How can I stop hair fall?

First identify the cause: male- or female-pattern loss, telogen effluvium after illness or stress, iron or vitamin D deficiency, thyroid disease, PCOS, or scarring alopecia. Pattern loss responds to minoxidil and finasteride (men); deficiency-related loss resolves once the deficiency is corrected.

Useful first tests: haemoglobin and ferritin, TSH, vitamin D and B12, and in women with irregular cycles or acne, a hormonal panel for PCOS.

Telogen effluvium after illness, surgery, childbirth, crash dieting or severe stress typically begins 2-3 months after the trigger and recovers over 6-9 months.