androgen signaling, particularly involving dihydrotestosterone or DHT, plays an important role in this process.

Because miniaturization occurs gradually, androgenetic alopecia may be present for years before the change in density becomes obvious.

Are All Types of Hair Loss Permanent?

Hair-loss disorders are often divided into scarring and non-scarring alopecias, but those terms describe what is happening to the follicular structure rather than predicting exactly how much hair will regrow.

Non-Scarring Hair Loss

In non-scarring alopecia, the follicular structure remains present, although the underlying biology differs substantially between conditions.

For example:

• Androgenetic alopecia involves progressive follicular miniaturization.
• Telogen effluvium involves a shift in hair-cycle timing that sends a larger proportion of hairs into the shedding phase.
• Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system targets hair follicles.

Because the follicles are not replaced by scar tissue, regrowth may be possible. However, “non-scarring” does not mean that every condition will automatically resolve or fully reverse.

Scarring Hair Loss

In scarring, or cicatricial, alopecia, inflammation damages the follicular unit and eventually replaces it with scar tissue. Once a follicle has been completely destroyed, it cannot produce a new hair.

That is why early diagnosis is especially important when scarring alopecia is suspected.

How Doctors Determine What Type of Hair Loss You Have

Diagnosing hair loss begins with the pattern and history rather than with one universal laboratory test.

A physician or dermatologist may consider:

• where the hair loss is occurring
• whether the primary problem is shedding, thinning, breakage, or focal baldness
• how quickly the change developed
• itching, burning, pain, redness, or scale
• recent illness or surgery
• pregnancy or postpartum changes
• significant weight loss or dietary restriction
• medications
• hormonal changes
• family history
• autoimmune or systemic medical conditions
• hairstyling practices and repeated mechanical tension

Examination of the scalp and hair may reveal miniaturized hairs, inflammation, broken hairs, smooth patches, scaling, or loss of follicular openings.

Depending on the presentation, further evaluation may include trichoscopy or dermoscopy, targeted blood testing, a hair-pull test, or scalp biopsy. Biopsy becomes particularly important when scarring alopecia is suspected or the diagnosis remains uncertain.

Understanding the 5 Common Types of Hair Loss

1. Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of progressive hair loss in both men and women.

It reflects a combination of genetic susceptibility and hormonal signaling within the hair follicle. In susceptible follicles, androgen activity contributes to follicular miniaturization: terminal hairs gradually become shorter, finer, and less pigmented as successive hair-growth cycles occur.

This is why androgenetic alopecia often appears as a gradual loss of density rather than sudden shedding.

Male Pattern Hair Loss

In men, androgenetic alopecia commonly begins with:

• temporal recession
• changes at the frontal hairline
• thinning at the crown
• gradual progression toward more extensive patterned loss

The exact pattern and rate of progression vary considerably between individuals.

Female Pattern Hair Loss

Women more commonly develop:

• widening of the central part
• reduced density over the frontal and mid-scalp
• increased visibility of the scalp through the hair

Some women also experience frontotemporal recession, and not every case follows the same pattern.

To understand why individual strands become progressively finer, see our guide to Follicular Miniaturization. We also discuss the condition in greater detail in Understanding Androgenetic Alopecia.

Treatment Options for Androgenetic Alopecia

Treatment depends on sex, age, degree of loss, pregnancy potential, medical history, and individual goals.

Topical minoxidil is an established FDA-approved therapy for pattern hair loss. Finasteride 1 mg is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss in men. Other medications, including low-dose oral minoxidil and several anti-androgen approaches, may be used off-label in selected patients under medical supervision.

Finasteride and other medications that affect androgen pathways require particular consideration regarding pregnancy and reproductive safety.

Procedural approaches, including hair transplantation, may also be appropriate for selected patients with stable donor hair and a suitable pattern of loss.

Because follicular miniaturization progresses gradually, earlier evaluation often provides a better opportunity to preserve existing hair.

2. Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is a common form of diffuse hair shedding caused by a disruption in the normal hair-growth cycle.

Rather than destroying the follicle, a physiologic or psychological stressor causes a larger-than-usual proportion of follicles to transition toward the telogen, or resting, phase. Those hairs are eventually released.

One of the most important clues is timing.

The triggering event often occurs before the visible shedding. People may notice substantially increased hair fall several weeks to a few months after the original stressor.

Potential triggers can include:

• childbirth
• major illness or high fever
• surgery
• substantial weight loss
• significant nutritional deficiency
• medication changes
• severe physiologic stress
• psychological stress
• thyroid or other systemic disturbances

The shedding is generally diffuse rather than concentrated in one classic pattern.

Does Telogen Effluvium Grow Back?

In many cases, telogen effluvium improves once the underlying trigger resolves or is corrected. The follicle remains capable of producing hair, but recovery takes time because the follicle still has to move through its normal growth cycle.

Not every case has an obvious trigger, and persistent shedding deserves appropriate evaluation. Chronic telogen effluvium is also an area where diagnostic definitions and underlying mechanisms remain subjects of ongoing research.

For a deeper explanation of the cycle disruption and expected timing, explore our Telogen Effluvium guide and Hair Growth Cycle article.

3. Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune form of hair loss in which the immune system targets hair follicles.

It often appears suddenly as one or more smooth, round or oval patches of hair loss, although the condition can affect virtually any hair-bearing area of the body.

Clinical forms include:

• patchy alopecia areata, with one or more discrete areas
• alopecia totalis, involving complete or near-complete loss of scalp hair
• alopecia universalis, involving extensive loss of body hair
• ophiasis-pattern alopecia, which tends to involve the peripheral scalp

Some people also develop nail changes or sensory symptoms such as itching, tingling, or burning around affected areas.

Treatment of Alopecia Areata

Treatment depends on age, extent of disease, duration of hair loss, and individual circumstances.

For localized disease, dermatologists may use approaches such as:

• intralesional corticosteroid injections
• topical corticosteroids
• other topical therapies

More extensive disease may require systemic treatment or contact immunotherapy.

One of the most important advances in alopecia areata treatment has been the development of Janus kinase, or JAK, inhibitors.

FDA-approved systemic JAK inhibitor options now include therapies such as baricitinib, ritlecitinib, and deuruxolitinib for appropriate patients with severe alopecia areata. Eligibility differs by drug and age, and these medications have important safety considerations that require physician supervision.

Alopecia areata is therefore an important example of why accurate diagnosis matters: this is an autoimmune disorder, not simply a problem of weak hair or inadequate scalp care.

4. Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia develops when hair follicles are repeatedly subjected to mechanical tension.

It frequently affects areas such as the frontal and temporal hairline but can occur anywhere that hair is repeatedly pulled.

Contributing practices may include:

• tight braids
• tight ponytails or buns
• extensions
• repeated tension from certain hairstyles
• accessories that consistently pull on the same hairs

Early traction alopecia can improve when the source of tension is removed.

However, repeated or prolonged traction can eventually damage follicles enough to cause scarring and permanent hair loss.

The most important intervention is therefore not a topical cosmetic treatment. It is identifying and reducing the repeated mechanical stress.

Persistent loss, scalp inflammation, or areas that appear smooth or scarred should be evaluated by a dermatologist.

5. Scarring Alopecia

Scarring alopecia, also known as cicatricial alopecia, refers to a group of inflammatory hair-loss disorders in which the follicle is progressively damaged and replaced by scar tissue.

These conditions deserve particular attention because established follicular destruction is permanent.

Several different disorders fall within this category.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

Frontal fibrosing alopecia often produces gradual recession of the frontal or temporal hairline. Loss of eyebrow hair may also occur.

Lichen Planopilaris

Lichen planopilaris can cause irregular areas of hair loss accompanied by signs of inflammation around follicles.

Symptoms may include:

• itching
• burning
• scalp tenderness
• redness
• perifollicular scale

Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, or CCCA, most commonly begins around the central or crown region of the scalp and can progressively expand outward.

CCCA disproportionately affects Black women, although it can occur in other populations as well. Hair breakage or thinning in the central scalp may be an early sign, and some patients experience itching, burning, tenderness, or pain.

Early recognition matters. CCCA is an inflammatory disorder that can destroy follicles, and treatment generally focuses first on controlling inflammation and preventing further follicular loss.

Signs That Deserve Medical Evaluation

Possible warning signs of scarring alopecia include:

• scalp burning
• pain or tenderness
• persistent itching
• redness
• perifollicular scale
• progressive localized loss
• smooth or shiny areas of scalp
• loss of visible follicular openings

These findings do not automatically mean someone has scarring alopecia, but they warrant appropriate evaluation.

Which Types of Hair Loss Can Grow Back?

Whether hair grows back depends primarily on what is happening to the follicle.

Telogen Effluvium

Regrowth is common. Once the triggering process resolves, follicles can return to active growth, although visible recovery takes time.

Alopecia Areata

Regrowth is possible but unpredictable. Some people regrow hair spontaneously, while others require treatment. Recurrence can occur.

Traction Alopecia

Early traction alopecia may be reversible. Chronic traction that has produced follicular scarring can become permanent.

Androgenetic Alopecia

Miniaturized follicles may respond to treatment, particularly earlier in the process. Without treatment, genetically susceptible follicles typically continue to miniaturize over time.

Scarring Alopecia

Hair cannot regrow from follicles that have been completely destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. Early treatment therefore focuses on preserving follicles that remain viable.

When Should You See a Dermatologist for Hair Loss?

Hair loss is common, but certain patterns deserve medical evaluation rather than self-treatment alone.

Consider seeing a dermatologist for:

• sudden patchy hair loss
• rapid or unexplained shedding
• progressive thinning without a clear explanation
• scalp pain or burning
• persistent redness or scale
• eyebrow or body-hair loss
• smooth or shiny areas of scalp
• signs of follicular scarring
• hair loss associated with other medical symptoms
• persistent hair loss despite addressing obvious triggers

A dermatologist can help determine whether the problem is primarily related to the hair-growth cycle, follicular miniaturization, inflammation, autoimmunity, mechanical damage, systemic health, or another process.

The sooner the underlying cause is identified, the more precisely treatment can be directed.

Hair Loss Treatment: A Continuum of Options

There is no single treatment pathway for hair loss. The most appropriate approach depends on the underlying diagnosis, how advanced the hair loss is, whether the follicles remain viable, medical history, and an individual's goals and preferences.

Depending on the cause, hair-loss care may include:

• Addressing an underlying trigger, such as a nutritional deficiency, medication effect, illness, hormonal disturbance, or repeated mechanical tension.
• Hair and scalp care, including gentle cleansing, conditioning, breakage reduction, and management of scalp conditions that may affect comfort or hair quality.
• Botanical and nutritional approaches, where there is appropriate evidence and they fit the individual's goals.
• Medical therapies, including topical, oral, injectable, or immune-directed treatments selected for the specific diagnosis.
• Procedural and regenerative approaches, which may be considered in selected patients depending on the type and stage of hair loss.
• Hair transplantation, which can redistribute permanent donor follicles to areas of loss in appropriately selected patients, particularly for established pattern hair loss.

These approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Hair-loss management often involves a combination of strategies, with each addressing a different part of the problem.

Someone with androgenetic alopecia, for example, may choose medical therapy to slow follicular miniaturization while also optimizing scalp and hair care, addressing nutritional deficiencies when present, and considering transplantation for areas where greater density is desired.

The important distinction is that treatment should follow the diagnosis. An approach appropriate for androgenetic alopecia may have little relevance to telogen effluvium, while inflammatory or autoimmune forms of hair loss may require entirely different treatment.

Where Do Botanicals Fit Into Hair Loss Care?

Botanicals occupy one part of this broader continuum.

Interest in botanical approaches to hair and scalp health has grown considerably, but “natural” is not a single treatment category. Different plant-derived compounds have different mechanisms, concentrations, formulations, and levels of clinical evidence.

Some botanicals have produced encouraging results in human studies, particularly in androgenetic alopecia.

For example, a randomized trial involving 100 people with androgenetic alopecia compared topical rosemary oil with 2% minoxidil over six months. Hair counts increased significantly from baseline in both groups at six months. This was a relatively small study, however, and does not establish that all rosemary formulations are equivalent to established medical therapies.

Pumpkin seed oil has also been studied. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 76 men with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia, an oral pumpkin seed oil preparation was associated with greater improvement in hair count than placebo after 24 weeks.

Saw palmetto has been evaluated in several small clinical studies as well. A systematic review found signals of potential benefit for hair density, hair count, and stabilization of hair loss, while also emphasizing that the available studies were relatively small and heterogeneous and that larger, well-controlled trials are needed.

More recent reviews of botanical and nutritional interventions reach a similar conclusion: the research is promising, but the evidence is not equally strong for every ingredient, formulation, dose, or type of hair loss.

That distinction matters. Evidence suggesting potential benefit in androgenetic alopecia should not be generalized to autoimmune alopecia areata, active scarring alopecia, or other disorders requiring targeted medical treatment.

At Origenere, we view botanicals as an evolving area of hair science worthy of continued investigation rather than as substitutes for diagnosis or established medical care. Our physician-formulated approach begins with hair and scalp biology, while drawing thoughtfully from botanical research, traditional use, formulation science, and the evolving evidence surrounding plant-derived compounds.

Explore how botanicals may interact with hair-growth pathways →

Frequently Asked Questions About Types of Hair Loss

What is the most common type of hair loss?

Androgenetic alopecia, also called male or female pattern hair loss, is the most common form of hair loss. It is influenced by genetics and androgen signaling and causes susceptible follicles to progressively miniaturize.

What are five common types of hair loss?

Five important types of hair loss are androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, traction alopecia, and scarring alopecia. Each has a different underlying mechanism and characteristic pattern.

How can I tell what type of hair loss I have?

The pattern, speed, location, amount of shedding, scalp symptoms, family history, recent medical events, medications, and hairstyling practices can provide clues. A dermatologist can examine the scalp and may use trichoscopy, laboratory testing, or scalp biopsy when needed.

Which types of hair loss are permanent?

Scarring alopecias can cause permanent hair loss because inflammation destroys the follicle. Longstanding traction alopecia can also become permanent when scarring occurs. Other conditions, including telogen effluvium and alopecia areata, are generally non-scarring, although recovery varies.

Is losing 50 to 100 hairs a day normal?

For many people, shedding approximately 50 to 100 hairs per day falls within the normal range. The visible amount varies with hair density, length, washing frequency, and individual cycling. Persistent increases in shedding or noticeable loss of density deserve further evaluation.

Can someone have more than one type of hair loss?

Yes. Hair-loss disorders can overlap. For example, someone with androgenetic alopecia may also develop telogen effluvium after illness, surgery, childbirth, rapid weight loss, or another physiologic stressor.

The Takeaway

Different types of hair loss can look similar at first while reflecting very different processes inside the follicle.

Androgenetic alopecia involves progressive miniaturization. Telogen effluvium changes the timing of the hair-growth cycle. Alopecia areata reflects autoimmunity. Traction alopecia results from repeated mechanical stress. Scarring alopecias involve inflammatory destruction of the follicle itself.

That distinction matters because treatment is most effective when it is directed at the actual mechanism.

Hair-loss care can also exist along a continuum. Depending on the diagnosis and an individual's preferences, management may involve correcting an underlying trigger, supporting scalp and hair health, botanical or nutritional approaches, established medical therapies, procedures, hair transplantation, or a thoughtful combination of strategies.

When hair loss is sudden, progressive, symptomatic, patchy, or unexplained, identifying the diagnosis should come before choosing a treatment. For a broader look at the factors that can contribute to thinning and shedding, see what causes hair loss.

Understanding the biology first creates a clearer path toward preserving the scalp, follicles, and hair that remain.

References

1. American Academy of Dermatology. Do you have hair loss or hair shedding?
2. American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss: Who gets and causes.
3. American Academy of Dermatology. Types of hair loss.
4. American Academy of Dermatology. Alopecia areata: Diagnosis and treatment.
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Multidisciplinary Review: Deuruxolitinib for Severe Alopecia Areata.
6. Panahi Y, Taghizadeh M, Marzony ET, Sahebkar A. Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed. 2015.
7. Cho YH, Lee SY, Jeong DW, et al. Effect of pumpkin seed oil on hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2014.
8. Evron E, Juhasz M, Babadjouni A, Mesinkovska NA. Natural hair supplement: friend or foe? Saw palmetto, a systematic review in alopecia. Skin Appendage Disorders. 2020.
9. Jimeno Ortega I, Stefanato CM. Telogen effluvium: a 360 degree review. Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology. 2023.
10. Daunton A, Harries M, Sinclair R, et al. Chronic Telogen Effluvium: Is it a Distinct Condition? A Systematic Review. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2023.
11. Xiao R, Lee LN. Updated Review of Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America. 2024.
12. Gupta AK, Talukder M, Shemer A. Efficacy and safety of low-dose oral minoxidil in the management of androgenetic alopecia. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. 2024.
13. Fatima SZ. Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia: a deeper insight into the disease. Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift. 2024.
14. Jackson T, Sow Y, Dinkins J, et al. Treatment for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia: Delphi consensus recommendations. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2024.

Educational information only. Hair loss can have multiple causes, and diagnosis and treatment recommendations should be individualized by a qualified healthcare professional.