When you think about hair loss, you might think of men with the typical receding hairline. Yet women can also lose their hair for a variety of reasons. Here, we’ll go through five causes to see how this might occur.
If you do start losing your hair and there appears to be no clear reason for it, do see your healthcare provider for more advice.
Androgenetic Alopecia
This is also known as female pattern alopecia. Just as men can lose their hair as they age, so can women. For women though, the hair tends to get thinner rather than receding. If women in your family have experienced this, you are more likely to as well, given the genetic component involved.
There’s nothing you can do to alter your genetics, but switching to a different hairstyle with the support of your hair stylist can work well in this scenario. Minoxidil is approved for treating female pattern baldness, so you may wish to consider this as well.
Hormonal Changes
Ah, hormones… we need them, but they can certainly do a number on us, can’t they? Major life changes such as pregnancy and perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause itself) can lead to changes for our hair, too. With menopause, our hair follicles can also shrink, so even if we don’t experience any hormonal hair loss, what we do have can end up being finer than it was before.
HRT can replace the hormones that you lose, so it’s worth talking with your healthcare provider to see if this is a solution for you.
Health Conditions
All manner of conditions can affect the way your hair grows. Anemia, thyroid disorders, and iron deficiencies can all lead to medical hair loss. Scalp conditions and infections can also lead to issues and are easier to diagnose since there are often signs present that are easy to spot.
In most cases, the hair will grow back once the condition is treated. For example, thyroid hormones can interrupt hair growth if they are too high or too low. Diagnosis and treatment to rectify the imbalance should help resolve the hair issues too.
Of course, in some cases, it’s the treatment for the condition that can result in hair loss. The most obvious of these is chemotherapy for cancer. This causes many people to lose their hair, but once treatment ends, the hair usually grows back without issue.
Dietary Changes
The more notable the change, the more likely it is you might experience hair loss as a result. We all need a range of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to help us enjoy good health. This applies to our hair, too. Biotin, iron, and a range of vitamins, including A, C, and D, all have roles to play.
So, if we go on a diet, we might suddenly find our hair changes along with our body. The more extreme the diet, the more likely it is this will occur. Restricting calories means that your hair follicles will have less energy to work with – and that’s something they need to produce healthy hair.
In short, crash diets and extreme diets are more likely to affect your hair growth and appearance. Gradual weight loss is better, and you might benefit from multivitamins with biotin included, too.
Hair Styling
You might be surprised to spot this entry on our list, but it can and does occur. Traction alopecia may occur if you regularly tie your hair back, for example. This can cause breakage and thus shorter lengths of hair in the affected area. Any hairstyle that pulls on the hair can lead to this. Hair extensions, cornrows, and other styles are among the examples that can potentially cause this to occur.
In this case, loosen the hairstyle and try to wear your hair that way less often if you can. Speak with your stylist too, as they can advise you on how to style your hair in a safer way. Keep an eye on your hairline, as this can be among the first places to exhibit hair loss if you begin to experience it.
You can see there are multiple ways a woman can start losing her hair or experiencing thinner hair. In most cases, though, there are solutions and steps to take that can improve things – or avoid them happening to start with.
To learn more about the options available for women for thinning hair or hair loss, contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts for a complimentary, in-person consultation.
