Hair Loss in Women

What was once thought to be a condition primarily, affecting men hair loss in women is now garnering a lot of attention. There have been numerous studies to determine the cause of hair loss and many products and treatments to flood the market place in recent years.

Hair loss in women accounts for up to 40% of the balding cases in the United States alone.

The causes of balding differ in men and women. Alopecia is the medical term used for excess hair loss. Hair loss can be temporary or permanent and the key to treatment is determining the underlying cause of the alopecia. Temporary hair loss in women is often treatable and short term. Some of the underlying causes may be stress, pregnancy or childbirth and often certain medications can cause short term hair loss. If the condition is hormonal or stress related, treatment can often restore hair to a normal growth cycle. Permanent or long term hair loss in women is most often a genetic condition.

Diagnosing hair loss in women can be different than the diagnosis in men. With men, genetics is the cause of over 90% of the alopecia cases presented. Balding in women is often triggered by multiple factors. There are several diagnostic tests that are often performed in women to determine the trigger of hair loss. Hormone levels, iron serums and thyroid screenings are usually performed as a first line of treatment. A hair pull test is a diagnostic test where the practitioner will lightly pull a small amount of hair in order to determine if there is excessive hair loss. The normal range of hair loss is one to three hairs for each pull.

There are a few different options that are being used to treat hair loss in women Drug companies as a general rule do not target women as test subjects in the development of treatments and research as to the cause of hair loss, there is only one FDA approved drug targeted to treat hair loss in women.

Due to this fact, physicians are often hesitant to prescribe oral medications, originally geared toward men, for the treatment of hair loss in women Doctors most often will prescribe treatments that can be applied topically to the scalp. This can be in either a cream, shampoo or pill form. The most common treatment used is a 2% concentration on minoxidil, better known by the brand name Rogaine,which is less than the FDA approved 5% used in men.

Whatever treatments decided on by a woman and her doctor are most effective when began early hair loss in women can be very traumatic on an emotional level. With more focus and attention being placed on female balding, it is encouraging to note that more successful options in the diagnosis,treatment and prevention of this condition is on the horizon.