Q: I have a
question regarding female baldness. I am in my early 70s and for about the last
five years, I've been gradually losing my hair. I've always had thick naturally
curly hair. Now I'm developing a pattern of losing my hair the exact opposite
way men lose their hair. I'm losing it like a halo effect above the forehead and
around the lower sides above the ears and the back. The top and lower edges are
still thick and curly.
Because of breast cancer in my family, I do not take any hormones as my
doctor advised against it. I have been coloring my hair for about 20 years and
was wondering if that might cause baldness. I am getting quite concerned because
I seem to be losing it at a faster rate the last year or so. I am sure many
other women are experiencing the same problems as many of my friends are also.
Thank you for any help you can give me.
A: Women have thinning hair as they get older,
but it is usually on the top and sides of the scalp, so your hair loss pattern
is most unusual. Unlike men who have receding hairlines on the forehead, women
tend to retain the frontal hair. Hair has three growth cycles: anagen, the stage
of active growth; catagen, a transition stage; and telogen, when the follicle
releases the hair fiber. Of the 100,000 hairs on the average person, about 100
are in the telogen phase and fall out every day.
Hormones have a great effect on hair, which is why many women notice changes
during and after pregnancy and around menopause. After menopause, the ovaries
may produce more androgens (male hormones) than estrogen and this can result in
hair loss. (Male baldness is related to increased testosterone). A dermatologist
or plastic surgeon can do scalp biopsies and have the hair follicles studied,
which may be helpful in determining androgen effects. Some medications, severe
stress, malnutrition, iron deficiency and an underactive thyroid may all cause
hair loss, so blood tests also are useful.
Repeated permanents and harsh bleaching may contribute to hair damage.
Contrary to advertising claims, there are no herbs or hair products that thicken
hair. In 1980 an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration evaluated
a number of substances used in hair products, including amino acids,
aminobenzoic acid, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, B vitamins, hormones, jojoba
oil, lanolin, polysorbates, sulphanilamide, tetracaine hydrochloride, urea and
wheat germ oil, and found that none of them prevented hair loss.
Minoxodil or Rogaine for women can be purchased over the counter. It may take
applications twice a day for at least four months to see any hair growth, and
most people are not satisfied with the "peach fuzz" results. When it's stopped,
the hair gained usually will fall out within six months.