Female Pattern Baldness is Real

By Gabby Hyman gabby.hyman@hqpublications.com Pharmavita Columnist October 7, 2004

Whether it's how you view yourself or how others regard you, it can be emotionally draining to be a bald man in a culture that favors the young. But if you think it’s rough on guys, take the associated self-esteem and cultural issues, then multiply them by a thousand when considering how a woman feels when she loses her head of hair.

An estimated 30 million women in America have inherited genetic factors that lead to hair loss and eventual baldness. For some, the emotional consequences can be devastating.

Out in the Open

For years, popular culture has examined the causes and treatments for so-called male-pattern baldness. Yet discussion about female hair loss, a very common occurrence, sometimes seems to be treated with the same denial and avoidance as a social disease.

Unlike male baldness, which creeps from the front to the rear of the head, female pattern baldness, androgenetic alopecia, occurs at the crown of the head, with only a slight recession in front.

Women born with this hormonal condition can experience thinning up to 50 percent of their hair. The most severe condition, alopecia areata, is caused by an immune-system disorder that results in severe hair loss in women that occurs all across the scalp.

Minoxidil Can Help

Women with naturally thin hair are considered the most susceptible to hair loss. Doctors frequently will prescribe Propecia (minoxidil), the same topical preparation that they recommend to thicken hair in their male patients.

For some women, however, the condition extends beyond the aid of cosmetic or thickening solutions. Many women elect to undergo surgical hair transplantation, which restores a full head of permanent, growing hair.

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToyds, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan, UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governer of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, Universityu of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.