Approximately 40 percent of individuals suffering from hair loss are women, according to the American Hair Loss Association. And much like men, this hair loss is often associated with genetics. Female-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is characterized as an excessive amount of hair fall, so massive hair loss in women is most likely a result of this condition, especially when this hair loss is gradual in nature. If hair loss is sudden or not uniformed, it's usually a sign of another condition.
Features
While the National Institutes of Health claim that female-pattern baldness is not well understood, the American Hair Loss Association links hair loss in women to DHT, or dihydrotestosterone. DHT is a byproduct of the enzyme type II 5alpha-reductace and testosterone. As levels of DHT increase, or if a woman is simply more sensitive to this androgen, it causes the hair follicles to shrink. When follicles shrink in size, they can eventually cease producing hair, resulting in baldness.
Other Factors
Besides an increase or heightened sensitivity to DHT, other factors also can play a role in female hair loss. A decrease in estrogen and progesterone, as seen during menopause or even the cessation of birth control, can result in excessive hair loss. The sudden decrease in these female hormones makes testosterone more prevalent in the body, which prompts DHT levels to rise. The rise in DHT can lead to follicular miniaturization, triggering hair fall and thinning in women.
Symptoms
Unlike men, women suffering from androgenetic alopecia don't experience a receding in the hairline, notes the National Institutes of Health. Instead, women develop an abnormal hair fall over the top of the head and into the crown. The hairline remains intact, creating an oval or oblong area of thinning. The Mayo Clinic indicates that hair loss occurs along the sides of the head as well.
Treatment
Treatment for female-pattern baldness usually involves some type of medication. It may come in the form of a topical solution, such as minoxidil or ketoconazole. It may also be treated with an oral drug, like spironolactone, cimetidine, oral contraceptives or hormone therapy. The course of treatment relies heavily on the cause of androgenetic alopecia. In cases of genetics or heredity, minoxidil is most effective, according to the American Hair Loss Association, but you may also see an improvement in your condition from the systematic use of spironolactone or cimetidine. Hormonal changes that produce androgenetic alopecia benefit from oral contraceptives and hormone therapy.
Effluvium
If your hair loss isn't a result of androgenetic alopecia, you may be suffering from a condition known as effluvium. With telogen effluvium, the hair loss is linked to some sort of trauma. This trauma may occur due to malnutrition, stress, infections or surgical procedures. It is characterized by a sudden loss of hair, sometimes in clumps. With anagen effluvium, the hair loss is linked to a medication, such as those used during chemotherapy. Both forms of effluvium resolve on their own once the cause is eliminated from the system.
Considerations
If you're experiencing any sort of hair loss, it's important to talk to a doctor. Not only does pattern baldness, trauma, malnutrition and infections cause massive hair fall, the National Institutes of Health claim that hair loss may also be a result of an underactive thyroid or skin disease. Proper diagnosis is key to proper treatment.
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Princefore December 19
Hair Transplant is a surgical technique that involves moving skin containing hair follicles from one part of the body (the donor site) to bald or balding parts (the recipient site). It is primarily used to treat male pattern baldness, whereby grafts containing hair follicles that are genetically resistant to balding are transplanted to bald scalp.