Hair Loss In Women - What All Should You Know?

A perfect mop of hair on head is one of the most cherished desire for any woman. Healthy hair accentuates the beauty of a woman by multiple times. It also conveys a lot about a person’s overall personality. In order to maintain perfect hair, people take many measures like buying the best available products in the market, using the best shampoo available, trying various home remedies to maintain and improve hair health and even visiting salons for a perfect hairstyle and look. However, in some individuals, their worst possible fear related to their hair comes true and creates a nightmare. Hair fall! It’s dreaded, both by men and women. Especially for women, it becomes a huge obstacle in achieving a perfect persona.

The most common cause of the female pattern hair loss is the increase in age. Researchers have found out that a large number of women lose around 50% of their hair by the age of 45-50 years. This particular age group is commonly the period of menopause in the female population.

1. Other major reason of female hair loss is psychological stress. In females, hair loss is a chronic and gradual process which demands an early diagnosis and prompt action.
2. Hormonal imbalance and disorders related to the thyroid gland are among the major risk factors for triggering hair loss earlier than expected in women.
3. Other important causes of hair loss in women include use of certain medications, systemic diseases, infections affecting the scalp, deficiency of essential nutrients and even genetics. Identification of the underlying causative factor is essential in aiding an appropriate treatment.

The medical term for baldness is ‘alopecia’. Alopecia areata is the condition where bald patches are seen on the scalp. It is an autoimmune condition affecting the hair follicles and the lost hair usually grow back after a year. However, when there is complete loss of hair, with no chances of regrowth, the condition is termed as ‘Alopecia totalis’.

A contagious skin infection that can also be a cause of hair loss is the ringworm infection. Ringworm infection on the scalp is termed as ‘Tinea capitis’. This condition can be treated using antifungal medication.
Hair loss is also expected in women post childbirth. This condition is attributed to changes in the hormones occurring during childbirth and it reverses after a few months with proper diet.

A dermatologist should be consulted for prompt treatment for hair fall before it progresses.