Hair loss in women

Men are not the only ones who suffer early hair loss. An estimated one in four American women – some 30 million of them -- has inherited genetic factors that lead to female hair loss and balding. While scientists have found that women lose their hair in a different manner than men with male pattern baldness, there is a definite inherited hormonal disorder that thins or depletes women’s hair in predictable ways.

Women Experience Pattern Baldness, Too

Male hair loss follows a predictable pattern of recession from the front of the head, moving backward over the crown, while maintaining growth along the sides and neck. Female hair loss tends to center at the crown of the head, with but a slight recession in front. In most cases, unlike the shapes in their male counterparts, women with pattern baldness do not lose their entire head of hair, but experience thinning up to 50 percent of hair all across the head.

Help for Thinning Hair

Scientists claim that women with fine, thin hair are more susceptible to long-term hair loss. If your hair is thinning in an alarming way, doctors can prescribe the topical minoxidil preparation to stimulate growth of healthy replacement hair that they recommend for male patients. Rogaine must be administered twice daily over at least a four-month period for appreciable results. Styling can masque thinning hair, and hair weaves and extensions can help restore the look you’re after. In recent years, surgical hair transplantation in spot areas has also become an option for women. Doctors may find that a combination of topical, drug, and surgical methods will result in the best hair-loss remedy for you.

--G.H.