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Women's Hair Loss: Thinning Hair Causes
and Solutions
1/23
Your Hair Says a Lot About You
Long, short, bouncy, or
sleek, for most women hair is way more than a bundle of fibers. It's an
expression of your style and personality. But if youstart to lose your hair, it
can really freak you out.
1/23
Hair Loss Isn’t Just a Guy Thing
Whether it’s short- or
long-term, women lose hair the same way men do. It might thin all over, or your
center part could get wider and wider. You might even get a bald spot at the
crown of your head. One thing women rarely have: a receding front hairline.
1/23
How Does Hair Grow?
Your scalp is home to
about 100,000 hairs. Each one has its own life cycle. A follicle produces a
single hair that grows at a rate of half an inch per month. It hangs in there
for 2 to 6 years, then stops for about a month. When the next cycle starts up,
that hair falls out. At any given time, most of your locks are in the growth
phase.
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How Much Hair Loss Is Normal?
Most people shed about
50-100 strands every day. Don’t worry if you find a few in your hairbrush or on
your clothes. But if it starts to fall out in clumps or if you notice it
getting thinner over time, check with your doctor.
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What Are the Roots of Hair Loss?
There’s no single cause.
Triggers range from medical conditions -- as many as 30 -- to stress and
lifestyle factors, like what you eat. Your genes play a role, too. Sometimes
doctors can’t find a specific reason. As a starting point, hair loss experts suggest
you get tested for thyroid problems and hormone imbalances. Hair often grows
back once the cause is addressed.
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Can You Measure Hair Loss?
Yes. Doctors use the
Savin scale. It ranges from normal hair density to a bald crown, which is rare.
The scale helps document female pattern baldness, a condition your doctor might
call androgenic alopecia. You probably know it as male pattern baldness, but it
affects about 30 million American women. Experts think genes and aging play a
role, along with the hormonal changes of menopause. Your hair could thin all
over, with the greatest loss along the center of the scalp.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Thyroid Problems
This butterfly-shaped
gland at the front of your neck pumps out chemicals that keep your body humming
along. If it makes too much or too little thyroid hormone, your hair growth
cycle might take a hit. But thinner locks are rarely the only sign of a thyroid
problem. You might lose or gain weight, become sensitive to cold or heat, or
notice changes in your heart rate.
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Hair Loss Trigger: PCOS
If you have polycystic
ovary syndrome (PCOS), your hormones are always out of whack. Your body makes
more male hormones, or androgen, than it should. This can cause extra hair to
sprout on your face and body while the hair on your head thins out. PCOS can
also lead to ovulation problems, acne, and weight gain. But sometimes thinning
hair is the only obvious sign.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata causes
hair to fall out in big patches. The culprit is your own immune system, which
attacks healthy hair follicles by mistake. In most cases, the damage isn’t
permanent. The missing locks should grow back in 6 months to a year. Some people
lose all the hair on their scalp and body, but that’s rare.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Ringworm
When the ringworm fungus
affects your scalp, it triggers a distinct hair loss pattern -- itchy, round
bald patches. They might also look scaly and red. Your doctor will treat it
with antifungal medication. It’s easy to spread by direct contact, so check
your family members for symptoms, too.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Childbirth
You might notice your
hair seems fuller during pregnancy. That’s because high hormone levels keep
resting hairs from falling out. But after the baby comes, things go back to
normal and those strands will fall out quickly. You could lose a lot of hair at
once. It could take up to 2 years for your locks to return to normal.
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Hair Loss Trigger: The Pill
The hormones that
suppress ovulation could cause your hair to thin. It’s more likely if you have
a family history of hair loss. It might happen when you stop taking the pill.
Other drugs linked to hair loss include blood thinners and medicines that treat
high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, and depression.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Crash Diets
You may lose more than
weight with a fad diet. And if you drop 15 pounds or more, you might also shed
some hair a few months down the road. Don’t worry too much -- it’ll return when
you’re back on a healthy diet. Be prepared to shed some locks if you’re getting
too much vitamin A or not enough protein.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Tight Hairstyles
It’s no myth: Wearing
cornrows or tight ponytails can irritate your scalp and cause hair to fall out.
The same goes for using tight rollers. Let your hair down, and it should grow
back normally. Be aware that long-term use of these styles can scar your scalp
and lead to permanent hair loss.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Cancer Treatment
Chemo and radiation
therapy, two of the most widely used therapies, can take a toll on your hair.
In their quest to kill cancer cells, both can harm hair follicles and trigger
dramatic hair loss. But the damage is almost always short-lived. Once your
treatment is finished, hair usually grows back.
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Hair Loss Trigger: Extreme Stress
High-level physical or
emotional stress can cause you to suddenly shed huge amounts of hair. Examples
include:
·
Serious illness or major surgery
·
Trauma involving blood loss
·
Severe emotional distress
The process may last 6
to 8 months.
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Treating Hair Loss: Medicine
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is
approved by the FDA for female pattern hair loss. It can slow or stop it in
most women and may help hair grow back. But the benefits go away when you stop
using it. Corticosteroids can help regrow hair for women with alopecia areata.
And if the cause is an underlying medical problem or poor nutrition, your locks
should grow back on their own once things are under control.
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Treating Hair Loss: Lasers
Devices that emit
low-energy laser light may help new hair grow. They're available in some
clinics and for home use. Several are approved for both men and women, and
studies show they do work. But it might take 2-4 months before you see results.
Keep in mind: The FDA doesn’t require the same rigorous testing for devices as
for medicines. The long-term safety and effects aren’t known.
1/23
Hair Transplants in Women
This procedure involves
moving hair to thinning scalp areas from fuller areas. The trouble is, female
pattern baldness causes thin hair all over, so good donor sites may be limited.
It works better if your hair loss comes from male pattern baldness or scarring.
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Hair-Loss Products and Devices
A quick Internet search
will turn up dozens of products designed to stop hair loss or regrow hair.
Unfortunately, there's no way to know whether before-and-after pictures have
been doctored. To figure out if a hair-loss treatment really works, check with:
·
A dermatologist
·
The FDA medical devices division
·
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
1/23
Style TIps for Thinning Hair
Ask your stylist. She
might suggest a short cut, a different part, maybe a gentle body wave. Try a
styling product for thin hair to hide bare spots. Apply it to the root area
then gently blow dry to build volume. Let your hair air dry for a while before you
use the dryer. Special cosmetics can disguise parts of your scalp that show.
Think about keratin fiber hair cosmetics. Sprinkle them over the thinning
patch. Their static charge makes hair look thicker.
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How to Handle Major Hair Loss
It can be a challenge.
If thin areas are easy to spot, consider a weave, a hairpiece, a scarf, or a
hat. Good-quality wigs are more comfortable than ever -- and they rarely have
bad hair days. If hair loss affects your job or social life or makes you not want
to leave the house, talk with a counselor.
This tool does not provide medical advice
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