Female Hair Loss: Causes, Myths & Treatment Options

• JD Max Healthcare
• Feb 21, 2023
• 4 min read

Hair doesn’t always reflect the personality of women but they do help. It is said that hair is the crown of an individual which he or she never takes off. Thus, hair loss is a growing perplexing problem for an individual and leads to an overall loss of beauty and confidence of a lady.

WHAT CAUSES FEMALE HAIR LOSS :

The exact reason for female pattern baldness is still under exploration, but may be related to:

• Ageing​
• Changes in the levels of androgens (male hormones). For example, after reaching menopause, many women find that the hair on their head is thinner, while the hair on their face is coarser.
• Stress is another factor which causes early onset of FHL .
• Family history of male or female baldness.
• Nutrirional deficiencies.
• Lack of exercise

​WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FEMALE HAIR LOSS :

Hair loss is different from that of male pattern baldness.

• In FHL hair thins mainly on the top and crown of the scalp.
• It usually starts with a widening through the center hair part.
• The front hairline remains unaffected except for normal recession, which happens to everyone as time passes.
• It rarely progresses to total or near total baldness, as it may in men.
• There is no other symptom like itching or scalp soreness .

WHAT IS FEMALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS :

Female Pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a distinctive form of hair loss that occurs in women with hormonal disturbance . It is normal to lose up to 50-100 hair a day but In FPHL, there is diffuse thinning of hair on the scalp due to increased hair shedding or a reduction in hair volume, or both. Each strand of hair resides in a tiny hole (cavity) in the skin called a follicle. Baldness occurs when the hair follicle shrinks over time, resulting in shorter and finer hair. Eventually, the follicle does not grow new hair.
The major cause of FPHL is Polycystic Ovarian Disease which is seen in 20-30% of women in the reproductive age group and thyroid disorders.

HOW TO INVESTIGATE FHL :

The dermatologist will examine for  signs of too much male hormone (androgen), such as (Abnormal new hair growth, Changes in menstrual periods, New acne) and signs of nutritional deficiencies, any abnormal stress and exercise patterns

After careful medical history and clinical examination, dermatologist performs certain diagnostic tests such as

• Hair pull test
• Trichoscan
• Trichscopy
• Skin punch biopsy – both longitudinal section(to see the structure of hair follicle) and horizontal section(to see the number of hair follicle).
• hormonal assays if required

Myths and Controversies related to female hair loss:

• Shedding of up to 100 hairs is normal and doesn’t come under abnormal hair loss.
• Excess or daily shampooing doesn’t contribute to hair loss.
• Oiling doesn’t help with hair loss. Oil is required in only outer layers of hair shaft and not in roots.

TREATMENT OPTIONS :

Hair loss may affect confidence, self-esteem and cause anxiety. There is no known prevention and untreated hair loss in female patients may lead to permanent baldness. In most cases, hair loss is mild to moderate and if appropriate measures are taken on time, it can be brought to a halt.

MEDICINES

The only medicine approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat female  baldness is minoxidil:
It is applied to the scalp. For women, the 2% solution or 5% foam is recommended.Minoxidil may help hair grow in about 1 in 4 or 5 of women. In most women, it may slow or stop hair loss,but it should be continued for a long time to prevent rebound hair loss.If minoxidil does not work, the dermatologist may recommend other medicines, such as spironolactone, cimetidine, birth control pills and ketoconazole, among others.

HAIR TRANSPLANT is the fanciest treatment for female or male hair loss nowadays.

During hair transplant, tiny plugs of hair are removed from areas where hair is thicker and placed (transplanted) in areas that are balding. Minor scarring may occur where hair is removed. There is a slight risk of skin infection. You will likely need many transplants, which can be expensive. However, the results are often excellent and permanent. Nowadays a recent technique of Bio-hair transplant is evolving in which artificial hair are used and shaving of scalp before the procedure are not required. Hair weaving, Hair bonding, and artificial hair strands are other solutions.

Finally concluding  again we would say that hair are a queen’s crown and to maintain that crown proper diet rich in vitamins and protein, proper exercise and stress-free life is required