Female Hair Loss
Female hair loss is on of the most disturbing psychological traumas a woman can experience. The condition known as alopecia can take various forms which will influence the type of hair loss treatment depending on the actual causes of the hair loss.
There are three main causes of female hair loss and I will address these initially as these are treatable.
The first is stress, the second is hormonal usually caused by menopause and the third is often caused by medication, especially in regards to teenagers.
Stress and Hair Loss
Stress, especially occupational stress is much more common amongst women these days as many women are ‘working mothers’ who have to balance looking after the home as well as keeping a career. There is estimated to be 40% more cases of female balding in the US now than there was in the 80′s as women in particular have progressed up the career ladder which whether we like it or not produces a ‘more intense’ type of stress! It is this tensional stress that ‘destroys’ the hormones (not their production!) and leads to thinning hair and balding patches often known as alopecia areata.
There is a false perception, especially amongst women that hair loss is generally a ‘middle age’ problem which to be honest couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact there are many women who experience hair loss after pregnancy which can be caused by two factors. One of them is stress – as I mentioned before and the other is down to the significant hormonal imbalances that a woman experiences during pregnancy. The hair loss occurs as the body’s metabolism readjusts and this can take up to 6 months. In some occasions medication is needed and as always in these cases it is useful to consult with your doctor.
Again for those of you who are thinking this is an ‘age thing’ alopecia hair loss and thinning hair will affect 60% of women under 35 at some stage. The thinning of hair can be very mild in many of these cases but alas sometimes it is much more noticeable – especially alopecia areata.
Hair Loss and the Menopause.
Alopecia hair loss can vary widely just before,during and after menopause. The reason for this is the widely varying levels of estrogen and testosterone. Luckily female hair loss treatment for the menopause can be quite effective when the stage and level of hormones have been measured through blood tests. On many occasions the rate of hair loss slows with a noticeable improvement occurring after 6 months with the use of HRT (Hormone Replacement Treatment). There are occasions, however, when HRT is not suitable (potentially severe side effects) and in this case some form of prescribed conventional drug treatments would be best.
Ironically menopausal hair loss seems to be easier to treat than hair loss after pregnancy as there could be more complicated causes of the underlying hair loss that need to be addressed.
Alopecia and Medication
Female hair loss can also be caused by medication. There is ample evidence to show that teenagers, boys and girls alike, are very susceptible to hair loss as a result of various acne treatments on the market. Some of these treatments can also cause mood swings and will carry a health warning for side effects if they are FDA approved.
There are other forms of medication which are unavoidable in certain circumstances which can and do cause rapid and total hair loss and this is true in particular to chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
It’s bad enough for a woman to have cancer but the associated hair loss also causes a lowering of self esteem as the hair loss to the sufferer is like visible evidence of illness. It’s of some comfort though that a simple, well designed and fitted wig can make you look great. Only your close friends would know the truth!
The good news is that after the treatment the hair follicles will regrow the hair and it usually again takes about 6 months to cover the scalp.
With female hair loss the good news is that it is easier to treat than male hair loss in general and quite often the period of medication if you do need to go down the conventional drug route is usually temporary.