Although hair loss may seem like a more prominent problem in men, women are almost just as likely to either lose their hair or have thinning hair.
Hair loss can be particularly traumatic for women. While male hair loss is seen as inevitable for a large proportion of men, female hair loss is far less common and less culturally acceptable, which only adds to the stigma.
Generally, female hair loss is quite different to male hair loss. Females experience a thinning out of mid scalp and crown hair and usually retain their frontal hairline. Due to the different hair loss pattern and reproductive concerns, treatments suitable for men are not always safe and effective for women.
Improvements in hair transplant techniques allow female patients to undergo procedures to thicken thinning areas, while avoiding damage to or removal of existing hair follicles, using a dense packing procedure that also minimises scarring in both donor and recipient sites.
If you notice hair loss or thinning that is unusual for you, it is important to seek advice from a qualified hair restoration specialist to determine the exact cause and to establish a suitable treatment regime. A hereditary condition, female pattern hair loss affects about 30 million American women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Although hair loss in women mostly occurs in the late 50s or 60s, it can happen at any time, even during teenage years. However, the incidence of hair loss in women significantly increases during and after the menopause.
A study reported in the journal Dermatological Surgery in 2001 found that female pattern baldness affects three percent of women aged between 20 to 29; 16 to 17 percent of women aged between 30 and 49; and 28 percent of women aged between 70 and 79. Over the age of 80, 32 percent of women are affected by hair loss or thinning hair.
Female pattern hair loss is thought to be triggered by the same mechanisms responsible for the majority of hair loss in men. That is, the production of androgenetic hormones and their effect on the hair follicle. However, female pattern hair loss is not exactly the same as that which occurs in men, with earlier stages of hair thinning.
Female pattern hair loss is typically divided into three stages, or grades, increasing in their severity. Grade I refers to thinning hair on the top of the head; Grade II to thinning hair and patches of greater hair loss; and Grade III to male-pattern hair loss. It is rare, however, to see complete baldness akin to male pattern hair loss, in women.
Typically, each time a normal hair follicle is shed, it is replaced by hair that is equal in size. But in women with female-pattern hair loss, the new hair is finer and thinner – a more miniaturised version of itself. The hair follicles are shrinking and eventually they stop growing altogether.
Female pattern hair loss is not the only cause of hair loss in women. In women, it is more common than in men that other factors might be causing thinning of the hair, or patches of baldness. Some of the most common causes include:
TRICHOTILLOMANIA
Compulsive hair pulling. Hair loss due to trichotillomania is typically patchy, as compulsive hair pullers tend to concentrate the pulling in selected areas. Hair loss due to this cause cannot be treated effectively until the psychological or emotional reasons for trichotillomania are effectively addressed.
ALOPECIA AREATA
A possible autoimmune disorder that causes patchy hair loss that can range from diffuse thinning to extensive areas of baldness with ‘islands’ of retained hair. Medical examination is necessary to establish a diagnosis.
TRIANGULAR ALOPECIA
Loss of hair in the temporal areas that sometimes begins in childhood. Hair loss may be complete, or a few fi ne, thin-diameter hairs may remain. The cause of triangular alopecia is not known but the condition can be treated medically or surgically.
SCARRING ALOPECIA
Hair loss due to scarring of the scalp area. Scarring alopecia typically involves the top of the scalp and occurs predominantly in women. The condition frequently occurs in African-American women and is believed to be associated with persistent tight braiding or ‘cornrowing’ of scalp hair. A form of scarring alopecia also may occur in post-menopausal women, associated with infl ammation of hair follicles and subsequent scarring.
TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM
A common type of hair loss caused when a large percentage of scalp hairs are shifted into ‘shedding’ phase. The causes of telogen effl uvium may be hormonal, nutritional, drug-associated, or stress-associated. LOOSE-ANAGEN SYNDROME
A condition occurring primarily in fair-haired women in which scalp hair sits loosely in hair follicles and is easily extracted by combing or pulling. The condition may appear in childhood, and may improve as the person ages. CBM
Female hair restoration surgery
As well as being an effective procedure for the treatment of hair loss in men, hair transplant surgery can also be a practical solution for most women. Modern techniques in hair transplantation are successful in treating typically diffuse femalepattern hair loss as well as the more familiar forms of male pattern hair loss.
Hair transplant surgery is always more effective when there is an abundance of donor hair, which can be transplanted to the balding or thinning part of the scalp. It will be less effective in women where donor hair is limited.
Modern transplantation techniques using mini-grafts, single-hair grafts and follicular unit grafts can produce natural-looking results and women should not overlook hair transplant surgery as an option just for men, or one which produces unnaturallooking results.
Depending on the circumstances and requirements of each patient, a hair restoration specialist may recommend medical intervention prior to surgical. For example, the use of Minoxidil may be prescribed to slow the rate of hair loss and stimulate regrowth prior to surgery.
As with men, many women select the follicular unit grafting procedure, but with certain modifi cations. Hairline advancement is more commonly performed on women to correct an overly high hairline, whether due to genetics or aesthetic surgery. Always consult a hair restoration specialist in order to determine the best possible treatment for you.
