Baldness in Women

Studies have shown that baldness in women lowers their self-esteem and increases self-consciousness, yet compared to men, women are generally reluctant to seek medical help to stop their hair loss.

Normally, baldness in women is a rare occurrence. Even when it happens, it may be when women are in their late 40s or 50s, though there are instances of women encountering symptoms of baldness as early as their 20s. While men lose hair starting from the temples or the top of the head, in women, the thinning of hair is distributed throughout the scalp.

Whether it is because women normally have longer hair than men or not, it is estimated that it takes over 50% of hair to be lost in a given area before women will notice their hair starting to thin. Women do notice the trend themselves before others do, and become aware that their hair growth is not taking place as it used to, and that it doesn't have the mass and bulk in places like it had before.

Often baldness in women is noticed by the person cutting or dressing hair. Similarly it is not uncommon for a woman who believes she may be suffering from hair loss to consult her hair dresser.

Most often, baldness is women is due to a stressful event, though in some cases there can be some sort of immunological or hormonal imbalance causing the hair loss.

Doctors who study baldness in women believe that "telogen effluvium" is the most common cause of baldness in women. More often than not, the symptom is a temporary phenomenon during which a higher than normal percentage of hair goes into a shedding phase. It is also shown that telogen effluvium can occur after pregnancy or when a woman goes on or off birth control pills, or it can even occur after an emotionally traumatizing event such as the loss of loved one.

Studies have also indicated that crash dieting can be a cause of temporary hair loss. Among other possibilities, baldness in women may be the result of an underlying medical condition such as lupus, polycystic ovary syndrome, a thyroid problem, anemia or hormonal imbalances. Side effects of intensive medications like ibuprofen, antidepressants, hypertension drugs, anticoagulants and chemotherapy are significant contributors to baldness in women as well.

Diagnosis and treatment of baldness in women is not as simple and straightforward as male pattern baldness. Medical practitioners do suggest surgical restoration of hair, but it can benefit only about 2-5% of those affected. The likely candidates who can hope for improvement are:

1. Women who are encountering loss of hair due to mechanical Alopecia (non hormonal)
2. Women who have previously undergone cosmetic or plastic surgery and are now concerned that there is hair loss around the incision sites.
3. Women who have a distinct pattern of baldness, akin to that of male pattern baldness, including hairline recession, vertex thinning, and a donor area that is not affected by Androgenetic Alopecia.
4. Women who have Alopecia Marginalis, which is a condition that looks very similar to traction alopecia.