Female Pattern Hair Loss



Female pattern hair loss refers to any condition characterized by baldness in girls or women. Its can be a result of genetic predispostion, sudden changes to the body’s hormonal system, or aging. While some types of female pattern hair loss are associated with post-menopausal women, other types of female patten hair less affects present themselves at the onset of puberty. There are several possible medical treatments available for female pattern hair loss, and numerous hairstyling techniques can be employed to mask its symptoms.

Unless female pattern hair loss is caused by a medical problem elsewhere in the body, it generally is not associated with any ill effects. However, the psychological trauma suffered by a girl or woman who is losing her hair can be significant. In fact, some patients may even benefit as much from psychological counseling as from their medical treatments.

Unlike male pattern hair loss, female pattern baldness does not usually cause the hairline to recede. Instead, the girl or woman will notice a gradual thinning of her hair, particularly on the top of the head. Some doctors diagnose females who lose more than 100 – 125 hairs per day as suffering from female pattern hairless. Although some hair may grow back, the new hair is usually shorter, thinner, and whispier than the original. If the cause is genetic in nature, it can be inherited from either the mother’s side of the family or the father’s.

It’s important to note that not all female baldness is a result of female pattern hair loss. For example, women can lose hair due to medications they are taking, hairstyling techniques they employ, or disorders afflicting their immune system.

Female pattern hair loss may result in permanent baldness, although hair loss may be temporarily stopped or reversed with the use of an FDA-approved drug called minoxidil. Although many women will not benefit from the use of minoxidil, those who do are likely to continue experiencing positive results as long as they continue to use the drug. Unfortunately, minoxidil can be expensive and may not always be a practical long-term solution to the problem of female pattern hair loss.

Cosmetic treatments of female pattern hair loss include the use of hair transplants, wigs, weaves, braids, and different hairstyles to cover up the baldness.