Facing the Uncomfortable Truth of Female Hair
Loss
Alopecia, baldness, hair loss
All these words mean the same thing and have, at least
initially, a great amount of concern and self-consciousness
associated with it. Many women start experiencing hair loss in
their early 20’s or 30’s with the majority only after reaching
menopause. Although the percentage of women experiencing hair loss
or hair thinning is not as large as that of men experiencing the
same conditions, the causes remain largely the same with an
increased sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone in the scalp area as
the front runner.
But naturally there are other causes, most of which differ
between men and women. These include a sudden hormonal change,
child birth (also indicative of hormonal changes), cessation of
birth control medication, illness, sever trauma caused either by
surgery or physiological trauma, crash diets that result in
various nutritional deficiencies, abnormal activity in the thyroid
and various types of medication. In addition to these, conditions
such as diabetes or chemotherapy treatment could also result in
hair loss.
But hair loss remains a hereditary condition with about 20
million women affected by it at some stage in their lives. And
because the causes of this condition vary slightly from those of
men, the treatment will also be different. Primarily you should
consult your healthcare specialist to ensure that the cause of
hair loss is not due to any abnormal activity in the thyroid or
because of disease. If you are suffering hair loss due to a recent
pregnancy or some form of temporary trauma, then your hair will
return after a period of time. Hereditary hair loss may be
corrected on its own by one of the following procedures:
Minoxidil is a drug originally developed to treat high blood
pressure but has as a side effect a reduction, and a possible
reverse of hair loss.
Hair transplantation is an operation where bits of the
scalp, where there are still hair growth, are inserted into
small incisions in the area of hair loss. This operation is
usually performed with the patient under local anaesthetic and
awake. Swelling will reach its peak within 36 to 48 hours
after the operation, but will be gone about 4 days after the
operation, after which, normal activities may be pursued.
These are but some of the treatments available to women who
suffer from hereditary hair loss.
Chemicals that straighten, perm and bleach the hair can cause
the shaft of the hair to break and may resemble hair loss. This
will, however, stop once the use of the particular product has
been discontinued. Tying the hair in a tight ponytail or the
permanent pull of hair extensions and braiding could result in
permanent damage of the hair follicles.
As there are many causes of hair loss and because it is such a
traumatic experience, people are often inclined to spend money on
products that claim to restore hair growth in no time. Take care
when spending your money on these products as they are more likely
to have no effect other than draining your bank account.
