5 Female Hair Loss Causes & 5 Helpful Hair Loss Solutions
Many women have an emotional attachment to their hair. There are all sorts of ways it could be cut, styled, curled, straightened, and colored, so it’s easy to spend many hours, products and dollars looking after it; no wonder we care so much about it!
To make matters more complicated, social media, friends, family and cultural pressure seem to have a lot to say about how your hair looks… even though it’s not theirs.
That’s why it’s important to remember: your value goes beyond what others think of your physical appearance; what matters most is who you are in the core of your being. You are beautiful and loved!
That’s a helpful – and always true – reminder. But what happens if you start losing your hair? If you are noticing your hair falling out in clumps or thinning at a quicker rate than you are used to, it’s completely normal to wonder why you are experiencing hair loss and what you can do to address it. And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today.
3 Natural Stages of Hair Growth
Let’s start by getting a frame of reference for female hair loss by understanding the stages of hair growth.
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Anagen: Anagen is the phase of hair growth where your hair is actively growing. This can last 2 to 8 years.
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Catagen: Catagen is the transition phase of hair growth. It is where hair follicles shrink in preparation for hair loss. This can last 2 to 3 weeks.
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Telogen: Telogen is the resting phase of hair growth. This can last 2 to 4 months at the end of which, your hair falls out.
4 Types of Female Hair Loss
Female hair loss can be categorized into different types, each with its own root cause and corresponding solutions.
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Female pattern baldness
Just like with men, female pattern baldness causes hair to thin on the top and sides of the head.
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Alopecia
Alopecia is a very common form of female hair loss and is an autoimmune disease. It causes your hair to fall out in anything from small, approximately quarter-sized round patches, to full hair loss on your head, to hair loss all over your body. Sometimes, alopecia can also involve scarring hair loss.
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Anagen effluvium
Anagen effluvium is caused by medications that weaken hair follicles. This is why chemotherapy patients experience female hair loss.
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Telogen effluvium
Telogen effluvium happens when a higher number of hair follicles reach the final stage of hair growth at the same time. This can be brought on by high cortisol levels.
5 Causes of Female Hair Loss
If you are experiencing female hair loss, you likely have many questions and may be considering a deep dive on the internet to find answers. Let us save you the time and effort of that initial research by answering some basic questions about female hair loss for you here.
1. Could my itchy scalp be causing my hair loss?
An itchy scalp can be a symptom of various medical conditions. It is categorized by a consistent itch, crusty areas, and increased hair loss. Some of those include:
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Psoriasis: 50% of people with psoriasis develop scalp psoriasis. Scalp psoriasis can cause female hair loss if the scalp is excessively scratched or if the silvery scales are pulled off.
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Alopecia Areata: As mentioned above, alopecia areata causes hair loss in small, round patches. It is an immune disease that attacks healthy follicles.
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Tinea Capitis: Tinea capitis is a fungal infection that is also referred to as ‘ringworm of the scalp’. This infection penetrates deeply into the hair shaft, causing itchiness and hair loss.
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Allergic Reactions: Many allergies can cause female hair loss. A common one is an allergy to paraphenylendiamine (PPD), which is often found in hair color. People with sensitive scalps are most likely to have an allergic reaction to PPD. Additionally, you can also be allergic to shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products, that may also cause female hair loss.
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Folliculitis: Folliculitis is an inflammation of the hair follicles and is caused by staph bacteria or fungi. It is characterized by small itchy bumps, and the hair loss it causes is usually temporary.
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Lichen Planopilaris: Lichen planopilaris is another inflammatory disorder. It is caused by a faulty immune system and results in patchy hair loss.
2. Why am I losing so much hair in the shower?
One of the most common ways to discover that you are losing your hair is to find more and more hair in your shower drain.
While each of the above-mentioned medical reasons could be the culprit, this section will examine some non-medical reasons for female hair loss.
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Stress
Excessive stress can wreak havoc on your body. Female hair loss is a common biological response to stress.
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A Diet Lacking in Calories or Protein
What we eat – or don’t eat – can affect how our bodies function. When you have a diet that is too low in calories or protein, you may be more susceptible to female hair loss.
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Genetics
There might be other women in your family who have experienced female hair loss before you. Thankfully, they may be able to give you valuable advice as you walk through your hair loss journey.
3. Which hormone causes hair loss in females?
Another important reason for female hair loss is hormonal changes. Women undergo numerous hormonal changes throughout their lives. Anything from childbirth to menopause to PCOS can cause hormonal changes that lead to hair loss. A few of the hormones that can cause female hair loss include:
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Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
Dihydrotestosterone is a naturally occurring hormone in both men and women, although it is found in higher levels in males. However, when DHT levels increase in women, it can cause androgenic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. This occurs because the hair follicles shrink, resulting in a decrease in the anagen phase of hair growth and an increase in shedding during the telogen phase.
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Estrogen
Estrogen is an essential hormone in the active anagen phase of hair growth; it also gives you thicker, longer hair. When your estrogen levels decrease, hair follicles enter the telogen phase more frequently, leading to hair thinning and shedding in larger clumps. Additionally, estrogen helps block the conversion of testosterone to DHT, so a decrease in estrogen levels leads to an increase in DHT.
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Progesterone
Progesterone is similar to estrogen in that it also helps to impede the testosterone-to-DHT conversion. That means low progesterone levels can contribute to female hair loss by failing to inhibit DHT buildup in your follicles.
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Cortisol
Cortisol is commonly known as ‘the stress hormone.’ Both physical and emotional stress can increase your cortisol levels, which, in turn, can lead to temporary hair loss.
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Thyroid Issues
The hormones in your thyroid gland can help your hair follicles go through the phases of hair growth correctly and keep your hair healthy. Either an increase or a decrease in your thyroid hormones can slow down the anagen phase, leading to an increase in female hair loss.
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Insulin
Insulin helps to regulate glucose in your bloodstream. A lack of insulin limits oxygen, blood flow, and other nutrients from reaching your hair follicles. Needless to say, this slows hair growth, and increases hair thinning, shedding, and loss.
4. What medications cause hair loss in females?
Medications and supplements can also lead to female hair loss. Two of the most commonly known medications that cause female hair loss are chemotherapy and radiation. Some other common medications include blood pressure medications, gout medications, and increased doses of vitamin A. Additionally, the following medications can cause female hair loss:
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retinoids,
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antidepressants,
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birth control pills,
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beta blockers (high blood pressure medications),
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anticoagulants (blood thinners),
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anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medications),
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Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, and
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azole antifungals.
5. What are some illnesses that cause hair loss in females?
There are many health conditions that may cause female hair loss. Several of those include:
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thyroid issues (as we mentioned earlier),
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anaemia (low iron),
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scalp infections,
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polycystic ovary disease (PCOS), or
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vitamin deficiencies, such as
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vitamin B9 (folic acid),
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vitamin B12,
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vitamin C,
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vitamin D,
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vitamin E
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zinc, and
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biotin.
5 Treatment Options For Female Hair Loss
So where do you go from here? The first step is to speak with your primary care physician (PCP) or research what doctor to consult for female hair loss.
There are generally two types of doctors who specialize in female hair loss: dermatologists and endocrinologists.
Seeing a dermatologist for female hair loss is most people’s go-to. A dermatologist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin, hair, and nail conditions.
An endocrinologist, on the other hand, focuses on hormones., As we’ve discussed, certain hormonal fluctuations can cause issues in your body (including hair loss).
Whether you see your PCP or a specialist, it is essential to follow your doctor’s prescriptions exactly as they are written. Too much or too little of a particular medication or other treatment could cause your temporary hair loss to become permanent.
1. Medications
One over-the-counter medication you can use is Minoxidil, commonly known as Rogaine. Other medications that may help include:
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anti-androgens,
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Finasteride (Propecia),
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estrogen replacement,
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steroids, or
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ketoconazole 2% shampoo.
2. Hair Transplants
Hair transplants take a section of the scalp with healthy hair follicles, divide it into small, 2 to 3-hair sections, and place them where the hair follicles are damaged. Your dermatologist can determine whether this is a suitable option for you.
3. Platelet-rich plasma
You can also consider receiving injections of platelet-rich plasma. This is done by drawing blood, processing it, and injecting the plasma to encourage hair growth.
4. Light or laser therapy
Another non-medical treatment involves using light or laser therapy to stimulate your hair follicles. There are combs and caps that utilize low-light technology to achieve this.
5. Lifestyle changes
Finally, some female hair loss solutions focus on the changes you can make personally. Examples of those are:
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increasing your consumption of protein,
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brushing your hair gently so you do not pull it as much,
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using a natural hair color or choosing to stop coloring your hair,
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reducing your use of other chemical treatments like perms and straighteners,
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finding alternative ways to cope with stress, which may include something like online therapy, and
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using a topper or wig to cover your female hair loss, so you can get back to feeling fabulous without waiting for your hair to grow back naturally.
How Can We Help You?
We are familiar with many of the causes of female hair loss and would love to meet with you to discuss your options. When you partner with us, you can expect to experience a safe, gentle space where your voice is heard and your needs are met — whether hair-related or otherwise.
We take real time to listen to your story and get to know your unique personality and hair loss situation. We will always meet you where you are emotionally, so we can share our knowledge in a way that makes sense for you and helps you on your journey to finding the ideal hair solution for your needs.
We can match your current hairstyle, or help you take a ride on the wild side and do something different. It’s entirely up to you. We want you to feel as comfortable and empowered as possible. We also offer a range of products and services designed to keep your topper or wig looking fresh for as long as possible.
Finally, we are committed to quality customization. In any virtual or in-person consultation, we map out your lifestyle, dreams, and financial situation to design a one-of-a-kind, real-hair wig or hairpiece with the perfect size, texture, hair density, curl, length, and color for who you are.