Women--and men--normally lose up to 100 hairs every day, according to MayoClinic.com, but the loss is barely noticed due to the other 100,000 or so hairs sprouting from the scalp. Women can also experience balding with age, although neither as commonly nor as completely as men do. Women don't usually get a receding hairline, but rather thinning hair at the crown or sides of their heads. Other hair loss in women is not so normal.
Causes
While hair loss from aging is nothing out of the ordinary, MayoClinic.com says, hair loss can come from a variety of other causes that are not as common, or even dangerous to your health. Inadequate nutrition and a poor diet can lead to hair loss, especially for women who don't consume enough iron or protein. Some medications, drugs and medical treatments, like chemotherapy, can cause hair loss, as can a number of diseases, such as diabetes.
Hair Abuse
Hair abuse can lead to abnormal hair loss, MayoClinic.com and WomenFitness.net say, especially among women who use harsh hair care products or regularly wear a hairstyle that pulls at their hair. Cornrows, braids, pigtails, tight pony tails, buns and curlers are all possible culprits, with the balding usually starting where the hair is pulled taut at a part. Caustic shampoos, hair bleach, dye and hair permanent solutions can also lead to hair loss, with the latter three potentially changing the hair's molecular structure. Heat from curling irons, hair dryers, hot rollers and other devices can also make hair dry, brittle and easily breakable.
Stress and Illness
Extreme stress and severe illness can lead to hair loss, MayoClinic.com notes, with a condition called telogen effluvium. The condition is temporary and most often causes thinning hair throughout the entire scalp rather than stark patches of baldness. Women will find their hair falls right out, often in handfuls, while they are washing or combing it. Chemotherapy causes a more severe form of effluvium known as anagen effluvium, which leads to a more extensive hair loss than telogen effluvium.
Estrogen Levels
Pregnancy and other situations that alter women's estrogen levels can also cause hair loss, the American Pregnancy Association says. Women do not generally lose hair while they are pregnant, but rather one to five months after they give birth. About 40 to 50 percent of women suffer from the temporary condition. Other causes include abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, hormonal imbalances and stopping hormonal birth control pills or other methods.
Other
A few other conditions involving hair loss can affect women, MayoClinic.com notes. Cicatricial alopecia, also known as scarring alopecia, is a condition that arises when inflammation scars hair follicles and they can no longer function. Skin conditions, such as lupus, often lead to this type of balding. Alopecia areata causes hair loss in small, round patches, usually on the head but sometimes anywhere women grow hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. Doctors are still unsure of the exact reason behind the patches.
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