Female Pattern Baldness

Female Hair Loss

Female hair loss affects a large proportion of women aged between 25 and 40. Figures vary on the exact number and no one can be precise but is reckoned that between 40 and 60% of women are affected. The majority of these women will experience hair loss after childbirth or on cessation of the Pill. Serious accident or illness involving extensive invasive surgery may also trigger the onset of female pattern balding. In either case, this form of hair loss, known as Telogen Effluvium, is usually temporary and given time, the body will recover and normal hair growth will resume.

What is female pattern baldness?

Androgenetic alopecia or female pattern baldness is a genetic form of female hair loss passed on from parent to child. It is similar to male pattern baldness in that its onset is generally slow and predictable but that doesn’t make it any easier for a woman to handle. Much of a woman’s identity, her sense of self is tied up in her hair. Her long flowing locks, her pony or pig tails, her perm or bob cut; it’s what makes her unique, sets her apart from the crowd and gives her a true sense of identity. Losing that identity, losing that sense of self and perception of her own identity can be very damaging indeed.Female pattern baldness, unlike some other forms of female hair loss, tends to get worse over time, unless it is stopped with an effective hair loss treatment.

Whether you are prone to it will depend upon your gene pool. If both your parents carry the hair loss gene then there is a good chance you will suffer from it. If only one parent carries the gene, then there is every chance that you will not suffer from hair loss other than the temporary hair loss referred to above caused through accident or surgery.

What are the symptoms?

Female pattern baldness manifests itself in a very predictable way. There is a standard pattern to it, hence the name. Firstly, you will experience diffuse balding. This involves the loss of a significant number of hairs from all over the scalp. This will thin the hair, in some cases quite drastically.

Hairs will then fall out following the line of your central parting and over time this parting will expand sideways eventually leaving you completely bald.

Is it treatable?

In many cases female pattern baldness is treatable but it is important to catch it early. So, at the first signs of hair loss, book yourself in to a hair clinic for an appraisal by a fully qualified trichologist. There are many company’s out there, offering all sorts of treatments, best advice is to opt for one that uses entirely natural products that will strengthen the hair follicles and stimulate blood flow in the scalp.

What are the other causes of female hair loss?

There are numerous possible causes of female hair loss, some of which are listed below.

1. Stress- Hair loss in women is on the increase and stress is proving to be a significant factor. Acute stress can affect the production of oestrogen and whilst this will not increase the production of testosterone, it will strengthen the effects of testosterone on the body since there is less oestrogen around to defend against it. The testosterone will then target prone hair follicles, restricting their ability to produce hairs and replace the ones that have fallen out.

2. PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome- A malfunction of the ovaries causes them to produce the male sex hormone testosterone rather than the female sex hormone oestrogen. Not only does this lead to hair loss, it also results in the stopping of periods, weight gain, infertility, oily skin, acne and hirsuitism. This condition is treatable with great success, usually involving hormone therapy.

3. Adrenal Tumour- The adrenal gland is responsible for the production of Adrenaline, the fight or flight hormone. A tumour on this gland can cause a change in the make up of this hormone, converting it to testosterone. This then leads to body to react in much the same way as it would to PCOS, producing hair loss and resulting in the stopping of periods, weight gain, infertility, oily skin, acne and hirsuitism. Again this ailment can be treated quite easily and with great success, usually involving hormone therapy and minor surgery.

4. Pregnancy- With pregnancy the body’s oestrogen levels are increased. This has the effect of slowing down the normal hair growth and fall out cycle. Hairs which would normally have stopped growing and fallen out continue to grow while other new ones appear. Whilst this is happening, far from resulting in hair loss, pregnancy will actually make your hair appear thicker and more lustrous and as long as you stay healthy during your pregnancy, this hair growth pattern will continue.

Hair loss from pregnancy results after the birth of your child. What happens is your hormone levels change again and those hairs that have been growing for longer than they otherwise would, begin to fall out. This can sometimes happen very quickly with hair coming out by the handful. The key is not to panic, this is quite natural and you can rest assured that the faster your old hairs fall out, the quicker new ones will grow in their place.

Most women find that by the time their baby is a year old, all their hair loss worries are over and they have been restored to a full head of healthy hair. It is only about one in a thousand women who experience hair regrowth problems and this is usually down to other health issues like poor circulation, anaemia or stress.

5. Miscarriage or Termination- On a physical level, the body does not distinguish between miscarriage or termination and a pregnancy that has gone to full term. It will react in the same way with the process sped up should a termination or miscarriage take place after 3 months of pregnancy.

6. The Pill- For the length of time that a woman is taking the Pill, the effects on hair loss and hair condition are minimal. Some increased oiliness but that’s about it. It’s the process of starting or stopping the Pill that causes an interference in the hormonal balance and therefore an interference in the hair growth and fall cycle.

During the first three months of taking the Pill, the body is adapting to its new hormone levels. This can result in some women experiencing greater hair loss whilst others experience greater hair retention and growth. For the three months or so after the cessation of the Pill, the body will react in much the same way as it does after pregnancy.

Some adverse reactions to the Pill might be diffuse hair loss together with acne and an increase in body hair. If these symptoms occur, change to a pill based on ethinoestradiol.

7. Anaemia - Diffuse hair loss can result from low blood pressure, poor circulation, lack of iron and low ferritin levels. Hairs might become lighter and finer, more brittle and prone to breakage. This can usually be diagnosed through a blood test and treated within a few months with iron supplements and regular head massage to treat poor circulation.

8. Menopause - Women who have reached the menopause will find that their hair will gradually thin and become finer in texture. This is just a natural part of the aging process. For most women, in good general health though, a good diet and the maintenance of a decent level of personal fitness and good scalp circulation should be enough to slow down their hair loss and keep it under control.

For those who have previously suffered with hair loss, the menopause can be a time when this issue becomes more noticeable and problematic. In this case it may help to undertake HRT. Hormone replacement therapy has been proven to help maintain and improve hair growth in menopausal women but you must seek medical advice since HRT can have some quite severe side effects on some women.

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