Possibles Causes of Female Hair Loss

The most common causes of female hair loss.

Table of Content:

Genetics Causes

Is it your parents fault that you are loosing hair or gaining a bald spot? The answer is YES for almost 98% of men who are balding. The men generally acquire and pass on genes for male pattern baldness causing a genetic balding trait to pass along sons from their fathers. Female genetic balding is much less frequent, but present in almost 50% women, who suffer from hair loss due to inherited genes. It is great news for a balding man to know that only 7% of all balding men develop advanced balding pattern (a narrow band of hair along the side & rear of the head). All hair loss patterns have been classified according to Norwood classification system. For men there is always a definite pattern of hair loss leaving normal thick hair aroung the sides, whereas in women hair loss typically occurs as complete thinning of all hair including the sides rather than losing hair from specific locations on the head.

  1. Genetic Female Hair Loss (Advanced topic)
  2. Androgenetic Alopecia in Women (External Link)

Menopause

More than 50% of women experience hormonal fluctuations during the onset of menopause, at this time they also experience tremendous hair loss. The gradual drop in hormonal levels, especially estrogen in women nearing or starting the menopause may induce hair follicles to go into a permanent resting phase; making hair loss very significant for women who have acquired the female hair loss genes.

Scientists and doctors worldwide have not clearly understood the mechanisms involved behind hair loss due to hormone fluctuations but, it is evident through research that reduction in estrogen levels do contribute significantly to hair loss in postmenopausal women. There are medications as well as books to counter the effects of diminishing estrogen levels but, none of these addresses the growing problem of hair loss for women, as they are only dedicated to deal with post menopausal changes of the body and not with the complex issue of premature hair loss.

  1. Menopausal Symptoms (external link)
  2. Menopause, Hormones and Hair Loss (external link)

Postpartum Hair Loss

Being pregnant may be very happy occasion for a woman but is very stressful for the body and affects of it may be visible through significant hair loss. Pregnancy changes the body chemistry of a woman and alters the hormone levels, increasing the estrogen levels forcing the hair follicles to enter temporarily into Anagen phase. This usually makes hair grow more lush and thick during pregnancy. Soon after the birth of the baby the estrogen levels drop very rapidly and the hair follicles lapse into a prolonged resting or Telogen phase, causing the thick lush growth of hair to fall out and thin very rapidly for the next two months as when natural growth is restored, as that is the time taken by the body to return to its original hormonal levels.

It can even take up to a year to get your natural hair growth back as hair only grows approximately 1/2 inch a month and doesn’t grow until the end of the rest period. You should not be worried by this postpartum loss of hair as it is only temporary and will grow back eventually but, accompanying factors like anemia and hypothyroidism can also very well contribute to a dilated restoration of the natural growth levels.

  1. Pregnancy and Hair Loss (external link)
  2. Pregnancy Hair Loss Is Normal! (external link)

Stress

Women generally are more sensitive to stress than men and it can be reflected through growth and loss of their hair. This has been attributed to women having the genes for fragile hair and hair loss, causing women to have more fragile miniaturized hair. In this case women have thinner hair shaft thickness and the hair is more prone to breakage, unlike men this condition in women is not irreversible and often corrects itself as soon as the stress factor is removed from their lifestyle.

Hair loss caused by stress is generally called Telogen effluvium and is reversible and entirely different from androgenic alopecia. The phenomenon of Telogen effluvium is a safety mechanism of the body where it senses stress and diverts more energy and nutrients to manage the external stress rather than boosting hair growth. Hair generally lost due to stress is gained after removal of the stress factor.

Hair Disorders

Alopecia or hair loss can also be caused by several medical factors other than just the simple thinning patterns seen in adults. Medically Alopecia is divided into three parts; Genetic: in this type of alopecia an individual does not carry or possess the genes necessary to produce hair and can often have a body completely devoid of hair or hair follicles. It is the rarest form of Alopecia and is rarely seen, Non-scarring alopecia: In this disorder there is significant hair loss but the follicles remain undamaged and hair growth can be gained back with thorough treatment, Scarring Alopecia: It is the most devastating as normal hair growth diminishes due to the hair follicles being affected by permanent damage and often can not be corrected even by thorough medical treatments.

  1. Read More Hair Disorders (Advanced topic)

Other Medical Conditions

Specifically in women, many different medical disorders can cause severe hair loss and thinning of hair, some these include; Thyroid disorders, Chronic Anemia combined with Iron deficiency, Radical weight loss caused by severe dieting regimen, Eating disorders, Use of medication ( oral contraceptives thyroid medications, beta-blockers, sedatives, vitamin- A and other neurological drugs), autoimmune diseases also contribute to significant hair loss.

For any one experiencing any out of the natural hair loss it is a safe suggestion to visit a doctor and seek some expert opinion before taking any self prescribed remedies as they can worsen your conditions and you might just be a couple of blood tests away from knowing the true cause.