What Causes Hair Loss in Women and How to Make It Stop

A woman’s youth and beauty are largely attributed to the length and thickness of her hair, which is why it can be damaging to her confidence if she begins to experience thinning and baldness on her scalp. While rarely discussed and not well understood, female pattern baldness is not uncommon, and there are ways to correct it if you are experiencing hair thinning and low self- esteem as a result. Read on to discover the many causes of hair loss in women and how to counteract them.

CAUSES OF FEMALE HAIR LOSS

Men with male pattern baldness can more often than not attribute their condition to genetics, but in women, there are a number of factors that play a role in hair loss. Androgenic Alopecia (AGA), a term used to describe male and female pattern baldness, is the most common condition affecting hair thickness in men and women. Where men experience hair loss due to AGA in specific areas of the scalp, women tend to experience thinning all over the scalp. As mentioned before, there are a number of non-AGA causes for female hair loss. Some of these include:

• Diet and weight loss pills
• Viral and bacterial diseases, or damage stemming from fungal scalp infections
• Menopause, postpartum depression, anxiety and other stress-inducing disorders
• Anemia and other iron deficiency diseases
• Contraceptives with a high amount of progestin, a hormone that may cause damage and shrinkage to the hair follicle

Female pattern hair loss is not always permanent in nature. Stressful events, certain medications, or hormonal changes can cause a woman’s hair to thin or fall out completely but will begin to grow within a few months. The two most common hormone-related causes of temporary hair loss in women are thyroid disease and pregnancy.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM HAIR RESTORATION SURGERY

For women experiencing moderate to severe hair loss from any number of causes, the best-recommended treatment is hair restoration surgery for longer lasting, natural-looking results. It is highly recommended that those seeking hair restoration treatment do so as soon as possible as it may slow down further hair loss. As patients may undergo this procedure at any age, it is not uncommon to see women in their 20’s and 30’s electing to undergo hair restoration surgery and is actually recommended as hair in the donor site at this age is not completely established.

During your initial consultation, our hair restoration specialist will describe the procedure, surgery details, recovery, possible risks, and costs.

AM I A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR HAIR RESTORATION?

Using the Ludwig classification system, our hair restoration specialist can determine who may benefit from hair restoration procedures. Female pattern hair loss can be categorized into three groups:

• Type 1 – Mild hair loss with early thinning seen in the crown. Usually not recommended to undergo hair restoration treatment as hair loss is too little to justify surgery.
• Type 2 – Moderate hair loss that leaves a noticeable loss of volume in the crown. An ideal hair restoration candidate given they have stable donor hair.
• Type 3 – Severe hair loss characterized by a visibly and completely bald crown. An ideal hair restoration candidate given they have stable donor hair.

If you are interested in learning more or scheduling a procedure, contact Dr. Rosy Sandhu today to begin your journey to younger looking skin. Neem Medical Spa offers hair restoration treatments to people in the Boston, Lynnfield, Winchester, and Boston areas.