Female Hair Loss

While there are a variety of factors that can cause female hair loss, the most common is genetics. Like men, hair loss in women can be caused by an inherited condition called androgenetic alopecia. Thinning hair in women can lead to female baldness. While this can be an unpleasant and emotionally draining condition, female hair loss treatment can help. This page discusses female hair loss and its various forms.

Androgenetic Alopecia – The Leading Cause of Hair Loss in Women

Androgenetic alopecia can be inherited from either side of the family. Hair loss in women usually begins after menopause, but it has been known to affect women in puberty as well. Overall, thinning hair in women is a common result of androgenetic alopecia, though female hair loss can be more pronounced on top of the head.

The reasons for female hair loss may have to do with declining levels of estrogen. Before menopause, estrogen counteracts a set of hormones called androgens, which turn into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). After menopause, more androgens are converted to DHT, which adversely affects some hair follicles in women who are genetically predisposed to this form of female hair loss. It is not known why female hair loss is diffuse, whereas male hair loss follows a distinct pattern.

Other Causes of Thinning Hair in Women

In addition to androgenetic alopecia, there are two other common causes of female hair loss:

• Anagen Effluvium - Hair loss in women can be caused by medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, that poison the hair follicle, resulting in excessive hair loss.
• Telogen Effluvium - In certain cases, some women may experience excessive hair loss when an increased number of hairs enter the resting phase at the same time. This causes the hair to fall out and a new hair begins to grow in its place. This type of female hair loss can be caused by dieting, surgery, illness, thyroid problems, emotional stress, blood pressure medications, childbirth, or birth control pills.

Female Hair Loss Treatment

Hair loss in women can be remedied. There are a large number of options for female hair loss treatment. Surgical hair loss solutions such as hair transplants are becoming more and more common. There are non-surgical treatments available as well, such as laser hair loss treatment, hair loss products, and hair replacement pieces.

Locate a Hair Loss Specialist Today

DocShop is a resource designed to help you find a specialist in your area who can meet your needs. For further information about hair loss or thinning hair in women, use DocShop to locate a female hair loss specialist near you. A hair loss treatment plan can be designed to address your specific needs.