Products for Treating Female Hair Loss

Hair loss in women is a problem that will eventually strike half of the female population. And while it is true that most female hair loss occurs in women who are in their 50s and 60s, the problem is certainly not confined to any particular age group.

Female hair loss can be caused by such diverse factors as medications, illnesses, physical traumas, extreme emotional upsets, unusual hairstyles and exposure to chemicals. However, by far the most common cause of hair loss in women is a genetic condition referred to as androgenic alopecia – or, to use the more popular colloquial term, female pattern baldness. In the United States, over 30 million women are currently suffering from this condition, which causes a progressive thinning and loss of hair on the crown of the head, as well as enormous amounts of anguish, frustration and even embarrassment in women who feel alone because they do not realize just how common this condition actually is.

Fortunately, there are hair loss products available that can help women inflicted with androgenic alopecia. So while this condition can be emotionally traumatic once it manifests, no woman has to stand helplessly by as their hair gradually thins and disappears.

Common Treatments for Men and Women

The underlying processes associated with androgenic alopecia that lead to hair loss in men and women are essentially the same, which is why the most common types of hair loss treatments used by men are also frequently used by women. Human beings all produce a substance in their bodies called DHT, which can clog up the follicles of the hair and damage their ability to grow healthy new hair up to the point where the follicles are no longer able to function at all. In one way or another, treatments used by both men and women as remedies for androgenic alopecia all work by blocking the effects of DHT on the hair follicles of the scalp.

The oldest medical treatment that has proven effective for hair loss, minoxidil, works by preventing DHT from binding with DHT receptors that are located on the surfaces of the hair follicles. Minoxidil, which is sold under the brand name Rogaine, is massaged directly into the scalp on a daily basis, and it must be used continuously for its effects to be lasting. Laboratory and field studies have found that minoxidil actually works better in women than in men, and as word of this has gotten out more and more, women have been purchasing Rogaine in drug stores, where it is sold over the counter without a prescription.

The drug finasteride, which is only available by prescription and is sold under the brand name Propecia, has the opposite profile from minoxidil: It has been proven to be more effective in men than in women when used as a hair loss remedy. This powerful drug is taken orally, and works by blocking production of DHT in the body so that it is unable to collect in the hair follicles of the scalp in the first place. Like all pharmaceutical drugs available only through prescription, Propecia is expensive, and like Rogaine, it too must be used continuously or any new hair grown will eventually fall out.

Natural supplements are the other most commonly used form of hair loss treatment. The mix of substances found in natural supplements are a hair growth-promoting mega-formula, as some of the ingredients feed hair follicles and help them grow healthy hair, while others attack DHT directly or inhibit its overproduction by the body. Natural supplements work well for both men and women suffering from androgenic alopecia, and their relatively low cost is helping to increase their popularity more and more.

Other Drugs for Women

Women suffering from female pattern baldness have an advantage over their male counterparts, as there are a few drugs that can combat DHT's negative effects and restrict its production that are not appropriate for use by men but are able to deliver some legitimate benefits to women. A class of drugs known as androgen receptor inhibitors interferes with the process by which hair follicle receptors for DHT bind with this hormone, thereby negating its hair growth-inhibiting effects. A chemical called ketaconazole works by curbing production of testosterone in women's bodies, which lowers DHT levels. Sold as a shampoo under the name Nizomel, this drug can eventually be absorbed into the body after being applied topically to the scalp.

Good Products, Good Results

While the onset of androgenic alopecia is never welcome, the number of treatments that can negate its effects has expanded substantially over the years, and this is especially true for treatments used by women. Women who are suffering from female pattern baldness can find the help they need in a lot of different places. It is only a matter of experimenting to find the treatment or combination of treatments that is perfect for each individual.