Thirty million women in America experience thinning hair, according to "Marie Claire" magazine, which not only causes emotional distress, but can also be a sign of a more serious condition. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss seen in women, which appears as thinning hair over the top and front of the head. This is also known as female pattern alopecia, and typically shows up after menopause.
What It Looks Like
Women often think they are losing their hair when the hair is actually just thinning. The diameter of the hair shaft decreases as you age. While you might have the same number of hair follicles, the thinner individual strands makes it look like there is less hair overall.
Thinning hair is also more prone to breakage and does not grow past a certain length. This results in fuzz around the hairline.
At-Home Treatment
Treat thinning hair as quickly as you notice it, as the more hair you have lost, the harder it is to grow back. Treat thinning hair with volumizing shampoo that includes ingredients such as rice and wheat proteins, which thickens strands. Products such as Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Shampoo for Normal to Thin Hair or L'Oreal Professional Age Densiforce shampoo could help thicken hair.
Medical Treatment
If you experience sudden, severe hair thinning, see a doctor to rule out a more serious condition such as thyroid disease. Find a trichologist, dermatologist or endocrinologist who specializes in hair loss.
Medical treatment for hair loss typically starts with Rogaine, which is the only FDA-approved medication for female hair loss. Before menopause, women can take Aldactone, which takes several months to work. After menopause, hormone replacement pills such as Prempro combined with Aldactone works better.
In severe cases, a hair transplant surgeon can transplant a follicular unit and do minigrafts.
Causes
How you wear your hair, what you put on the hair and what you eat can cause thinning hair. Hairdos such as tight braids, cornrows and buns put stress on the scalp, resulting in thinning hair or hair loss. Prevent this by changing to a different, looser hairstyle.
Using perming solutions and hot oil treatments can cause thinning hair because it inflames hair follicles. This means hair cannot grow there.
Hair needs both protein and iron to be healthy. Eat three servings of protein-rich foods such as meat, legumes and cheese. Include plenty of iron in your diet as well, such as meat, fish and poultry. Vegetarians should take an iron supplement, as only a small amount of iron is found in vegetables.
Causes
Thinning hair can begin as early as puberty because hormones are a major cause. It is also common during pregnancy and menopause, which is also due to hormones. Other causes range from stress to chemotherapy; however, more than 90 percent of thinning hair is due to genetics, according to "Marie Claire." It is not just related to your mother; baldness or thinning hair anywhere in your family history means you could experience it as well.
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