Hairloss In Women

New research shows one in three women will suffer from hair loss – a large statistic for a condition so rarely talked about. The numbers of women suffering from hair loss, most commonly caused by alopecia areata are rising. Ten years ago, dermatologists, GPs and hair loss specialists would be visited by women one-twice a year maximum; today GPs note that women visit weekly to seek advice and treatment for hair loss.

Hair loss in women is taboo. Compare the number of TV commercials and online adverts aimed at male pattern baldness and try to recall a single advertisement mentioning female hair loss.
Thankfully, with celebrities like British actress Gail Porter becoming more open about their hair loss, the walls around the subject are crumbling and women are feeling more freedom to talk openly about the condition and how it affects their lives.

There are many different causes of hair loss that drive people to seek treatment. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition: the body starts to reject and attack the hair follicles causing the hair to fall out in clumps. The cause of alopecia areata is unknown; it has been linked to stress (in fact one of the common side effects and diagnosis symptoms for post-traumatic stress is sudden hair loss) however, hair loss in women is believed to be triggered by emotional and hormonal changes as the menstrual cycle changes.

Many women experience thinning hair as they age in the same way as balding affects most men. Thinning hair and hair loss are two separate conditions – when hair starts to thin, the whole head is affected; with hair loss, or female pattern balding, specific areas of the scalp are affected and noticeable patchy baldness occurs.

As more and more women talk openly about hair loss dermatologists, trichologists and hair transplant surgeons are developing new techniques to prevent female pattern balding and to restore hair. In most women, controlling hormone changes with estrogen or progesterone can prevent further hair loss – in particular hair loss that commonly occurs following pregnancy. Hair loss triggered by hormone changes is usually temporary and once the cause is identified and treated, hair growth is restored. Unfortunately, for some women, hair loss is not temporary and cannot be explained or prevented with regulation of hormones. Hair transplant surgery offers these women the option to restore their hair and their confidence. There is even a specific hair transplant for women.

Hair transplantation is not always the solution. Not every woman is a suitable candidate for a hair transplant and many women prefer to wear wigs or change their hairstyle to cover the hair loss. If women are considering hair transplant surgery, the Ludwig test will be used to identify how advanced the hair loss is and define suitable candidates.

The Ludwig scale measures the level of baldness. For women to be suitable candidates for hair transplant surgery, a reasonable amount of hair loss must have occurred, the hair loss should be permanent and have reached a scale of 2 on the Ludwig test.

Whether women choose to restore their hair through surgery, use steroid creams to limit the patchiness caused by hair loss or (like Gail Porter) brave the chill to be bald and proud, if female pattern baldness does start to develop it is best to consult a trichologist for professional advice.

If you’ve been affected by female hair loss, please contact us and share your story with others.