About Female Hair Loss

What is it? - Hair loss and thinning is a natural part of ageing and affects everyone to different degrees. Some embrace it finding ways to style it or keep it short but for others the loss of their crowning glory can be very upsetting. If you are in any way concerned then it’s best to see a professional who can ascertain what’s going on with your hair. After menopause you are at increased risk of female pattern baldness also known as androgenetic alopecia.

Why does it happen? - The most common cause of hair loss is familial, it’s written in your DNA, so keep an eye on your family members particularly mothers and grandmothers. Their hair will give you an idea of how yours is likely to look like in future.  The other major contributing factor is your hormones, we’ve mentioned ‘the change’ already but everyone has different bodies and your hormone levels are different throughout your life. Stress levels and diet also come into play but more so when discussing thinning or shedding rather than pattern baldness.

How does it look? – The official Ludwig Classification system identifies stages of severity for female pattern baldness.

    Stage 1 is when you have thinning around your parting
    Stage 2 involves more thinning around the parting which leaves a more obvious
    Stage 3 is when there is general thinning all over the hair usually with a transparent ‘ring’ circling the crown.

Ladies are considerably less likely to go bald than men but you are likely to see thinning all over when your hair follicles shrink which then makes your hair appear ‘damaged’ and prone to breakage. A little bit of hair loss every day is to be expected, fifty to 100 hairs is actually very common for ladies with long hair. If you are losing more than this it is advisable to seek some help. Part of this comes down to individuality, you know your own hair and how much you are used to seeing come out on a brush or when washing your hair. If the amount of hair loss begins to increase then it’s advisable to see someone to get to identify why and be able to take control of the situation.

Treatment - A trichologist will be the first port of call as they will assess all of the above and carefully consider your lifestyle as well to get a clear picture of the reasons for your hair being the way it is. Smoking, relaxing, perming or using heat treatments, the products you use and your diet all have a part to play. Getting plenty of iron is crucial, and your trichologist can also advise on any blood tests that need to be taken.

Female pattern baldness cannot be cured, but the good news is you may not have it even if you are experiencing similar symptoms. Even if you do have female pattern baldness with proper treatment you can slow the effects of it and even reverse symptoms gradually to a manageable level that makes you look and feel your best. For the most part such treatments require some dedication from you. The moment you stop using the medication or application product you could see a very quick resurgence of symptoms.

Finasteride, Minoxidil and Spironolactone are some of the most effective regrowth or thickening drugs. As with all medication there can be side effects which we would go through with you in detail so you can be sure you’re making the right decision.

A hair transplant is also an option and your trichologist can refer you to our hair transplant team once they’ve assessed you. PRP has also been said to be helpful in stimulating growth although research into the long term effects of this are still in the early stages. Everyone is different and as with all hair loss treatments, the best way to discover what works for you is to speak to a team of proffessionals.

Here at The Private Clinic we work with respected Trichologist from the Institute of Trichologists and you can be assured you will receive caring quality service in any of our clinics nationwide. We can work out a treatment plan catered to you. Call 03339209135 to book.