Posts Tagged ‘Female Baldness’
Have you noticed these additional hairs in the sink after brushing? Do you know what’s causing you to lose your hair, or even the steps you can take now to prevent further loss? Awareness of female pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia as it is know in medical circles is growing, it is estimated that 25 million women in the United States alone suffer from the condition, and perhaps as high as 50% in some form or another. So what are the causes of female hair loss?
Female pattern baldness differs from the male variety, there normally isn’t a pattern of large patchy bald areas as is found with male pattern baldness. In most cases female pattern baldness is more of a diffuse thinning of hairs all across the crown of the head and scalp, for this reason early signs of baldness in females is much harder to detect.
There can be several reasons for a woman to start losing their hair and not all are treated in the same way, some of the more common causes of female hair loss include:
Hormonal Imbalance: Known as Polycystic Ovary syndrome, is a common hormonal problem in women, hair loss is sometimes the only obvious sign of the condition.
Telogen Effluvium: Is a temporary shedding condition often associated with pregnancy, crash diets, surgeries, or traumatic stressful events.
In addition thyroid disorders, anaemia, and chronic illness can also be causes of female hair loss. For this reason, it is vital that a woman have the cause of her hair loss properly evaluated prior to starting any treatments. Follow this number one rule to treating women’s thinning hair and you can’t go wrong.
In a large percentage of women the cause of that female pattern baldness does turn out to be sensitivity to the male hormone combination of testosterone and 5-alpha-reductase forming the metabolite DHT or dihydrotestosterone the main cause of hair thinning in men and women.
There is no doubt at all, at least for women that their hair often helps to define their personal style, so it is small wonder why so many women panic when they see those extra hairs at the bottom of the shower or in the sink drain.
For women suffering from thinning hair due to dihydrotestosterone, there is help. You are able to attack your thinning hair and win the battle, but you need the right tool for the job.
Wading through all of the products for women’s hair can be a challenge at the best of times, but finding a product that works to stop female pattern baldness and re-grow the hair you have already lost can be a daunting task to say the least.
So what works, to have any serious effect on stopping your thinning hair and re-growing hair a women’s product should contain an active medical ingredient proven and approved to re-grow hair. The most serious of these on the market today is Minoxidil, for a woman’s product normally found in a 2% solution. Clinical studies have shown 54% of Minoxidil users reported moderate to heavy re-growth of lost hair. For women Minoxidil is the only safe proven active agent for hair re-growth, use of Propecia should be avoided by women as it has been linked to birth defects.
For a winning combination combine Minoxidil 2% with natural DHT blocking vitamins and minerals and you are sure to have the best chance for those long shinning locks of healthy hair again.
For more information on what a natural combination of vitamins, minerals, and Minoxidil 2% can do to help you restore the health and vitality to your hair follow the link to my website and watch the short free video I have for you.
Have you noticed these additional hairs in the sink after brushing? Do you know what’s causing you to lose your hair, or even the steps you can take now to prevent further loss? Awareness of female pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia as it is know in medical circles is growing, it is estimated that 25 million women in the United States alone suffer from the condition, and perhaps as high as 50% in some form or another. So what are the causes of female hair loss?
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Hair loss can be caused by different factors but heredity is the number one reason why men and women lose their mane. Hereditary hair loss in men and women has the same leading cause, which is dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacking our hair follicles. DHT is a metabolite of the male hormone testosterone but it is also available in the female body. Men and women lose their hair not because of increased levels of DHT in their bodies but due to the susceptibility of their hair follicles to DHT attacks, although the exact mechanism and reasons why certain hairs, mostly those on the top of the head, are more vulnerable to such attacks are not yet know.
The main difference between the male and female form of hereditary hair loss is in its shape. The male form has a characteristic horseshoe pattern whereas the female form is typically a diffuse thinning across the entire scalp and is thus less easily-recognised. The female form of hereditary baldness is, in its form, practically indistinguishable from hair loss caused by various other factors. The second most common reason for a woman to lose her hair is hormonal imbalances during and after pregnancy or menopause. Such changes are typically of a temporary nature and so also is the hair loss, although post-menopausal hair loss is in most instances permanent.
When it comes to treating hair loss in women there are a number of specifics. First, most women do not make very good candidates for hair transplantation due to their diffuse thinning pattern, which makes it impossible to clearly identify the hair that will be resistant to future miniaturisation. Secondly, finasteride, which is one of the only two FDA-approved hair loss treatments available today, cannot be used in women and neither can dutasteride, which is its closest and assumedly yet more powerful relative. Rogaine (generic name minoxidil) is the second FDA-approved hair loss treatment and its approved concentration for women is only 2% versus 5% for men. However, many doctors around the world recommend their female patients use male formulations of minoxidil, with a concentration of 5%, such as Rogaine foam. Aminexil is a molecule similar to minoxidil and it is often recommended to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as a safer option than minoxidil.
Although some antiandrogens such as finasteride (better known as Propecia) or dutasteride cannot be prescribed to women, there are other antiandrogen medications that can be effectively used to treat baldness in women. Spironolactone (trade name Aldactone) and cyproterone acetate (used in contraceptives such as Diane 35, Diane 50 and Ginette 35) are antiandrogens most commonly used to treat female pattern baldness.
Another treatment with satisfactory rates of success is topical estrogen solutions such as Crinohermal, which use a female hormone, estradiol, as their main active ingredient. Estradiol is capable of inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into follicle-harming DHT. Hormone replacement therapy is another hormonal treatment suitable for women at menopause, with estrogens and progesterone pills and creams being the most common forms of treatment. Estrogen levels in the body decline with time. As women enter the menopause, estrogen levels decline and thus more of the male hormone testosterone is then available to be converted into follicle-harming DHT.
The above list of treatments for female pattern hair loss is not exhaustive, though. A number of other remedies exist that are often claimed to help promote hair growth in women, such as ketoconazole, fluridil, flutamide, alfatradiol, as well as numerous substances of natural origin. Despite the fact that there are female patients who will swear by some of these treatments, none of them has ever been sufficiently clinically tested, let alone approved by any major national health supervisory authority as a treatment for female hair loss and the claims of their guaranteed effectiveness should be taken with a grain of salt.
When it comes to treating hair loss in women there are a number of specifics. First, most women do not make very good candidates for hair transplantation due to their diffuse thinning pattern. Secondly, finasteride, which is one of the only two FDA-approved hair loss treatments available today, cannot be used in women and neither can dutasteride, which is its closest and assumedly yet more powerful relative.
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Hair loss also known as Baldness is a big worry to many people, both male and female. Baldness is not usually caused by a disease, but is related to aging, heredity, and testosterone. Hair loss usually develops gradually and may be patchy or diffuse. Some women also develop a particular pattern of hair loss due to genetics, age, and male hormones that tend to increase in women after menopause. The pattern is different from that of men.
Female pattern baldness involves a thinning throughout the scalp while the frontal hairline generally remains intact. Excessive hair loss can occur if any of the stages of hair growth become disrupted. For example, if follicles shut down instead of growing new hairs, there will be less hair on the head. Loss of hair at a very early age has become a common disorder these days. We loose 50 to 80 strands of hair per day. Do not get alarmed, this is quite normal. Unless there is some deficiency in diet, or ill health, lost hair is quickly replaced by new ones. Each hair grows between one quarter and one half inch each month.
Some men have areas on the scalp that are very sensitive to the male sex hormones that circulate in men’s blood. The hormones make the hair follicles – from which hair grows – shrink. Another reason might be interference with the formation of new hair cells at the root during the growing phase; this occurs with some anticancer drugs. Baldness is generally regarded as natural, and not a disease. So if a person decides they wish to try to get their hair back, they will probably have to pay for the lengthy, expensive procedure themselves. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.
Women can also suffer hair loss, especially those with many relatives who are also prone to losing their hair. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines. If a medicine is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Treatments for alopecia areata include injecting steroids into affected patches to stimulate hair growth. This is not practical for large areas. Other treatments, such as oral steroids or ultraviolet light therapy, are either toxic or impractical. In most mild cases, patients can comb over the affected areas.
Treatment For Hair Loss:
1. Styling hair to cover the areas with the most hair loss is effective for mild cases. Washing and styling the hair will not cause further hair loss.
2. Minoxidil is a liquid that you rub into your scalp twice daily to regrow hair and to prevent further loss.
3. Finasteride: A pill taken once daily that blocks the effects of testosterone on hair growth.
4. If adequate treatment is not available for your type of hair loss, you may consider trying different hairstyles or wigs, hairpieces, hair weaves or artificial hair replacement.
5. Surgical procedures like hair transplants can be useful for some women as well as men to “fill in” thinned-out areas.
Use the following essential oils for massage of hair to reduce hair loss: 1. Jojoba oil.
2. Roman Chamomile.
3. Lavender.
4. Rosemary.
5. Grapefruit.
6. Cedarwood.
Home made remedies for reducing the hair loss:
1. For nourishing your hair, apply coconut milk all over your scalp and massage it into the hair roots.
2. Massage almond oil on scalp 2-3 times a day, daily. This will stop further hair loss.
3. Make a shampoo by mixing 100 g each of amla, reetha, and shikakai and boil in two liters of water until the liquid reduces to half. Use this shampoo for your hair for at least one month. Your hair will become thick.
4. Lettuce is useful in preventing hair loss. A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is believed to help the growth of hair if taken to the extent to half a litre a day.
5. The juice of alfalfa, in combination with equal quantities of carot and lettuce juice, taken daily, also helps the growth of hair to a remarkable extent.
6. Onion has also been found beneficial in patchy baldness. The affected part should be rubbed with onions morning and evening till it is red. It should be rubbed with honey afterwards.
Hair loss also known as Baldness is a big worry to many people, both male and female. Baldness is not usually caused by a disease, but is related to aging, heredity, and testosterone.
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There are roughly 80 million men and women in the world suffering from hair loss. In humans, it is caused by a number of different factors. Male pattern baldness is the most common form of hair loss and is estimated to affect 90 percent of men by age 50. That said, pattern baldness (or natural hair loss) isn’t specific to men; women suffer from female pattern baldness as well.
WHY PEOPLE LOSE THEIR HAIR
Male pattern baldness (clinically known as androgenetic alopecia) is the most common reason for hair loss. It’s related to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a naturally occurring hormone present in all men. DHT has a detrimental affect on the hair follicles. It slows down hair production and causes new hairs to be shorter and weaker than usual. The hormone can even completely stop hair growth, gradually depleting your stock of hair. There are a number of other reasons why people go bald, including other forms of alopecia, the treatment of terminal illnesses and diet, just to name a few. Surgical hair loss treatments like Bosley are most commonly used to regrow hair loss caused by male pattern baldness.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HAIR LOSS
By default, men typically blame mom for hair loss, as it was widely understood that hair loss is simply inherited from their mother’s side. This is just one of a number of common hair loss misconceptions:
– Hair loss is inherited from your mother’s father — Not true. Baldness is inherited, but from both your mother’s and father’s genes.
– Hair loss slows and eventually stops as you age — Not true. Hair loss is a progressive trait that doesn’t stop; in fact, it gets worse with age.
– Hats or helmets can cause hair loss — Not true. Wearing something on your head has no effect on hair loss. Although hairpieces and weaves that pull and strain your hair may cause traction alopecia.
– Brushing or massaging the scalp reduces hair loss — There isn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that brushing or massaging the scalp prevents or reduces hair loss.
– Too much sun causes hair loss — Not true. Though excessive sun exposure is damaging to your hair, there isn’t evidence to conclude that it causes permanent hair loss.
HAIR LOSS TREATMENT
As previously stated, there are various hair loss treatments, which have been proven to stop hair loss, and in some cases even regrow lost hair. Of the non-surgical hair treatments, Propecia and Minoxidil seem to be effective with a significant number of people. New, alternative methods of laser treatments have also been developed. First, there was the LaserComb, which employs low-level laser light technology to coerce hair follicles to regenerate. The handheld device requires people to spend 20 minutes a day running the comb through their hair. Recently, the technology has been further developed, evolving into a more effective, less intensive treatment. In the new laser treatment, a laser light helmet is used to aim high concentrations of laser light at affected areas of the scalp.
If you, however, have already experienced significant male pattern baldness and are looking to naturally and permanently cover your bald spot, then hair restoration surgery might be your best bet.
HAIR RESTORATION
Over the past century, hair restoration has become one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries among men and women alike. There’s a plethora of hair restoration surgeons in the United States, many of which provide their patients with stellar results.
Hair restoration surgery involves transplanting hair follicles from the donor areas of the head—typically the back and sides—to the bald or thinning areas. These are called grafts. Each graft can contain between 1 to 4 hairs. Because the donor hairs are from areas of the head that are not prone to balding, they are considered permanent when transplanted to balding areas, such as the scalp. The result is often a permanent, natural looking head of hair.
BattleAgainstBald.com follows real hair restoration patients as they restore their natural hairlines with Bosley procedures. Torrance and Seth are the Battle Against Bald’s Bosley patients and in addition to their weekly entries detailing the updates of their Bosley procedures, the blog provides a wealth of comprehensive information on hair loss, its causes and the methods used to combat it.
It has been nine months since Seth’s Bosley hair restoration and it’s official, he has more hair. Seth wanted to improve the appearance of his hair and restore a more youthful hairline, which he was able to achieve through just one Bosley procedure. Most hair restoration patients don’t start to see results until 3-5 months after the procedure. It has been four months since Torrance’s Bosley procedure and he’s beginning to see signs of hair after years of male pattern baldness.
Battle Against Bald is a blog that is sponsored by Bosley that speaks to those who are struggling with hair loss and are interested in hair restoration.
~Ben Anton, 2007
There is a lot of false information about male pattern baldness today. This article clears up the misconceptions about hair loss and describes treatments available.
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Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com
Alopecia is more commonly known as hair loss or baldness. If you think only men suffer from it, you’re quite wrong because millions of women all over the world are having trouble with the way their hair looks because of balding or hair loss. Female baldness is now a common occurrence and if you want to prevent it, you must not hesitate to consult a specialist now.
There are restoration specialists out there who can help you just in case you seek professional help. Most women are confused and they don’t know the real reason why they are getting bald. They are caught surprised by the sudden change in their scalp and hair.
Pattern baldness can also occur in women. It is hereditary which means that it has something to do with the genetic makeup of your family. If female baldness is your problem, check your family’s history and you will find out more. It can be from both sides of the family or from just one side. You can never tell if hair loss or baldness is temporary or even permanent. Only a qualified doctor can tell you that. Well of course, if you’re pregnant, the problem may only be temporary as this is a common effect of pregnancy.
Androgenetic alopecia is not only the cause of baldness or hair loss. Women love to style their hair and keep it healthy at all times. It represents a part of their personality and it is also a longevity and youthful sign. Because of this, if a woman begins to experience hair loss or balding, they feel very much confused, frustrated, helpless, and angry. They often forget that it may be due to pregnancy or an effect in stopping the use of certain pills. If you experienced a terrible psychological and physical stress, hair loss may also follow.
If you have alopecia or baldness, it doesn’t mean that you’re bound to lose all your hair. Your hair starts to get thin especially on the forehead and the top portion. But don’t worry because now there are some therapies that you can try like topical immunotherapy, anthralin, glucocorticoids, and other medications like Minoxidil. Oftentimes the treatment option available for you is dependent on the hair loss’s extent and your age.
As mentioned earlier, hair loss, baldness, or alopecia can be caused by the genetic makeup of the individual, stress, and pregnancy. Aside from that, it is also associated with chemotherapy, anorexia/crash diets, major surgeries, hormone deficiency (thyroid), high fever, severe infections, and taking certain drugs.
You must check your hair regularly so that you will know immediately if you’re having hair loss. Consider the following symptoms and if ever you see or experience any of the symptoms, consult a doctor at once. The symptoms include hair thinning and moderate hair loss on the top portion of the head and forehead.
After the doctor’s diagnosis, that is the time when you will be given the proper treatment suited to your condition. You can even undergo professional counseling especially if your self confidence and self esteem is already affected.
Female baldness can be considered a great problem especially for women who give too much importance to their looks. Know your options so that you can restore your hair. Remember that hair loss cannot be cured so you must try all the available remedy options.
If you think only men suffer from it, you’re quite wrong because millions of women all over the world are having trouble with the way their hair looks because of balding or hair loss.
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Over the years male pattern baldness has received a lot of attention in the media and online, but how much have you heard of “female pattern baldness”? Do you know the causes of female hair loss? Do you know what you can do to combat it?
Today I want to talk to you about a condition that afflicts 25 million women in the United States alone and millions more women worldwide, it’s a condition that largely goes under reported and sometimes unrecognized until the later stages of life, but can begin to occur even early in a female’s life and that is “female pattern baldness”.
While this condition may not be as prevalent as the male version, it certainly demonstrates a problem today. The loss of hair can have profound effects, as psychologically stressful hair loss is for men, studies have shown the psychological impact on women can be greater. Women tend to put a stronger psychological value on their appearance and thinning hair, as they regard it as an attack on their appearance.
Common Causes Of Female Hair Loss-
1. Pregnancy- this one is the easy one ladies; during your pregnancy your body produces an excess of certain hormones. These hormones help you to keep hairs that normally would have fallen out during the regular hair growth cycle. The thinning occurs when your hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, the normal cycle of hair growth and loss will return.
2. Medications- again the cure for this type of loss is normally simple, see your doctor to either stop taking the medication that is effecting your hair, or change the medication your on. Common medications that can cause hair loss include: blood thinners (anti-coagulants), medicine for gout, chemotherapy medications, vitamin A (if used in too large of amounts), birth control pills, and antidepressants.
3. Surgery- another temporary condition, after an illness or major surgery it is possible to experience significant hair thinning 3-4 months after the surgery due to the stresses involved.
4. Female Pattern Baldness- as in men, perhaps the most common cause of thinning is a condition called androgenetic alopecia. This is simply an inherited sensitivity to the effects of androgens (male hormones). The culprit is DHT or Dihydotestosterone, this hormone forms a waxy substance around hair follicles and starves them of the needed vitamins and minerals they need. The follicles produce thinner and thinner hairs, until the follicle burns out and no longer produces any hair.
Treatments-
Female pattern baldness normally manifests differently then that of the male version. In the female version thinning normally occurs all over the head, but the frontal hairline normally remains, in addition there may be mild to moderate loss at the crown of the head. However women rarely experience total or “cue ball” baldness such as men do.
Depending on the female’s comfort with her level of thinning the treatments can vary, from doing nothing to major restoration surgeries.
Hair Transplants- can cause minor scaring, and often requires multiple transplantation sessions. This procedure carries a moderate risk of infection, and may be expensive.The results often however are excellent and are permanent.
WARNING- the use of hair implants made of artificial fibres has been banned by the FDA because of high rates of infections.
Stitching- the act of suturing hair pieces to the scalp is not recommended, this procedure can result in sever scarring, infections, and abscess of the scalp.
Natural Medications- Only one drug or medication has been approved by the FDA to treat the causes of female hair loss Minoxidil. Studies have shown medications containing Minoxidil DO help to halt thinning and re-grow lost hair.
WARNING- Pregnant women should not use any product containing the drug Finasteride (Brand name: Propecia). This drug is not approved for use with women and has been shown to cause birth defects.
So there you have it, I have tried to arm you with the facts of the causes of female hair loss. I hope I have helped you to better understand your options for treatment. Your goal now that you have this important information should be to find the treatment that works best for you and to attack.
Over the years male pattern baldness has received a lot of attention in the media and online, but how much have you heard of “female pattern baldness”?
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Hair Loss Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com