Understanding Female Hair Loss: Exploring The Main Causes And Treatment Protocols
Hair loss, whether it happens to men or women, is troublesome; after all, hair is an important part of our personality and our hair is an important part of our identity. Although most of us are aware of the fact that losing up to a 100 hair a day is considered normal, many of us fail to recognise actual hair loss. Women, more often than not, are blissfully unaware of the fact that they might be on the way to becoming eligible for certain female hair loss treatments. When you see a lot more hair on the bathroom floor or on the hair comb, when you notice that your hair is fitting into scrunchies a third time and when you notice that when you brush out your hair, there is a lot less volume, it might be time to take some actions.
· What exactly is hair loss in women?
Each hair on our head goes through three phases — anagen, catagen and telogen. In the first phase, our hair is growing and this is the time when the hair length also comes into play. At any given point of time, 80 to 90% of your hair is in this phase. During catagen or transition phase, your hair follicles start to shrink and finally in the telogen or resting phase, the hair goes to rest and when this phase comes to an end, which is normally anywhere between two to four months, the hair falls off. One of the main causes of female hair loss is more and more hair going into the telogen phase. When the natural balance of the phases of hair growth and hair fall is disturbed, there is more loss and that can lead to what would be considered as hair loss.
· What are the main causes for hair loss in women?
There are several causes of female hair loss and these could vary from medical to lifestyle based; understanding the cause of hair loss is the first step to choosing the right treatment protocol.
· Telogen effluvium or when a large number of hair reach the resting phase, it could lead to more hair loss
· Androgenetic alopecia is a genetic or hereditary condition that leads to loss of hair — you could notice an overall thinning or bald patches
· Certain medical procedures, such as chemotherapy and radiation could also lead to hair loss, but the point to be remembered here is that this might not be permanent.
You could also lose hair during your pregnancy or childbirth, and this too is a temporary phase and should repair on its own
Then there are manmade causes — if you are using too many chemical based products on your hair or you are using high heat-based styling tools, you are making your hair weak and that could lead to hair fall.
If you are someone who tends to tie the hair really tight, such as cornrows or tight braids, yet again, you are weakening your hair and inviting hair loss.
· What are the methods of treating hair loss?
It is important to understand the reason for the hair loss first — the treatment protocols will always be based on the reason. If the causes of female hair loss are medical such as chemotherapy or certain surgical procedures, then there might not be any need for treatment. Once the recovery from the same starts, in most cases, the hair regrowth also starts. Same goes for hair loss that might have been caused due to chemical products, heat-based styling tools or hair styles — once you stop the same, the hair loss should also reduce on its own.
However, if the hair loss is being caused due to certain other factors, then you might need to consult a hair expert. If the hair loss has just started or is still in the initial stages, then the female hair loss treatments could range from laser hair combs to PRP or platelet rich plasma therapy. You might even be prescribed corticosteroid injections, which are all considered the simplest treatment protocols and are all minimally or non-invasive in nature. You could also be prescribed topical medication such as minoxidil, which is available as an over-the-counter application. However, it is important that you talk to a hair restoration expert, before investing in the same.
Although hair transplant is also one of the effective female hair loss treatments, it is imperative that you talk to a surgeon first, get a proper examination and understand all the pros and cons, before taking any final decisions.