When you can see more hair in your hairbrush than is usual it can be worrying.

Low progesterone is certainly one of the factors, but there are others you may not be aware of.

1. Medication

Always read the instructions on your medication, or discuss it with your pharmacist or GP, to see what potential side effects they may have.

Examples of such drugs include blood thinners, acne medications high in vitamin A, anabolic steroids, or medications for arthritis, depression, gout, heart problems, or high blood pressure.

2. Low iron levels

Iron helps keep your hair healthy. When levels drop, so can your hair. You’ll likely have other clues that low iron is to blame for your hair loss, like brittle nails, yellow or pale skin, shortness of breath, weakness, and a fast heartbeat.

3. Stress

Sometimes, large doses of stress can make your body’s immune system turn on itself and attack your hair follicles. Lots of worry and anxiety can also pause your hair growth, which makes hair more likely to fall out when you brush.

4. Not enough protein

A body low on protein finds a way to conserve where it can, and that includes halting hair growth.

About 2 to 3 months after that, hair starts to fall out. Adding more meat, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, and beans to your meals can pack more protein into your diet.

5. Hormonal birth control

Hormonal birth control like oral contraceptives, implants, injections, vaginal rings, and patches can trigger hair loss if you have a history of it in your family.

Your doctor might be able to recommend a non-hormonal option such as a copper IUD that may help you keep more of your hair.

Not only can starting hormonal birth control kick off hair loss, so can quitting. You’ll probably notice a change several weeks or months after you stop.

6. Being hard on your hair

Sometimes it’s your styling routine that’s to blame when your hair starts to break or fall out. Using too much shampoo, brushing or combing your hair when it’s wet, rubbing hair dry with a towel, or brushing too hard or too often can all strain your strands and make them break.

Most of use hairdryers and other heating styling devices on a regular basis. However these dry out your hair and makes it easier for it to break and fall out.

Hair colourants, hair dye, relaxers, and hair sprays can do the same thing.

7. What else is wrong?

Hair loss is a symptom of more than 30 diseases, including polycystic ovary syndrome, ringworm on your scalp, thyroid disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

You can also lose hair when you have the flu, a high fever, or an infection.

8. Smoke

Your hair isn’t immune to the damage smoking can cause. Toxins in cigarette smoke can mess with your hair follicles and keep hair from growing and staying on your head.

9. Menopause

The shifting hormones can increase shedding due to the hormonal fluctuations. When hair starts thinning, which is common at menopause, then what can happen is that when progesterone levels fall as a result of lack of ovulation the body by increasing its production of the adrenal cortical, androstenedione, an alternative precursor for the production of other adrenal cortical hormones. Androstenedione conveys some androgenic (male-like-properties) – in this case male pattern hair loss.

If this is what is causing your hair loss, then when progesterone levels are raised by supplementation with Serenity the androstenedione level will gradually fall, and normal hair growth can eventually resume. Since hair growth is slow, it may take 4-6 months for the effects to become apparent.

Also, low thyroid can be indicated with hair loss so ask your doctor to have this checked. Progesterone supports thyroid function so again can be helpful.

10. You have an eating disorder

Both anorexia (not eating enough) and bulimia (throwing up after you eat) can make your hair fall out, because your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to grow and maintain healthy hair.

These need to be treated by a team of mental health professionals, dietitians, and other medical specialists.