Hair Desk

Hair Fall: The Real Causes (And Which Ones You Can Actually Fix)

MogLord Desk · Evidence-checked · No sponsored claims

Most men blame the wrong thing for their hair fall — usually the shampoo or the water. The real cause is almost always one of six things, and what you should do depends entirely on which one it is. Get the cause wrong and you will waste a year and a lot of money on the wrong fix.

Genetics: androgenetic alopecia

This is the big one — roughly 8 in 10 cases of male hair fall. If your hairline is receding at the temples or the crown is thinning, and your father or maternal grandfather had the same pattern, it is likely AGA. Hair follicles sensitive to DHT (a testosterone by-product) slowly shrink over years. This type does not stop on its own, but it can be slowed and partially managed with medicines — that part needs a dermatologist, not a hair oil.

Telogen effluvium: the stress shed

A fever, dengue, typhoid, surgery, crash diet or a brutal few months at work can push a large share of your hair into the shedding phase at once. The fall starts 2-3 months after the trigger, which is why people miss the link. The good news: this type usually grows back on its own within 6-9 months once the body recovers. You do not need treatment, you need protein, sleep and patience.

Thyroid and deficiencies

Low iron (ferritin), vitamin D, B12 deficiency and thyroid problems — both overactive and underactive — can all cause diffuse shedding across the whole scalp. This is common in Indian men who eat mostly vegetarian food and rarely see the sun despite living in a sunny country. A simple blood panel (CBC, ferritin, vitamin D, B12, TSH) costs far less than a year of random supplements, and it tells you exactly what to fix.

Dandruff and scalp conditions

Seborrheic dermatitis — the stubborn, oily, itchy dandruff — creates inflammation around follicles and increases shedding. Scalp psoriasis and fungal infections do the same. If your scalp itches, flakes heavily or has red patches, treat the scalp first: an anti-fungal shampoo used correctly (left on 3-5 minutes before rinsing) handles most cases. Hair products cannot work on an inflamed scalp.

What your routine is doing

Daily high-heat blow drying, tight hairstyles, harsh bleaching and very frequent chemical treatments damage the hair shaft and cause breakage that looks like hair fall. The difference: breakage leaves hair of uneven lengths, true fall comes out from the root. Cutting heat to medium, spacing out chemical treatments and not tying hair tight while wet fixes this category completely — no medicine needed.

What to look for

Ketoconazole 2% shampoo — For oily, itchy dandruff — use 2-3 times a week, leave on scalp 3-5 minutes.
Blood test panel (ferritin, D, B12, TSH) — Do this before buying any supplement. Costs less than one month of random vitamins.

Common questions

Does hard water cause hair fall?

Hard water can make hair dry and rough and increase breakage, but it does not cause follicle-level hair loss like AGA. A chelating shampoo once a week helps with the dryness.

Which cause do I most likely have?

Receding hairline or crown thinning = probably genetics. Sudden heavy shedding everywhere, 2-3 months after an illness or stress = probably telogen effluvium. A dermatologist can confirm in one visit.