What can cause hair loss in women?
There are many reasons why you may be experiencing hair loss. Below are a few of the reasons:
Hereditary/genetic hair loss in women
Female pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is an inherited condition, which reduces the time that the hair spends actively growing. AGA causes the hair follicles to become smaller and slowly, thinner, lighter hair replaces your usual hair. In female pattern hair loss, the most prominent hair loss happens on the top of the head and along the parting.
Alopecia areata/ auto-immune disorder
A type of non-hereditary hair loss is alopecia areata, an auto-immune disorder that causes defined patches or complete hair loss which may happen rapidly. Alopecia areata in women can result in total hair loss, which may prevent hair from growing back. When the hair does grow back, it’s possible that it will fall out again. There’s currently no cure for alopecia areata. But there are treatments that may help hair grow back and prevent future hair loss, as well as ways to cover up the hair loss you are experiencing. If you experience this alopecia hair loss consult your doctor for treatment.
Stress, Diet, Hormonal Imbalance / Telogen Effluvium
Temporary hair loss, known as telogen effluvium, happens when stress, diet, a hormonal imbalance, or a traumatic event, causes hair follicles to remain in the resting stage. It can result in increased hair shedding and hair loss over the whole head. Once the root cause has been corrected, hair should return to its previous thickness. An underactive thyroid may cause or contribute to telogen effluvium/temporary hair loss too. If you encounter this cause of hair loss in women consult your doctor for treatment.
Hair loss due to over styling/ traction alopecia
We all love to style our hair. But overdoing it is one of the common female hair loss causes. Braids, ponytails, cornrows, and extensions can all pull on your hair, resulting in hair loss that can lead to a condition known as traction alopecia. Early on, you may experience little bumps on your scalp that look like pimples. As the condition progresses, the main sign of traction alopecia is missing and broken hairs with the front and sides of your scalp most often affected. However, depending on your normal hair style, you may also experience hair loss on other areas of your scalp. Traction alopecia can be reversed if you opt for hairstyles that put less tension on your hair. If you don’t intervene soon enough, the hair loss may be permanent. If you experience this form of alopecia and hair loss, consult your doctor for treatment.
Postpartum hair loss
Changes in hormone levels can cause hair loss in women too. A fall in estrogen levels after birth can cause more hair follicles to go into the resting phase, known as post partum alopecia. This type of hair loss is usually short-lived. And women who experience an unusual amount of hair loss after giving birth will usually see things return to normal after 6 to 12 months. If you experience postpartum hair loss, consult your doctor for treatment.
Risk factors for female hair loss
Along with the causes of hair loss in women mentioned above, there are a range of factors that can increase your chances of experiencing hair loss. They include:
A family history of hair loss on your mother's or father's side
Age
Significant weight loss
Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and lupus
Stress
Poor nutrition.
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When to see a doctor about female hair loss causes
You may feel embarrassed to see your doctor if you have hair loss. But you should see them if you are distressed by persistent hair loss and want to pursue treatment options. You should also talk to your doctor if you notice any sudden, patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair. Sudden hair loss could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires treatment. If you are not sure how to go about speaking to your doctor about your hair loss, we have come up with 4 steps to help you before and during your consultation.
Find out more on how to speak to your doctor
7 facts on female hair loss
40% of women have visible hair loss by the time they are 40.
Hereditary hair loss is the most common cause of hair loss in men and women.
Female pattern hair loss can be identified by a prominent parting, more hair on the pillow, more hair in the drain and more strands on your comb/hairbrush.
Women can inherit the hair loss gene from their mother, their father, or both parents.
On average, the female adult head has 100,000 individual strands of hair.
Most people will shed between 50 and 100 hairs per day as part of a healthy re-growth cycle.
Using Regaine® for Women products can help stop or even reverse hereditary hair loss.
Hair myths
Nobody likes to talk about hair loss. It can be embarrassing, upsetting, and impact a sufferer’s confidence. You may have heard some myths surrounding the causes of hair loss in women. So, we have answered the most common myths for you.