CalvapBlog
Understand your hair loss
Articles built on dermatologists’ guidance and published studies. The same ones as in the Calvap app.
Understanding hair loss
Early signsThe early signs that go unnoticedThey come on slowly. You can have them for months before you notice.
Hair and ageYour hair at 50: what’s normalFiner, lighter hair and a receding hairline: what age changes for almost everyone.
MythsCaps, haircuts, the full moon: true or false?What dermatologists say about a few very common beliefs.
PhotosCount or photograph?Counting fallen hairs tells you little. Comparable photos show density.
HeredityBaldness: from your mother or your father?Pattern hair loss is passed down on both sides of the family, through many genes.
MythsGel, sex, swimming pools: myths?Four ideas going around among men, checked against what dermatologists say.
Seasonal sheddingSeasonal hair sheddingIn the northern hemisphere, more hair falls out in late summer and autumn.
Normal sheddingHow many hairs a day is normal?Losing hair every day is part of the normal cycle.
HeredityNo one bald in the family, so why me?Pattern hair loss can appear with no obvious example in the family. Why, and what else it could be.
Early hair lossReceding at 20: normal?A slight recession at the temples happens to almost all men. What sets apart what comes next.
AreasTemples and crown: the same fight?Two areas, one mechanism, but not the same timeline or the same options.
Temporary sheddingHair loss that’s just started: the 6-month markHair loss that is just starting can have several causes. The first months help tell them apart.
AreasThe back of the head as a witnessThe area pattern hair loss spares most. That’s exactly what makes it useful.
Rapid hair lossSudden hair loss: the causes checked firstHair loss that moves fast often has a cause that can be found, and often treated.
GrowthThe hair growth cycleGrowth, transition, rest: each hair follows its own schedule.
TrackingTracking without treatingNot treating is a recognised choice. Tracking keeps every option open.
MythsTrue or false: 6 viral tipsRosemary, castor oil, rice water, onion, hanging upside down, massage: what the studies really say.
PhotosTwo comparable photosWhat dermatologists keep the same from one photo to the next.
RegrowthWhat grows back and what doesn’tIt all depends on the follicle, the tiny structure that makes the hair.
Reactive sheddingWhat stress does to your hairA shock or a hard time can make your hair fall out, a few months later.
Alopecia areataWhat JAK inhibitors changed for alopecia areataSince 2022, tablets have brought hair back for some people. In severe alopecia areata, not baldness.
PhotosWhy take photos earlyHair loss is judged by comparison. Without a starting photo, you’re comparing with a memory.
Women
PregnancyHair loss after giving birthCommon in the months after the birth, and temporary.
PregnancyThat late-pregnancy volumeMany pregnant women find their hair gets thicker. It isn’t your imagination, and it doesn’t last.
ThyroidThyroid problems and hair lossA thyroid problem can make your hair fall out. But the shedding often shows months later.
Hair loss in womenHair loss in women: where it comes fromIn women, hair loss most often has a temporary cause.
The pillThe pill and hair lossDepending on the hormone it contains, a pill can slow hair loss or make it worse. Stopping it matters too.
HairstylesWhen your bun pulls too hardA bun, braids or extensions that pull every day can thin your hair. Early on, it’s reversible.
Routines and care
Gummies4 star ingredients under the microscopeBiotin, saw palmetto, ashwagandha, collagen: what’s behind the names that sell.
ShampooCan a shampoo stop hair loss?What dermatologists say about shampoo and hair loss.
BiotinBiotin and blood testsBiotin can skew some lab results, up or down.
ShampooDoes washing your hair often make it fall out?Shampoo doesn’t make hair loss worse. It washes out hairs that were about to fall anyway.
Rosemary oilRosemary oil: essential or infusedThe same name covers two very different products: a concentrate, and a scented oil.
MicroneedlingMicroneedling for hair lossThousands of tiny pricks in the scalp. Here’s what we know.
Red lightRed light helmets: do they work?European dermatologists list them as a possible add-on. With limits you rarely read about.
Hair loss serumsHair loss serum or medicine?Two bottles that look alike, two very different sets of rules.
Castor oilCastor oil: what we actually knowWidely used for hair growth, with no solid evidence for it. For shine, a little.
SupplementsWhat's in a hair supplementVitamins, minerals, amino acids, plants: the same families keep coming up from one product to the next.
Treatments
DutasterideDutasteride, a prostate medicineApproved for an enlarged prostate. For hair loss, it’s prescribed off-label almost everywhere.
Minoxidil solutionMinoxidil: foam or solution?The same molecule, in two forms with different ingredients.
FinasterideFinasteride and minoxidil: how they differHow they work, what form they come in, who they’re for, prescriptions: how the two medicines differ.
Weight lossGLP-1 medicines and hair lossSemaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are linked to hair loss.
Oral minoxidilThe early shed on oral minoxidilSeen in the first weeks in some people, and temporary.
Minoxidil solutionThe minoxidil shed in the first weeksIt can happen when you start treatment, and it passes.
Oral minoxidilMinoxidil: tablet or solution?The same molecule, two ways of taking it, with a different status and different effects.
Minoxidil solutionTopical minoxidil: when to judge whether it worksDermatologists say after 6 months at least, and sometimes 12 before you see regrowth.
FinasterideFinasteride: when to judge the effectFirst the shedding slows, then regrowth follows, over months.
Oral minoxidilOral minoxidil: when to judge the effectNot before 3 months, and sometimes not before 6 after shedding at the start.
Habits
DietCrash diet, then hair lossEating too little, or without enough protein or iron, can make your hair fall out a few months later.
StylingDryer, straightener: 4 gentle habitsHeat weakens hair, and a style that pulls can make it fall out. A few simple habits go easy on it.
DeficienciesIron, vitamin D, zinc, B12: deficiencies and hairWhat’s established about deficiencies and hair, and what isn’t.
SleepSleep and hair loss: the linkMany studies link poor sleep to hair loss. What we know, and what we don’t know yet.
Seeing a doctor
Appointment5 questions for your doctorQuestions that help you make an informed choice, before any treatment.
Hair transplantHair transplants: FUE, FUT, DHIWhat happens on the day of the transplant, and what sets the techniques apart.
PRPPRP: how a session goesYour own blood, concentrated in platelets, then injected into the scalp.
Seeing a doctorWhen to talk to a doctorThe signs dermatologists would rather examine.
Seeing a doctorWhich doctor should you see about hair loss?Usually a GP first, then a dermatologist if needed.