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When I finally went to see a doctor, I found out that the cause of my thinning was due to a switch in birth control, which has thrown my hormones off. At that point, it had been months of stress and worry, and now I realize I should have gone to see a medical professional much sooner. In my case and the cases of so many women, hair loss can actually act as a warning sign for underlying medical issues. It is important to be attuned to what is happening with your hair because it can be indicative of your hormones, your thyroid, your metabolism, and your overall health.
Hormones
Hair growth naturally slows with age, so you may notice thinning. If you think you have age-related hair loss, talk to your doctor about treatment early on. Things that interfere with the growth cycle -- like medications, illnesses, infections, or chemicals -- have the potential to stop hair from being formed the right way. Beyond that, age, hormones, stress, and even the way you style your hair can lead to hair loss. While men tend to notice balding as a receding hairline and specific bald spots, women’s hair loss appears more as overall thinning or a widening of the part at the top of your head. This type of hair loss occurs slowly, over the course of several months or years.
Hair Loss
Each patch of hair has one to several hairs (micrografts and minigrafts). Sometimes a larger strip of skin containing multiple hair groupings is taken. This procedure doesn't require hospitalization, but it is painful so you'll be given a sedation medicine to ease any discomfort. Possible risks include bleeding, bruising, swelling and infection.
How can I prevent hair loss?
The following sections give more details about some of the causes of thinning hair. We also discuss some of the treatments and home remedies available. Surgical procedures to treat baldness are not usually covered by insurance.
Staying Healthy
If you’re currently losing hair, use a gentle baby shampoo to wash your hair. Unless you have extremely oily hair, consider washing your hair only every other day or less. Hair transplant surgery involves moving small plugs of skin, each with a few hairs, to bald parts of your scalp. A review study published in 2022 found that it significantly increases hair diameter and hair count in patients with several types of alopecia.
You have several different treatment options to address hair loss caused by female pattern baldness and other types of alopecia. A doctor or dermatologist can help you identify the best approach for your needs. Many people choose not to see a healthcare provider if they have female pattern baldness.
Female pattern baldness is a common condition that affects many women and people assigned female at birth after menopause. Many people with female pattern baldness accept it as part of the aging process and don’t see a healthcare provider. Reach out to your healthcare provider as soon as you notice signs of female pattern baldness, especially if it causes stress, anxiety or depression. Medications and treatments are available that can stop or reverse female pattern baldness.
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They’ll likely use a combination of your health history — including any recent illnesses, surgeries, life stressors, and family history — and a physical exam to help narrow down the causes. Telogen effluvium is a type of sudden hair loss that results from emotional or physical shock, like a traumatic event, period of extreme stress, or a serious illness. Hair loss, or alopecia, affects more than 80 percent of men and 50 percent of women, and the risk increases with age.
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You're more likely to notice it when a lot of hair enters the resting phase at the same time or if hair roots become damaged during the growth process. A 2020 study tracked 79 women taking spironolactone daily (doses ranged from 25–200 mg) for a minimum of 6 months. Nearly two-thirds of participants experienced some kind of improvement after 1 year. Those who began the trial with more pronounced hair loss saw the most benefit from the medication. Another cause of hair loss is called telogen effluvium (TE), which is typically temporary. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), TE isn’t actually defined as “hair loss,” but rather as excessive hair shedding.
Some machines are sold for hundreds of dollars, and they may not work. Laser therapy is typically used by dermatologists and other skin specialists. The FDA has cleared the way for some products to be used at home. Thinning hair typically happens gradually, which means you have time to pinpoint the causes and figure out the best treatment measures. In one study of 166 participants, 42% experienced mild improvement and 31% reported increased hair thickness while taking spironolactone. Pregnant people shouldn't take it as it can cause birth defects.
With minoxidil, you might also see hair growing in places other than your scalp (cheeks and forehead, for example). Wash your face after you apply minoxidil and make sure you avoid other areas when you apply it. Sims notes that this is "basically enough to cover the area but not saturate it." Then, she suggests gently massaging it in.
As with minoxidil and prescription medicines, you must continue using an at-home laser device to see results. We still do not know whether these devices are safe for long-term use or if they can continue to produce new hair growth. To give women optimal results, dermatologists may use more than one hair-loss treatment.
As for what that plan might look like, we asked dermatologists to break down the best hair loss treatments for women, depending on the root of the issue. Baldness (androgenic alopecia) is the most common type of hair loss. It affects an estimated 80 million individuals in the U.S. Most healthy people lose up to 100 strands of hair per day.
Otherwise known as Aldactone, spironolactone works to treat hair loss by acting on hormones. Specifically, it binds to androgen receptors and decreases the body’s processing of testosterone. Androgenic alopecia causes the normal hair growth cycle to shorten.
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