Thinning Hair In Women

Many people think of hair loss as a male problem, yet it affects at least one third of women as well. Unlike men, women usually experience thinning hair without going bald. There can be a number of different underlying causes behind the problem.

Sometimes it is caused by inflammation in the body. And sometimes it is the result of female-pattern hair loss. The good news is that in many cases this hair loss can be stabilised with treatment, and it may even be reversible. Where that is not the case, there are a number of newer cosmetic approaches that can help.

Understanding hair loss

The first step in dealing with thinning hair is working out what is happening in your body that leaves those extra strands on your shoulders and in your hairbrush. Some hair loss is normal. Everyone sheds hair as part of the natural growth cycle of the hair, which takes place in three phases:

• The anagen phase refers to the period when a strand of hair is actively growing. This phase can last from two to eight years.
• The catagen phase is a short transitional phase lasting up to three weeks. At this point the hair has stopped growing and is preparing to be shed.
• The telogen phase is the part of the hair cycle when the hair is released from the follicle (the structure that produces and holds the hair). After the hair has fallen out, the follicle stays inactive, usually for around three months, before a new hair begins to emerge.

Normal hair loss is highly individual. Most people have a sense of how much hair it is normal for them to lose. If you suddenly notice more hair falling out than usual, if you lose hair in clumps, or if your hair appears visibly thinner, this may be a sign that something is wrong.

Underlying causes of hair loss

Countless issues can cause hair loss in women. Some are external, such as taking certain medications, frequently wearing hairstyles that pull the hair too tightly, or even a stressful event such as surgery. In other cases, thinning hair is caused by something happening inside the body – a thyroid problem, a hormonal shift, a recent pregnancy or an inflammatory condition, for example.

Hair loss can also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia. Women with this condition may notice a widening of the part at the top of the head, often starting when a woman is in her forties or fifties. You may experience this if you inherit certain genes from one or both parents. Hormonal shifts that occur during the menopause can also trigger it.

Another cause of hair loss in women is an inflammatory condition affecting the scalp. That may be eczema, psoriasis, or a condition called frontal fibrosing alopecia, which usually causes scarring and hair loss (sometimes permanent) at the front of the scalp above the forehead.

Other common causes of hair loss include excessive use of damaging hair products or tools such as dryers and other devices that heat the hair. Underlying illness, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances can also cause hair to fall out.

Medication to treat hair loss

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition that is causing hair loss is enough for the hair to grow back. In other cases, a woman may consider a medication such as minoxidil (Rogaine), which helps with certain forms of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.

A newer option used to treat hair loss is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. For this treatment the doctor draws your blood, separates it into its individual components, recombines the blood fluid (plasma) with a high concentration of platelets (structures in the blood that help with clotting, among other things), and introduces the resulting preparation back into the scalp.

PRP works because growth factors in the platelets stimulate the regeneration of hair follicles and other tissue.

In addition, low-level LED laser light has been shown to be useful in regrowing hair in some cases. More treatments will most likely be developed in the near future.

Cosmetic options for hair loss

Where medical treatments fall short, women can also consider cosmetic options to make up for lost hair, such as wearing a wig. At the other end of the spectrum is a hair transplant, a surgical procedure in which active follicles are moved from the back of the scalp to areas where the hair is thinning. Once transplanted, the hair grows normally.

A hair transplant is usually performed as an outpatient surgical procedure. In suitable patients it can be extremely successful. One drawback is the cost: it can run into thousands, and the procedure also requires recovery time. And it may not be suitable for women with diffuse thinning across the whole scalp. It is more effective at treating smaller, more clearly defined areas of hair loss.