What are the Causes of Hair Loss in Women?

What are the Causes of Hair Loss in Women?

Hair Loss in Women

When faced with the problem of hair loss, the first rule is to not be afraid and panic. Remember that hair loss is a part of our daily life. After taking a shower, you may experience hair loss, and you may have to vacuum your home, which is your living space, every two days. But the truth is that loss of 100 strands of hair per day is normal. If you have more than 100 strands of hair lost in a day and if you do not replace your lost hair strands, you should seek the opinion of a specialist in the field.

Causes of Hair Loss in Women

There are more than one potential trigger in the problem of hair loss. This may make it difficult to understand the causes of hair loss and then determine the appropriate treatment method for you. Among the most common causes of hair loss are genetic hair loss and reactive hair loss.

Genetic Hair Loss

Depending on your genetic characteristics, you may be prone to hair loss. If you have genetic hair loss, you may lose your hair gradually and experience a loss of volume in your hair over time. Some hair follicles may be sensitive to male hormones and this sensitivity may cause hair follicles to gradually shrink. Increasingly smaller follicles cause the production of slightly thinner and shorter hair strands in each hair growth cycle.

Reactive Hair Loss

Reactive hair loss is not caused by genetic factors. Hair loss here is the result of one or more triggers. Daily excessive hair loss problem is known as telogen effluvium. You may experience reactive hair loss due to factors that cause internal imbalance, such as nutrient deficiency, sudden dietary changes, intense stress, extreme sadness or illness.

Reagent

Hormones

Hormonal imbalance is common among the causes of hair loss. Changes in hormonal conditions can also cause adult acne, excessive weight gain, and many other health problems. If you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance, its effects can spread throughout your body, including your hair. Hormones released by our body play a large role in regulating the hair growth cycle. Estrogen hormone is a hormone that is secreted more in women and helps hair growth. Androgen hormone is not a very hair-friendly hormone like estrogen hormone. Androgen hormone, which is more intense in men, and shortens the growth cycle of the hair. Excessive secretion of androgen hormone in women can lead to female pattern hair loss. Androgen hormone in women may be caused by an endocrine disorder such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The extent of this often depends on the genes – If you have a genetic predisposition to follicle sensitivity, the hormonal imbalance may affect your hair more than someone who is not predisposed.

Stress

Our hair follicles may be affected by intense stress situations. During periods of extreme stress, our body starts to secrete more androgen hormones. Increasing androgen hormone in the body prevents the growth of hair follicles and may cause us to have hair loss problems. In addition to the problem of hair loss, stress can also trigger problems such as dandruff and deterioration of the structure of the scalp.

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency, namely anemia, is one of the most common causes of hair loss problem we encounter in women. It is necessary to produce the protein needed by the iron hair cells in our body. In case of iron deficiency, the hair strands are damaged by this situation and we lose the hair strands before they can enter the growth phase.

Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid gland in our body plays an important role in the production of necessary proteins, the control of the oxygen use of our tissues and the regulation of body metabolism in general. Therefore, the imbalance in the thyroid gland may affect the hair follicles. In addition, if hypothyroidism, the overworking of the thyroid glands, is not treated, it can cause anemia in the future.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency is also among the causes of hair loss and can cause you to feel low energy along with fatigue in the body. Vitamin B12 deficiency can affect the health of red blood cells that carry oxygen to your tissues, causing hair strands to fall out.

Dramatic weight loss

Sudden dietary changes and sudden weight loss can also affect your hair.

Menopause

Changes in your body that come with menopause can also affect your hair. Hair loss problem may increase with age and thinning of hair strands. This is a natural part of the aging process.
You now know what can trigger your hair loss problem. With this awareness, you can learn about the causes of hair loss and complete the first stage and start with the question of how to deal with this problem.

As we emphasized in the above text, it is not possible for you to notice the hair loss problem immediately. Our hair strands grow cyclically, which means it can take up to 3 months for hair to fall out after a trigger causes it. You have lost more than 100 hair strands daily for more than 3 months and when you notice that new hair is not replaced, you should consult a specialist in the field.

Causes of hair loss in other women

• Telogen effluvium
• Anagen effluvium
• Alopecia areata
• Diffuse Alopecia
• Congenital hair structure disorders
• Primary scarring alopecia
• Secondary scarring alopecia
• Trichotillomania
• Tractional alopecia
• Fungal infections of the scalp

Can hair loss be diagnosed in women in the early period? What methods are used in the diagnosis of hair loss?

Hair loss in women can be diagnosed by your dermatologist at an early stage. The basic diagnostic tool is primarily to take the patient’s history. The stage and cause of hair loss can be understood through various examinations and tests. Blood tests have an important place in women.

Dermatoscopy

• Digital dermatoscopy
• Hair pull test
• Knitwear
• Scalp biopsy
• Blood tests
• Scalp biopsy

Can it be followed whether the hair loss continues in women or whether the treatment given for hair loss is beneficial?

Whether the drugs given for hair loss are beneficial or not can be followed up with numerical values. For this, the systems mentioned below are used.

• Knitwear
• Haircheck System
• Digital total hair count test

Is there an effective treatment for hair loss in women?

When female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) is diagnosed in the early stages, hair loss can be slowed down and stopped to some extent as long as medications are used.

FDA-approved or proven treatments in the treatment of genetic hair loss in women

• Local form of minoxil 5%
• Cold laser (LLLT)
• Hormone treatments
• Hair transplant

Unapproved or unproven treatments

• PRP
• Mesotherapy
• Stem cell treatments

Could drugs be useful in advanced female hair loss?

Drugs will not be of any use in hair loss without hair follicles. Treatments can only be effective in thinning hair that is about to fall out. In cases where hair follicles are lost, hair transplantation can be an alternative for women whose donors are eligible.