Truth About Hair Loss in Women

It’s surprising that many people are unable to untangle fact from fiction when it comes to hair loss. Of course there are many companies and individuals exploiting hair loss myths in order to sell bogus hair products. But we must also notice that people with hair loss, particularly women, are reluctant to talk about an issue that remains sensitive and sometimes emotional. But hair loss in women is common and women must understand its causes and how to prevent it or cure it.

First, we must clearly state that the timing and pattern of pattern baldness is different in men and women. Yes, hair loss in women occurs in different times and with different causes than hair loss in men.

While men tend to start losing hair in their 30s and 40s, hair loss begins in the 40s or 50s in women, though it can occur as early as the 20s. And while men first lose hair in the front and at the top of the head, women’s hair thins diffusely throughout the scalp.

Until recently, women tend to pretend that the problem doesn’t exist and have been reluctant to seek treatment. But hair restoration surgeons say that women make up more and more of their practices. In reality, hair loss is just as common in women as it is in men, though the degree of loss tends to vary by gender.

‘For women, about 25 percent have significant hair loss by the age of 50, though it may be less apparent because women are more conscientious about hiding it than men are.’ Dr. McAndrews says. For the majority of people, hair loss is a result of a genetic predisposition. For some, however, hair loss may result from a condition called telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is a condition where a lot of hair may fall out in a relatively short period of time.

Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

The most common causes for hair loss in women are childbirth, high fever, severe illness and even high stress. In most cases this type of hair loss is temporary. Other common causes are like inadequate protein or iron in your diet, or poor nourishment caused by wuick-lose-weight diets or an eating disorder.

Chemicals used for dying, bleaching, straightening or perming hair as well as excessive hairstyling or hairstyles that pull your hair too tight can also cause gradual hair loss.

For the woman facing this type of hair loss, there are a few hair loss treatment options that can be explored. They include shampoos, conditioners and topical treatments which stimulate hair growth and prevent further hair loss; vitamin supplements; and stimulatory treatments such as massage and infra-red therapy.

Hair loss due to chemical processes

No matter how healthy and strong your hair is today, you could experience severe hair loss after undergoing a harsh chemical process such as a perm or color. While almost all chemical hair fallout is due to operator error, the chance of it occurring is multiplied by chemical services that you perform on your hair at home. I’ve seen more than one case of female hair loss in women who have bleached their hair at home, colored it over and then came to the salon for yet another bleaching.

Not knowing this past history, the stylist used too strong a chemical, and the process resulted in hair loss.

Since most of these cases do not result in complete hair loss, the hair loss treatment options include protein treatments and other conditioning treatments to strengthen the remaining hair; a good hair cut that will remove most of the damage; and a gentle hair-care routine that will minimize further hair loss due to breakage.

You should also refrain from using thermal styling tools and undergoing any further chemical procedures until the hair is completely grown out.

Hair loss due to stress

Cases of severe stress can literally cause handfuls of hair loss at a time. Women experiencing stressful conditions can experience female hair loss represented by thinning all over the head or in spots called alopecia areata. Alopecia areata means “Hair loss in spots or areas,” and can result in bald circular patches on one or more spots of the scalp. While this type of hair loss is alarming, it is not permanent. After the stress is removed, most sufferers of this type of hair loss re-grow all of the hair that they lost.

In most cases, the hair loss treatment for stress-related hair loss is minimal. After ruling out other causes of hair loss, your doctor will likely recommend changes in your diet or ideas to help alleviate your stress. Keep in mind that it can take months for your hair to grow back even after the stressors have been eliminated.

Hair loss due to illness

Any type of extended illness or surgery can result in hair loss. Medications taken to combat certain types of illnesses can also cause your hair to become brittle and break or fall out altogether. The most identifiable type of hair loss is the loss associated with chemotherapy treatments. In most cases, this hair loss is complete and affects all areas of the body.

While there is little that can be done to prevent this type of hair loss or promote growth during illness, surgery or chemotherapy treatments, this type of female hair loss is also temporary. In most cases, full recovery of hair is made after the illness is over.

You can promote hair growth after the illness by getting regular trims and using growth enhancing shampoos and conditioners. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial.

As you may have already guessed, hair loss in women is more common than we might think. And many may be experiencing hair loss and dismiss it as a natural occurrence that comes along with age. A lot of these women fail to seek the necessary hair loss treatment that can help them keep their remaining hair and re-grow new hair.

So, if you are experiencing hair loss, do not think that it is just because you are getting older. There may be something that you can do to keep the hair on your head from clogging your drain.