Female Hair Loss Treatment

March 4th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Causes of Female Hair Loss & Female Hair Loss Treatment

There can be a number of different reasons for female hair loss and as such, there is a need for a female hair loss treatment. One of the reasons for hair loss in women is the female body producing higher levels of testosterone than normal (women have small amounts in their bodies). Other medical conditions involving hormones as well as autoimmune disorders and thyroid disorder can also be the cause of female hair loss.

Female hair loss productsBecause the causes of the hair loss are different and women’s hair loss differs from men’s in several ways. Also hair loss for women can occur at any age whereas men’s hair loss typically begins with male pattern baldness in middle age. The pattern of women’s hair loss is different, also, in that in women it will often occur all over the head, whereas men tend to see hair loss mostly on the top and at the temples.

Things to Think About

Since female hair loss can be caused by several medical conditions it is extremely important for a woman who is suffering from it to be checked out by a physician. Conditions such as under-active thyroid, for example, can lead to more serious health issues besides hair loss. Diabetes and other autoimmune disorders can also cause hair loss. It is important not to seek a female hair loss treatment before you are certain of the cause after consulting your physician.

Options for Female Hair Loss Treatment

Once you have ruled out a serious health condition what are some possible natural treatments for female hair loss? One option and one which many women choose is hair transplant, another is to take a DHT blocker which works in women much the same way as in men by preventing the testosterone in their bodies from changing into DHT and affecting the hair follicle.

Another possible option is the FDA-approved Lasercomb, an expensive laser treatment that makes the hair appear thicker. A final possibility is Toppik, a treatment you apply to the scalp, which actually conceals your hair loss.

Products marketed under the name Rogaine (Regaine outside the US) and Propecia have been developed to treat male pattern baldness. Rogaine may be safe for use by women but Propecia should be avoided by women due to its potential to cause birth defects.


Hair Loss in Young Women

February 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There are three major causes of hair loss in young women, each with a different treatment. Medical tests may be needed to determine the reasons for hair loss, and to help determine what treatment options will be most appropriate and successful.

Androgenetic Alopecia

This is the same type of hair loss that is common in in many men, but it looks different in women. Instead of losing hair at the hairline or back of the head, women usually notice a gradual thinning of hair on the top and sides of the head.

As with men, the tendency to androgenetic hair loss in women is inherited. Women with this inherited trait may produce too much of the male hormone testosterone, or their hair follicles may be vulnerable to the effects of DHT, also known as dihydrotestesterone, a byproduct of testosterone.

All women produce some testosterone. Women who produce an excess of it may have deeper voices, hair growth on their abdomen and face, and thinning of the hair on their heads. Hair loss, in particular, can be seen when female hormones are changing, such as after the birth of a baby, during pregnancy or at menopause.

Telogen Effluvium

Hair has a natural growth cycle. The first stage, anagen, is when the hair is growing. Hair normally grows about half an inch per month, and grows for four to seven years. Hair loss in women who are undergoing chemotherapy is caused by anagen effluvium, where the hair falls out because the medications poison the hair follicles.

The next stage, telogen, is a resting stage that lasts a few months. The hair is no longer growing, but is still fully attached to the follicle. Telogen effluvium occurs when an abnormal number of hairs enter the resting stage and fall out. This means that the hair loss is usually caused by something that happened a few months ago.

Telogen effluvium is a common form of hair loss in young women after the birth of a baby, because the hormones of pregnancy keep hair in the anagen phase – this is also why pregnant women often have luxuriously thick hair. When the hormone levels return to normal, all those aging hairs enter the telogen phase and begin to fall out. Telogen effluvium can also be caused by birth control pills, stress, thyroid deficiency and various medications.

The final stage, hair loss, occurs when a new hair begins to grow in the follicle and pushes the old hair out. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs every day through this natural process.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata occurs in both men and women, and is patchy baldness. Most doctors think it is caused by an autoimmune response, where your body rejects your hair. Hormone imbalances, arthritis and other autoimmune disorders, syphilis and other diseases can cause it. Alopecia totalis is an advanced form of alopecia areata, with total baldness. Alopecia universalis is even more advanced, with loss of all body hair, including eyelashes.

Because of all these variations, hair loss in young women is harder to manage because of the hormonal variations they experience throughout life. Tests are usually necessary to determine the exact cause of the hair loss, and to find a suitable treatment that will restore normal hair growth.


Hair Loss In Women After Pregnancy

February 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Hair Loss In Women After Pregnancy

Many women experience hair loss after pregnancy. It is a normal occurrence, and rarely requires treatment as the hair is simply returning to its pre-pregnancy state.

Normal Hair Growth

Normal hair growth progresses through a cycle of anagen—the growth phase, and telogen—the resting phase. The anagen phase lasts from two to three years, during which time the hair grows about ½ inch per month. After the growth period, the hair goes into a resting phase which usually lasts about three months. When the hair follicle again enters the anagen stage a new hair will grow and push the old one out of the follicle, causing it to fall out. Some hair follicles are in telogen all the time, and the average person will lose 50 to 100 hairs a day.

Hair Growth During Pregnancy

One of the many attractive things about a pregnant woman is her thick, luxurious hair caused by the raised hormonal state during pregnancy which can keep the hair in the anagen state. A pregnant woman may not lose her usual 50 to 100 hairs a day so by the end of her pregnancy the woman may have a lot of extra hair.

What Happens To Hair After Pregnancy

After the baby is born, however, the hormones change rapidly, and all those hair follicles may go into the telogen state at the same time. Remember, telogen lasts about three months, so during this period the new mother can lose a lot of hair.

Remember that this process is temporary and soon the mother’s hair will return to its normal growing state.

Taking Care of Your Hair

For women suffering hair loss after pregnancy, it’s time to do something for yourself. Have dad or a friend take care of baby for a few hours while you see a good hairdresser.

The most effective way to manage hair loss after pregnancy is to get an attractive new hairstyle. Have your hairdresser give your hair a well-styled cut; maybe add some highlights or new color. Choose a style that you can manage easily with your busy schedule, but one that suits you.

Try some volumizing hair products. Good quality shampoo, conditioner, mousse and hair serum can make hair look and fee fuller and thicker than it really is.

Hair loss after pregnancy is normal and natural. New mothers should not think they are going bald; all your hair won’t fall out. You’ll just lose the additional hair that you accumulated while you were pregnant. You are just as beautiful as a new mother as you were before you were pregnant, but you probably won’t have as much time to spend on your hair. A new hairstyle that’s easy to maintain will make a new mother feel good about herself.


Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

January 29th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Generally, as mid life approaches, it is men who attempt to cover up their balding heads with fake hair, real hair, or topical creams in an often vain attempt to retain their youth.

But hair loss is not necessarily gender based, and loss of hair in women is also a problem, with almost 25 million women suffering the effects of hair loss. And just like men, there are methods for treating the causes of hair loss in women. Here are some facts about female hair loss that every woman should know.

What Causes Hair Loss in Women

While male pattern hair loss is considered to be genetic, the causes of hair loss in women can often be attributed to outside factors as well as hormonal imbalances. Women who are pregnant, under stress, fighting anorexia, or have a thyroid problem, they are more likely to experience hair loss. When their bodies’ cycles are not working as they should due to any of the above factors, it can cause hormonal disruption, thus leading to hair loss.

Hormones and Hair Loss in Women

While many men become almost, or completely bald in their older years, women experience hair loss as well, but differently. Hair loss in women occurs mainly around the forehead region, crown, and throughout the scalp creating a thinning effect.

This is frequently caused by the lower levels of estrogen produced in the body as women enter the menopausal years. Estrogen is the female hormone that helps block testosterone hormones that create DHT (dihyrdoteststosterone) that causes hair loss. As the levels of estrogen decrease with age, more DHT is created, thus causing hair loss and hair thinning. By the time a woman reaches her eighties or nineties, hair growth has stopped completely.

Treatment

There is no “cure” for the causes of hair loss in women, however, there are effective treatments to fight the loss of hair. For women, there is a DHT blocker available that when applied topically, will temporarily block the hormone and allow the follicles to return to pre-menopausal levels, thus creating a fuller head of hair within a few months.

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