Hair Loss In Women - A Devastating Occurrence

Hair loss is widely accepted as a man's problem and it is quite common to see bald men. However, hair loss in women is just as common, but it is more devastating for the individual when it does happen. The psychological impact of hair loss in women is much greater because many women see their hair as the main part of their beauty and take great pride in their appearance. However, this problem does not usually result in total hairloss as it does in men.

Hair loss in women has various different causes. It could be hereditary, but this is very rare. Also, the hair loss treatment for women is different from that of men because many of these treatments cause hair to grow on other parts of the body such as the face, back and chest. For hairloss in women, many doctors prescribe treatments of estrogen, but there are no proven studies that show that a lack of estrogen does lead to hair loss in women.

Androgenic alopecia is a condition that affects about 2% of the population, resulting in total hair loss all over the body. There is no cure for hairloss in women or men who have this condition, but doctors can prescribe treatments to help lessen the symptoms. Some of these hair loss treatments for women include glucocorticoids, topical treatments, of which Minoxodil is the only one recommended for women, or anthralin. Mild cases of hair loss in women respond better to these treatments than more severe cases.

Patterns of hairloss in women are different than in men. Rather than experiencing total hairloss, women usually have small patches of baldness and the hair thins only in those areas. Such things as severe stress, an illness or even surgery can cause sudden hair loss in women. Many women experience hair loss following giving birth and some medicines can also bring this on. In these cases, once the situation is resolved the hair follicles start to grow again and the hairloss process is reversed.

When a woman consults her doctor about a hair loss problem, the doctor will look for the root causes. Once the cause is identified then he/she will be able to prescribe the proper hair loss treatment for women.

Hair loss in women is more common than you may realise, but can often be treated.

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