As it is for men, androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness, is the most common cause of hair loss in women. It accounts for roughly a third of the cases, according to the Mayo Clinic. But other conditions can also trigger an excessive loss of hair and the exact cause affects the form of treatment. For this reason, it's important to understand what's causing your hair to fall out before using any products or procedures to regrow lost hair.
Pattern
The pattern of hair loss is often the first clue to what's causing hair loss in women. Most women suffering from androgenetic alopecia experience a diffused thinning over the top of the scalp. Unlike men, you'll actually retain the hair along your hairline. Small, round patches of hair loss are a sign of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder, while losing hair in clumps is an indication of telogen effluvium, the result of emotional or physical stress. If the patches of hair loss are surrounded by broken hairs, it may signify traction alopecia, which is damage to the hair follicles as a result of hair care.
Treatment
Both androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata can be treated with minoxidil, a topical medication known to slow the progression of hair loss and encourage the regrowth of lost hair. Androgenetic alopecia can also be treated with spironolactone, cimetidine and low-androgen birth control pills, explains the American Hair Loss Association. These drugs have an antiandrogenic effect on the body, lowering the levels of testosterone and causing the hair to fall out. You should see a regrowth in a matter of months.
With telogen effluvium, all you need is time to regrow the lost hair. As soon as the stress has passed, your hair will grow again. Traction alopecia often responds favorably to self-care measures, such as stopping the use of chemicals in dyes, perms and straighteners as well as refraining from tightly binding the hair in buns, braids and ponytails.
Medications
If the pattern isn't able to determine the cause of the loss, your doctor or dermatologist can sometimes use a medical history to uncover its trigger. According to the Mayo Clinic, a number of medications used to treat depression, arthritis, high blood pressure and gout have the side effect of hair loss. Changing medications may be all that's necessary to cause the regrowth of lost hair.
Blood Tests
Medical histories lacking clear indicators of hair loss often require blood tests to diagnose the cause. Lupus, diabetes and thyroid diseases can all cause women to experience hair loss. Once the condition is determined, treating the disorder can encourage the lost hair to regrow on its own.
Hair Replacement
When a cause can not be determined or treatments fail to regrow lost hair, you may need to turn to replacement techniques to provide a full head of hair. Wigs and weaves can be used to cover the signs of balding, while hair transplants can be used to fill in areas of permanent hair loss.
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