It’s true that women are less likely to lose their hair than men. This is mostly due to male pattern baldness.
But hair loss and thinning hair are also common in kids and women, and is no less demoralizing. Reasons can range from the temporary and simple such as a vitamin deficiency – to the more complex, like an underlying health condition – to the self-inflicted such as applying chemical products to the hair without applying a scalp protection product first.
In many cases, there are ways to treat both male and female hair loss. It all depends on the cause. Here are some common and not-so-common reasons why you might be seeing less hair on your head.
Chemical Products
If you’ve frequented a hair salon you may have noticed that some hair stylists will protect their hands with latex gloves prior to applying a relaxer or hair color to the client’s hair. Then you may also have noticed that the hair stylist does not base the client’s scalp before the chemical service. Well, just as the hair stylist’s hands should be protected against possible chemical burns, the client’s scalp must also be protected. – Read more about scalp protection.
Chemical Products
Any kind of physical stress such as a car accident, surgery, or even the flu, can cause temporary hair loss. This can trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. Hair has a programmed life cycle: a growth phase, rest phase and shedding phase. A really stressful event can shock the hair cycle, (pushing) more hair into the shedding phase. Hair loss often becomes noticeable three-to-six months after the trauma.
Chemical Products
By the age of 60, about two out of three men experience hair loss, and generally it’s due to male pattern baldness. This type of hair loss, caused by a combo of genes and male sex hormones, usually follows a classic pattern in which the hair recedes at the temples, leaving an M-shaped hairline.
What to do: There are topical creams like minoxidil (Rogaine) and oral medications such as finasteride (Propecia) that can halt hair loss or even possibly cause some to grow; surgery to transplant, graft hair is also an option. A far less painful option to hair transplant or graft hair, and definitely lighter on the wallet, is a hair replacement system by Louticia Grier.
Chemical Products
Androgenetic alopecia or androgenic – also known as female pattern hair loss is basically the female version of the male pattern baldness.
Female-pattern hair loss, called androgenic or androgenetic alopecia, is basically the female version of male pattern baldness. If female members of your family started to have hair loss at a certain age, then you might be more prone to it. Unlike men though, women’s hair part may widen and they may have noticeable hair thinning.
What to do: Like men, women may benefit from minoxidil (Rogaine) to help grow hair, or at least, maintain the hair you have. An over-the-counter product such as Rogaine is approved for women with this type of hair loss. For an immediate solution, you may want to consider a custom hair replacement system by Louticia Grier.
Chemical Products
Switching or going off birth-control pills can upset your hormonal balance and cause hair loss. This can also cause telogen effluvium, and it may be more likely if you have a family history of hair loss. The change in the hormonal balance that occurs at menopause may also have the same result.
What to do: If a new medication is a problem, switch back or talk to your doctor about other birth control types. Stopping oral contraceptives can also sometimes cause hair loss, but this is temporary.
While there are more causes of hair loss than what we’ve listed above, we wanted to share with you a few hair loss facts. If you are experiencing hair loss or thinning hair, we love to know about your hair loss prevention method – share with us below.
