Why Do Women Experience Baldness? Causes and Solutions

Most of my patients ask me this question – What are the female baldness causes? You need to know in details so that you can take care of your hair loss problems.

Let’s check what are the female baldness causes and it can be useful for you. Dr Dhananjay Chavan will explain to you in details.

It is stated that over 50% of women go through some variation of baldness sometime in their life. This might happen due to the majority of various reasons. We will discuss in details down below.

• DHT

The 5-a reductase which is common with both male and female genes react with testosterone and produces DHT. It is responsible for the shrinking of the hair follicles. However, women naturally only have half of the 5-a reductase as compared to men. It should also be noted that the enzyme aromatase which is found in women counteract the effects of DHT and makes the hair loss visually different from men.

•  Genetics

It is the most leading cause of baldness among women. It starts with thinning of the hairline which progresses over time. However, it is important to note that female pattern baldness differs from male pattern baldness. Hence you need to have a different plan of treatment. It is mostly caused due to too much testosterone in the body.

• Medical Conditions

Women are more sensitive to underlying medical conditions and so is their hair. This type of hair loss can be easily mistaken for genetic balding. However, some medical conditions and diseases are mostly responsible for them. These medical conditions can be as such.

• Anaemia
• Thyroid problem
• Connective tissue diseases
• Stress from surgical procedures, general anesthesia
• Severe emotional problems.
• Gynecologic conditions like post-menopausal states or ovarian tumors

 This condition is different from genetic female baldness and can easily be differentiated by a physician. To understand it better it is divided up into two sections.

• Wrong medication

Repetitive use of cocaine and meth can cause shedding of hair. Don’t use over the counter medications. Make sure you use medications with dermatologist concern only.

• Ageing

It is a natural process. We all have to go through this process. Even if there is no heredity of genetic balding, still you can experience hair loss in your life. The volume of hair decreases as the person’s age increases with time. This happens when the follicle shrinks up in size and produce thinner hair till the point that it can’t grow any hair.

• Non-scarring Alopecia

This condition causes sudden round patches of hair loss, which is caused by excessive pulling of the scalp and hair follicles. This is usually the result of excessive usage of clips and tight braiding. This constant tugging of hair can cause shedding as well as thinning of hair.

• Scarring Alopecia

Scarring alopecia can be caused by various dermatological conditions and infections. Treatments like radiation therapy which can cause thermal burns are also responsible for hair loss. This condition can be easily treated by a hair transplant.