Though both men and women suffer from hair loss, unlike male pattern baldness, we don’t know what necessarily causes female-pattern baldness. As far as the time at which women may lose hair, the range in age is similar to men. It can occur as early as after puberty, or begin much later in life when they enter menopause. In postmenopausal women, hair may begin to minitiaturize over the entire head, thereby losing its original volume and becoming difficult to style. Aside from AGA, genetics can be the causative factor, health issues such as iron deficiency or hormonal imbalance that arise from pregnancy, menopause, withdrawal of oral contraceptives, or hysterectomy can also spur hair loss in women. Due to its wide variety of causes, hair loss in a woman should never be assumed to be AGA. Examination and diagnosis by a physician, endocrinologist, dermatologist, and a hair restoration specialist are essential before any hair transplant is undertaken.
Please feel free to contact us and schedule a free, confidential consultation here.
HAIR LOSS CAUSES IN WOMEN
Genetic
- Female pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia (a genetic condition)
- Heredity/family history of hair loss
Non-Genetic
- Extreme stress
- Side effects from medications
- Medical illnesses (thyroid conditions or systemic diseases such as lupus)
- Traction hair loss, also known as traction alopecia (from excessive pulling and braiding)
- Burn or major surgery scars
- Nutritional deficiencies (poor diet, iron deficiency, etc.)
- Hormonal imbalances (pregnancy, menopause, birth control pills)
THE LUDWIG HAIR SCALE
During your initial consultation, Dr. Max will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan, based on your unique goals and preferences. We will also be able to address the cost of an ARTAS robotic hair transplant.
LUDWIG SCALE OF FEMALE HAIR LOSS
Hair loss in women differs from hair loss in men due to the nature of how the hair changes. For women, the affected areas can thin significantly but rarely become totally bare of hair. The following are the most common types of hair loss patterns for women:
- A “Christmas tree” pattern of diffuse hair loss, with the “base” of the “tree” at the hairline and the “tip” of the “tree” at the center of the scalp. Difficulty parting their hair may be experienced here and may result in a type of comb-over to hide the area that is thinning. This type of pattern is the most common type of female hair loss pattern and is easy to fix with hair transplantation because their donor area is usually unaffected.
- A “diffuse” pattern of hair loss that spreads throughout the top scalp. There is a visible pattern of thinning that affects the top scalp and often the temporal areas as well making these women less favorable candidates for a hair transplant.
- A type of “Male-pattern baldness” with preserved central (mid-frontal forelock) density. The regular female-shaped hairline is impacted by a loss of hair in both corners.
- A hair loss found in women (and rarely in men) called diffuse unpatterned alopecia exhibits hair thinning throughout the entire scalp, usually combined with global miniaturization. Due to this, these individuals are not applicable candidates for a hair transplant.
- Traction alopecia is a hair loss caused by repeated pulling out of the hair from a specific area of the scalp. This can occur in African-American women who wear their hair braided. The result can be hair loss in the hairline and/or in the front and above their ears. A hair transplant is still possible in this case as long as there is a good amount of donor density.
- Being born with a high hairline. Classified more as an aesthetic condition rather than medical, it is still seen in female hair transplantation.
As said before, it is best to have your doctor or a hair loss specialist determine what is causing any hair loss you may be experiencing. From there, they could help you choose your next route. If you would like to learn about the hair loss solutions we offer, feel free to contact us!
NEXT STEP
A consultation with our Patient Care Coordinator is complementary and private.
This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the various female hair loss treatment options available at Hair By Dr. Max, Restoration Center and have all your questions thoroughly answered.