Problem Hair Loss

Did you know that by their mid thirties almost half of all women will have experienced some form of female hair loss?

The causes of this female hair loss issue are mostly put down to hereditary factors but the fact remains that this is a very stressful time for a woman.

If fact stress is an accepted additional cause as is having children later on in life and if left untreated this form of hair loss can be very damaging emotionally.

One lady who suffered this but decided to fight back is Gillian Laycock. She has not defeated the causes of female hair loss as such but is using a very ingenious way of disguising it, a specialised form of hair extensions.

In fact she has opened her own salon to treat fellow sufferers.

You can read more of her story here

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Telogen effluvium is a common form of hair loss in a woman and typically happens after giving birth to a baby.  This is because the hormones produced during pregnancy naturally keep hair in the anagen phase.  Incidentally, this is also why pregnant ladies usually have luxuriously thick hair.

However, when the hormone levels in the woman’s body return to normal levels, all those aging hairs enter telogen, and start to fall out all together.

Telogen effluvium can also be caused by birth control pills, stress, thyroid deficiency and various medications.

The final stage of the condition, hair loss, occurs when the growth of a new hair pushes out of the old follicle the old dead hair.  Normal hair loss in a woman under this condition results in the loss of 50 to 100 hairs every day via this process.

Hair Loss Condition 3: Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata causes hair loss in a woman as well as a man and is patchy baldness.  The common theory amongst doctors is that it is caused by an autoimmune response, where your body rejects your hair.

Hormone imbalances, arthritis and other autoimmune disorders, syphilis and other diseases can cause it. Alopecia totalis is an advanced form of alopecia areata, with total baldness.  Alopecia universalis is even more advanced, with loss of all body hair, including eyelashes.

All of all these variations make hair loss in a woman harder to manage simply because of the hormonal variations that they will experience throughout their lifetime.

Medical tests are usually necessary to discover the cause hair loss in a woman, and to select a suitable treatment that will restore their hair growth to its normal pattern.

There are actually three common causes of hair loss in women, the treatment for each is different.

As always you should consult your physician or doctor if you are suffering from hair loss so that a proper diagnosis can be given.

Hair Loss Condition 1: Androgenetic Alopecia

This is actually the same type of hair loss that most men suffer from. However when it appears as hair loss in females it looks rather different.

Instead of losing hair at the hairline or back of the head, women usually notice a gradual thinning of hair on the top and sides of the head.

The same as with many men, the vulnerability to androgenetic hair loss in women is inherited.  Women with this inherited trait may produce too much of the male hormone testosterone, or their hair follicles may be vulnerable to the effects of DHT, also known as dihydrotestesterone, a byproduct of testosterone.

All women produce some testosterone in their bodies. However, the women who produce an excess of it can develop deeper voices, suffer hair growth on their abdomen and face, and also the thinning of the hair on their heads.

In particular hair loss in females, can be seen when female hormones are changing, for instance after the birth of a baby, during pregnancy or at menopause.

Hair Loss Condition 2: Telogen Effluvium

All hair is subject to a natural growth cycle.  The first stage, anagen, is when the hair is growing.

Hair will normally grow at about ½ inch per month and will continue to grow for about four to seven years.

Hair loss in women that are undergoing chemotherapy is actually caused by anagen effluvium, this is where the hair falls out due to the medications poisoning the hair follicles.

The next stage is called telogen, this is a resting stage that can last several months.  The hair is no longer growing, but is still fully attached to the follicle.

Hair loss in women via Telogen effluvium happens when too many hairs enter the resting stage and eventually, fall out.  Consequently, this means that the hair loss is commonly caused by an event that happened some time ago.

On the approach of mid life, female hair loss is not something that is normally talked about, even less a recommended female hair loss remedy.

This is something normally reserved for men and it is usual to see them trying various remedies to cover up their balding spots with remedies such as fake hair, real hair, or tropical cream in the vain hope that they will continue to capture every youthful ounce they have left.

But genetic hair loss is not only the preserve of males, female hair loss is definitely a problem amongst women as well, on average there are about twenty five million women experiencing the effects of hair loss.

Similar to men, there are methods for treating and preventing further hair loss in women through the use of a female hair loss remedy. Here are some facts behind female hair loss that every woman should know.

Causes Of Female Hair Loss

While male pattern hair loss is seen to be genetic, female hair loss can result from outside factors as well as hormonal imbalances.

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