Treatment For Hair Loss In Women
Hair loss in women is less common than that in men, is not an excuse for being negligent. Several factors may trigger hair loss in women. Most commonly, baldness is simply that – when a female experiences sudden heavy hair loss. In general, individuals lose from 50 to a hundred individual hairs per day. Hair thinning and hair shedding are normal parts of a healthy balance; however, some hairs constantly grow while the rest fall out. This post on Treatment For Hair Loss In Women.
Symptoms Of Damaged Hair Follicles:
- Dry hair
- Itchy scalp
- Oily scalp
- Thinning of hair
Causes Of Hair Loss:
Hair also falls due to certain diseases and conditions. This means that you should discuss medical conditions that you currently have with your doctor so he can determine whether treatment may help you prevent or treat your condition.
Following are the reasons for female pattern hair loss :
Physical Or Emotional Stress:
Female pattern hair loss may also be triggered by physical and emotional stress. Female pattern hair loss also happens because of malnutrition, lack of sleep, pregnancy, recent surgery, or childbirth. Emotional stress due to pain or grief may also result in female pattern baldness. As you age, your body’s hormone levels naturally change, causing a reduction of estrogen, which can make your hair follicles shrink thinner and make them more prone to hair loss in both women and men.
Medicines:
Sometimes medication can trigger female hair loss and male pattern baldness. If you are taking certain medications, including antidepressants or anticonvulsants, this can be one of the causes of stopping hair regrowth. Others diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes or hypothyroidism may also experience hair loss after taking these medications. Medications might affect hair growth, so you should contact your doctor if your condition makes you lose your locks.
Hormonal Changes:
Change in hormones causes hair loss in women. This is common among those who have been through menopause as the female hormone estrogen falls, leading to an increase in male hormones or androgens, which can cause thinning of your locks.
Thyroid Gland
Problems in the thyroid gland can also cause hair loss. The thyroid gland controls your metabolism and is directly linked to your hair growth. When your thyroid gland does not function properly, it can result in you losing your locks. You can only treat this problem with medication prescribed by your doctor.
Diseases: Female Pattern Hair Loss
Blood Diseases:
Hair loss may also be triggered by blood diseases that cause a low red blood cell count or anemia. Red cells produce oxygen-rich hemoglobin that carries nutrients through your body. The lack of healthy red cells can result in hair loss. Blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma also affect the blood’s ability to produce healthy cells.
Telogen Effluvium Hair Loss:
This condition is triggered by significant amounts of stress, resulting in hair loss. It’s caused by the sudden increase in the number of hairs entering the resting phase, which creates increased shedding several months after the surge.
Androgenic Alopecia:
It is the most common type of hair loss in women. This condition is caused by genetic predisposition, changes in hormone levels, or stress. Although it affects both sexes, men are more susceptible to this form of hair loss (androgenic alopecia) than women.
The good news about hair loss is that you can still find treatment for this problem. Remember, hair loss may cause concern, but it does not automatically mean that you have to stay bald or grow a thin patch in your head.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss among both men and women. Androgenetic alopecia is hereditary, which means that receding hairline or excessive hair loss runs in the family. If one or both of your parents have androgenetic alopecia, the chances are that you may suffer from the problem as well.a
Androgenetic alopecia is linked to an enzyme called androgen, which converts testosterone into DHT, the hormone responsible for hair loss. Tight braids can help prevent androgenetic alopecia since the braids keep DHT from doing its damage. On the other hand, treatment with MinoxidilMinoxidil can encourage hair growth and stimulate hair follicles to grow.
Alopecia Areata:
Drug-induced hair loss or Areata is another type of sudden hair loss. This condition is also hereditary and can affect men as well as women. Alopecia areata often appears on the scalp, but it can spread to other parts of the body, such as eyebrows or eyelashes.
Many people who suffer from alopecia areata experience sudden and rapid hair loss. Many doctors believe that an autoimmune disorder causes the condition. The body starts attacking its cells, and this eventually leads to hair loss.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:
This is a condition marked by high levels of androgen in women. Women who suffer from this condition may experience hair loss, fertility problems, acne, and obesity.
Many women with polycystic ovary syndrome lose their locks due to fluctuating hormone levels associated with the ailment. However, some treatments can help manage the problem, such as the use of birth control pills.
Traction Alopecia:
This form of hair loss is caused by damage to your hair follicles. Traction alopecia can be triggered by tight hairstyles or ponytails that pull on your scalp for several hours.
How To Stop Hair Loss From Alopecia?
There are many treatments available to stimulate hair growth in women dealing with thinning of hair or facing excessive hair loss. The market offers a wide variety of products. It is important to know the difference between products and remedies that are effective. For instance, the following are the medications:
- Minoxidil
- Rogaine (a brand name of Rogaine)
It has been on the market since 1963 and is one of the most popular treatments for androgenetic alopecia. It works by blocking the hormone DHT, which leads to hair loss in men. Although Rogaine is applied topically, it does not have any lasting effects. To maintain its effect, you need to use other treatment options such as shampoo or topical vitamins. Shampoos contain humectants or emollients, which are designed to retain moisture in the scalp. It can be used for both men and women. The effectiveness of shampoo for androgenetic thinning hair loss depends on its specific ingredients.
It is also important to note that the severity of hair loss differs from individual to individual.
While some thinning and shedding do not seem to respond to treatments, others suffer from complete baldness. This is why it is important to learn about your genetic makeup to choose treatment options that will work best for you. Your family history could play a crucial role in your response to treatment, so it is worth it to talk to your doctor.
Treatment For Hair Loss In Women:
Shampoos For Treating Androgenetic Hair Loss:
Some of the commercially available shampoos for androgenetic scalp shedding contain the same active ingredient as mentioned above. They include dimethicone, a substance known to reduce the amount of sebum produced by the scalp’s sebaceous glands. Sebum is a greasy substance that sheds hair. Dimethicone prevents the glands from producing too much oil.
For some people, using shampoo containing alcohol might cause hair loss. Since alcohol was previously a drying agent, its use may cause excessive shedding of hairs. You can try using mild shampoos without alcohol. However, it is important to note that you should immediately seek treatment for your condition if your hair already looks dry. Hair that is looking dry and damaged is likely to fall off soon. Use conditioners or moisturizers on the scalp regularly to prevent further hair loss.
Non-Surgical Treatment For Hair Loss
Many women who suffer from excessive hair loss have used natural means to stop their problems. These women mostly turn to non-surgical means of stopping hair loss before resorting to surgical options such as hair transplant or hair replacement. A good example of natural treatment is tight braids. Women who wear tight ponytails or braid their hair to make it appear straight often resort to these kinds of treatments to keep their hairstyles.
How To Prevent Hair Loss Naturally At Home?
Hair loss is a major concern for both men and women, especially as they age. There are many forms of hair loss, which can be classified by how the hair loss affects the scalp, if it only affects small areas, or whether the hair loss encompasses the whole scalp. Some of the most common hair loss triggers are discussed below. Knowing these triggers can help you to avoid them and therefore prevent further hair loss.
Vitamins:
Vitamin A and Vitamin B are vitamins that help promote healthy hair growth. But when used in high dosages, these vitamins can cause hair loss. To prevent this from happening, try taking these vitamins in much lower doses, or take them with Vitamin E. Vitamin E is proven to prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT, the compound that causes baldness. Hence, if you find your hair is thinning, you should make sure you’re consuming enough Vitamin E.
Supplements And Herbs:
Finasteride is one of the most common herbs used for treating hair loss. Although the Food and Drug Administration approves it, there have been some cases of side effects. One of the side effects of finasteride is that the person using it might suffer from premature ejaculation. However, because the manufacturer warns against the use while pregnant, the side effect becomes a rarity.
The most serious of all possible side effects of medications for treating hair loss may be cancer development. This can happen because of certain medications. Some of these include chemotherapy medications used for treating certain types of infections. If these drugs are taken at the recommended dosages, they could cause some cancers. For instance, if your doctor prescribes a treatment for baldness that involves an antiandrogen like finasteride, then there is a chance that your body will start producing too much of this hormone.
Because of this possibility, doctors often suggest people use alternatives like MinoxidilMinoxidil or light therapy for treating hair loss. Both these remedies are quite effective. The only problem is that using them simultaneously with finasteride is not recommended because it may increase the chances of developing cancer.
Wigs:
The number one cause of hair loss in men is genetics. Men who suffer from pattern baldness have hereditary tendencies for losing their hairs at a rapid rate. If your doctor has discovered that you are suffering from this condition, you have two options: you can either wear wigs to hide your baldness or get surgery to replace the missing hairs.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy:
For patients who do not want the inconvenience of wearing wigs or undergoing surgery, a new experimental treatment can be used. This involves stimulating hair growth stably by injecting a person’s platelet-rich plasma into their scalp. The specific method was first developed in Japan, and it has been adapted to fit other parts of the world as well. The technique entails extracting blood from the person before separating the platelets. Once this is done, these cells are injected into the affected areas of the scalp to help promote natural hair regrowth.
Nutritional Supplements And A Healthy Diet For Excessive Hair Growth:
Hair loss prevention requires following a proper diet and exercising regularly. It’s also important to take note of any changes in your body so you can notice any potential health problems as soon as they arise. The key point to remember is you should never fear that hair loss because many treatments are available. While genetics may have a role to play in losing your hairs, it’s still possible to take preventative measures and even reverse the damage once you start suffering from thinning of the hairs.
Topical Products:
For people who want to minimize their hair loss problem, there are shampoos and topical products that are available in the market today.
Consult With The Doctor:
Some pills can promote the regrowth of hair loss. Some of these include Propecia and oral contraceptives. However, these pills might also cause problems like congenital disabilities in unborn fetuses. So, before taking any medication for hair loss or other purposes, it is highly recommended that you consult your doctor first.
If none of the mentioned remedies work, your doctor might recommend medications such as MinoxidilMinoxidil or finasteride. Both these medications are designed to treat hair loss caused by genetics. However, you need to remember that both MinoxidilMinoxidil and finasteride can be dangerous to your health. Hence, you need to consult your doctor if you are taking these medications regularly. Also, make sure that you follow all of your doctor’s orders, especially regarding medications and remedies. If you’re not happy with the above choices, then your doctor might prescribe a high-strength medication such as Rogaine or Propecia.
Surgery To Stop Hair Loss:
If you are experiencing excessive hair loss and want to get rid of thin hair, your doctor may recommend surgery. Treatments such as hair transplantation and scalp reduction are also options available to you. Before opting for any of these options, it would be best to consult your doctor first. Surgery is a major procedure, and you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Temporary hair loss is also an option that your doctor can offer you. This happens when the hair follicles have reached their permanent resting stage, and no new hair growth can occur. This condition is usually temporary and does not require treatment. Another type of hair care treatment is the wide-spectrum anti-fungal shampoo which can be used on your entire head. However, this shampoo should only be used once every three months. A hair care treatment like this one is usually used for people who are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatments or after surgery as these types of hair care products are known to cause side effects that can be serious.
The most important thing that you need to remember when you’re suffering from patchy hair loss is to consult with your doctor. Sometimes, there can be serious underlying reasons behind your condition, and your doctor can help you get those underlying causes diagnosed. It might sound funny, but your doctor does care about your health and well-being. So, don’t be embarrassed to ask about your health.
Hair Transplant Surgery :
It is the only method to help get your hair back to its original healthy state, but its downside is that it’s quite expensive. Hair transplant enables doctors to move hair follicles from one section of your scalp to another area where hair loss occurs, particularly on the crown or top of the head. There are two types of hair transplant:
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE):
This process is quite similar to the usual hair transplant, where doctors remove only one hair follicle at a time and transplant them on the bald section. The difference with FUE is that instead of taking out the whole section of your scalp, they create tiny holes on it and remove the follicle directly. Stem cells are harvested from the back of your scalp, where hair grows thickest and is transferred to areas with thinning locks.
Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS):
This method is more time-consuming than FUE, as doctors take out a larger area of your scalp to harvest your hair. However, the harvested follicles are divided into smaller units to help maintain the thickness of the transplanted hair.
You must have realistic expectations when choosing between these two methods, as even if you undergo hair transplantation, there is no guarantee that your hair will grow back in its thickest state. These procedures can leave scars on your head, which is why you should also consider other options.
Oral Medications:
There are oral medications that can help prevent or treat thinning locks. One example is MinoxidilMinoxidil (brand names include Regaine and Rogaine) which comes in a 2 percent solution and topical foam and works by widening the hair follicle (the tube through which the hair shaft grows) and opening potassium channels to make hair grow healthier.
Minoxidil can be effective if used for a long period; however, it may not be advisable for women who plan to conceive and pregnant mothers as it can cause harm to the fetus. Other side effects include scalp irritation such as itchiness, redness, or flaking skin.