Although many men are embarrassed to lose their hair, they can easily get by with shaving their heads so their loss is no longer noticeable. Unfortunately, women don’t really have the option to shave their heads as their hair is an important part of who they are. There are many causes of female hair loss and solutions to restore a head full of healthy hair.
Causes of Hair Loss
Some hair loss is perfectly normal as most people lose between 50 to 100 strands every day. When hair is washed, even more hair comes out (on average about 250 strands). However, if you notice large clumps of hair on your comb or a large amount is left on your pillow in the morning, then you may be losing too much hair.
Hair loss has various causes including heredity, female pattern baldness, and medical conditions. Androgenetic alopecia is the technical name for female pattern baldness and it is usually inherited from family. So, if your mother or grandmother had thinning hair, then you’re more likely to have thin hair as well. It is usually most noticeable at the part because it will gradually widen as you lose hair.
Stress-Induced Hair Loss
Going through a traumatic event can cause hair loss in some women. Even happy events such as giving birth can trigger hair loss and the technical term for this is telogen effluvium.
The stress caused by a trauma such as surgery, childbirth, an infection, or extreme stress can cause hair to move swiftly from the growing phase (anagen) or resting phase (catagen) to the shedding phase (telogen). In some women, it can be a chronic condition which lasts for months or years; however, usually when the stress on the body passes, the shedding will stop.
Medical-Related Hair Loss
Sometimes hair loss can be the symptom of a disease or it can be caused by the treatment of a medical condition. For instance, women undergoing chemotherapy for cancer will often lose their hair temporarily. However, once the chemotherapy stops, their hair will have a chance to grow back.
Hair loss is often one of the first symptoms of thyroid dysfunction so when you notice your hair is thinning or falling out in clumps, you should make an appointment with your GP for an examination and testing. Some medications such as hormone replacement therapies can cause hair loss in women as well.
Hair Loss Treatments
The main ways to treat hair loss include both surgical and non-surgical solutions to replace hair. Some non-surgical solutions include using hair extensions to make hair seem fuller and longer, or female hair replacement from Hair Solved uses human hair threaded through a mesh cap to fill in areas where your hair is thinning or falling out.
Hair can also be transplanted from areas on your head where it grows in abundance to areas where it is thin, such as on the crown of the head. Hair loss treatments can give women back their confidence after they’ve experienced hair loss.