The Shocking Truth About Female Hair Loss

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When you talk about genetic hair loss most people think about the most common form of this problem: male-pattern baldness. This is the type of hair loss that is passed on genetically to offspring from their mothers. Most often the recipients of this type of loss are men, but sometimes the gene can also result in female hair loss.

While genetic baldness in men is identified by a receding hairline or balding crown, genetic loss of hair in women is a bit different. In most cases, a woman will not lose her hair in spots only but will thin out evenly throughout the head. Sometimes, this thinning can be quite severe and result in the woman having to wear a wig to cover up her thinning tresses. While female hair loss almost never results in a completely bald head, it can be extreme enough to expose the scalp quite plainly.

For the woman facing this type of problem, there are a few treatment options that can be explored. They include shampoos, conditioners and topical treatments, such as Rogaine for women, which stimulate growth and prevent further loss; vitamin supplements; and stimulatory treatments such as massage and infra-red therapy. The most successful of these treatments are the topical treatments. While they are quite expensive, they produce the best results.

Hair loss due to chemical processes

No matter how healthy and strong your hair is today, you could experience severe hair loss after undergoing a harsh chemical process such as a perm or color. While almost all chemical fallout is due to operator error, the chance of it occurring is multiplied by chemical services that you perform on your hair at home. I’ve seen more than one case of female hair loss in clients who have bleached their tresses at home, colored it over and then came to the salon for yet another bleaching. Not knowing this past history, the stylist used too strong a chemical, and the process resulted in loss of hair.

Since most of these cases do not result in complete baldness, the hair loss treatment options include protein treatments and other conditioning treatments to strengthen the remaining hair; a good haircut that will remove most of the damage; and a gentle hair-care routine that will minimize further loss due to breakage. You should also refrain from using thermal styling tools and undergoing any further chemical procedures until the hair is completely grown out.

Hair loss due to stress

Cases of severe stress can literally cause handfuls of hair to fall out at a time. Women experiencing stressful conditions can experience problems represented by thinning all over the head or in spots called alopecia areata. Alopecia areata means “Hair loss in spots or areas,” and can result in bald circular patches on one or more spots of the scalp. While this type of problem is alarming, it is not permanent. After the stress is removed, most sufferers of this type of this problem regrow all of the hair that they lost.

In most cases, the treatment for stress-related hair loss is minimal. After ruling out other causes of the problem, your doctor will likely recommend changes in your diet or ideas to help alleviate your stress. Keep in mind that it can take months for your hair to grow back even after the stressors have been eliminated.

Hair loss due to illness

Any type of extended illness or surgery can result in you losing hair. Medications taken to combat certain types of illnesses can also cause your hair to become brittle and break or fall out altogether. The most identifiable type of hair loss is associated with chemotherapy treatments. In most cases, this hair loss is complete and affects all areas of the body.

While there is little that can be done to prevent this type of loss or promote growth during illness, surgery or chemotherapy treatments, this type of female hair loss is also temporary. In most cases, full recovery of hair is made after the illness is over.

You can promote hair growth after the illness by getting regular trims and using growth enhancing shampoos and conditioners. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial.

As you may have already guessed, loss of hair in women is more common than we might think. And many may be experiencing hair loss and dismiss it as a natural occurrence that comes along with age. A lot of these women fail to seek the necessary treatment that can help them keep their remaining hair and regrow new hair. So, if you are experiencing problems with losing your hair, do not think that it is just because you are getting older. There may be something that you can do to keep the hair on your head from clogging your drain.