Female Hair Loss
There is no set pattern for female hair loss. Some women don’t start to lose their hair until later on in life, others find their hair thinning while they are relatively young.Many women feel isolated and alone when their hair starts to thin but it isn’t uncommon. In fact, more than 1 in 4 women inherit thinning hair.
Many people believe that hair dryers and tongs can cause women to lose hair. This is not the case. Over-treating and colouring hair can have an adverse effect and might even cause hair to break off near the scalp – but it can’t cause long-term hair loss.
There are many reasons for women to lose their hair but the most common is hereditary thinning or alopecia – it accounts for 95% of female hair loss.
Causes of hair loss
What causes hair loss?The most common type of hair loss in women, accounting for over 95 per cent of cases, is androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother.
The cause of hair loss in this condition is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair until they eventually pack up completely.
The pattern of hair loss is different to the typical receding hairline and crown loss in men. Instead, there's usually a general thinning of the hair with loss predominantly over the top and sides of the head. It usually gets worse with the menopause.
Another common cause of hair loss in women is a condition called alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two per cent of the population. In this, the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells. The follicles then become very small and hair production slows down dramatically, so there may be no visible hair growth for months and years. After some time, hair may regrow as before, come back in patchy areas or not at all. The good news is that in every case the hair follicles remain alive and can be switched on again; the bad news is that we don't yet know how to do this.
Healthy hair support for women: read the full article