Common Causes for Hair Loss in Women
Middle aged males usually bear the brunt of hair loss jokes. With the luscious, cascading long hair a large percentage of women own, it may be surprising to realize women suffer from female hair loss as well.
Not Just A Man's Problem
Surprisingly, close to 30 percent of all women go through some form of thinning. Thinning of the hair is unlike the patterned alopecia men go through. From the surface, female hair loss may not be apparent. Women are avid enthusiasts when it comes to cover ups like weaves and wigs. Combined with the stereotypical demands of our society, women are left scrambling to reverse the effects of hair loss at its onset with these contraptions. Unfortunately, these very same wigs can be responsible for female hair loss conditions such as traction alopecia.
Traction alopecia is the scientific term for hair loss caused by stressing the hair with various hair styles that wrap the hair too tightly, including hair weaving and braids. These hair styles can cause damage to weak hair which may lead to permanent loss. In an ideal world, hair cascades freely without having it constrained in any way. In addition, normal female hormonal cycles and menstruation contribute to women baldness. The process is expedited with stress and emotional problems along with medicines that may produce these side effects like anti pregnancy pills. Traumatic events may even provoke the second most common cause of female hair loss, telogen effluvium, which is the thinning of the hair as a result of normal hair growth cycle disruption. This is the reason why many pregnant women suffer temporary hair loss.
Women Subject to the Effects of Testosterone Too
The No. 1 cause of the baldness female pattern continues to be the production of DHT in the hair follicles, just like men. Dubbed androgenetic alopecia, it's a reaction to testosterone in the body when its killer enzyme, 5-alpha-reductase, reacts with it to form DHT. Since female hormones may “balance out” this effect, the baldness female pattern is less noticeable. Another offshoot, alopecia areata, is another female hair loss booster that comes from a lack of nutrients in the body. Remember, a combination of vitamins and minerals help to strengthen women's immune systems, which in turn, strengthens hair follicles and boosts their resistance to harmful enzymes.
Fortunately, there are many treatments available for women suffering from hair loss. The baldness female pattern can be treated with a dose of minoxidil found in Rogaine, the only medication approved by the FDA for use by women. On the other hand, using Propecia (the 'Robin' in this pair of powerful hair loss remedies) is harmful for women, particularly because of its effects in unborn fetuses. As for telogen effluvium, treatment is removing oneself from the trauma that caused the hair loss in the first place. Here, undergoing a sound nutritional regimen to strengthen the immune system is recommended.
Treating Female Hair Loss
In conclusion, women can benefit from many of the same drugs and vitamins men use to combat hair loss. Rogaine is an ideal solution for both genders as is taking vitamin combinations like Vitamin B6 and Zinc that have been proven to work together in lessening the effects of DHT on the hair follicles. By understanding how female hair loss works, women can be more adept in solving the baldness female pattern problem.
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