Is It Female Pattern Hair Loss Treatment?

As we get older, our slowing metabolisms can make it harder and harder to stay thin. But the one thing that seems to get thinner without much effort is something we wish didn’t: our hair. Ironic, isn’t it? Lately, I’ve noticed long strands of my hair scattered around my bathroom. And I wonder if I’m losing more hair than normal or if it’s just standing out more because the floor in my bathroom is white. When I wash my hair, there’s lots of it in the drain.

It’s a bit disarming when that happens, but the reassuring news is that it’s normal to shed somewhere between 50 and 100 hairs a day. On days you wash your hair,that number can climb up to 250 strands lost. But what if there’s more shedding than that? You may find your hair sheds more a few months after a stressful event. It’s not uncommon to find you’re losing more hair about two months after giving birth. It can also occur after undergoing surgery, suffering severe emotional stress, losing 20 pounds or more or having an illness (especially if you’ve had a high fever).

That’s temporary. Eventually, your body readjusts and, along with that, the shedding slows and the hair on your head fills in, regaining its normal fullness. But real hair loss or female pattern baldness (the most common type of hair loss among women) is different. The evidence is much more apparent than some random strands falling out.

What happens with female pattern baldness is that over time the hair follicle shrinks and eventually stops growing new hair. The part in your hair may get wider or your ponytail may lose its bulk. Maybe there’s an unusually large amount of hair on your pillow when you wake. Or there’s a lot in the comb or brush, even though you brushed softly and without tugging. This type of hair loss usually begins in midlife but can begin earlier.

Why does it happen? Although the reasons are not well understood, it may be related to such things as aging, changes in hormone levels (specifically the male hormone androgen) or a family history of male or female pattern baldness. Diagnosis is usually based on your medical history, ruling out other causes of hair loss (like thyroid problems or recent surgery) and the actual appearance and pattern of the hair loss. Sadly, there’s no way to prevent it...Read More...