You will realize that you are suffering from hair loss when you start experiencing bald spots, widening, or shedding more than 100 per day. If this happens to you, you need to see a dermatologist urgently. Hair loss comes in many types, caused by different health factors. Seeing a dermatologist immediately will make the treatment more responsive, even though there is little you can do to prevent hair loss, especially genetic hair loss. In this article, we have explained what female pattern hair loss is and what you can do to slow down its effects.
What is female pattern hair loss?
Female pattern baldness or hair loss is a condition where a woman undergoes heavy loss of hair that happens in a certain distinctive pattern. It is a hereditary hair loss condition that is passed genes from either parent. It is the same as the male pattern baldness condition, which occurs differently in women. It is pretty normal for any person to lose 50 to 100 hair strands in a day.
While other hairs fall out, others grow back. There needs to be that striking balance of growing and falling hair. When hair that falls out is more than the hair that grows in, it leads to hair loss. Hair shedding and hair loss are different conditions. Alopecia is the medical terminology for hair loss.
The skin grows hair in almost every area of the body. Some parts grow more hair than others. Areas that don’t grow hair include the soles of your feet, the palm, lips, and eyelids. Vellus hair refers to short, light, fine hair. Androgenic or terminal hair, on the other hand, is thicker, darker, and longer. To understand better what female pattern hair loss is, you need to know the various phases of hair growth in the hair growth cycle.
What is a hair growth cycle?
There are three phases in a hair growth cycle:
The anagen phase
The anagen phase is also known as the development phase. This may go on for two to eight years. This phase occurs in 85% to 90% of the hair in your scalp.
The catagen phase
The catagen phase in the hair growth cycle refers to the transition phase. This catagen phase usually takes two to three weeks, and it is when the hair follicles start to shrink.
The telogen phase
Otherwise known as the resting phase in the hair growth cycle, the telogen phase involves falling out of the hair and usually takes two to four months.
While the anagen phase in the scalp region may last upto six years or longer, shorter hair that grows in other areas of the body like the eyelashes or the eyebrows usually lasts for about a month.
Hair loss conditions that affect women
Hair loss happens in several ways in women, and there are three kinds: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium, and female pattern hair loss. The anagen effluvium type of hair loss is usually caused by poison that originates from medication such as chemotherapy.
The telogen effluvium type of hair loss is usually triggered by stress. It happens when the number of hair follicles reaching the telogen phase increases. This will force hair to fall out.
The female pattern hair loss or baldness is also known as androgenetic alopecia or female pattern Alopecia. The female pattern baldness hair loss occurs much more frequently in women compared to other types of hair loss conditions. Thinning in FPHL occurs on the sides of the scalp and over the top.
It is a misconception to think that hair loss only affects me. Even though hair loss is more rampant in men than women, women also undergo hair loss. About 50 percent of women will experience noticeable hair loss. The most common type of hair loss in women is the male pattern baldness. About a third of susceptible women undergo this kind of hair loss. This is about 30 million women in the United States.
Who is more likely to experience hair loss in women?
The female pattern baldness type of hair loss can affect any woman regardless of age. However, it’s often experienced in:
- Women who are over 40 years
- Pregnant women who have just delivered
- Women who have just undergone chemotherapy or have used other medications that are poisonous to the skin
- Women who have reached menopause
Treatment for female pattern baldness includes hair transplant procedure, scalp micropigmentation, PRP for hair loss, and medication.
Conclusion
Just like men, women may also undergo hair loss, even though it is more rampant in men. The female pattern baldness type of hair loss is more common in women and usually affects women who are of age. You can’t prevent the female pattern hair loss type of hair loss. You can only treat with hair restoration procedures such as hair transplant or PRP for hair loss.
