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Female pattern baldness, also called female alopecia , is hair loss that affects women. It is similar to male pattern baldness, except that women can lose their hair in a different pattern than men.
Hair loss in women is normal throughout life, especially as you get older. Up to two-thirds of women experience hair loss after menopause . Less than half of women will be over 65 with a head with all their hair.
Female pattern baldness is hereditary, and is more common after menopause, so hormones are probably responsible.
How Does Female Baldness Happen?
In female pattern baldness, the growing phase of the hair decreases, it also takes longer for new hair to start growing. The hair follicles (cavity in which the hair is born) shrink, leading to abnormal hair growth, they tend to be thinner. This can result in hair that breaks easily.
It is normal for women to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day , but those with female pattern baldness can lose a lot more. In men, hair loss begins in front of the head and falls back until they are bald.
Women lose hair on all sides of the head, starting at the line that splits the hair down to the temples that may shrink. They are also less likely to go completely bald, but they can get several flaws in your scalp.
Types of Female Baldness
Doctors divide female pattern baldness into three types:
- Type I – it is a small amount of flaws that begins around the line that divides the hair.
- Type II – involves the widening of the line and the increase of faults around it.
- Type III – when a completely hairless area begins to appear at the top of the scalp.
Can Genetics Cause Female Baldness?
Hair loss is transmitted from parents to children, and many different genes
are involved. It is possible to inherit these genes from both parents, and a woman is more
likely to have female pattern baldness if her mother, father or other
close relatives have experienced hair loss.
Causes of Female Baldness
Hair loss can occur in women through different types of female pattern baldness, including the following reasons:
- Hair breakage (due to the use of chemicals in treatments and activities / hairstyles to twist or pull hair)
- Certain skin diseases that lead to scarring of hair follicles Autoimmune diseases
- Hormonal problems, such as too much testosterone or thyroid hormone low in vitamin B (biotin) or other vitamin deficiency
- Medications such as chemotherapy and beta blockers
- Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease
- Temporary hair loss after major illness, surgery or pregnancy
Diagnosis of Female Baldness
If you notice hair loss, it is important to see a dermatologist. He will examine your scalp to see why the condition is. Tests are generally not necessary to diagnose female pattern baldness.
If the specialist suspects another type of hair loss, he may perform a blood test to check for levels of thyroid hormone , androgens, iron or other substances that can affect hair growth.
Treatment for Female Baldness
If you have female pattern baldness, it is possible to hide hair loss at first by adopting a new hairstyle. Eventually, you may have too many flaws at the top of your scalp to be able to hide.
Early diagnosis is necessary as it can allow for a treatment plan and potentially minimize future hair loss. The treatment plan will likely consist of one or more medications to treat baldness. The most common are Minoxidil or Spironolactone , but both have strong side effects .
Other Options to Treat Female Baldness
If your iron level is low, it can contribute to hair loss, so your doctor may prescribe an iron supplement. At this time, there is no evidence that taking iron will increase the amount of hair. Other supplements, such as biotin and folic acid , are also promoted to thicken them.
One study showed that women developed thicker strands after taking omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants . However, it is best to check with your doctor before taking any hair growth supplements.
Laser combs and helmets are also options for treating female pattern baldness. They use light energy to stimulate hair growth. But it is also not possible to determine whether this treatment is really effective.
A hair transplant is a more permanent solution . During this procedure, the doctor removes a thin strip of hair from a part of the scalp and implants it in an area where there is baldness. The graft looks natural.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy can also be beneficial, it involves the “centrifugation” technique. We work with a small volume of blood drawn from the patient himself in order to isolate and concentrate these growth factors and then injecting his own platelets back into the scalp to stimulate hair growth . Although promising, more study is needed.
As a last resort, it is possible to hide female pattern baldness using a wig or using a hair spray product.
Female Baldness Has Cure?
Female pattern baldness has not been cured so far . Proper treatment can stop hair loss and potentially help to regenerate some of the strands that have been lost.
Results can take up to 12 months to start appearing. It is necessary to carry out the long-term treatment so that the hair does not fall out again.
Is it possible to prevent female pattern baldness?
If it is a hereditary condition, it is not possible to prevent female pattern baldness, but it is possible to protect the hair against breakage and loss.
See Also: Hair Loss in Pregnancy – Causes and Treatment
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
