I had a friend who suffered from this and I was surprised to learn from her that the normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 3 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimetre per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time and about 10 percent of the hair, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 3 to 4 months, the resting hair will naturally fall out and new hair will start to grow in its place.

It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people like my friend, may experience excessive hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children but is particularly upsetting in women 'cos we all know how much we love our hair to look good girls don't we.

I am not sure what causes this though, does anyone know?

Hi Peggy, yes I do know a bit about this and things that can lead to female For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, a patient might suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and oestrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to retain the hair that would normally fall out. So when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can also cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when the medicine is stopped. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners medicines given for gout, high blood pressure or heart problems, vitamin A if taken to excess, birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can also cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection can be easily treated with anti fungal medicines.

Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated. So don't just think that you have to put up with it, see the doctor!

I read and article once where someone was asking if certain hairstyles or treatments cause hair loss.

The answer was yes. Apparently if you wear pigtails or cornrows or use tight hair rollers, the pull on the hair can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia (hair loss). If the pulling is stopped before scarring of the scalp develops, the hair will grow back normally. However, scarring can cause permanent hair loss. Hot oil hair treatments or chemicals used in permanents (also called "perms") may cause inflammation (swelling) of the hair follicle, which can result in scarring and hair loss. So I suppose if you are suffering and doing any of the above, you should stop it, now!

One of the terms that I have heard applied to female hair loss is "Common baldness" and this usually refers to male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness and this is also called androgenetic alopecia.

Male-pattern baldness, as we all know, is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head.

Women who develop female-pattern baldness will usually experience thinning of the hair over the entire scalp which is a problem as it is not possible to disguise 'bald patches' so easily.

So the question on all of our lips has to be can our doctor do anything about it?

The answer is really - maybe! Your doctor will probably ask you some questions about your diet, any medicines you're taking, whether you've had a recent illness and how you take care of your hair. If you're a woman, your doctor may ask questions about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies and menopause. Your doctor may want to do a physical exam to look for other causes of hair loss. Finally, blood tests or a biopsy (taking a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope) of your scalp may be needed so it is certainly worth going for a chat, and no suffering in silence because you think nothing can be done!