Female Pattern Baldness and Treatments

It is normal for women to shed some hair each day, but when bald patches or thinning occurs, it may be due to female pattern baldness. Hair is a woman’s crowning glory. Many spend thousands to make that crown smooth, shiny, and luscious. But at some point, most women will experience hair loss and thinning, especially with aging. Shedding about 50 to 100 hairs a day is considered normal, but new growth will typically replace these hairs. If someone has female pattern baldness, the lost hair is not renewed. Because hair is very important to women, hair loss can also have a deeper impact on the woman's psychological and social well-being.

Female Pattern Hair Loss
Female Pattern Hair Loss, or Androgenetic Alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss in women. Although both men and women may experience hair loss, it is not as widespread in women as in men and appears differently. Men who have hair loss tend to develop a receding hairline and bald spots. Women with female pattern baldness usually experience general hair thinning, which affects the volume of their hair. In women, the first signs of female pattern baldness may be a widening part or a feeling that the hair does not feel as thick as usual. Although the scalp may be visible, the hairline usually does not recede. Female pattern baldness increases with age, and fewer than 50 percent of women have a full head of hair for their entire life.

What causes hair loss among women?
While it may be caused by several factors including genetics, pattern hair loss often involves hormonal changes in the body. Between 90-95% of female hair loss is due to the same reasons as men: excess DHT which leads to shorter, more brittle hairs and eventual miniaturisation and hair follicle death. Most women’s oestrogen and progesterone levels protect the hair against the deleterious effects of DHT, but when women experience fluctuating levels of their female hormones, for example during menopause or pregnancy, that protection is lost and they can experience a greater shedding of hair than normal.

Treatment
There are only three FDA approved/cleared treatments for pattern hair loss — Finasteride (for men only), Minoxidil, and Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) for both men and women. The latter has become a highly in-demand treatment for hair loss.

Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a topical medication that is used to treat hair loss in both men and women. The treatment is applied to the scalp every day and may stimulate hair growth, as well as prevent further hair thinning. Minoxidil can take 6 months to a year to produce visible results and does not work for everyone. Side effects can include dryness, redness, and itching. Hair loss may return after a person stops using the product.

Low-Level Laser Therapy
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)is a safe and effective hair growth treatment for men and women with little or no side effects. The leading company offering LLLT devices for hair loss is HairMax. The company has undergone multiple clinical trials and is the first laser hair growth device to be granted FDA Clearance.

HairMax works through a process known as Photo-Biostimulation which is similar to photosynthesis which causes growth in plants. HairMax Laser devices utilise Laser Phototherapy, which delivers visible light in the red spectrum. HairMax delivers this therapeutic, nourishing light energy to your hair follicles to stimulate growth factors, extend the growth phase of hair, and help restore a healthy hair growth cycle resulting new new hair growth with increased density, fullness and vibrancy.

HairMax laser devices are cost effective treatment and start with the Ultima 9 LaserComb at £174.95 ranging to the LaserBand 82 at £739.95. Please contact hairmax.co.uk for more details.

Female pattern baldness can be distressing and affect a person's self-confidence and self-image. Women who experience excessive hair loss should talk with their doctor or a trichologist, who can help determine the cause and best treatment options available.