Hair Loss
in Women
Many women experience hair loss at some stage in their lives.
This is due to:
Hormonal Changes
Menopause, postpartum, PCOS
Stress or illness
Genetics
Nutritional Deficiencies
Low iron, B vitamins, B12
Thyroid Imbalances
Diabetes
The Importance of
Proper Testing
Standard blood tests may not always detect hair loss-related deficiencies. For instance, a GP may check for anemia using a hemoglobin test, but iron deficiency can still be present.
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Different types of hair loss and scalp conditions:
Alopecia Areata (AA)
AA is an autoimmune condition affecting the hair follicles, the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicle as if it were a foreign body.
It typically appears with discrete bald patches on the scalp but can also cause patchy hair loss from all other hair-bearing areas of the body. AA has a number of variants including alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, and diffuse alopecia areata.
AA can affect children and adults of both sexes, and all skin and hair colours.
Risks may increase with
- Shock
- Extreme stress
- Ill health
- Viruses
- Vaccinations
- A head trauma
- Family history of AA
- Other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease or vitiligo.
- Chromosomal disorders
With environmental factors also at work, the mode of inheritance seems to be complicated.
AA is a complex, unpredictable condition and it is impossible to give any type of guarantee for recovery, however seeking early treatment and advice is extremely beneficial.
Chronic Telogen Effluvium (CTE)
CTE is a common form of diffuse, non-scarring hair loss which can occur after emotional or physiological stress such as child birth, dietary or mineral deficiencies and sudden weight loss.
Physiological stress disrupts the hair growth cycle and notable hair shedding is experienced, a decrease in hair thickness and an increase in hair loss for over a year. May also affect body hair.
Causes May Include:
- Anaemia, serum ferritin below 70 ug/1
- Diabetes
- Thyroid problems
- Long term medications
- Malnutrition
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
Acute telogen effluvium (ACE)
ATC is a sudden diffuse hair loss, and usually a very uniform growth can be seen 2-4 months after the shock or trauma has occurred, again body hair may be affected. Hairs enter the telogen ( resting) phase of hair growth 4 times faster than normal, resulting in a very obvious, distressing hair shedding.
Recovery is usually fairly quick once the cause has been removed, and can resolve on its own.
Causes Include:
- Sudden shock
- Childbirth
- Sepsis
- High fever
- Sudden weight loss or gain
- Anaphylaxis
- Strong side effects to certain medications
Female Pattern Hair Loss
Androgenetic alopecia, can be commonly inherited from the maternal grandmother, affecting women from the age of puberty, each pregnancy, perimenopause, after the menopause and into old age.
Female pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia is connected to increased sensitivity to the normal amount of androgens (male hormones) in females. During the perimenopause or menopause it is thought to be contributed to by drop of oestrogen levels which occurs around this time.
Each successive hair growth cycle becomes shorter and the hair becomes thinner or miniaturised.
Female pattern hair loss is a slow gradual progression, and presents as a diffuse thinning to the front and crown area of the scalp, the parting may seem wider, and rarely at the back and sides.
In early onset of female pattern hair loss there may be an associated unlying factor such as polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition with symptoms including:
- A diffuse hair loss in the female pattern
- Irregular or no menstruation
- Greasy scalp
- Insulin resistance
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Hirsutism (male body type hair growth in women)
It is possible to have Chronic telogen effluvium and female pattern hair loss at the same time, and tests for PCOS can aid the diagnosis.
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