Hair Loss In Women

Major Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

Going bald is not just a problem men face. Many women have to worry about going bald, as well. In fact, about 30 million American gals have to cope with hair loss in women. Although women are encouraged to be hairless on all other parts of their bodies, a bald head is not encouraged by society. With any sudden hair loss, you need to see your doctor.

Birth Control Pills

It is normal to experience some hair loss in women when they are taking birth control pills. Hormones that regulate the female reproductive cycle also seem to play a role in hair growth and regrowth. The American Hair Loss Association recommends women should take low-androgen index contraceptive pills. Of course, if you get pregnant when you can't afford to, that will pull out the rest of your hair.

Don't shy away from contraceptive pills because of their reputation of causing some hair loss in women. Like any form of contraception, you really need to talk it over with your doctor or gynecologist. Nothing you say will shock them. They've heard it all. Some women get great medical benefits in the form of cancer prevention from contraceptive pills.

Traction Alopecia

This is a fancy medical term for "overworked hair." Normally, a hair follicle needs a certain amount of freedom from hair styling products, blow drying or hair coloring in order to get some needed rest and relaxation. A major cause of hair loss in women is, sadly, completely preventable. All you need to do is only style or color your hair when absolutely necessary, not every day.

Androgenic Alopecia

This time, the medical term means "hair loss in women or men because it runs in their families". There is a baldness gene passed down in families that gives male-pattern baldness to both women and men. It is most commonly thought that the family member to blame for giving you this gene is your maternal grandfather.

The good news about this cause of hair loss in women is that it does not mean you have a sign of any major illness that would cause you to go bald. The bad news is that once you go bald, don't expect your hair to grow back. You now face the same problems your male counterparts do.

However, just like in male baldness, there are many kinds of treatments for hair loss in women. These range from implants, changes in diet to wearing wigs.

Other Reasons

The most infamous cause of hair loss in women is with chemotherapy. But hair loss in women can also happen to indicate a variety of illnesses. Maintaining your hair is a low-priority function of your body. When resources are low, and your fat supplies are dwindling, the body will stop growing hair, even your eyebrows. If you are a woman loosing your hair and you are not on chemotherapy, go see your doctor as soon as you can. The sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can be treated.

Some prescription drugs will also cause thinning or hair loss in women. Read the warnings and instructions on all of your prescription medications. If you are a woman, are less than two months on a new medication, contact your doctor. It will be up to the doctor to determine whether you should continue the prescription. If he or she does decide you should stay on it, remember that there are far worse things that can happen to you than loosing your hair.

Rollercoaster Hormones

Hair loss in women often occurs around menopause because of the great dips and valleys the hormones are going through. Hair growth is one of the bodily functions controlled by hormones. Even hormone therapy can thin your hair. This is usually not a permanent hair loss. Pregnancy is another time when the hormones go on a roller coaster ride - the hair usually comes back after birth.

Traumatic events can trigger great hormonal changes, even briefly, in your body, often causing loss of hair. This is usually a temporary hair loss. When the body has recovered from the shock and achieved some sort of stability, the hair will start growing normally again.

Other reasons for hair loss in women are anemia and thyroid disorders (which need a doctor's treatment), crash diets, surgery or recovering from a major illness. In these times, the body is having a hard time keeping the major functions going, so things like hair and nail growth would be sacrificed for the better good of the body.

We always hear about men losing their hair, but very rarely do we get to hear about women's hair loss. Women's hair loss is actually quite a common problem, and becoming even more so all the time. Women's hair loss is an even more important issue in many ways because hair tends to be more important to women and therefore affects them more mentally and emotionally.

Don't Freak Out

The most important thing to remember if you ever notice that you are losing your hair is to not freak out. In the technologically advanced world that we live in today, there are many options available, even if your hair is falling out at an incredibly fast rate.

The first thing that you will need to do is to try and determine the root cause of your hair loss. This is important because in many cases it is a cause that can be eliminated, thereby preventing any future hair loss. For instance many women who are taking medications experience hair loss, but most times the doctor can switch you to another medication and stop the problem of hair loss. Other causes can include emotional stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, certain skin diseases, and physical stress resulting from surgery, illness, and anemia, for example.

Then there are also situations in which there is a more serious problem, and when you do not have as many options. There are various different women's hair loss products available that you can use which will help with your hair loss problem however,

Rogaine is one of the most popular hair loss products for both men and women. It is one of only two FDA approved hair loss treatments in the world and has proven to be incredibly effective its entire time on the market. It comes in the form of a topical solution, which is applied directly onto the scalp and which works by tackling the symptoms of hair loss and helping to generate new hair growth at the same time.

There is also a variety of vitamins and health supplements available that you can take which will help combat your women's hair loss problem.

The best idea is to speak to your doctor so that they can assess your condition and determine which method of treatment is going to work best for you. You do not have to suffer from hair loss any more, as long as you take the right steps towards recovery.