Patterns Of Female Hair Loss
Clinicians use the Ludwig Classification to describe female pattern hair loss. Type I is minimal thinning that can be camouflaged with hair styling techniques. Type II is characterized by decreased volume and noticeable widening of the mid-line part. Type III describes diffuse thinning, with a see-through appearance on the top of the scalp.
What Can I Do To Help With My Hair Loss
An over-the-counter biotin supplement can help some patients with hair growth. Doses of 3-5 mg daily are recommended. Taking a daily multivitamin will also ensure that our body has all the nutrients it needs to grow hair.
You could also try minoxidil, an over-the-counter product typically recommended by dermatologists for hair loss. This can decrease shedding and increase the rate at which hair regrows. Using a medicated antidandruff shampoo will also ensure that there is a healthy environment on the scalp to regrow hair.
The most important thing is to see a dermatologist as soon as you notice that youre shedding more hair than usual or first notice thinning. Beginning treatment as early as possible is crucial, but many people wait until their hair loss is very advanced to seek treatment and, at that point, it becomes much more difficult to treat.
Dr. Kelly Tyler is a board-certified dermatologist and gynecologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She specializes in treating dermatologic disease in pregnancy, vulvar disease and dermatologic surgery.
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When it comes to stimulating hair growth, a doctor or dermatologist might recommend minoxidil, a lotion also now in tablet form which has been used since the 1970s, and is available without a prescription .
Again, side effects are uncommon, but include scalp dryness, itching and dermatitis.
There are also a number of specific medications for women which block the effect of androgen hormones, and help to slow the progression of hair loss.
Whether or not a particular treatment is effective can depend on a number of factors, including the extent of a person’s hair loss.
“The longer it’s been going on, the more hairs are going to be irreversibly lost,” Professor Sinclair says.
Beyond medical treatments, wigs and hair pieces can be viable cosmetic options for people experiencing hair loss.
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How To Stop Hair Breakage
Prone to breakage? Your scalp may be parched. Whether from the suns heat, chlorine, or hormone flux, a severe lack of moisture on the scalp can lead to weak locks that break easily.
There are so many uses for avocados in the kitchen, and as it turns out, they are Roberts-Coopers kitchen fix for an instantly hydrated scalp. The fruits omega-3 fatty acids penetrate the layers of scalp skin to replenish moisture, while its vitamin E helps repair the skins barrier to lock in that moisture. Bonus: Those same nutrients infuse locks with luster.
To make an avocado hair mask: Rub half a mashed avocado onto damp hair from the roots to ends, cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes, then rinse.
Does It Run In The Family
Look into your family’s history with hair loss. Male Pattern Baldness is typically a genetic condition, so your first step in determining if you are balding is finding out if you are genetically prone to baldness.
In the event you have a family history of male pattern baldness, then there is a good chance your hair loss is not the result of stress or another factor. It may come down to genetics, and there is not much you can do about that.
At this point, you should speak with a dermatologist to go over your hair restoration options. There is a lot of information you can find online, but the internet is also filled with half-truths and myths. The only way to get good information you can trust is to go directly to a medical professional who can review your hair loss.
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Thinning Hair Can Be Especially Devastating For Women As It May Factor More Heavily Into How Confident We Feel About Our Appearance Than Men
According to the American Hair Loss Association, 40 percent of all hair loss sufferers are women. Although it is normal to shed 50 to 100 hair a day, many factors can disrupt a womans normal hair growth cycle and cause thinning, including poor nutrition, illness, hormones, and genetics. In recent years, the use of platelet-rich plasma has proven to be an effective treatment solution for thousands of women and men seeking to reverse and regrow thinning hair.
How can my blood help regrow my hair?
When we are born, each of us has all of the hair follicles we will ever have during our lifetimes roughly 5 million. About 100,000 of those follicles will reside on your scalp. These follicles thrive and grow via the nutrients they receive from the blood vessels running through our scalp. Your bloods plasma and platelets have the most concentrated saturation of nutrients and beneficial growth factors. PRP therapy isolates these components of your blood, and when reinjected back into the scalp, can help boost hair growth.
What happens during a PRP hair restoration treatment?
All PRP treatments at The Refinery Skin Clinic begin with a thorough consultation by one of our Registered Nurses to ensure that you are a good candidate for this form of therapy. Once it has been decided that you are, your provider will layout a treatment strategy that outlines how many treatments may be needed and at what intervals.
What results can I expect with PRP hair restoration?
How To Stop My Hair From Falling Out
Is your hair shedding? Your scalp may be sweaty. Perspiration creates a moist environment that allows the natural fungus on the scalp to thrive. The resulting inflammation and itching can lead to follicle damage, making hair vulnerable to fall-out, says Roberts-Cooper.
One of the most natural ways to stop hair from falling out and thinning? Honey. Research shows applying honey, which is a natural antifungal, to the scalp every other day eliminates fungus in one week, plus leads to a noticeable drop in shedding in four weeks.
To make a honey hair mask: Mix two tablespoons of honey with 2/3 cup of warm water. Massage into scalp and let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse.
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When To See A Doctor For Thinning Hair
Although its common to lose hair throughout the day, its a good idea to speak with your doctor if youre losing more than 100 hairs per day.
You should also talk with your doctor if youre worried about persistent hair loss or a receding hairline, or if you notice sudden patchy hair loss. Patches of hair loss could signify an underlying medical condition.
Noticeable Hair Loss In Women Can Be Deeply Distressing Here Are Some Medical Treatments That May Help
About one-third of women experience hair loss at some time in their lives among postmenopausal women, as many as two-thirds suffer hair thinning or bald spots. Hair loss in women often has a greater impact than hair loss does on men w, because it’s less socially acceptable for them. Alopecia can severely affect a woman’s emotional well-being and quality of life.
The main type of hair loss in women is the same as it is men. It’s called androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern hair loss. In men, hair loss usually begins above the temples, and the receding hairline eventually forms a characteristic “M” shape hair at the top of the head also thins, often progressing to baldness. In women, androgenetic alopecia begins with gradual thinning at the part line, followed by increasing diffuse hair loss radiating from the top of the head. A woman’s hairline rarely recedes, and women rarely become bald.
There are many potential causes of hair loss in women , including medical conditions, medications, and physical or emotional stress. If you notice unusual hair loss of any kind, it’s important to see your primary care provider or a dermatologist, to determine the cause and appropriate treatment. You may also want to ask your clinician for a referral to a therapist or support group to address emotional difficulties. Hair loss in women can be frustrating, but recent years have seen an increase in resources for coping with the problem.
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Noticeable Thinning Of Your Hair
Not all people go bald from their hairline. Some men experience whats called diffuse thinning a type of hair loss that either affects the entire scalp or specific areas like the top of the head resulting in baldness that starts from the back or top, rather than from the hairline.
Just like a receding hairline, the easiest way to spot diffuse thinning is to compare photos from different time periods.
If you notice that your hair looks thinner now than it does in photos taken several years ago, theres a chance that its the result of male pattern baldness.
Since you dont normally take photos from behind you, the easiest way to compare the level of thickness in your hair over time is to take photos every two to three months in your bathroom mirror.
If you notice the hair around your crown thinning every year, its worth taking action to prevent any further loss.
Worried about hair thinning? Here are the signs of hair thinning to look for.
How To Reverse Female Hair Loss
According to ancient literature, womens hair symbolizes strength, physical attraction, health, femininity, and even social status. Then as now, hair is a symbol of self, and our hairstyles are a powerful form of self-expression.
When a woman experiences excessive hair loss, it can ravage her sense of self and be so distressing as to cause depression, crippling anxiety, and withdrawal.
For most women with excessive shedding, the issue is one of genetics and hormonal imbalances. For these women, the hair-loss pattern is generally diffuse and there is thinning all over the head or there is hair loss at the crown and the temples .
Less commonly, the hair loss is due to an autoimmune condition and tends to fall into these categories:
- Alopecia areata: patchy baldness on scalp
- Alopecia totalis: total loss of scalp hair
- Alopecia universalis: total loss, head to toe
- Alopecia ophiasis: a band of loss above the ears, wrapping around the neckline
- Alopecia diffusa: diffuse thinning
The American Hair Loss Association states that women comprise 40 percent of the estimated 6.6 million Americans who suffer hair loss. And were much more likely than men to search for answers. In my mid-40s, after suffering from mild alopecia areata off and on for 30 years, I graduated to the alopecia ophiasis pattern and became one-third bald.
In most cases, hair follicles can be signaled even if youve struggled for years and even if youre bald.
1. Heredity
2. Autoimmunity
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Why Hair Thins During Menopause Or Lets Get To The Root Of The Problem
We get your concern. After all, once upon a time, your hair was thick and lustrous. And now? Its thin and lackluster. Thin hair is more than just having a bad hair day. Its having a bad hair lifetime.
Although there may be some comfort in knowing that less than 45 percent of us go through life with a full head of hair, thinning hair can surely put a crimp in your life, and many women report feeling less-than-attractive and troubled by this. Spencer Korbren, the American Hair Loss Association founder, called it a disease of the spirit that eats away at a persons self-esteem with profound social ramifications. And since society views male hair loss as much more expected than that of women, its not hard to understand, or empathize with, our isolated feelings about our hair loss, nor our desire to reverse our thinning hair after menopause.
Dont Forget Conditioners And Volumizers
Applying conditioner after shampooing your hair is essential to maintaining healthy locks. Conditioner is a vital hair-care step that adds moisture to help replenish hairs sheen and natural oils lost during shampooing. And volumizers work like a splint to strengthen each strand of hair, plumping it to provide more volume per strand.
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Can Androgenetic Alopecia In Women Be Reversed
Women with androgenetic alopecia do not experience balding to the extent that men with the same condition do. However, women may go through severe hair loss, especially at the crown of the head.
As with men, hair loss from androgenetic alopecia in women cannot be reversed or cured. It can be slowed down in some cases, though, particularly at the early stages.
Some hair treatments such as laser therapy, PRP injections, and the use of minoxidil can slow down shedding and in some cases, regrow hair.
Woman with androgenetic alopecia.
What Not To Look For
The three signs above are good indicators that you should think about taking action to stop your hair loss.
However, there are also commonly repeated “signs” of baldness that arent as reliable for identifying hair loss. These include:
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An itchy scalp, which may have one or more causes, such as dandruff, but which generally does not indicate long-term hair loss.
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Thin-looking hair after you swim or shower, which is more often a result of your hair clumping together and revealing your scalp than real hair loss. To accurately check for hair loss, its always best to compare photos of your hair when its dry and unstyled.
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A widows peak, which is a dominant genetic trait and may be an indicator of hair loss or susceptibility to hair loss.
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A few hairs on your pillow or bar of soap, which are completely normal and not a reliable indicator that youre losing an abnormal amount of hair.
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A depigmented bulb on hair that falls out naturally. This just indicates that the hair was in the telogen phase when it fell out, and doesnt mean that it wont grow back as normal.
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A bald grandfather on a certain side of your family. Scientists still dont know exactly how male pattern baldness is inherited, and a bald father or grandfather is no guarantee that you will also go bald.
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Dandruff And Contact Dermatitis
Irritated scalp or the scientific term Contact Dermatitis is also one of the reason for hair loss. Dandruff can also lead to thinning hair as the dandruff clog healthy hair follicles.
Dandruff can be caused by irritated, oily skin, contact dermatitis from exposure to certain hair products, a yeastlike fungus and not shampooing your hair often enough. When your scalp is irritated and you scratch at it too much, this can also result in hair loss, according to Francesa Fusco, M.D., as told to Self.com. Luckily, hair loss caused by dandruff is easy to cure with shampoos that contain zinc pyrithione.