Common Causes of Female Hair Loss

Possible Causes Hair Loss Women

There are various common causes of female hair loss, some of which result in temporary bald patches or thinning hair and others which lead irreversible hair loss. The most common cause of both male and female hair loss is genetics. The hair loss gene is dominant and can be inherited from the mother or father. Hereditary hair loss is progressive, which means the hair loss occurs for several years and the age of onset varies. Some people with hereditary hair loss might begin to lose hair in their twenties, others when they are over fifty. Here are some of the other most common causes of female hair loss:

Hormonal Imbalance

Estrogen, the female hormone, is used in many bodily processes. If estrogen levels fall, the hair follicles will not be able to get all the nutrients they require and the enzymes needed to maintain the hair would not be secreted. This applies especially to menopausal women and women taking contraceptive pills. The estrogen level falls with a menopausal woman and contraceptive pills involve the secretion of estrogen to decrease it too much for potential pregnancy to result.

Pregnancy is another of the common causes of female hair loss. Some women lose hair several months after giving birth because the hormone levels increase during pregnancy and drop back afterwards. The hair grows quicker and better during pregnancy and goes back to normal afterwards, with some of it falling out. This is a totally natural process.

Hormonal Irregularities

Changes in the hormonal levels can lead to hair loss. An overactive thyroid is often accompanied by soft, thin hair which is easily damaged. An underactive thyroid sufferer might have coarse hair which can be easily damaged too. Thyroid diseases can also manifest as hair loss.

Traumatized Hair Follicles

Pulling of hair by tight hairstyles, aggressive combing of wet hair, overly vigorous scalp massage and chemical trauma can all damage the hair follicles and lead to hair loss. A damaged follicle usually takes three or four months to recover and grow new hair. Radiation and chemotherapy kill hair follicles as well as cancer cells.

Medicines

Some types of medicine can cause hair loss in women, including anticoagulants or blood thinners, gout medicines, too much vitamin A, anti depressants and birth control pills. Most hair loss resulting from medicines is temporary and when the course of medicine is over, the hair will grow normally again.

Stress and Diet

A stressful lifestyle can lead to hair loss and so can an unhealthy diet because the hair requires nutrients in order to grow. When looking at common causes of female hair loss, many people assume hair loss is the result of chemical exposure or medicines or disease but it can also be caused by a woman not taking the right care of herself.

A balanced diet is important for healthy hair and if you think your diet might be lacking, it is a good idea to take a multi vitamin and mineral tablet each day to ensure you are getting enough nutrients. Being stressed can also lead to hair loss so you should either deal with the stress itself but avoiding the stressor or take up a relaxing hobby or activity.

As you can see, there are a number of common causes of female hair loss but if you are not sure what is the reason behind yours, you should visit a doctor for more advice.

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