Women’s Hair Loss: Common Causes, Effective Treatments, and Prevention Tips

Hair is perhaps one of the prized possessions that decorate beauty and identity; losing hair is thus a painful ordeal for anyone but women in particular. Even though hair loss is considered more of a male problem, women worldwide are no strangers to it either. If you have been experiencing hair loss or find yourself with spots devoid of hair, then you are not alone.   

Common causes of hair loss in women 

Hair loss in women, commonly addressed as female pattern hair loss or alopecia, can be triggered by various factors. A few of them include:  

• Hormonal changes: 

Cyclic changes in oestrogen levels in females lead to most cases of hair loss. Some things that can affect hair growth are pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and thyroid issues. For instance, during pregnancy, many women experience increased hair volume because of a rise in oestrogen levels. Nonetheless, the oestrogen levels reduce after childbirth, which means ladies who give birth will begin to notice hair loss, which is referred to as postpartum hair loss. 

• Genetic factors: 

One of the biggest factors that contribute to hair loss is genetics. Losing hair as a woman becomes normal as you age, and this is due to one of the genetic factors, such as female pattern baldness. This condition, also called common alopecia, is characterized by thinning at the top of the head and not total hair loss. 

• Nutritional deficiencies: 

The quality of foods, which is sometimes referred to as the diet, has a very close relation with the health of hair. Deficiency in essential nutrients such as iron, vitamin D, biotin and zinc all lead to hair loss and brittle hair. This is made worse by poor eating habits, restricted diets or an underlying condition such as anemia. 

• Stress: 

Another reason women experience hair loss is poor stress management, as chronic stress is a hallmark of womanhood. Telogen effluvium refers to the condition where stress leads to many hair follicles going to the dormant state, thus causing hair to shed. This condition is normally not permanent, but the toll it takes on your emotions makes it feel so. 

• Medications and medical treatments: 

Some of the drugs that can lead to hair loss include chemotherapy, anti-androgen medication, oral contraceptives as well as some blood thinners. Chemotherapy- and radiation-induced alopecia deserve special mention as they cause total hair loss. Other remedies like radiation also impact the hair follicles, resulting in hair thinning and even hair loss. 

• Hair styling and treatments: 

As much as heat styling, harsh chemical treatments, and tight hairstyles are preferred, they can cause traction alopecia, a baldness caused by constant pressure exerted on hair shafts and follicles. 

Effective hair loss treatments for women 

• Topical treatments: 

Topical minoxidil is one of the common treatments for female pattern baldness. Available as a 2% or 5% solution, minoxidil promotes hair follicle activity and subsequent hair growth.  

• Oral medications: 

In postmenopausal women experiencing hormonal fluctuations, oral preparations such as spironolactone work well to suppress further generation of androgens, the hormones causing hair loss in androgenetic alopecia.  

• Hair transplant surgery: 

A female with hair loss that is chronic or irreversible is a candidate for hair transplant surgery. This method involves moving hair follicles from regions of the head where hair grows coarsely to areas where the head is bald.  

• PRP therapy:  

PRP therapy is a relatively new treatment approach that is recommended for hair loss. This involves using needles to prick the patient’s blood, then spinning it to develop plasma that has a high density of growth factors, and then reinjecting it back on the scalp of the patient.  

• Laser therapy: 

Another treatment for hair loss in women is low-level laser therapy, abbreviated as LLLT. LLLT employs light to successfully stimulate the growth of hair strands within the hair follicles.  

Conclusion 

Baldness is not only a male problem; women also suffer from this problem, and any woman who is experiencing this problem should not be discouraged because the problem can be controlled if the right knowledge is applied. Understanding the cause of hair loss is by far the best way to determine the most effective treatment that can be used. Thus, there are many options to combat hair loss in women, starting with traditional topical remedies such as minoxidil and ending with modern PRP therapy. Also, they lay down some very essential precautions like following a healthy diet, avoiding stress and being gentle with hair. Should you wake up with fewer strands than yesterday, do not wait to consult a specialist to obtain an individual approach.