Hair Loss in Women
©2007 Barbara C. Phillips, NP

For a woman, experiencing hair loss can be devastating on many levels. And while it’s a fairly common problem, it’s not talked about as much as hair loss in men.

Hair loss is very common among women and may be attributed to a variety of things.  Knowing why female-pattern hair loss occurs and how to help prevent it, will provide you with the necessary information to understand hair loss and to find ways to prevent it from occurring. 

One of the most common reasons that women experience hair loss is related to estrogen.  As the estrogen in one’s body slows down, it then causes the other areas of the body to stop producing as much.  This includes the hair and scalp, as well as other places on the body.  If you don’t have enough estrogen in your body, you can expect to experience hair loss from these changes.  The body will not be able to produce as much of the hormone or the nutrients needed for hair production.  This happens commonly following childbirth, or as one ages and is post menopausal.

Another reason why female-pattern hair loss may occur is related the genetics.  If either your mother or father had hair loss or thinning, then you will be more likely to have hair loss, as well.  This will especially be apparent after you grow older and are not producing as much protein in your body. 

Female hair loss may also be attributed to changes in the body that cause the levels of nutrients to change.  Usually, a diet that does not have the right amount of nutrients will cause to hair loss. A high protein diet can cause hair loss, although usually temporary.

There are also a variety of diseases that women can acquire that will cause to the problem.  If you are having troubles with hair loss, you may want to determine why you are losing the hair. There could be an underlying medical condition.  Many times, these will be temporary and can be solved with understanding how to change the balance in your body. 

You’ll also see more hair loss following an episode of serious illness and weight loss. Again, that goes back to being out of balance, protein deficient, and under a large amount of physical stress. Of course, this goes along with one of the most infamous ways to lose hair, and that is chemotherapy.

Other factors to consider are related to what many believe produce hair loss in women.  There are several who say that coloring your hair, highlighting it or using a variety of extra styling products often cause hair loss.  However, this is proven to not be true, as it only affects the outer part of the hair.  While it may cause the protection of the hair to not be as effective, it usually doesn’t affect the roots and will eventually grow out. 

Hair loss women can be a stressful situation cosmetically, as well as potentially signaling a health concern. Either way, it’s important to realize you are not alone. There a variety of factors that relate to hair loss and cause women to have problems with thinning of their hair.  If you are experiencing hair loss, there are a variety of places that can help you determine if this is a problem and find ways to get help before it gets out of control.  In addition, it is important to recognize what is not related to hair loss.  This will help you in deciding how you should take care of your hair and your health.