Causes of Female Hair Loss

There are several different causes of hair loss in men and women alike. However, for many women suffering from this disease the cause of thinning hair can often be elusive, therefore delaying treatment, and leaving the woman with progressively thinning hair. For some reason society would have you believe that hair loss, commonly referred to in the medical community as alopecia, is strictly a male gender disease and rarely, if ever, affects women. This is not even close to the truth! Out of all the hair loss sufferers in the United States roughly 40% of them are women, this is nearly half of ALL hair loss sufferers. Not really what you would call a rare disease is it?

The first step in treating female hair loss is to correctly identify the cause. The one thing that male and female hair loss sufferers have in common is the fact that hair loss is always a sign of some internal disturbance. Whether the disturbance is a long term condition such as a disease that may, or may not, cause a hormonal imbalance, or a genetic disorder. Some examples of short term disturbances that can cause an issue with hair loss are pregnancy, stress, or certain medications. Usually the short term disturbances are quickly and easily identified, while the long term disturbances can be extremely difficult and somewhat costly to determine.

By far the most common type of hair loss in women is a genetic condition commonly referred to as female pattern baldness; otherwise known as androgenetic alopecia in the medical community. This condition is caused by a particular male hormone known as dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This hormone is similar to testosterone and has the potential, when in the presence of its enzyme reactor, to cause death to the hair follicle. Although DHT is a male hormone, women do posses it in trace levels in their bodies. The presence of DHT in a woman’s body is a completely normal occurrence; it is when these levels of DHT rise, even slightly, that a woman may experience female pattern baldness.

Another common form of female hair loss is known asTelogen Effluvium, or TE. TE is simply described as a direct result of a stressful event that can cause your body to shed its own hair. This condition usually occurs following a stressful event that has taken place including but not limited to, pregnancy and child birth, serious sickness, as well as surgery. The somewhat confusing fact about this condition is that the hair loss normally takes place about 6-8 weeks after the actual stressor has occurred. This particular condition will usually go in to remission as long as the woman suffering from it avoids major stressors. However, in some cases this condition can be chronic and plague the woman on and off for several months, or even years.

Last but not least a woman can suffer hair loss due to environmental factors such as medications, and self inflicted insults to the hair follicle itself. These conditions are better known as Anagen Effluvium and traction alopecia. Anagen Effluvium is a direct result of medications such as chemotherapy, and traction alopecia is a direct result of damage caused to the root, or hair follicle, by wearing tight hairstyles.

No matter what the cause female hair loss can be devastating for the woman suffering from it. It is imperative to find the cause and start treatment as soon as possible to prevent further hair loss. Nowadays there are several treatment options to choose from including traditional, non-traditional, and of course home remedies. Research your options and go from there. However, always try and remember that stress is a great cause of hair loss itself, so do your very best to remain positive!