When hair loss occurs in women, it can be quite shocking for them. The truth is, women are equally susceptable to pattern baldness as men.
So what really is female pattern baldness?
Let me explain,..
Each single human hair grows in cycles. The growth period lasts for two to five years. This is followed by the intermediate stage and finally the resting or shedding phase where hair falls and is replaced by new hair.
The hair is embedded in a cavity in the skin of the scalp called the follicle. In women suffering from female pattern baldness the hair follicle shrinks. Due to this, the follicles produce hairs which are thinner. This process continues through several cycles producing thinner and weaker hair each time, ultimately leading to death of the hair follicle, in which case no hair is produced.
Now you may want to know what causes the hair follicles to shrink, right?
It is the same factor that causes hair loss in men; DHT or Dihydrotestosterone.
In women, before the onset of menopause, the female hormone estrogen keeps the levels of DHT in check.
However after menopause, the levels of estrogen plummet causing the DHT levels to rise.
The accumulation of DHT cuts off blood supply to the hair follicles and thus deprives the hair of nourishment and blood flow which eventually leads to death of the follicle.
This type of hair loss is entirely due to hormonal changes that take place post menopause and may also be noticable in young women at puberty.
Alright, and are there any other types of female hair loss?
Yes, there are several other factors like genetics, pregnancy, stress, nutritional deficiencies etc which play a role in hair loss.
How can you be sure you're suffering from pattern baldness?
Well, if you are experiencing rapid hair loss and thinning of hair, then you may be suffering from pattern baldness. A few symptoms to look out for are mentioned below.
-Thinning of hair starts from the hair parting.
-The hairline stays intact and does not recede unlike male pattern baldness although diffused thinning occurs on the top of the head.
What are the hair loss treatment options?
Once you've been able to realize that your hair fall is not normal and is indeed thinning all over, it is time to take action and control further hair loss. Treatments will depend on the severity of the hair loss.
For treating female pattern baldness, a DHT blocker is usually prescribed. This can help to control the amount of DHT in the scalp and prevent damage to hair follicles. A more popular medication however is minoxidil. Minoxidil is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of male and female pattern baldness. It is a topical solution that is to be applied to the scalp. For women a 2% strength minox is prescribed.
Minoxidil works by increasing blood flow the hair follicles, preventing further hair loss and in mos cases also promotes regrowth.
Laser hair therapy is another option to treat hair loss and like minoxidil, it has the same effects of increasing blood flow to the scalp and stimulating blood circulation.
These medications usually take 4-6 months to show any effect and should be use throughout ones lifetime if the regrown hair is to be maintained.
If you are interested in finding out more valuable information on female pattern baldness, you can take a look at this website www.hairloss.co.in
So what really is female pattern baldness?Let me explain,..
Each single human hair grows in cycles. The growth period lasts for two to five years. This is followed by the intermediate stage and finally the resting or shedding phase where hair falls and is replaced by new hair.
The hair is embedded in a cavity in the skin of the scalp called the follicle. In women suffering from female pattern baldness the hair follicle shrinks. Due to this, the follicles produce hairs which are thinner. This process continues through several cycles producing thinner and weaker hair each time, ultimately leading to death of the hair follicle, in which case no hair is produced.
Now you may want to know what causes the hair follicles to shrink, right?
It is the same factor that causes hair loss in men; DHT or Dihydrotestosterone.
In women, before the onset of menopause, the female hormone estrogen keeps the levels of DHT in check.
However after menopause, the levels of estrogen plummet causing the DHT levels to rise.
The accumulation of DHT cuts off blood supply to the hair follicles and thus deprives the hair of nourishment and blood flow which eventually leads to death of the follicle.
This type of hair loss is entirely due to hormonal changes that take place post menopause and may also be noticable in young women at puberty.
Alright, and are there any other types of female hair loss?
Yes, there are several other factors like genetics, pregnancy, stress, nutritional deficiencies etc which play a role in hair loss.
How can you be sure you're suffering from pattern baldness?
Well, if you are experiencing rapid hair loss and thinning of hair, then you may be suffering from pattern baldness. A few symptoms to look out for are mentioned below.
-Thinning of hair starts from the hair parting.
-The hairline stays intact and does not recede unlike male pattern baldness although diffused thinning occurs on the top of the head.
What are the hair loss treatment options?
Once you've been able to realize that your hair fall is not normal and is indeed thinning all over, it is time to take action and control further hair loss. Treatments will depend on the severity of the hair loss.
For treating female pattern baldness, a DHT blocker is usually prescribed. This can help to control the amount of DHT in the scalp and prevent damage to hair follicles. A more popular medication however is minoxidil. Minoxidil is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of male and female pattern baldness. It is a topical solution that is to be applied to the scalp. For women a 2% strength minox is prescribed.
Minoxidil works by increasing blood flow the hair follicles, preventing further hair loss and in mos cases also promotes regrowth.
Laser hair therapy is another option to treat hair loss and like minoxidil, it has the same effects of increasing blood flow to the scalp and stimulating blood circulation.
These medications usually take 4-6 months to show any effect and should be use throughout ones lifetime if the regrown hair is to be maintained.
If you are interested in finding out more valuable information on female pattern baldness, you can take a look at this website www.hairloss.co.in
