Hair Loss in Women

There are three major causes of hair loss in women, and each has a different treatment. Medical tests may be needed to determine the reasons for hair loss, and to help determine what treatment options will be most appropriate and successful.

Androgenetic Alopecia

This is the same type of hair loss that plagues most men, but it looks different in women. Instead of losing hair at the hairline or back of the head, women usually notice a gradual thinning of hair on the top and sides of the head.

As with men, the tendency to androgenetic hair loss is inherited in women. Women with this inherited trait may produce too much of the male hormone testosterone, or their hair follicles may be vulnerable to the effects of DHT, also known as dihydrotestesterone, a byproduct of testosterone.

All women produce some testosterone. Women who produce an excess of it may have deeper voices, hair growth on their abdomen and face, and thinning of the hair on their heads. Hair loss, in particular, can be seen when female hormones are changing, such as after the birth of a baby, during pregnancy or at menopause.

Telogen Effluvium

Hair has a natural growth cycle. The first stage, anagen, is when the hair is growing. Hair normally grows about ½ inch per month, and grows for four to seven years. Hair loss in women who are undergoing chemotherapy is caused by anagen effluvium, where the hair falls out because the medications poison the hair follicles.

The next stage, telogen, is a resting stage that lasts a few months. During the telogen stage, the hair is no longer growing, but is still fully attached to the follicle. Telogen effluvium occurs when an abnormal number of hairs enter the resting stage and fall out. This means that the hair loss is usually caused by something that happened a few months ago. 

Telogen effluvium is a common form of hair loss in women after the birth of a baby, because the hormones of pregnancy keep hair in the anagen phase – this is also why pregnant women often have luxuriously thick hair. When the hormone levels return to normal, all those aging hairs enter telogen, and begin to fall out. Telogen effluvium can also be caused by birth control pills, stress, thyroid deficiency and various medications.

The final stage, hair loss, occurs when a new hair begins to grow in the follicle and pushes the old hair out. It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs every day through this natural process.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata occurs in both men and women, and is patchy baldness. Most doctors think it is caused by an autoimmune response, where your body rejects your hair. Hormone imbalances, arthritis and other autoimmune disorders, syphilis and other diseases can cause it. Alopecia totalis is an advanced form of alopecia areata, with total baldness.  Alopecia universalis is even more advanced, with loss of all body hair, including eyelashes.

Because of all these variations, hair loss in women is harder to manage because of the hormonal variations they experience throughout life.  Tests are usually necessary to determine the exact cause of the hair loss, and to find a treatment that will restore normal hair growth