Hair Loss In Women

There is no set pattern for female hair loss. Some women don't start to lose their hair until later on in life, others find their hair thinning while they are relatively young.

Many women feel isolated and alone when their hair starts to thin but it isn't uncommon. In fact, more than 1 in 4 women inherit thinning hair. There is a solution to female baldness.

Many people believe that hair dryers and tongs can cause women to lose hair. This is not the case. Over-treating and coloring hair can have an adverse effect and might even cause hair to break off near the scalp but it can't cause long-term hair loss.

There are many reasons for women to lose their hair but the most common is hereditary thinning or alopecia which accounts for 95% of female hair loss.

Causes of Female Hair Loss

Hormones — One cause of hair loss in women can be hormonal imbalances. Having an overactive or under active thyroid gland may cause thinning hair. Treating the thyroid disease will usually help this type of female hair loss. Hormones can also cause hair loss if female hormones (estrogens), are out of balance causing women's hair loss. However, if the hormone imbalance is corrected, the hair loss should stop.

Child Birth — Child birth may result in sudden hair loss in women. It's common for many women to notice hair loss after pregnancy - immediately 3 months after they've had a baby. This too, is caused by hormones. But this is not something to worry about. During pregnancy, hair shedding during the normal hair cycle is retarded in by high levels of hormones. Once the hormones have returned to pre-pregnancy levels, this extra hair is shed with the normal cycle of hair growth and loss returning over time.

Hair Loss from Menopause and Hormonal Therapies — causes of female hair loss can come from hormonal therapies such as Progesterone, a female hormone that inhibits the development of a new follicle. Hair loss and menopause are commonly linked and result in thinning hair in older women. Before menopause, about 13 percent of women experience hair thinning. After menopause, reporting of the problem from women increases to about 37 percent.