Baldness in Women and Female Hair Loss Treatment

Introduction to female pattern baldness

Female pattern baldness is a type of hair loss in women. The medical name of this disease is "Androgenic Alopecia". Hair loss in women is quite normal, it is due to hormonal changes. It is more common after menopause, so hormones are the reason for hair loss in women. The symptoms of female pattern baldness are when you are feeling that the hair seems not to appear as thick as usual. Although the scalp may be visible and the hairline normally does not recede. Baldness in women is less familiar than in men, but it still happens usually. Female pattern baldness raises with age.

Female Patter Baldness Intro - female hair loss treatment in bangalore

Causes of Baldness in Women

Baldness in women usually causes due to hormonal changes. Female pattern baldness mostly occurs due to genetics and hormonal changes. But, it may also happen due to an underlying situation that causes the production of the hormone androgen.  

Genetics cause female pattern baldness

You can either receive those genes from your parents as well. You’re more liable to have female pattern baldness if your mother, father, or other close relatives have undergone hair loss.  

Hormone

Androgen is a hormone that acts as a role in pattern baldness in women. Tumours in the pituitary gland, which cover androgen, may also lead in baldness in women. If the symptoms, like an irregular menstrual cycle,  acne, and an increase in unwanted hair, then you must have to consult your doctor. You may be undergoing another type of hair loss.

Other causes of hair loss in women include:

1. Medication
2. Illness
3. Traction alopecia
4. Radiation therapy
5. Stress

Medication

Female pattern baldness may be the cause of certain drugs. Such as which are used for serious treatment like cancer, depression, heart problem.

Illness

Hair loss in women can cause after such illness or disease like surgery, high fever, any kind of infection.

Traction alopecia

In this type hair loss occurs when a person usually dresses hairstyles that pull the hairs too tight.

Radiation therapy

Because of the radiation therapy, hairs do not grow like before. It can affect hair damage in a very dangerous way.

Stress

It can cause baldness in women's who can suffer from stress.

Stages and Signs of Hair-loss in women

There are three stages of baldness

• Type 1
• Type 2
• Type 3

Type I is a short volume of decreasing that begins around your part. Type II includes stretching of the part and raised thinning around it. Type III is decreasing everywhere, with a see-through area at the roof of your scalp.  

Signs of hair loss

1. Patchy bald spots
2. Overall thinning
3. Suddenly loss of hairs
4. Full hair loss

Patchy bald spots

This type of hair loss usually affects the scalp. But sometimes it usually occurs on eyebrows. In this case, your skin is suffering from itching before the falling of hairs.

Overall thinning

This is the most common type of hair fall. Women's usually hold the hairline on the forehead but have a broadening of the part in their hair.

Suddenly loss of hairs

This type of hair loss occurs when somebody suffering from physical or emotional illness can affect hair to loosen. Some of the hair may grow out when combing or washing your hair or even after soft tugging.

Full hair loss

This type of baldness occurs due to some treatments like chemotherapy for cancer. But in this case, hairs usually grow back.

Prevention

Most of the female pattern baldness is genetic, and it is not preventable. But still, there are some ways a woman can take care to keep her hair as strong as possible to stop hair loss and damage.

• Eat a diet which is rich in protein, vitamin and iron.
• Protect hairs from sun damage.
• Avoid tight hairstyles, like braids, buns and ponytails.
• While combing or washing treat your hairs gently.
• Avoid such kinds of medicines for hair growth.

Diagnosis

It is essential to recognise that the proper diagnosis of women hair loss normally starts with the process of avoidance. Testing regularly is not required to diagnose female pattern baldness. You should go to the doctor for a proper diagnosis. If they assume the different type of hair loss then there are some test you should follow:-

• Blood test
• Thyroid level test
• Androgens
• Scalp biopsy
• CBC

Treatments

Treatments for female pattern baldness can help to stop coming hair loss and can help in the regrowth of hair. In utmost cases, long-term treatments are needed to stop hair loss.

• Hair transplant
• Oral medication
• Anti-androgens
• Iron supplements

1. Hair transplant

Normally, hair loss only affects some regions of the scalp. Throughout a hair transplant treatment, a doctor removes hair from an area with strong hair growth and transplants it to another part where the hair is less.

2. Oral medication

It is the most popular oral medications used to treat female pattern baldness is spironolactone, which is a diuretic. Diuretics remove extra water from the body which helps to grow hairs.

3. Anti-androgens

Androgens involve testosterone and another "male" hormones, which can stimulate hair loss in women.

4. Iron supplements

If you do have the iron need, you will require to take a supplement and it may stop your hair loss.

The Article was originally published on SKTruderma Blog.