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Do you find hair strands on your hand every time you run them through your hair?
Statistics have shown that around 40% of women will experience excessive hair loss by the time they reach the age of 70 or above.
The causes of hair loss in women include health conditions, stress, nutrient deficiency, pregnancy, or conditions like PCOS.
Most of these causes are commonly occurring, and hair loss can be reversed with treatments.
With this article, we want to highlight the most common reasons for hair loss in women.
Types of hair loss
Hair loss in females can be of three types.
It is necessary to identify the type for diagnosis of the root cause of hair loss for planning the right care routine.
The types of hair loss include:
- Telogen Effluvium: In this condition, more hair follicles reach the Telogen phase.
Due to stress, vitamin deficiency, or PCOS, hair follicles are force shifted to the telogen phase causing excessive hair loss. - Anagen Effluvium: In this condition, chemotherapy causes inflammation of hair follicles in the anagen stage.
It results in a fracture in the hair shaft and leads to excessive hair fall. - Female Pattern Baldness: In this condition, the excessive production of androgens in the female body leads to hair thinning and a balding scalp.
Causes of hair loss in women
Source: WowRxPharmacyHair loss, from hair thinning to balding, can occur for various reasons.
Your everyday lifestyle, genes, hormones, and diet can cause hair fall.
If you notice unusual hair shedding, consult your dermatologist to diagnose the cause.
In the further sections, we have listed the most common causes of hair loss in women so you can plan your hair growth journey in the right direction.
Vitamin Deficiency
Vitamin deficiency might not be the root cause of your hair fall, but it can worsen the existing hair loss.
Vitamins play an essential role in the hair growth process. They are responsible for the production of proteins required for hair growth.
Some vitamins have antioxidant properties that immunologically affect hair follicles and keep the scalp healthy.
You can read, A Complete Guide to Vitamins for Hair Loss and Hair Health to know more about vitamin deficiency.
Stress and hair fall
Source: Globalmoments from Getty ImagesStress can adversely affect hair follicles and disrupt the usual hair growth process.
It can cause different types of hair loss in women, which include,
Telogen effluvium
Stress can strain hair follicles into the Telogen phase and pause new hair growth.
This can cause excessive hair fall while combing or running your hand through hair.
Trichotillomania
It is a condition when you can’t resist the urge to pull out your hair. The feeling of pulling out your hair can happen due to stress.
The condition results in a sense of relief while pulling the hair out.
Alopecia Areata
It is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks hair follicles, causing hair fall.
It can lead to gradual hair thinning leading to hair loss. Sometimes, it can also lead to bald patches on the scalp.
Health Conditions
Some health conditions may also cause loss of hair in women. These conditions can result from hormonal imbalance, autoimmune disorders, or skin conditions.
Hormonal disturbances
Hormonal disorders related to thyroid disorder, pituitary gland disorder, or high cortical disorder can lead to excessive hair fall.
The hormonal disturbances can interfere with normal body processes like hair growth and cause hair loss.
Autoimmune disorders
Autoimmune disorders like Lupus, Psoriasis, Hashimoto’s disease, and Crohn’s disease can cause hair loss.
They attack the hair follicles and block new hair growth.
Due to these disorders, the body’s immune system acts against the hair causing hair fall.
Skin conditions
Skin conditions such as Trichorrhexis invaginata, Ringworms, and Scleroderma can result in hair loss.
These conditions interfere with the hair growth process and restrain hair growth.
PCOS hair loss
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder in females. It can cause Female Pattern Baldness due to excessive androgen production.
The female body produces the male sex hormone, Testosterone.
It handles vital functions like stimulating hair growth during puberty.
In PCOS, there is an abnormal production of Testosterone which can lead to the development of more masculine features.
These androgens can lead to Androgenetic alopecia causing gradual hair thinning and hair loss.
PCOS hair loss is a temporary condition. Effective treatment options like contraceptives and Minoxidil can stimulate new hair growth.
| Products to treat Hair Loss | Approx Cost |
|---|---|
| Hair 4u 2% | $19.80 |
| Hair 4u 5% | $21.61 |
| Tugain 5% 60ml | $20.54 |
Hair loss during Pregnancy
According to a statistic by the American Pregnancy Association, around 40-50 % of females experience excessive hair loss during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, women experience hormonal shifts, which lead to stress and force the hair follicles to go into a resting phase.
This restricts new hair growth and results in hair thinning.
To your relief, this condition is temporary, and hair can grow back with proper treatments.
Medications and supplements
Treatment solutions for certain diseases such as Cancer, Arthritis, Depression, and Hypertension can cause hair loss as a side effect.
Medications can interfere with the hair growth cycle and push the hair follicles to the Telogen phase.
This causes an early fallout of the hair strands leading to excessive hair fall.
Hair loss due to medication is reversible when you stop taking the drug.
But, it is always advised not to stop taking the medication without consulting your doctor.
Hair styling
Excessive hair stylings like tight ponytails or chemical hair treatments can also lead to excessive hair loss.
Putting your hair into tight ponytails or corkscrew styles can stress your hair, causing hair fall.
The condition of excessive hair shedding due to hairstyles and treatments is called Traction Alopecia.
Itchy scalp and hair loss
Itchy scalp and excessive hair loss are caused due to Folliculitis.
It is a condition in which hair follicle inflammation results from fungi or allergic reactions.
The scalp may itch due to fungal infections and allergic responses to hair products.
Irritated hair follicles can harm hair follicles and result in hair loss.
In some instances, scalp scarring can be itchy due to scar tissue’s potential to harm the skin’s nerve fibers.
Folliculitis is a temporary condition, and hair loss is a reversible condition.
Correct diagnosis-proper treatment
If you are experiencing unusual hair fall, identifying the root cause is the pioneering step toward treatment.
Hair loss in females can result from health conditions, hormonal imbalance, stress, or nutrient deficiency.
You can speak to your doctor to identify the cause of hair loss and begin your journey towards strong, luscious hair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PCOS cause hair loss?
Yes, PCOS can cause hair loss due to hormonal imbalances. The excessive production of androgens due to PCOS can lead to Female pattern baldness. The androgens cause hair thinning and balding of the scalp. But, hair loss is temporary and reversible with proper treatments.
How to stop PCOS hair loss?
You can stop PCOS hair loss with prescribed birth control pills and even topical solutions like Tugain 5% 60ml.
What are the common causes of hair loss in women?
The common causes of hair loss in women include vitamin deficiency, stress, health disorders, PCOS, pregnancy, medications like chemotherapy, and hair styling.
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