| Hair loss usually occurs because of hormonal factors. | | | | hair. This type of hair loss affects both genders |
| As a consequence, biological events like puberty, | | | | equally and can occur at any age, although it occurs |
| pregnancy and menopause that effect female | | | | most often in children and young adults. |
| hormone levels can also cause female hair loss. In the | | | | Physical trauma - scarring, childbirth, burns, accidents, |
| case of pregnancy, hair loss is simply a consequence | | | | general anaesthesia, surgery. |
| of the stress the body undergoes during labor and | | | | Some common myths related to female hair loss are |
| should stop approximately 6 months after birth. | | | | that frequent washing and shampooing, and wearing |
| Discontinuation of taking birth control pills can also | | | | of wigs and hats all cause hair loss. In addition, |
| cause temporary female hair loss. | | | | rumors abound that permanents, coloring, and other |
| The cause of female baldness is not just limited to | | | | cosmetic treatments can cause permanent hair loss. |
| menopause. Some women begin to see their hair | | | | Other myths are that brushing your hair everyday will |
| thinning as early as puberty. This typically results | | | | create healthier hair, that shaving your head will cause |
| from a hormonal imbalance. A change in hormones | | | | hair to grow back thicker, and that stress causes |
| can often lead to female baldness. A hormone | | | | permanent hair loss. |
| evaluation can tell you if hormones are the cause. | | | | Stress is a major reason why you can experience |
| What can cause this hormonal imbalance? Most | | | | hair loss. Therefore, start reducing the extra stress |
| commonly oral contraceptives, PCOS, menopause and | | | | at once by taking some time out of your daily |
| pregnancy (post natal stages) can. All of these | | | | schedule to relax. Also get enough sleep. You can |
| directly affect the hormone balance within a womans | | | | also start supplementing your diet with a good hair |
| body and can lead to partial or dramatic thinning or | | | | loss nutritional supplement. |
| loss of hair. Your doctor is the best person to speak | | | | The most important thing to remember is to try to |
| to for advice on this especially in relation to PCOS, | | | | remain positive throughout the treatments. It may |
| menopause or oral contraception. | | | | take as long as a year to begin seeing results from |
| Causes of Hair Loss: | | | | any form of female hair loss treatment. Start by |
| Medication or drugs - the contraceptive pill, blood | | | | going to a doctor, and just remember, almost |
| thinning or blood pressure medication, thyroid | | | | everyone is affected by hair loss at some point in |
| hormones, cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, | | | | their life. |
| coricosteroids, high dosage vitamin A, amphetamines, | | | | Rogaine is the only medication approved by the FDA |
| cocaine drugs. (Please note that hair loss does not | | | | to treat female hair loss. Rogaine is packaged |
| necessarily occur with these medications). | | | | separately for women, in a solution of 2% minoxidil. |
| Alopecia Areata | | | | Many physicians suggest not using Rogaine while |
| Alopecia areata is an immune disease that affects | | | | pregnant or breastfeeding. Side effects can include |
| almost 2% of the population in the US. This type of | | | | scalp irritation and more serious, but rare side effects |
| hair loss appears in various degrees of severity from | | | | if too much of the medication is absorbed into the |
| small, round patches of hair loss that regrow without | | | | bloodstream. Talk to your doctor before starting any |
| medical treatment to chronic, extensive hair loss that | | | | treatment. |
| can involve the loss of all hair on the scalp or body | | | | |