Many men and women around the world struggle with hair loss at some point in their life. Even though the severity may vary between individuals, it begs the question, WHY? It turns out there is a very strong link between hair loss and ethnicity. Rest assured, you're not alone!
Genetics (which controls ethnicity) is the number one cause of hair loss. Certain races have higher rates of hair loss compared to others. Caucasians have the highest rates out of all the ethnic groups. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Native American Indians, Inuits, and Chinese have the lowest rates. Let's dive in deeper.
Hair Types
Every ethnicity has different hair types, and most people's hair falls into 1 of 3 categories:
- European - Known for having the thickest hair with the most hair follicles, requires a lot of care, grows fragile with age
- African - Fewer active hair follicles, thick, voluminous, hard to maintain, extra care required
- Asian (East & West) - Very strong hair, steep angle follicles (produce more body), fine, less prone to breaking damage, likely to keep more hair as you age, easy to care for
Each hair type requires very unique care to maintain healthiness and prevent hair loss.
Hair Growth
Hair growth varies between ethnicities as well. Caucasian hair (most dense) grows 1.2 cm per month, African hair grows the slowest at .9 cm per month, and Asian hair (least dense) grows the fasted at 1.3 cm per month.
How many hairs are on our heads?
- Blondes - 146,000 hairs
- Black-hair - 110,000 hairs
- Brunettes - 100,000 hairs
- Redheads - 86,0000 hairs
- African - 50,000-100,000 hairs
- Asian - 80,000-140,000 hairs
A normal amount of hair loss per day for all ethnicities is 60-100 strands.
Skull Shape
It makes perfect sense, each individual has unique genetics and traits, therefore resulting in different shaped heads. The human skull can vary quite a bit from one person to the next, especially between ethnicities.
You may be thinking, why does this matter?!
Differentiating skull shapes are more likely to experience bone growth during adulthood more so than others. Bone growth in adulthood starts the hair loss process. By comparing skull shapes among various races, this gives us a strong correlation between ethnicity and hair loss.
Stats Around The World - Highest Hair Loss Countries
Let's take a look how the rest of the world stacks up compared to the U.S.:
- Czech Republic - 42.79% of Prague men balding or bald (takes the #1 spot)
- Spain - 43.60% men bald or balding
- Germany - 41.24% men bald or balding
- France - 39.24% men bald or balding
- UK - 39.23% men bald or balding
- USA - 39.04% men bald or balding
European countries are the highest rankings compared to any other country.
Wait...What About Women's Stats?
Most of the studies performed are conducted on men, since it's been proven more prevalent in their gender. However, women are affected as well based on the same ethnicity factors.
It's reported that the percentage of hair loss in women is 30-40% age 65 and older, and 50-75% aged 70 and older. Compare this to men, which is 70-85% by the age of 70.
Other studies have found that just 16% of women and over 50% of men have hair loss under that age of 50. Male balding can begin as early as the teenage years. Women are more susceptible beginning around age 30.
Cultural Ethnicity Reasons
Genetics isn't the only reason hair loss varies between ethnic groups. Hair loss factors are also influenced by diet and the way you style or maintain your hair (oils, moisture levels, styling techniques, washing patterns). If you're not caring for your specific hair type properly in your younger years, this can lead to issues later on in your adult life. Using inappropriate hair care products, hair dyes, or using a styling product that's consistently damaging your hair can all affect hair loss.
New Look Institute is dedicated to providing exceptional services for men and women of all races and ethnicities experiencing hair loss. We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, we help you find the best treatment plan based on your individual needs. Safe, effective, and affordable, we are here for you every step of the way.
For more information contact New Look Institute to schedule a free one-on-one consultation today. You don't have to live your life with thinning hair. We have many hair restoration options available that will guarantee long-lasting and natural results. Also, don't forget to take our free hair loss quiz!
