Female Hair Loss
About one-third of women experience hair loss (alopecia) at some time or the other in their lives. Among postmenopausal women, about two-thirds suffer hair thinning or bald spots. The very idea of losing hair can be demoralizing and devastating to women. It is normal for women to shed 50 to 100 hairs a day, and new growth will typically replace these hairs. But when bald patches or thinning occurs, it may be due to female pattern baldness where the lost hair is not renewed. But this should not be the cause of hopelessness or despair. There are several solutions available for female hair loss.
Some causes of female hair loss include:
Autoimmune disease: Alopecia areata is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the hair follicles leading to hair loss.
Pregnancy and child birth: Hair loss occurs 2-3 months after child birth mainly due to the hormonal changes in the body.
Medication: Certain medications, such as those that are used to treat cancer, can cause hair loss as a side effect. However, hair usually regrows once a person has stopped taking the medication.
Illness: Hair loss can develop after a significant illness, such as a severe infection, high fever, or surgery.
Traction alopecia: This is hair loss that occurs when a person frequently wears hairstyles that pull the hair too tightly.
Typical Patterns of Female Hair Loss
The typical progression of women with female patterned hair loss is a diffused thinning over their entire scalp. Most women with female patterned baldness experience more thinning at the top and crown areas of the scalp, while others will have thinning that also impacts the frontal hairline and the frontal corners. The most difficult case of female hair loss to treat is known as Diffused Unpatterned Alopecia, or DUPA, in which the thinning does not follow any specific pattern. These patients have thinning on the donor areas as well as the front, top and crown.
Treating Female Hair loss
The first step involves evaluating the hair follicles and the scalp, to determine the underlying cause of the female hair loss. Women who are losing their hair due to certain medical conditions need to be treated completely for their underlying condition before proceeding for the various hair loss treatments available.
The following are the first line treatments that have been clinically proven to successfully treat hair loss in varying degrees:
FDA approved medicines : The medicines are vaso-dilator, DHT Blocker & Micro nutrients required for the growth of hair follicle.
Microneedling : Microneedling first gained its reputation as a skin treatment but is now used as a potential alternative for thinning hair and hereditary hair loss. Aside from collagen production, microneedling can also help induce stem cells in the scalp that lead to hair growth. Microneedling also promotes the absorption of hair growth products and medications.
Low intensity laser : This is a treatment that utilizes lasers, or light energy below a specific energy threshold and within a specific wavelength, to help promote hair growth. Low intensity laser is now used as a safe alternative or additional treatment for hair loss.
PRP: This is a safe, natural and effective option for hair restoration in both men and women that harnesses your body’s natural healing and growth promoting abilities, namely platelet rich plasma (PRP) to encourage hair growth.
These treatments are approved world over & well accepted
Female Hair Transplant
Many women undergo hair transplantation in order to improve their hair as well as boost their self-confidence. Women suffering from hair loss need to be evaluated by an experienced hair transplant surgeon in order to determine if they are good hair transplant candidates. They should also discuss non-surgical treatment options with their doctor before deciding to go for a hair transplant procedure.
Much like male patients, females suffering from hair loss need to be evaluated by an experienced hair transplant surgeon in order to determine if they are good hair transplant candidates.
What is a Hair Transplant?
Hair Transplant is a type of surgery that moves hair that you already have to fill an area with thin or no hair. The back and sides of hair on the scalp is mostly known as donor area. It has hair that will continue to grow throughout the life of most people. This hair retains its characteristics of growth even after it is transplanted to the thinning or bald area.
Early diagnosis can help women develop a treatment plan that prevents further female hair loss and restore hair growth.