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Women’s Hair Loss

One of the most emotionally devastating conce s we hear from women of all ages is thinning hair and hair loss. It’s no secret that hair is tied to self-image. Short, long, bouncy, straight, shiny, sleek -- for most women, hair is far more than a bundle of fibers. It's an expression of style and personality, it’s her crowning glory. If an occasional "bad hair day" can make a woman feel bad, hair loss can be a distressing sight to face every morning in the mirror. Losing any amount of hair can be scary and a seriously frightening blow to her self-esteem. Reacting so strongly to hair thinning or loss seems like vanity, but it’s not. Your hair is actually one of the first areas that indicate the state of your health. A full head of beautiful hair indicates that you are a healthy woman. Understanding this fact and doing something about it are important parts of taking care of you for immediate and long term health.

The American Hair Loss Association estimates 40% of people who experience temporary or long term hair loss are women. That’s roughly 30 million women who suffer from some sort of hair loss. Most hair loss is also accompanied by thinning of the hair. In addition, there are even more sinister and hidden effects of hair loss for women. A recent study done by Harvard Medical School determined that hair loss often has a greater impact on women than on men simply because it is less socially acceptable for women. For women, thinning hair often leads to:

• Depression
• Stress & Tension
• Social Anxiety
• Lack of sleep
• Loss of Vitality
• Zest for Life

So what causes hair loss and thinning in women? Here are the most common reasons why:

• Crash Diets
• Thyroid Problems
• The Pill
• Childbirth
• Menopause
• Hormonal changes
• Serious illness or major surgery
• Serious trauma involving lots of blood loss
• Cancer Treatments like Radiation & Chemo Therapy
• Extreme Stress
• Severe Emotional Trauma
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Alopecia Areata

So how much hair loss is normal? Most people lose about 50 to 100 strands of hair per day. Abnormal hair loss can be noticed in several ways. You may notice clumps falling out when you style or brush your hair. Your hair may thin slowly over time. You may also notice clumps falling out when you wash your hair.

So how do you measure hair loss? There are two widely known female hair loss density scales used by most hair loss specialists: the Ludwig Scale and the Savin Scale. For all intents and purposes, they are identical except that the Savin Scale also measures overall thinning.

How to test for the hair loss causes in women

Hair loss in women isn't always as straightforward as it is in most men. In men about 90% of all cases are caused by hereditary male pattern baldness. In women, however, hair loss can be triggered by a multitude of conditions and circumstances as mentioned above.

There are a number of diagnostic tests that can be performed to help pinpoint the hair loss trigger. The truth of the matter is that for many patients these tests usually come back with readings within the normal range, but these tests can at the very least eliminate the possibility of certain disorders causing your hair loss.

It's important to remember that the proper diagnosis of female hair loss usually starts with the process of elimination.

Tests for Hair Loss in Women

• Hormone levels (DHEA, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, follicular stimulating hormone, and leutinizing hormone)
• Serum iron, serum ferritin, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC)
• Thyroid levels (T3, T4, TSH)
• VDRL (a screening test for syphilis)
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Scalp biopsy -- A small section of scalp, usually 4 mm in diameter, is removed and examined under a microscope to help determine the cause of hair loss.
• Hair pull -- A doctor lightly pulls a small amount of hair (about 100 strands) to determine if there is excessive loss. If more that 3 hairs come out, then the patient is likely suffering from excess hair loss. Normal range is one to three hairs per pull.
• Densitometry -- The densitometer is a handheld magnification device used to check for miniaturization of the hair shaft.

These tests are usually conducted for the most serious degrees of hair loss. Please consult your health care professional if you need to pinpoint the cause of your hair loss.

Once you figure out the cause of your hair thinning and loss you can do something about it.

This website is only for the purpose of providing information. Please consult with your doctor before starting any hair loss program