Unlike the receding hair line creeping over a man's scalp, hair loss sneaks up on a woman.
Maybe she sees a few more hairs in her favorite brush. Her ponytail feels skinnier. Her part widens. Eventually she notices she can see her scalp peeking through in a photograph.
Whatever the telling sign, female pattern hair loss can be traumatic. But women today are less likely to suffer in silence than a decade ago; doctors report that women increasingly are coming forward to seek remedies.
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In some cases, pinpointing the cause is the first step to a cure, though the source of hair loss in women is not always as clear as it is in men.
The hormone fluctuations of puberty, pregnancy and menopause can cause hair to shed. So can the stress of general anesthesia, illness, anemia, crash diets and thyroid abnormalities. Some women -- and a few men, too -- suffer a compulsion to tug at the hair, damaging the follicles.
Some fashion models with beautifully shaped heads may choose baldness as part of their look. But for most women, loss of hair -- or even thinning of it -- is highly upsetting, often much more so than for men.
The relatively extensive hair loss that often occurs after pregnancy frightens many a new mother. And women commonly describe hair loss as the most devastating aspect of chemotherapy, even though they know their hair will grow back after the treatments are over.
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.
Hair loss can occur as thinning hair or complete baldness. The hair loss may be on the head or any other part of the body that normally has hair, such as the eyebrows.
What is going on in the body?
There are many causes of hair loss. The most common form of hair loss is due to male pattern baldness, in which hair is lost from the front and top of the scalp. Other types of hair loss can create different patterns. Treatment depends on the type and cause of baldness.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?
The primary symptom is hair loss. Other symptoms can vary widely depending on the cause of the hair loss. Those with male pattern baldness have no other symptoms. The location of the hair loss also differs depending on the cause.
Be sure to read through the treatments discussed for men, as many of those will be appropriate for women. Below are listed some of the most effective treatments for women's hair loss.
Cosmetic treatments are something women know a lot about. Many of us won't leave the house without applying a cosmetic treatment on our faces, but often we don't consider this as a treatment for hair loss. Obviously, cosmetic treatments for hair loss do not change the actual hair loss; they simply change your appearance. No chemical or surgical procedures are used.
Wigs are the most common cosmetic approach to female baldness. Wigs can be made from natural hair and from synthetic hair. Wigs made from natural hair can look better at first, but they do not last as long as synthetic wigs. Synthetic wigs are also easier to maintain.
It's a big problem for millions of women, and it can happen at any age.
But there is relief thanks to better ways to diagnose the problem and aggressive treatments to bring hair back.
For many women, hair defines personal style. It's no wonder the loss of this crowning glory can be psychologically devastating. "I was blown away I was so embarrassed about it at first," said 25-year-old Esperanza Castillo, who may seem an unlikely victim. "I never thought I would have a problem with my hair."
Forty-three-year-old Felicia Willis was also horrified when clumps of hair began showing up in her comb.
Hair loss is a major concern for men and women the world over. Unfortunately, many consumers answer ads for hair replacement products and procedures before getting the facts about hair loss. While some cases of hair loss are inherited, others are caused by disease and poor diet and may also result as the side effects of some medical treatments.
In some cases, people with hair loss conditions can re-grow hair through correct diagnosis and medical treatment while others may decide to seek alternative hair replacement options. Dermatologists specializing in treating diseases of the hair and skin may evaluate patients’ hair problems to determine what, if any, treatment may be right for that patient. Before spending hundreds of dollars on products and procedures, it is important to get a professional opinion on whether or not the problem will respond to medical treatment.
Transplantation to the eyebrows is a procedure designed to restore growing hair to eyebrows that are overly thin, scarred, or completely missing. The donor hairs usually come from the scalp which, when transplanted into the eyebrows, continue to grow for a lifetime and therefore need to be trimmed typically once a month. To provide a natural appearance, the hairs are transplanted primarily one and occasionally two at a time, the natural way eyebrow hairs grow. This is a very delicate procedure, requiring perfect placement of these hairs into tiny (half-millimeter) incisions that are angled at just the right direction and positioned to mimic natural growth. The use of all-microscopically dissected grafts allows their placement into the smallest possible incisions so as to minimize scarring and damage to already existing hairs.
Although it is possible for the sufferer to discover the source of the allergy by trial and error it is better by far to seek the advice of a qualified dermatologist as soon as the problem becomes evident. Changing your make up may simply prolong the discomfort as the same ingredient which is causing the allergic reaction may be present in other makeup products. The longer the condition persists the more damage you may be doing to the follicles, which may result in noticeable thinning of the lashes .
Be safe by always seeking medical advice if you notice hair loss resulting in the appearance of a bald patch, however small, on any hair bearing part of your body. It may not result in eyelash loss but it is still more than likely to be symptomatic of a condition in need of treatment.
Hair Loss and Baldness affect approximately 20 million women and 40 million men in the United States. In a society often obsessed with physical appearance, losing one's hair can be very painful and can negatively affect self-confidence and self-esteem. Fortunately, losing your hair does NOT mean you must also lose your attractiveness, self-confidence, and social life. There are many things you can do to feel better about your hair loss and yourself.
Hair Restoration Surgery encompasses numerous Procedures & Terms:
ALOPECIA: The medical term for baldness.
ANDROGENIC ALOPECIA: The most typical pattern of balding whereby the balding pattern is controlled by hormones and passed along via heredity.
ALOPECIA REDUCTION: A procedure that involves removal of a strip of balding upper scalp in the crown and vertex areas. The natural flexibility of the scalp is used to stretch the surrounding hairy scalp into place. It can be repeated in certain cases. See also "Scalp Reduction."
Women lose hair on an inherited (genetic) basis too, but the female pattern is more diffuse, with less likelihood of the frontal hairline being lost. Although some women may notice hair thinning as early as their 20s, the pace of hair loss tends to be gradual, often taking years to become obvious to others. (It's common to hear women with what appear to have a full head of hair exclaim, "This is nothing--you should have seen how thick it used to be!")
Notions about baldness being inherited through the mother's family, just like stories about hats choking off follicles or long hair pulling on the roots, are just folklore.
A Japanese medical team has found that a form of antibiotic could prevent cancer patients from losing hair during chemotherapy, a doctor involved in the research said Monday .
Toshiyuki Sakai said his team had found "alopestatin" reduced hair loss by 70 percent when used on rats also given etoposide anti-cancer drugs.
Etoposide is widely used to treat lung and other cancers but can cause hair loss.
Sakai, professor at Kyoto Prefectural university of Medicine, said his team was hoping to to put the agent to practical use in the future.
"I want people to know that few studies have been made on reducing side-effects of anti-cancer drugs," he said.
About 90 percent of hair on the scalp grows continually. The other 10 percent of scalp hair is in a resting phase that lasts two to three months. At the end of the resting stage, this hair is shed.
Shedding 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. When a hair is shed, it is replaced by a new hair from the same follicle and the growing cycle starts again. Scalp hair grows about one-half inch a month.
As people age, the rate of hair growth slows.
What causes excessive hair loss?
Most hair shedding is due to the normal growth-rest cycle, and losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is no cause for alarm. When concerned about excessive loss of hair or dramatic thinning, consult a dermatologist.
There is a close relationship between infection outbreaks on teeth and the presence of alopecia areata or localized alopecia, a type of hair loss which has an unknown origin. Alopecia areata starts with bald patches on the scalp, and sometimes elsewhere on the body. The disease occurs in males and females of all ages, and experts believe that it affects 1 out 1000 people.
Research by professors José Antonio Gil Montoya and Antonio Cutando Soriano, of the Department of Stomatology of the University of Granada, advises going to the dentist when patients notice localized hair loss, in order to receive a careful examination of their oral health.
“Alopecia areata is a dermatitis which presents the following signs: The typical pattern is for one or more round bald patches to appear on the scalp, in the beard, or in the eyebrows, or to undergo a loss of eyelashes. Alopecia areata is thought to be an auto-immune disease”, stated the researchers. Hair re-grows in most patients after several months. However, in a quarter of all patients the condition recurs once or more. According to professors at the UGR, the affected hair follicles are not totally destroyed. Therefore, hair can grow back, although patients who have already suffered from alopecia areata may have recurrences.
Hair loss or alopecia can be caused by fungal infections, inflammatory conditions, trauma, or as a side effect to some medical conditions (like hypothyroidism) or their treatments (chemotherapy for childhood cancers).
Tinea capitis: is a scalp infection that is caused by a fungus. It can cause patches of hair loss, with broken off hairs (black dot ringworm), scales, enlarged lymph glands, or the formation of a kerion, a large, red, boggy nodule on the scalp. Your doctor may do a KOH examination of the hairs, have a fungal culture done, or he may just treat your child with an antifungal agent, such as griseofulvin. These medicines are taken for at least 6 weeks, usually with fatty meals which can help it to be absorbed better. You can also wash your child's hair with a shampoo that contains selenium sulfide at least twice a week to make him less contagious.
Tinea capitis presents with erythema, scaling and broken hair shafts on exam. Evaluation includes KOH or fungal culture of broken hair shaft and appropriate oral antifungal treatment.
Alopecia areata presents as smooth round bald patches in the scalp, beard area, or eyebrows. Evaluation includes TSH, CBC, and RPR to evaluate for associated autoimmune disease or syphilis. The condition is self limited but referral for treatment is appropriate for multiple areas of involvement or large surface area involved.
Traumatic alopecia includes trichotillomania and traction alopecia. Treatment involves pinpointing the underlying cause and emphasizing behavior modification.
Patient history of alopecia: onset of hair loss, hair loss pattern (diffuse or focal), rate and timing of hair loss, other scalp symptoms (itching, burning, tingling)
Personal history: dietary changes, diet, hair-care routine, hygiene products, medications (prescription medications, vitamins, over-the-counter [OTC] medications, and herbal remedies), stress, major illness
Female patient: menstrual and reproductive histories
Any family history of alopecia, patient's concurrent systemic/chronic illness, physical stress, medication, environmental exposure, psychiatric disorders, hairstyle, signs and symptoms of hormonal abnormalities
Physical examination:
1. Scalp exam for any scars, erythema, scaling, or inflammation
2. Density and distribution of hair
3. Hair shaft exam for caliber, length, shape, and fragility
4. Thyroid palpation to determine thyroid size, nodularity, or vascularity
Use "pull test" technique for hair loss. Grasp about 60 hairs between the thumb, the index, and the middle fingers. The hairs are then gently but firmly pulled. A positive test (2–10 hairs obtained) indicates an active hair shedding.
If a patient demonstrates positive hair-pull tests all over the scalp, he/she may be warned he/she will most likely lose all of their hair. Next, provide anticipatory guidance during the period of extensive hair loss as the cycle reestablishes and regrowth begins.
Finally, determine if eyebrow, eyelash, axillary, or body hair is affected. Examine hair density in other areas such as the face and extremities. A female patient who presents with thinning scalp hair and demonstrates increased facial, thigh, chin, or chest hair may have an androgen excess.
The most effective current solution for baldness is hair-replacement surgery, in which follicles are painstakingly moved in small bunches from the thick hair on the back of the head to the barren acreage on top.
But what if it were possible to move an entire, full and durable scalp from another person, albeit a dead one, all at once?
That prospect set hundreds of hair-restoration specialists atwitter at a late-September scientific conference in Las Vegas, where transplantation expert Maria Siemionow presented research that many believe will make such a thing a reality one day.
Siemionow, who is renowned for her groundbreaking work in the field of facial transplants, said her team at The Cleveland Clinic has developed a treatment in lab animals that reduces the length of time any recipient must be on immunosuppressant drugs to just a week. Today, the recipient of any transplant must stay on fairly toxic and expensive medication for life, which makes it untenable to do transplants for anything less then life-essential organs. It remains untested in humans.
The scientist told her audience at the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery's convention that her aim is to make full-scalp transplants possible for severe burn and trauma victims. But that didn't keep listeners from imagining the cosmetic applications.
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