Female Pattern Baldness: Causes and Prevention

Did you know that female pattern baldness is a real thing? It’s not just a problem that men have to worry about. Millions of women worldwide suffer from hair loss, and it can really take a toll on your self-esteem. Professionals from Just Hair Clinic in Walnut Creek explain that in the United States, 40% of women will experience some degree of hair loss by the time they reach menopause. This is a distressing condition that can cause anxiety and low self-esteem for many women. While there are a variety of treatments available for hair loss, many women are reluctant to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed.

Women are generally more susceptible to hair loss than men. It’s estimated that over 60% of American women will experience some form or pattern of baldness during their lives. The condition has an official medical name — Androgenetic Alopecia- which means “genetics related.” This type can affect people regardless of whether they’re male/female, but it doesn’t appear quite like the men.

The medical name for female pattern baldness is androgenetic alopecia. Generally, humans shed 50–100 single hairs per day, but when the balance gets interrupted, it causes hair loss, which happens at different rates between men and women.

The same hair clinic in East Bay Area explains that in females, the pattern starts from thinning of hair strands to slowly parting the hair, causing the scalp to show bald spots. Anyone suffering from Alopecia areata will know that the hairs do not recede, but the scalp does show bald areas and the hairs feeling lighter than previously.

Is there a Genetic Link to Female Pattern Baldness?

According to a Hair replacement service in California, “Genes appear to be a significant factor in developing female pattern baldness, which runs in families. Women can inherit the gene for this condition from either parent, and it often develops after menopause.”

So, hormonal changes may also contribute to female pattern baldness. In most extensive cases, alopecia areata shows small and round bald patches, showing coin-sized like areas on the bare scalp.

It is unclear why some people develop alopecia areata, and others don’t. However, it does seem that there’s more than one factor involved in determining whether you will get this condition or not. Many believe it’s an inheritance pattern from your parents that may play a big role. If someone has had close blood relatives who’ve also suffered from the same illness before them (such children/siblings), they have increased odds for developing these symptoms due to shared genes, which could lead to faster progression into full-blown forums disease if left unchecked.

Know About Hair Growth Patterns

The hair in our scalp precisely grows in four easy-to-understand processes:

1. First comes the ‘anagen phase’ aka the Growing Stage. This stage lasts from two to eight years and generally refers to 85% to 90% of your head hairs. Basically, your hair follicles form new hair shafts.
2. Followed to that, is the ‘catagen phase’ aka the Transition Phase. At this stage, your hair follicles shrink and last for about 10 days. Hair growth starts slowing down.
3. Next on is the ‘telogen phase’ aka the Resting Phase. This stage lasts for about three years. You now have an estimate of 10 to 15 percent of head hairs. However, do not confuse this phase as the growing stage as hairs don’t grow at this stage, neither do they fall out.

Now, fw experts treating female pattern baldness or addressing their hair loss problems, name this phase as the Shedding Stage as well. But let’s see what does the hair clinic in Walnut Creek has to say: “We know new hairs start forming up in follicles that just released previous hairs on the scalp, but there’s another phase which is the ‘exogen phase.’

1. The last, i.e., the ‘exogen phase’ aka the Shedding Phase, is the stage where hairs fall off from the scalp. This process is carried out further due to hair brushing, oiling, or shampooing. And losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is a normal thing. Don’t worry of this fall-off, as hairs grow in the follicles within 2 to 5 months.

Causes of Hair Loss leading to Alopecia Areata

Just Hair Clinic, which also offers alopecia treatment in Concord talks about the various positive reasons which lead to hair loss in women.

1. Women who are nearing their age (typically counted from 40).
2. Women who just gave birth to babies.
3. Menopause in women also causes hair losses.
4. Contaminated water such as arsenic contamination, fluoride contamination, etc.
5. Women who went through chemo and underwent many medications.
6. Women doing too many hairstyles without really taking care of their after doing’s (tight high ponytails, heating, blow-drying, dyeing, bleaching, etc.).
7. Vitamin deficiency and dieting issues.
8. Extreme physical and emotional stress or shock to the body and brain.

Treatment for Prevention of Losing More Hairs

When you lose your hair, the first thing that often comes to mind is: “What can I do?” Unfortunately, there isn’t always an easy answer for those suffering from female pattern baldness (FPB) or androgenic alopecia. However, treatment options exist in some cases, like using medications such as minoxidil 2% solution applied directly onto the scalp twice daily. Or having surgery, where live hairs are collected from various areas around our body, including facial hair transplants.

• Minoxidil

Minoxidil is an effective treatment for hair loss that can take up to 12 months of daily application before you see results. The medication has side effects such as dryness, redness, or itching, but these are usually worth experiencing if they help your confidence in yourself grow.

Minoxidil is a medication that helps treat hair loss in both men and women. The treatment can be applied to the scalp every day, which may stimulate the growth of your hairs while also preventing further thinning from occurring — it’s an excellent option if you’re not satisfied with other treatments.

Rogaine is a well-known brand of Minoxidil that can be bought at your local pharmacy or online.

• Medications

One of the most common medications used to treat female pattern baldness is spironolactone, which works by removing excess water from your body. This can help prevent further loss and growth in hair follicles that are currently being damaged due to an imbalance between salt levels within our bodies (chloride).

Side effects may include dry mouth; nausea/dizziness — but they’re not too bad if you only take a small dose.

• Hair Transplant

Some women may choose to have a hair transplant. The process of getting this done is called harvesting, and you can do it in many ways with varying degrees of severity depending on what you’re looking for. Whether that’s just some bulk added onto your head or wanting more density across certain parts like bangs/parting line etc., thus covering large areas affected by genetic conditions like Alopecia Areata.

Conclusion

The symptoms of female pattern baldness are distressing and affect a person’s self-confidence, but an early diagnosis can help them develop an effective treatment plan. Women should talk with their doctor or dermatologist about what options are available for treatment, as early diagnosis helps prevent further losses and leads to healthier heads.

If you’re facing hair loss problems and finding it difficult to regrow your hairs, don’t overlook or think that giving time would heal everything. Talk with professional hair treatment experts like those from Just Hair Clinic in Walnut Creek. They offer the service of one of the best non-surgical hair replacements in California.