A few extra hairs in the sink or on your comb may be a sign of hair loss known as male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. This condition involves a receding hairline and thinning around the crown that eventually leads to bald spots, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp and can be the result of heredity, certain medications or an underlying medical condition, reports CNN Health. When heredity is the cause, it's referred to as pattern baldness.

Dermatologist Noah Scheinfeld estimates that up to 75 percent of menopausal women suffer from female pattern hair loss. Menopausal women with this condition often see extensive hair loss from the top of their head.

Vitamin A is essential for many bodily functions, including healthy hair growth. However, because this vitamin is fat-soluble, your body stores the excess you take in, which can lead to toxicity, and the symptoms of this include hair loss. Along with vitamin A toxicity, many other causes of hair loss are possible.

Exercise can keep your body and your hair healthy--if you’re not doing too much of it. Exercising heavily without addressing nutrition needs or exercising too much can lead to problems that cause hair loss.

Hair loss has many causes, including genetics, inflammation, infection, illness, poor nutrition, extreme hairstyles, physical or emotional shock, medications and medical treatments.

Feeling tired can be debilitating, yet when it is accompanied by hair loss, the combined symptoms are distressing. Generally, men and women lose up to 100 hairs each day as a natural process. To determine if hair loss is extreme, gently grasp the hair and comb lightly.

An itchy scalp accompanied with hair loss is indicative of a severe dermatological condition such as scalp psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. Large flakes, patches of hair loss and constant itching often adversely affects a person's daily social interactions.

Unruly eyebrows may be a problem for both women and men. You may have a few stray hairs that point up, or you may have many hairs that point in different directions. When your eyebrow hair refuses to stay flat and smooth, you can quickly tame it as part of your daily grooming ritual.

While loss of head hair is a common problem, hair loss on the arms and legs is a much rarer condition. According to the site Hair Loss Expert, this manifest itself as either a complete loss, or as a significant and noticeable decrease in the amount of hair growing on the limbs.

The abundance of iron in the earth's core means that the mineral can sometimes seep into the water in which you bathe and wash your hair. The Illinois Department of Public Health states that very small amounts of iron as low as 0.

The driving mechanism behind male pattern hair loss for African Americans is the same as it is for other races. Male pattern hair loss is caused by dihydrotestosterone, which will attach to the hair follicle and cause it to shrink. After time, the follicle is unable to produce new hair.