If you are going bald there could be many reasons why. Baldness can be hereditary. If your father or grandfather were bald, chances are you will be also. Stress can cause you to lose your hair. This could be either physical or emotional stress.

Aging is a natural factor for hair loss. And you might not believe this, but if you wash your hair too often you could weaken your hair and cause it to fall out. Also, you might want to dry your hair with a towel. If you use the hair dryer too often you can damage and weaken you hair.

There are a lot of treatments for male baldness. You can even take drugs orally to help stave off your hair loss. But realize that these drugs have their own side effects. So discuss with your doctor the side effects you can expect and if they are worth the possibility that they will restore your hair.

If you would rather use a topical instead of an oral medication, you will find many on the market. These topical products also have side effects, but they are not at numerous as oral medications. Most topical products will restore the hair on the back of your head, but will not help your receding hair line however.

Many believe that hair loss is due to an inadequate diet. And they think that if you took diet supplements that include the right amount of vitamins, and minerals, that your hair will be restored. The advantage to using natural supplements is that they will help your overall health and you will not suffer side effects you would have when you use oral medication. But check with your doctor before taking any supplement to find out if it will interfere with any prescription medication you are taking.

The answer is … maybe. Among adults, the most common cause of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia, sometimes called male-pattern baldness. This condition is caused by a combination of factors, including the presence of hormones in the body called androgens. Genetics, traits that are passed down from generation to generation, also play a role. So if your father or grandfather is going bald, then there is a chance that you may too. And hair loss can start as early as the mid-teen years.

(For girls snickering out there, women can lose their hair over time too. But androgenetic alopecia in women rarely leads to total baldness.)

The truth is that people lose hair every day. Most people lose about 50 to 100 hairs a day, according to Kidshealth.org. New hairs replace these hairs by growing in their place. Studies have shown that when that doesn’t happen, it is often due to hormones in the body and genetics.

Regarding hormones in the body, medical studies have shown that men with androgenetic alopecia typically have lower levels of total testosterone, and higher levels of free testosterone and total free androgens than people who don’t go bald. Studies that have examined the genetic role of hair loss have yielded conflicting results. Some show that male pattern baldness is more likely to be inherited from a person’s mother rather than father. Others show the opposite.

But before you go blaming the older generations in your family for your hair loss or even the possibility that you may lose your hair, there are two other reasons why a person may start going bald that you have a lot of control over. The first is hair treatments and styling. Having your hair chemically treated, such as getting it colored, bleached, straightened, or permed, can cause damage that may make the hair break off or fall out temporarily. And wearing hair pulled so tightly so that it places tension on the scalp can result in a condition called traction alopecia, reports Kidshealth.org. Traction alopecia can be permanent if the style is worn for a long enough time that it damages the hair follicles.

Another factor that can cause hair loss is poor nutrition. This is why some people suffering from eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia lose their hair. What happens is that their bodies aren’t getting the necessary protein, vitamins, and minerals to sustain hair growth. So if you want to keep the hair on your head, please eat balanced meals that include meats, fruits, and vegetables, along with carbohydrates.