As in man, also in woman we identified three types of women hair loss. These are Androgenetic alopecia, Telogen effluvium, Non-pattern hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in women. The pattern of hair loss in this case, is less predictable in women than it is men. Telogen effluvium can arise from many causes, including medication use, dietary tendencies, and stress. Then there are all of the other rarer types of hair loss, which fall into the non-pattern hair loss category.
In some cases health problems as anemia, pregnancy, menopause or polycystic ovarian syndrome can be the root cause of hair loss as:
ANEMIA
Is a blood disorder caused by a lack of iron. Iron is an incredibly important nutrient for your hair.
Anaemia is typically caused by a lack of iron-rich food in your diet, or if your cells are not absorbing the iron properly.
If you noticed that you have thinning hair, we recommend to check with your GP doctor if you are anaemic to some degree. Iron levels can be corrected with a form of iron supplement and changes in diet. Iron is very important for hair as it contains ferritin, a stored iron that helps to produce hair cell proteins. The correct ferritin levels also maximise your hair’s anagen (growing) phase, as well as encouraging hair to grow to the correct length.
MENOPAUSE
Has a myriad of effects on your body and hair, all caused by the decreasing levels of oestrogen. Along with the hot flushes, mood changes and sudden increase in facial hair – you can expect your hair to thin, your hairline to recede and an increased amount of hair loss.
The cause of this is the reduced oestrogen levels. As oestrogen keeps your hair in the growing phase, the reduced levels cause the hair’s growth cycle to shorten and hair sheds before it reaches the length it used to be able to reach.
PREGNANCY
Is one of the biggest stresses that a woman can put her body through. During this time, hormone levels are completely different to normal, causing many changes in the body – and your hair is not immune from these effects.
During pregnancy, there is an increased level of the hormone Oestrogen. Oestrogen causes your hair to remain in the growing stage of the hair growth cycle, as well as stimulating hair to grow if it’s not already. While you are pregnant, you should expect to have a full, luscious head of hair.
Once you have given birth, however, things are different. As your hormones return to their normal levels, this can cause a massive shock to the body, and your hair
This means that all the oestrogen that kept your hair from falling out is now gone, so the hair starts to shed. This can be distressing, because as much as 60% of the hair can enter the resting stage at once, causing a lot of hair to suddenly fall out.
However, the hair will start to grow again. Hair loss caused by pregnancy is essentially a specialised form of Telogen Effluvium.
POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS)
Is a hormonal disorder – specifically affecting your endocrine levels – it causes hormonal imbalances. Many women who suffer with PCOS have increased levels of androgens; testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is this increased amount of DHT that causes hair loss in women who have PCOS.
When found in high amounts, androgens – specifically DHT – latch onto hair follicles and start to affect the hair, eventually causing hair loss. DHT then clogs the hair follicle, causing it to be unable to create new hair. This is essentially another form of androgenetic alopecia.