Female Pattern Hair Loss: Why Do You Lose Hair?

For women, hair defines many things – personality, beauty, success, and health, to name a few. Losing hair can be traumatic and can have a dramatic effect on self-esteem and personality. Many women feel that without their hair, they’ve lost a large part of their identity. The good news is, now there is the technological means to help restore beautiful hair again!

Sometimes life isn’t fair and we may have struggles we have to face. For some of us, hair loss could be one of them. Unlike men, there are many reasons why women lose hair and some might include hormonal imbalances, postpartum/stress, chemotherapy, and disorders such as trichtilliomania. Female hair loss can also be brought about by certain prescription drugs or as a result of the usage of harsh chemical relaxers or extremely tight hair braiding which can cause permanent damage to the hair follicle.
woman hair transplant

Anagen effluvim occurs as a result of a diffuse hair loss from follicles in the anagen growth phase. Hair loss can be extensive as it affects all follicles in the anagen active growth period. Anagen effluvium is usually caused by inhibition of cell division in hair follicles which consequently leads to a sudden and abrupt stop in hair production.

Anagen Effluvium is caused by many factors. The most common causes of anagen effluvium hair loss are listed below:

• Genetic hereditary disease – Pollitt’s syndrome, Marie Unna type hypotrichosis

• Defective hormone production – Hypopituitarism (hypopituitary dwarfism, Simmond’s disese, Sheehan’s syndrome), thyroid gland defects (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism), Cushing’s syndrome, and occasionally juvenile diabetes.

• Nutrient deficiencies – Extreme deficiency of copper, iron, zinc, biotin, essential fatty acids, or vitamin C in the diet may lead to anagen effluvium

• Cancer treatments – Drug categories such as cytostatic drugs, alkylating drugs, and antimetabolic drugs cause anagen effluvium.

• Ionizing radiation – X rays and gamma rays

• Toxic agents – Thallium, arsenic, lead, bismuth, vitamin A and derivative drugs

• Inflammatory Alopecia – Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma, breast implants produce alopecia, lichen planus, autoimmune disease

 

Other causes of hair loss can be related to stress, burnt scar, traction alopecia (onstant pulling pressure by braiding), hypothyroidism, malnutrition, hormonal imbalance, Alopecia Totalis (total hair loss)

• Menopause and Female Hair Loss – Women who are in their menopause phase may experience hair loss. Hair loss occurs as a result of low estrogen production during menopause. Estrogen is needed to produce testosterone blocking enzymes.

Without this enzyme, testosterone can be converted to DHT on the scalp which thins hair and causes the hair growth cycle to be shorter, resulting in hair loss.

Just as hair loss is usually thought of as a man’s problem, hair transplant surgery is also believed to be a treatment just for men. But more and more women suffering from hair loss are turning to hair transplants as a solution. The development of new surgical techniques, particularly Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation, allow many women who are losing their hair to have a completely natural restoration.