5 Major Causes of Hair Loss in Women

• HAIR LOSS DURING / POST PREGNANCY [TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM] – Telogen Effluvium is typically a phenomenon which occurs after pregnancy, or may be post a major surgery, some drastic weight loss, or even due to having extreme stress, in which you start to shed a large amount of hair every day, usually while shampooing, heat styling, or even brushing.
• HEREDITARY HAIR LOSS – Hair loss which is genetic in nature, is also one the most common causes of female hair loss. According to a lot of well known and renowned dermatologists, this gene can be purely inherited from either of your parents, your mother’s or sometimes the father’s side of your family.
• MEDICATIONS – At times even the medications, which are taken in order to cure some other physiological symptoms, may result in the gradual thinning of hair, indicating approaching pattern baldness.
• IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA – Female Hair Loss are sometimes seen by women who experience heavy periods or who do not eat enough of iron-rich foods. For this one’s blood does not form enough red blood cells which carries the oxygen to cells all throughout your body, including your hair follicles, giving you the energy which your requires.
• POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME – Around the globe almost five million women suffer from what is termed as polycystic ovarian syndrome. The physiological condition, which can begin to pop up as early as at an age of 11, is primarily caused by a hormonal imbalance in the body in which the ovaries start to produce too much of male hormones. This can become a major reason for Hair Fall in Women.
• MENOPAUSE – Hormonal fluctuations are notoriously responsible for female hair loss during menopause. Estrogen and progesterone are the hormones which keep the hair in their growing phase, making it grow naturally and remain on the head longer. When the estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, hair growth starts to slow and hair loss gradually becomes more evident.

Different Stages / Pattern for Female Hair Loss

• LUDWIG SCALE – The Ludwig scale for measuring Female Hair Loss illustrates a progressive hair loss pattern amongst women. This scale defines several common forms of hair loss patterns which are generally associated with women hair loss or what is also termed as Female Pattern Baldness and can help the patient to determine her level of hair loss. It is extremely useful for the sole purpose of a proper diagnosis and discussion and thus can help the patient and also her doctor to determine the next possible steps.
• STAGE 1 – This represents a head full of hair with no visible sign of hair loss. Hair is coarse and even throughout the scalp area. In this stage, hair loss is mild. Most women may even have difficulty in noticing that hair loss has occurred, as the hairline in front remains unaffected relatively. Loss of hair may occur on front or top of the scalp. It can be noticeable when the hair is parted down scalp cente.
• STAGE 2 – This phase is characterized or demarked by the beginning of a receding hairline or maybe a widening middle partition. This is the very beginning of the Female Hair Loss, with some mild, and may be evenly distributed thinning and depleting of the hair on the scalp. At this particular stage, hair loss is still unnoticeable and the loss can very easily be camouflaged with proper hair styling techniques.
• STAGE 3 – The Patient starts to show the most significant signs of female hair loss. This is where female hair loss treatment becomes a necessity. Women exhibit a much more significant decline in the hair at the middle of the scalp as well as the hair which starts receding right from the forehead. This is where the female hair loss starts to become much more significant. There might be still sufficient donor hair left on the scalp for transplantation; however the results may vary from patient to patient and may also be limited.