Hair Loss On The Sides And Temples: What Causes It
Hair loss in the temples can be caused by a variety of factors and habits. One of the most common causes of pattern baldness is androgenetic alopecia. Male-pattern baldness is how men refer to it. Hair loss over the temples is often the first sign of this form of hair loss, which is inherited. Female pattern baldness can cause hair to thin out, exposing the scalp, but it does not usually result in a receding hairline like male pattern baldness.
What Causes Hair Loss In Women
When most people hear the words hair loss, they think of balding men. However, hair loss can also be a significant problem for women. Female hair loss can occur for several reasons, from a genetic sensitivity to certain androgenic hormones to reactive factors.
Weve listed the most common causes of female hair loss below, as well as the specific ways in which each cause can affect your hairline.
The Thyroid Disease Connection
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that rests in the front base of the neck. It secretes thyroid hormones that are used by every cell in the body. There’s a connection between hair loss in women and thyroid disease. Imbalances in thyroid hormone levels are a common reason for hair loss in women. Too much thyroid hormone and too little thyroid hormone may both trigger hair loss. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, rapid heart rate, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, and anxiety. In addition to hair loss, hypothyroidism may be associated with weight gain, fatigue, feeling cold, slow heart rate, and constipation. Luckily, thyroid hormone imbalances are easily detectable with blood tests. Treatment helps alleviate symptoms, including hair loss.
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Consider Using A Caffeinated Shampoo
If you dont already use a caffeinated shampoo, consider switching to one. Caffeine applied directly to the scalp has two beneficial effects. It relaxes smooth muscle fibres surrounding the hair to improve blood flow. More importantly, it also inhibits the enzyme, 5–reductase, which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone within scalp hair follicles and which is associated with male and female pattern hair loss.
A growing body of evidence supports the effects of caffeinated shampoos in stimulating hair follicles, and Ive certainly noticed a dramatic improvement in hair thickness since starting to use one. Just two minutes contact with the scalp during shampooing allows the caffeine to penetrate into hair follicles, where it remains for up to 48 hours after washing.
Leave-on caffeine solutions are also available and have been shown to increase the cross-sectional area of scalp hairs by 10%.
Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea or coffee does not have the same effect, as the caffeine must penetrate into the hair follicles itself to inhibit 5- -reductase.
What Is The Relationship Between Hair Loss In Women And Menopause
During menopause, you might see one of two things happen with your hair. You might start growing hair where you didnt before. Or, you might see the hair you have start to thin. One cause may be changing levels of hormones during menopause. Estrogen and progesterone levels fall, meaning that the effects of the androgens, male hormones, are increased.
During and after menopause, hair might become finer because hair follicles shrink. Hair grows more slowly and falls out more easily in these cases.
Your healthcare provider will do a thorough examination and take a detailed history to help you deal with changes in hair growth. You may be directed to have your iron levels or thyroid hormone levels tested. Your medications might be changed if what you take is found to affect hair loss or growth.
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What Are The Warning Signs Of Hair Loss
It can be hard to tell if youre losing hair especially if your hair loss happens gradually.
Instead, you may notice that your ponytails dont feel as thick, or that your scalp is more visible.
If youre unsure, ask your stylist if they have noticed any differences. This is especially important for women who are experiencing hair loss in areas that are difficult to see without someone elses help, such as the top of the scalp.
If you or your stylist suspect hair loss, make an appointment with a dermatologist. Generally, the sooner you act, the more hair you can save.
Matching Patterns Of Hair Loss To Appropriate Treatment
The task force report offers clear clinical guidance covering various presentations of hair thinning that commonly arise in women who experience hormone dysfunction. The recommendations also address approaches to identify the cause of hair loss and lead to improved diagnoses and efficacious treatment that is more targeted to a variety of hair loss problems encountered in young women.
There is a distinct difference in the androgen-excess related alopecia in women who premenopausal as opposed to the hair loss experienced during menopause, which is usually a more diffuse hair thinning that occurs more evenly across the entire scalp.2
A Closer Look at the Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Hair Thinning in Women
The guidelines committee identified multiple potential reasons for female pattern hair loss including possible molecular, inflammatory, genetic, and hormonal issues.1 Still, not everyone who is experiencing hair loss is facing other problems. Some women do present with hair loss that has no apparent or obvious reason as such, age and ethnicity, all of which play a role in who is more susceptible to excessive hormone-driven hair-thinning.1
However, you will want your doctor to take a concern about hair loss seriously, and to rule out any treatable problem as early in the process as possible. So state your case strongly, insisting if necessary, that this isnt an issue of vanity but a need to get to the root causeliterally!
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Make Sure Youre Getting The Right Vitamins For Your Graying Hair
Although hair is a non-living structure, the follicles that produce it contain some of the most active cells in your body. As hair is not an essential structure, however, nutrients that are in short supply are diverted away from the follicles in times of deficiency.
This occurs when blood capillaries supplying your follicles constrict so the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your hair is reduced. This is especially common during times of emotional and physical shock. Poor blood supply also contributes to thinning hair that is dull, lack-luster, and limp.
Lack of vitamin C can cause hair that is misshapen, tangled, and brittle, while a lack of vitamin E, or essential fatty acids, causes hair to become dry and lack-luster.
Brittle hair and patchy hair loss can be a sign of iron deficiency especially if there are other symptoms of anemia such as paleness, tiredness, and fatigue. Patchy hair loss can also result from a lack of B vitamins, zinc, or vitamin D deficiency which leads to disordered hair cycles.
If youve noticed loss of the outer third of your eyebrows or thinning eyelashes, you may have an underactive thyroid gland, which can be associated with a lack of iodine. Premature greying is sometimes associated with a lack of vitamins B5, B12, or a copper deficiency.
Of course, everyones body is different, so it makes sense to check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your health.
If Youre Experiencing Alopecia Heres Where To Start
The first step is to find a possible cure for your one-sided hair loss. If hair loss is caused by conscious or subconscious actions, the solution is to change ones habits. Why Does Your Hair Thin As We Age? To prevent hair trauma, ask your stylist to give you a low-maintenance hairstyle. If you notice thinning hair on one side of your head, see a doctor, such as a dermatologist, to address the symptoms and ensure you arent suffering from a medical condition.
What counts when it comes to treating hair thinning is the product you use. Of course, without beauty products, getting your hair to be happy and healthy is difficult. They act like a sponge, absorbing everything in their path. Hair loss treatment and even supplements can only include the finest ingredients because our hair and skin are continually exposed to harsh chemicals and elements. Where Do You Get Baldness From?
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Get A Hormone Boost To Reduce Hair Loss
Hair loss increases after menopause when estrogen levels fall. This also increases the relative influence of the small amount of testosterone hormone that is made in the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Testosterone is converted into a stronger hormone in hair follicles which increases male and female-pattern hair loss which is genetically determined.
If you are willing to take estrogen hormone replacement therapy, this will help to boost hair quality. Once again, this is something that you can discuss with your doctor.
An alternative approach is to consume more plant estrogens, especially isoflavones and lignans. Although these are between 500 and a thousand times less active than human estrogen, they can provide a useful hormone boost. Isoflavones are found in edamame beans, tofu, miso, and other soy products, sweet potato, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
As well as having an oestrogen-like action, lignans provide an additional benefit by inhibiting the enzyme , which converts testosterone to the stronger dihydrotestosterone in hair follicles. Research shows that increasing your intake of lignans are associated with a reduced rate of hair loss and hair regeneration.
How Is Hair Loss In Women Treated What Medicines Or Supplements May Help
Treatment depends on the cause of your hair loss.
- In cases where the loss is due to stress or hormone changes like pregnancy, there might be no treatment needed. The hair loss will stop after a period of time.
- In cases of hair loss being due to hair styling practices, like tight braids or ponytails or certain chemicals, treatment means not doing the things that caused the damage.
- In cases due to nutritional deficiencies, you might be told to take supplements. For instance, you might be told to take a multivitamin and three to five milligrams of biotin daily.
- Minoxidil is approved for treating FPHL. The 2% or 5% solution can be purchased in stores. However, you have to follow directions exactly and use the product indefinitely. Dont use this product if youre pregnant, if you plan to get pregnant, or if youre breastfeeding.
- The HairMax Lasercomb® low light laser is approved by the US FDA to treat FPHL. Another FDA-approved laser product is the Theradome LH80 PRO® helmet and low light laser helmets and caps.
Other medications that have been studied, but not approved, for hair loss in women include:
- Spironolactone and other anti-androgens.
- Steroids.
- Other light treatments.
It is important to note that premenopausal women should not take medications for hair loss treatment without using contraception. Many drugs, including minoxidil and finasteride, are not safe for pregnant women or women who want to get pregnant.
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Treating Hair Loss: Medicine
Minoxidil is approved by the FDA for female pattern hair loss. It can slow or stop it in most women and may help hair grow back. But the benefits go away when you stop using it. Corticosteroids can help regrow hair for women with alopecia areata. And if the cause is an underlying medical problem or poor nutrition, your locks should grow back on their own once things are under control.
What Steps Can I Take To Prevent Or Slow Hair Loss
Unfortunately, certain types of hair loss are genetic, and very little can be done to prevent them. Genetic types of hair loss include alopecia areata and female pattern hair loss.
But other types of hair loss can be brought on by stress and a poor diet. Do your best to eat a balanced diet, and find ways to take care of your mental health.
For added benefit, stay up to date with your routine checkups. Anemia, low levels of vitamin D and abnormal thyroid hormones can all affect the health of your hair. Simple bloodwork from your primary care physician can determine if these conditions are contributing to your hair loss.
Black women in particular are prone to a type of hair loss called traction alopecia, which is caused by heat, chemicals and tight styles that pull at the hair root, including some braids, dreadlocks, extensions and weaves.
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Ask About These Salon Techniques And Olaplex
Ask your hairdresser about a new product called Olaplex, which mends broken disulfide bonds within hair strands. This is applied before or after your usual color or other salon treatment, then neutralised and washed off.
After the first use, I noticed my hair was stronger and more lustrous. After the second application, a month later, my hair regained its sheen and looked healthier than since I was in my 30s!
You can also have real hair woven into your own hair to disguise patchy hair loss or thin panels.
Have you found any product or treatment that has improved your hair health? Please let us know in the comments below.
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Effective Hair Loss Treatments
Hair loss caused by stress or hormonal changes, like pregnancy or menopause, may not require any treatment. Instead, the loss will likely stop on its own after the body adjusts.
Nutrient deficiencies also dont often require medical treatment beyond supplements, unless the deficiency is caused by an underlying health condition. And any medical conditions that lead to hair loss should be treated directly to address the full condition, not just its symptoms.
That said, there are a number of possible medications and treatments for hair loss caused by female-pattern baldness and other alopecias. You may need to use one or a combination of treatments for months or years to see the full results.
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Buying Guide For Best Hair Loss Treatments For Women
Hair loss is usually thought as a problem that affects only men, but many women experience hair thinning and loss as they age, too. There are many reasons why someone might start to lose hair, but regardless of the cause, it can wreak havoc on a womans self-esteem and confidence.
Fortunately, there are plenty of OTC hair loss treatments that can help slow the loss or even regrow hair. But not all hair loss treatments for women are the same. If you dont choose an effective product, youll just be wasting your time and money.
Style Tips For Thinning Hair
Ask your stylist. They might suggest a short cut, a different part, maybe a gentle body wave. Try a styling product for thin hair to hide bare spots. Apply it to the root area then gently blow dry to build volume. Let your hair air dry for a while before you use the dryer. Special cosmetics can disguise parts of your scalp that show. Think about keratin fiber hair cosmetics. Sprinkle them over the thinning patch. Their static charge makes hair look thicker.
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