The most common type of hair loss seen in women is androgenetic alopecia, also known as female pattern alopecia. Alopecia means baldness, but just as in men, it does not have to be complete hair loss. This is seen as hair thinning predominantly over the top and front of the head. It affects approximately one-third of all susceptible women, but is most commonly seen after menopause.
Changes in the levels of hormones also affect hair production in women. After menopause, estrogen level becomes low and they become prone to the destructive effect of DHT (Dihydro Testosterone) The hair on the head start becoming thinner and no new hair is produced. The gradual thinning of the hair is also associated with decrease in the diameter of the hair. The follicles remain alive but contain only miniaturized hair, and there is always a possibility of re-growth.
Women with high or increasing levels of androgens, such as women with PCOS or who are menopausal, may find that the hair on the head is thinned, while facial hair is coarser. Although new hair is not produced, the follicles remain alive, suggesting the possibility of new hair growth.
One of the commonest forms of hair loss in women (and men) is a condition called telogen effluvium, in which there is a diffuse (or widely spread out) shedding of hairs around the scalp and elsewhere on the body.
Female hair loss may also occur due to dieting. Franchised diet programs which are designed or administered under the direction of a physician with prescribed meals, dietary supplements and vitamin ingestion have become popular. Sometimes the client is told that vitamins are a necessary part of the program to prevent hair loss associated with dieting.
Losing hair, thinning and going bald has been a problem for men and women since the dawn of time. Baldness is typically something only adults need to worry about but in rare cases, we see that teens lose their hair as well - and it may be a sign that something's amiss. Hair loss during adolescence can mean the person is unwell and weak or maybe just not eating right. Some medications or medical treatments also cause people to lose their hair - e.g. chemotherapy treatment for cancer. On the other hand, people can lose their hair if they wear a hairstyle that pulls on their hair roots for a long time, such as braids.
Women with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia tend to have miniaturizing hairs of variable diameter over all affected areas of the scalp. While miniaturizing hairs are a feature of androgenetic alopecia, miniaturization may also be associated with other causes and is not in itself a diagnostic feature of androgenetic alopecia. In post-menopausal women, for example, hair may begin to miniaturize and become difficult to style. The precise diagnosis should be made by a physician hair restoration specialist.
The treatment of hair loss in women usually differs from the route taken for men. Women are different than men, and even though men and women both lose hair, we lose it by different means. Because of the different causes usually at play for hair loss in women, a slightly different treatment route might be chosen. Women are encouraged to consult with dermatology experts and hair loss specialists to manage their female hair loss appropriately.
