Women Hair Loss

Women Hair Loss: A Short Discussion

For social and cultural reasons, women seem to have a more difficult time with loss of their hair. With a few exceptions, women don’t voluntarily choose a style where the head is shaved. However, until relatively recently the only thing that could be done about women hair loss was to cover the head with a wig, hat or with a scarf.

For many women, the loss of hair may not be immediately apparent. If you have always had thick and healthy hair, when the realization hits, it can be humiliating and even frightening. You might be surprised to know that a large percentage of women suffer from pattern baldness, just as men do. In women, the condition manifests differently than it does in men. Women lose hair all over the head, rather than in just the characteristic areas on sides of the forehead and the crown of the head.

Genetics is a contributing factor in both male and female hair thinning. If your mother and grandmother had thin hair after age forty, it is likely that you will also. Most hair loss has a genetic factor and it comes through the female side of the family.

Low thyroid production levels is another way in which hormones are tied to thinning. Other symptoms of low thyroid include weight gain, headaches and dry skin. Even if your test for thyroid level shows normal range, you can have low production of certain types of thyroid. Adding iodine is important, but you may also need to determine if you need more iodide in your diet. This mineral is often leached out of the body due to fluoride intake.

There are some diseases that cause thinning hair, even baldness. Fortunately, these diseases are very rare. Some cancer treatments will cause the hair to fall out, but new drugs are being studies all the time that have fewer side effects.

Before you can treat the symptoms of female hair loss, you will need to determine what the cause of your thinning hair is. Your doctor can help to run the appropriate tests and diagnostic tools. You may need to add some supplements to your diet, or your thinning hair may require medications. Hair loss can be treated if you are persistent

Overcoming women hair loss may take some time to accomplish. Often hair growth cycles will require about six months of treatment before you will see significant regrowth. Most cases do respond to the correct treatment.