The Facts About Female Hair Loss

For all the attention paid to baldness in men, for women hair loss can be an even more devastating problem. Statistics indicate that some 60% of women will experience thinning hair by the time they are in their late 70s. But for much younger women, the problem of female hair loss is a real, and potentially psychologically devastating threat, and hair loss in women is not widely discussed.

The impact of female hair loss can be devastating, since long, full hair is widely (if wrongly) regarded as a sign of beauty and sexuality, and highly prized by many women. Think about how many TV commercials you see every day, promoting this or that hair product for women. And how many thousands are spent every year in hair salons? But with all this attention to positive treatments for hair, the issue of hair loss in women is largely swept under the rug, and female hair loss is poorly understood.

Fortunately, treatments are available, and in many cases, female hair loss can actually be remedied by adjustments to hormones, especially estrogen. Many women, however, are embarassed even to tell their doctors about their problem, fearing needlessly that nothing can be done about it, or that they are somehow less feminine.

Unlike the baldness seen in men, female pattern baldness tends to affect primarily the midline, or crown, of the head. In women hair loss is far less prevalent that the baldness seen in men, and is thought to be linked to lowered levels of estrogen, especially after menopause. It can also be a side effect of pregnancy, childbirth, or use of birth control pills. While some women experience a receding hairline, it is far more common for their primary symptom to be a noticeable thinning of the hair on the top of their head.

In addition to female pattern baldness, some women can also suffer from a condition known as traction alopecia, which refers to hair loss in women who style their hair in corn rows, or habitually wear their hair in a tight ponytail which puts alot of force on the hair.

Women should also be aware that chronic or fad dieting, and obsession with weight loss, resulting in severed eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, can also be a cause of hair loss in women. This is thought to be due to the disruption of various vital nutrients - anybody, male or female, with a poor diet, increases their proneness to hair loss.

Finally, everybody, both male and female, should be aware that the sudden onset of unexplained hair loss can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, so before beginning any home remedies, a medical checkup is in order.

More and more women are bringing attention to the problem of female hair loss due to cancer chemotherapy, since alopecia is especially common as a result of various chemo therapies for breast and ovarian cancers, in particular. Most women who suffer hair loss during chemotherapy regrow hair normally once their treatment is over, although the psychological effects and disruption of body image that occurs after hair loss in women can linger long after hair regrowth has occurred. If you are a women in this predicament, or the significant male other of a woman with this problem, psychotherapy can often be of help.

Understanding the causes of female hair loss leads one to an understanding of some of the more common alopecia remedies. For women hair loss sufferers, the most common form is various prescription and over-the-counter hair loss products.

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