Can Mold Cause Hair Loss?

If you live in a house with a mold problem you could start to lose your hair. The allergic reactions humans suffer from mold can lead to hair loss, even in females or children.

The roots of your hair are nourished by tiny blood vessels called capillaries. If the circulation to these blood vessels is disrupted the hair can fall out or break.

When you breathe in mold spores they trigger allergic reactions in your body. During these allergic reactions your immune system creates a chemical called histamine. The histamine causes inflammation which disrupts the blood flow in the capillaries. This can lead to hairs not getting enough blood and eventually your hair can start to fall out.

If you don't take care of the mold problem in your home then eventually mold allergies can lead to baldness. Hair loss from allergies will usually be in a diffuse pattern.

Hair loss caused by mold exposure can be reversed. Although the regrowth might be slow, in most cases the hair will grow back once a person is no longer exposed to mold.

If you have lost hair from mold exposure you should fix the mold problem and talk to your doctor about treatments without delay for the best chance of maximum regrowth. Hair follicles which are dormant because of mold exposure can be regrown, however once a hair follicle dies you cannot get the hair back. 

A Flooded Home/Business and Mold

If your house has been in a flood there's a good chance you will end up with a mold problem. However there are steps you can take to try to prevent mold growing in your home after it's been flooded.  After a flood the best thing you can do is contact a mold remediation company or water damage specialist who performs clean ups of flooded homes. Mold can start to grow after just a day or two so it's important to act as quickly as possible if your home has been flooded. Make sure you only enter your home once it's safe though. 

Mold can start to grow on the walls, or inside the wall cavities, of rooms that were flooded. If a room with drywall walls was flooded then you'll need to cut away the bottom section of drywall that's at least 30cm (12 inches) above where it got wet.

If you see mold growing on any drywall then you'll also have to cut away the drywall and remove it. Mold cannot be properly cleaned from porous materials like drywall. Once you've removed wet or moldy drywall from your home you should dispose of it.