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Hair Loss & Scalp Problems

Losing some hair every day is normal. Thinning, shedding, bald patches, dandruff and an itchy scalp have many causes — most are treatable, and some hair loss grows back on its own. Finding the cause is the key, and a few kinds need care early to prevent permanent loss.

See a doctor promptly — ideally a board-certified dermatologist — if you have:

The NHS advises seeing a doctor to find the cause before going to a commercial hair clinic (NHS). Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own because you suspect it’s causing hair loss — ask the prescriber first (AAD).

What’s normal, and how common is hair loss?

Most people shed about 50 to 100 hairs a day without noticing (AAD, NHS). Hair loss usually isn’t a sign of anything serious, but occasionally it points to a medical condition (NHS). Its causes include genes, aging, the immune system, hormones, illness, stress, diet, medicines, hairstyles and scalp disease, and the cause decides whether hair can regrow (AAD, MedlinePlus). Pattern (hereditary) hair loss is the most common type (AAD): it affects an estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the U.S., and more than half of men over 50 have some (MedlinePlus Genetics). Alopecia areata, the autoimmune type that causes bald patches, affects about 1 in 500 to 1,000 people in the U.S. (MedlinePlus Genetics). See Types of hair loss at a glance below.

Thyroid, iron, hormones and medicines

Thyroid disease can thin the hair, and treating it can reverse the loss (AAD) — see our Graves’ Disease guide; MBHA plans a Thyroid guide too. Too little iron, protein, zinc or biotin can cause hair loss that regrows once the body gets enough (AAD). In women, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal cause (AAD, MedlinePlus Genetics) — see our Female Problems guide. Some medicines can cause hair loss too (AAD).

Scarring hair loss

In scarring (cicatricial) alopecias, inflammation destroys hair follicles and scar tissue takes their place (AAD, AAD). Examples are CCCA, which starts at the crown and is the most common scarring hair loss in women of African descent, and frontal fibrosing alopecia, a receding band along the hairline, often with eyebrow loss, usually after menopause (AAD, AAD). Store-bought products don’t treat CCCA; it needs prescription treatment, and starting early can stop it spreading (AAD).

How is hair loss diagnosed?

A dermatologist asks how long you’ve had it and how fast it came on, looks closely at the scalp and nails (often with a magnifier called a dermatoscope), and may gently pull on a few hairs — a pull test — to see how the hair is growing and whether it breaks (AAD, AAD). If a disease, deficiency, hormone imbalance or infection is suspected, you may need blood tests (for example for thyroid disease or iron) or a scalp biopsy, a tiny piece of skin examined under a microscope (AAD, AAD, NIAMS). Some people have more than one cause at once (AAD).

When to see a doctor: any time hair loss worries you or affects your wellbeing (NHS), and soon for the warning signs above. The earlier treatment starts, the more likely regrowth is (AAD).

Side by side

Six approaches compared

For every condition we look at the same six approaches: what each involves, what it typically costs, and what a patient can realistically expect.

ApproachWhat it involves Estimated costWhat to expect
Conventional medicine (AMA) Treating the cause; minoxidil (over the counter); finasteride for men; spironolactone for some women (off-label); steroid injections and JAK-inhibitor pills for alopecia areata; medicated shampoos for dandruff; laser devices, PRP and hair transplants. Older price guides: brand minoxidil about $30–$40 a month, brand finasteride $60–$70 (generics cheaper), a transplant surgeon’s fee about $5,033. Generally not covered by insurance. Many people regrow some hair, but results take months and fade if treatment stops. JAK inhibitors carry boxed warnings.
Chiropractic No role in hair loss or scalp conditions; a PubMed search found no studies. Not a treatment for hair loss, so no cost is listed. Don’t let any treatment delay a diagnosis.
Acupuncture Needling, including “plum-blossom” needling, added to medical treatment for alopecia areata. About $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90. Little research; one review found low-quality evidence of a small added benefit.
Herbal medicine Rosemary oil, saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, tea tree oil shampoo, biotin and hair supplements. Cost estimate being researched. Only small studies. Supplements help only if you’re deficient; biotin can upset lab tests.
Massage therapy Scalp massage, and relaxing massage for stress. A private therapist about $60–$120 for 45–60 minutes; home scalp massage costs little. One tiny study found slightly thicker hairs. Low-risk, but not a proven treatment.
MBHA Wellness Coach Gentle hair care and looser styles, protein and iron, stress habits, coping with appearance changes, wigs and scarves during chemotherapy. Cost estimate being researched. Prevents hair damage and traction hair loss and supports medical care. Shedding after stress or childbirth usually settles within months.

Approach 1 of 6

Conventional medicine (AMA)

Treatment starts with the right diagnosis; without it, treatment often fails (American Academy of Dermatology). Sometimes hair regrows on its own — after a baby, an illness, surgery, cancer treatment, a big weight loss, mild alopecia areata or clearing scalp psoriasis (AAD). We don’t list doses or strengths — follow your prescriber and the label.

1. Treating the cause

Treating thyroid disease, a nutrient shortfall, a scalp infection or an untreated sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis can let hair regrow; scalp ringworm needs antifungal medicine (AAD, AAD). If a medicine may be the cause, review it with the prescriber (AAD).

2. Pattern hair loss

3. Alopecia areata

With one or two patches present for less than a year, many people — especially children — regrow hair without treatment (AAD).

There is no cure, and relapses are common (AAD, NIAMS).

4. Procedures and devices

What it costs

  • An older consumer cost guide lists brand minoxidil at about $30–$40 a month and brand finasteride at $60–$70, with generics cheaper, and a hair transplant surgeon’s fee averaging about $5,033 (or about $3–$10 per graft); prices may be dated (CostHelper, CostHelper). Insurance generally doesn’t cover hair loss treatment (AAD).
  • Dermatology visits, JAK inhibitors, steroid injections, PRP and laser devices: cost estimate being researched.

How well it works — what to expect

With an accurate diagnosis many people see regrowth, but not every type can be treated, results take months, and no one treatment works for everyone (AAD); no treatment is 100% effective (NHS).

Find a medical doctor in our directory

Approach 2 of 6

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care has no role in treating hair loss, dandruff or other scalp conditions. A PubMed search we ran in October 2026 for chiropractic or spinal manipulation together with hair loss, alopecia, dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis returned no studies. Don’t let any treatment delay a diagnosis — especially for patchy, painful or scarring hair loss, where early treatment matters (AAD).

Find a chiropractor in our directory

Approach 3 of 6

Acupuncture

We found little research on acupuncture for hair loss; much of it is on alopecia areata. A 2026 review pooled 11 randomized trials (1,144 people). In 7 of them, adding “plum-blossom” needling to usual medical treatment helped more people improve than medical treatment alone, but the evidence was low-certainty, with small samples and unclear risk of bias (review, Medicine, 2026). For thinning hair we found case reports, trial plans and one trial of 87 people in China that combined plum-blossom needling with another traditional Chinese therapy, so the needling’s own effect can’t be separated (trial, Annals of Palliative Medicine, 2020). At most acupuncture is an add-on, not a replacement for diagnosis or proven treatment.

Safety: complications are uncommon, but non-sterile needles or poor technique can cause infections and other harms (NCCIH); choose a licensed practitioner and avoid needling an inflamed scalp.

Cost: about $125–$230 for a first private visit and $90–$185 for follow-ups; community clinics about $50–$90 (The Pricer).

Find an acupuncturist in our directory

Approach 4 of 6

Herbal medicine

Plant oils and supplements are popular for hair, but the evidence is thin, and some supplements interact with medicines — check with your dermatologist or pharmacist first (AAD). We don’t list doses.

Biotin and “hair, skin and nails” supplements

  • Take biotin, iron or zinc only if a blood test shows you’re low; otherwise they can harm — too much iron can cause poisoning (AAD). In most studies, hair supplements did nothing for growth or thickness (AAD).
  • Large amounts of vitamin A or selenium are toxic and can themselves cause hair loss (AAD); many dermatologists suggest a plain multivitamin instead of hair supplements (AAD).
  • Lab tests: the FDA warns that biotin can cause wrong lab results that may go unnoticed — including a falsely low result on troponin, a heart attack test — and that hair, skin and nail supplements may contain high levels not clear from the name. Tell your doctor and the lab if you take biotin (FDA, 2019, FDA).

Cost: cost estimate being researched.

Approach 5 of 6

Massage therapy

There is very little research on scalp massage for hair. In a 2016 study, 9 healthy men used a scalp massage device for 4 minutes a day for 24 weeks, and their hairs became slightly thicker (study, Eplasty, 2016). The study was tiny, involved healthy men and describes no comparison group, so it doesn’t show that massage regrows hair. Stress can trigger shedding, and many people with alopecia areata feel stressed before a cycle of hair loss (AAD, AAD); if massage helps you relax, it may be a pleasant part of managing stress, though the NIH rates the evidence for massage easing anxiety as limited (NCCIH). Use gentle pressure, since tugging breaks hair (AAD), and skip a sore or infected scalp. Massage is generally low-risk; rare serious injuries have mostly involved vigorous techniques (NCCIH).

Cost: home scalp massage costs little; a private therapist typically charges about $60–$120 for 45–60 minutes (CostHelper).

Find a massage therapist in our directory

Approach 6 of 6

MBHA Wellness Coach

An MBHA Wellness Coach can help you build habits that protect your hair and support your medical care — never instead of a diagnosis.

Coping with changes in how you look

Losing hair can be upsetting (NHS), and anxiety and depression are more common in people with alopecia areata (NIAMS). A counselor and talking with others who’ve been through it can help (NIAMS, NHS) — see our Anxiety and Depression guides. Wigs, concealers, scarves, shaving the head and stick-on brows or lashes don’t regrow hair but can boost confidence right away (AAD, AAD, NIAMS). The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (naaf.org) offers education and support (NAAF, AAD).

Wigs and scarves during chemotherapy

Buy a wig while you still have hair so you can match the color; if wigs feel hot or itchy, try a soft scarf or turban (NCI). Synthetic wigs cost less and are easier to care for; real-hair wigs look more natural (NHS). See Hair loss during cancer treatment.

Another approach

Types of hair loss at a glance

  • Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia): inherited, gradual thinning — a receding hairline or thin crown in men, a widening part or overall thinning in women, who rarely go bald. Treatment can slow it and regrow some hair, and works best when started early (American Academy of Dermatology, AAD).
  • Telogen effluvium: heavy shedding a few months after childbirth, a high fever, surgery, illness, losing 20 pounds or more, stopping birth control pills, or a very stressful time; usually temporary (AAD).
  • Alopecia areata: the immune system attacks hair follicles, causing round, smooth bald patches, sometimes in the eyebrows, eyelashes or beard. It isn’t contagious; hair often regrows but may fall out again. It is more common in people with thyroid disease, psoriasis, vitiligo, hay fever or eczema (NIAMS, AAD) — see our Eczema guide.
  • Traction alopecia: thinning along the hairline from styles that pull; preventable, but can become permanent (AAD).
  • Scarring alopecias (such as CCCA and frontal fibrosing alopecia): follicles are destroyed; early treatment can stop the spread (AAD, AAD).
  • Thyroid, nutrition and hormones: thinning that can reverse once the cause is treated (AAD).
  • Medicines, chemotherapy and radiation: hair usually regrows after the cause stops (AAD, AAD).
  • Scalp infection (ringworm): scaly, sometimes inflamed patches with “black dots” of broken hair; hair tends to regrow once treated (AAD, AAD).
  • Hair pulling (trichotillomania): often to relieve stress, sometimes without noticing; hair can regrow if the follicles aren’t destroyed (AAD).

Another approach

Dandruff and an itchy scalp

Dandruff — white flakes, sometimes with itch — is common, harmless, not contagious and not caused by poor hygiene; a yeast that lives on the skin, eczema, stress and cold weather can play a part (NHS). Seborrheic dermatitis is a related, inflamed scaly rash on oily areas such as the scalp, eyebrows, beard and sides of the nose; dandruff may be its mildest form. It often flares in winter and with stress, and on darker skin may look pink, purple or lighter than the skin around it. In babies it is cradle cap, which clears on its own (AAD).

  • Medicated shampoos: look for zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid, sulfur, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole or coal tar, follow the label, and switch ingredients if one doesn’t work. Coal tar can make the scalp more sensitive to the sun (AAD, NHS).
  • Children: dandruff shampoo isn’t recommended for children; for cradle cap, use baby shampoo and gently loosen the scales (AAD).
  • Prescription options include stronger shampoos, antifungal or steroid creams and roflumilast foam (AAD).
  • See a doctor if a dandruff shampoo hasn’t helped after about 4 weeks, the itch is bad, or patches spread to your face or body (NHS).

Scalp psoriasis

Thick, scaly patches can be psoriasis, which can cause temporary hair loss (AAD). Comb scale away gently instead of picking, keep nails short, alternate medicated and gentle shampoos, and condition after each wash (AAD). MBHA plans Psoriasis and Skin Problems guides.

Head lice

Head lice are tiny insects that spread mainly by head-to-head contact, most often among children aged 3 to 11 and their families; they have nothing to do with cleanliness (MedlinePlus). Wet combing with conditioner and a fine-toothed detection comb, repeated over about two weeks, can clear them; children don’t need to miss school, and tea tree and other plant oils aren’t recommended (NHS). With lice shampoos or lotions, use one product exactly as labeled, usually repeated about a week later; using more can be harmful (AAD, MedlinePlus). Check with a clinician first for pregnancy, breastfeeding or a young child (MedlinePlus).

Another approach

Hair loss during cancer treatment

Some chemotherapy makes hair on the head and body fall out, often within a few weeks; radiation can cause hair loss where it is aimed (NCI, AAD). Hair often grows back 2 to 3 months after chemotherapy ends, at first fine and sometimes a different texture or color, and 3 to 6 months after radiation, though very high doses can leave thinner hair or none (NCI). Be gentle: a soft brush, mild shampoo, no dryers or irons, and a hat or sunscreen outdoors (NCI).

Scalp cooling caps worn before, during and after each session may help prevent hair loss (AAD). In 2017 the FDA cleared one system for adults with solid tumors; it is not 100% effective, can cause cold headaches, and cost about $1,500 to $3,000 per patient — not then covered by insurance, according to the maker (NCI, 2017). See our Cancer guide.

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This page is for education only and is not medical advice. Costs are typical U.S. ranges and estimates; yours will depend on your provider, location and insurance. Talk with your doctor before starting, stopping or combining any treatment. In an emergency, call 911. See our disclaimer.

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