50% of Women Will Suffer Hair Loss In Their Lifetime
50% of Women will suffer hair loss in their lifetime
50% of Women will suffer hair loss in their lifetime
Most women experience overall hair thinning rather than noticeable bald spots as is most common in men.
It is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss at some stage in their lives.
Most women begin to experience hair loss as they age, most noticeably during menopause
Hair loss in women over 50 is a common problem, the most significant cause being female-pattern hair loss (FPHL), which affects about one-third of women.
It is hereditary, and genes inherited from your parents may contribute to the condition.
For women going through menopause, the cause of hair loss can be related to hormonal changes, specifically to a lowered production of estrogen and progesterone.
Estrogen and progesterone help hair grow faster and stay on the head for longer.
As the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, hair growth slows down and hair becomes thinner.
However, there are many other factors that can contribute to hair loss during menopause, including extremely high levels of stress, illness, trauma, or a lack of certain nutrients.
What are the types of hair loss?
Anagen effluvium
This type of hair loss is commonly associated with chemotherapy treatment.
Since chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cancer cells, your body’s other rapidly dividing cells, such as hair follicles in the growing phase are also greatly affected.
Telogen effluvium
Telogen refers to the resting phase of the hair.
Telogen effluvium, therefore, refers to hair shedding that arises during the telogen or resting stage of the hair cycle, brought on by a stressful event, such as childbirth, grief, malnutrition, extreme stress, surgery, severe infection.
Traction Alopecia
Traction alopecia is hair loss that is the result of repeated pulling on your hair.
If you are used to wearing your hair in a tight ponytail, braids, or extensions, you have a very good chance of developing traction alopecia.
The condition can be reversed if you stop pulling your hair back.
Alopecia areata
This is an autoimmune condition, caused by a person’s own immune system attacking the roots of the hair follicles.
Symptoms are a sudden hair loss that starts with one or more circular bald patches that can overlap.
For most people with this condition, recovery occurs within two years.
Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern hair loss (FPHL)
This is the most common type of hair loss in women and involves thinning on the top and crown of the hair. It often starts as a widening of the center hair part, leaving the front hairline unaffected.
What causes FPHL (Female Pattern Hair Loss)?
Genetics
Your parent’s genes determine if you will also experience thinning of hair along the top of the hair.
Menopause
This type of hair loss may be due to a decline of estrogen levels during menopause.
Lifestyle changes to help against hair loss
Take control of your stress levels
It is important to take control of your stress levels, thereby preventing a hormonal imbalance.
Practicing yoga, Tai Chi, or any other breathing exercises are especially effective in maintaining healthy stress levels.
Get moving
Exercise helps to prevent some of the other symptoms of menopause, such as mood swings, and insomnia all of which are important for maintaining hormonal balance, which promotes healthy hair growth.
Hairstyle
If you wear your hair in a way that pulls on your roots, like tight ponytails or braids, it can cause hair loss.
This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia and can be permanent if hair follicles are damaged.
Keep hair follicles unclogged
A quick wash and rinse routine might not get rid of leftover product residue and hinder the production of Sebum, the natural scalp lubricant.
Change your type of shampoo
A good idea might be to change to a clarifying shampoo without sulphates.
Avoid chemical relaxers
To straighten hair, hot-oil treatment, or any harsh chemical or high heat.
Watch out for hair dyes
If you must dye your hair, choose a product that contains natural ingredients.
Artificial chemicals found in dyes can burn your scalp and compromise hair health.
Protect your hair from the elements
Wear a hat or cap when out in the sun or the wind, to protect your hair from drying and breakage.
Don’t lose out on sleep
Loss of sleep causes body distress and stops hair growth and increases hair loss, called telogen effluvium.
Supplement with Omega3
Studies have shown that hair thickness can improve when taking omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
Are you vitamin or iron deficient?
If low iron is contributing to your hair loss, your doctor can recommend an iron supplement.
Other supplements, such as biotin and folic acid, are also recommended for improving hair thickness.
Stay away from rapid weight loss or restrictive diets
Rapid weight loss causes physical stress, signaling the hair follicles to move into the inactive stage.
Avoid anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids can affect androgen levels.
One of the androgenic effects includes androgenetic alopecia, which is commonly known as female pattern baldness.
Don’t smoke
This causes damage to the DNA of hair follicles.
Check the medications you are taking
A side effect of the medication that you take, might be hair loss.
The importance of a good diet
Eating a balanced diet is your best defense against hair loss and should include an adequate number of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in every meal.
It is also important to incorporate mono-saturated oils, such as olive oil and sesame oil, into your diet.
Drinking green tea and taking vitamin B6 and folic acid supplements may also help to restore hair growth.
Essential fatty acids also play a crucial role in maintaining hair health.
These fatty acids can be found in:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Flaxseed Oil
- Walnuts
- Almonds
Medical treatments for hair loss
There are various treatment options for female hair loss, including topical medications, light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants.
Light therapy
Low-level light therapy may not be a sufficient treatment for hair loss on its own, but it may effective when used in conjunction with other hair loss treatments.
Platelet-rich plasma
A plasma-rich injection involves a person’s blood being drawn, then separating the platelet-rich plasma from the blood and injecting it back into the scalp to the affected areas to help speed up tissue repair.
Hormone therapy
If hormone imbalance is the cause of your hair loss, doctors may recommend some form of hormone therapy.
Hair Transplant
There are various treatment options for female hair loss, including topical medications, light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants.
Sources
aad.org – thinning hair and hair loss
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – hormonal effects on hair follicles
clevelandclinic.org –hair loss in women causes treatment
patient.info – does menopause cause hair loss
medicalnewstoday.com – ways of treating female hair loss
