Female Hair Loss: Causes and Coping Mechanisms

It is often said that a woman’s hair is her richest ornament, and with good reason. A woman’s beautiful locks complement her beauty and appeal. It is one of the aspects that makes her desirable to the opposite gender. For women, hair and beauty go hand in hand, and this opinion has prevailed over the millennia.

As you can imagine, hair loss in women could be a frustrating experience. Nearly every woman, without exception, is devastated when she experiences symptoms of a problematic scalp condition such as sudden hair fall, hair thinning, and excessive hair loss. Female hair loss can manifest itself as slight thinning or excessive and total hair loss, or somewhere in between. Hair loss can be chronic like androgenetic alopecia, which happens mostly in men, or it could be erratic and short-term such as alopecia areata and telogen effluvium.

Female hair loss is triggered by a number of factors. Commonly, hair loss in women develops because of hormonal imbalances (often with androgens) or due to genetic predisposition. Research has shown that females who suffer from hair loss have higher levels of the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

DHT leads to the development of secondary sexual traits like deep voice and facial hair in males. Therefore, females with higher DHT levels mostly have excess body hair and also suffer from varying degrees of hair loss. Moreover, irregular menstrual periods, pregnancy, and menopause are all believed to have some correlation to hair loss in women. Stress is also known to trigger and aggravate the condition.

Regardless of degree, hair loss in women causes grief, anxiety and even depression. The social stigma associated with alopecia is irritating. A large fraction of adult women who are experiencing hair loss try to avoid social events because of decreased self-worth. Not only does hair loss in women cause distress, it can be economically draining too. Females suffering from hair loss spend a substantial amount of their income on treatment, some even quit their jobs.

Fortunately, female hair loss is treatable. Effective stress management will definitely prevent exacerbation and long-term recurrence. Steroid injections and contact sensitization therapy are particularly helpful for people with alopecia areata. Anti-androgens and hair growth stimulants are almost always prescribed for women with a clear diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness.

Self-medication might worsen the problem. Seeking expert advice before starting any treatment is not just wise but absolutely essential.