While hair loss is considered a normal part of aging for men,
hair loss in women is much less common. Thus, hair loss in women
is much more detrimental to a woman's self image than it is for
a man. Women with thinning hair are often ridiculed and may find
it difficult to be seen in social situations. But what makes
male and female hair loss so different?
The truth is that there are not many differences in the way the
hair is lost or why. While it is true that fewer women are
susceptible to genetic hair loss, a small group of women do
still experience this disease. This type of hair loss may cause
complete baldness and is not temporary. It is a popular
misconception that these women are somehow genetically or
hormonally more masculine than other women. While this has
caused many women shame and ridicule, this is a complete myth.
There has yet to be any proof that these women are genetically
or hormonally more masculine than any other woman.
Hormonal hair loss also occurs in women. Nevertheless, hormonal
hair loss in women is usually temporary, as a woman will
experience re-growth once the hormones return to normal. This
type of hair loss in women is likely to occur after the birth of
a child, during menopause, during pregnancy or even as early as
puberty.
If you or someone you know as experience hair loss after the
birth of a child, the experience I usually temporary. This type
of hair loss occurs when extreme fluctuations in hormones take
place. During this time a woman's estrogen levels are likely to
either be to too high or too low. If the level happens to be
particularly low, it leaves the woman more susceptible to an
imbalance. The testosterone in her body may trigger the same
hormonal hair loss it does in men. Luckily for the woman, this
usually only last a few months before hair begins to grow again.
A woman may also experience hormonal hair loss if she has a
thyroid problem, but even this is temporary, as the hair will
return when the thyroid is treated.
Hair loss due to medication is a greater risk for females than
males, because breast cancer in women is the most common kind of
cancer. Like most cancers, breast cancer often requires
treatment in the form of chemotherapy. Women are also at a
greater risk of having thyroid disease which often requires
radio active treatment. This too causes the hair to fall out.
Many of these treatments will cause complete baldness. Luckily,
this type of hair loss is also temporary and may subside when
the medication is stopped.
Since most forms of
female hair
loss are temporary, over the counter treatments may be used
to prevent too much hair from being lost during these periods.
However, genetic hair loss is still a real threat even for
women. For this reason anyone experiencing thinning hair should
see a doctor and consider treatment.
About the author:
Raj Pandey is the creator of a hair loss product program at and
has written hundreds of articles and tips about dealing with
hair loss
