Female pattern baldness

Hair loss is hard enough for men, but it often harder for women. Our hair naturally sheds itself and grows new hair in its place, but over time some hair follicles close up and they are unable to produce new hair. When this happens, baldness will occur. Many females will start to experience baldness as they get older. Both males and females share some similar hormones, one of them is testosterone. This hormone actually interferes with the proper growth of hair. What happens is that it produces another hormone that cuts the hair follicles off from receiving their nutrients, causing the hair follicle to die. Once a woman goes through menopause, she will have less estrogen and more testosterone in the body, causing hair loss to occur.

The bad news about female pattern baldness is that it is hereditary. Both of your parents can pass along the gene to you, so there isn't much you can do to stop nature from taking its course. However, it could mean you have an overactive thyroid, especially if you have hair growing on other parts of the body like your face.

Although most women will experience female pattern baldness due to a hereditary condition, some will experience it through controllable factors. Stress, diet, and hair products can all cause female baldness. When you go through a period of stress, your body will need to release that tension somewhere. Normally this is through your hair or other areas like your skin. Some people get acne, others have hair loss problems. Maintaining control over your stress levels will improve your hair loss issues, but it could take a few months before your body responds.

Your diet will also impact your hair. Having a diet that is low in iron points to a medical problem and can cause hair loss to occur. Before you increase your iron, speak to your doctor. During pregnancy, females tend to grow more hair as their hormone levels are off. Once the child is born, the hormones try to stabilize themselves and most women will have hair loss in the months following childbirth. This is natural and it does not mean you are losing your hair. Watch what types of products you use on your hair. Using a lot of bleach will damage the hair follicles and it can lead to baldness.

To lessen the look of baldness, it actually helps to keep your hair shorter. This is why many women over the age of 50 have short hairstyles called the "grandma hair". Look for hairstyles that give body and lift to your hair. This is the best way to reduce the look of baldness. Coloring your hair can also help to limit the look of baldness. Opt for lighter colors as darker colors will bring attention to your thinning hair.

You can try hair loss treatment shampoos like Rogaine for women. Like Rogaine for men, this treatment will help to inhibit DHT, the hormone caused from testosterone that attacks the hair follicles. It won't help you grow new hair, it will simply stimulate growth in hair follicles that are on their way to dying. It also allows you to keep the hair you already have. Once you start using Rogaine, you will need to use it forever. It's a preventative treatment so you need to continue using it or mother nature will continue taking her course of killing off your hair follicles.

Some women will undergo painful hair transplant surgery. This is when a section of your scalp is cut off and the hair is transplanted to other areas on the scalp. This procedure is effective, but it is costly and quite painful.