Understanding Female Hair Loss
Hair loss affects as many as 30 million women in the United States alone2—and those are just the cases that are reported. Because thick, healthy hair is often associated with femininity and beauty, many women are often too embarrassed to talk about their loss. That’s why along with the impact on physical appearance, hair loss can also have strong emotional and psychological effects for women.
Female hair loss can be triggered by a variety of reasons, including short-term events like hormonal imbalances after childbirth or menopause, changes in diet, high stress, or as a side effect from certain medications. Other causes of female hair loss and thinning include impairment of hair’s natural growth cycles (typically associated with chemotherapy), tight hairstyles that damage the hair follicles, and hair loss due to the excessive production of androgens (male hormones). However, the most common cause of long-term hair loss in women is genetics. Genetic female pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, is characterized by a thinning of hair follicles on the sides or top of the scalp. Most women experience this type of hair loss after the age of 50, but it can happen as early as in their 20s and 30s. Understanding the cause of your hair loss is important, as it will help to determine the best female hair loss treatment for you.
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