The Truth about Hair Loss in Women
When we talk about genetic hair loss people automatically think about the most common form of hair loss: male-pattern baldness. This is the type of hair loss that is passed on genetically to offspring from their mothers. Mostly the sufferers of this type of hair loss are men, but sometimes the gene can also result in female hair loss.
Genetic baldness in men is usually identified by a receding hairline or balding crown, but genetic hair loss in women is a little different. In most cases, a woman will not lose her hair in spots only but will thin out evenly throughout the head. Sometimes, this thinning can be quite severe, resulting in the woman having to wear a wig to cover up her thinning tresses. Female hair loss rarely results in a completely bald head, but it can be extreme enough to expose a lot of the scalp.
If a woman is facing this type of hair loss, there are a few hair loss treatment options that can be explored. They include shampoos, conditioners and topical treatments, such as Rogaine for women, which stimulate hair growth and prevent further hair loss. There are also vitamin supplements and stimulatory treatments such as massage and infra-red therapy. The most successful of these hair loss treatments are the topical treatments. They are quite expensive, but they do produce the best results.
Hair loss caused by chemical processing
It doesn't matter how healthy and strong your hair is at the moment, you could suffer severe hair loss after undergoing a harsh chemical process such as a perm or color. Usually, chemical hair fallout is down to operator error, but the chance of it occurring is multiplied by chemical services that you perform on your hair at home. I’ve seen more than one case of female hair loss in women who have bleached their hair at home, colored it over and over and then gone to the salon for yet another bleaching. Not knowing the past history, the stylist used too strong a chemical, and the process resulted in hair loss.
Most of these cases don't result in complete hair loss, so the best hair loss treatment options for these cases include protein treatments and other conditioning treatments to strengthen the remaining hair. Add to this a good hair cut which will get rid of most of the damage; and a gentle hair-care routine which will minimize further hair loss due to breakage. You should also refrain from using thermal styling tools and undergoing any further chemical procedures until your hair has completely grown out.
Hair loss caused by stress
Severe stress can literally cause handfuls of hair loss at a time. Women experiencing stressful conditions can experience female hair loss known as alopecia areata and represented by thinning all over the head or in spots. The term "alopecia areata" means “Hair loss in spots or areas.” This condition can result in bald circular patches on one or more spots of the scalp. While this type of hair loss can be very alarming, but don't worry, it's not permanent. After the stressful conditions are removed, most sufferers of this type of hair loss regrow all of the hair that they lost.
Usually, the hair loss treatment for stress-related hair loss is minimal. After ruling out other causes of the hair loss, your doctor will likely recommend changes in your diet, or lifestyle, or ideas to help alleviate your stress. Keep in mind that it can take months for your hair to grow back even after the stress has been eliminated.
Hair loss caused by illness
Any type of extended illness or surgery can cause hair loss. Medications taken to combat certain types of illnesses can also cause your hair to become brittle and break or fall out completely. The most identifiable type of hair loss is the loss associated with chemotherapy treatments. Most often, this hair loss is complete and affects all the areas of the body.
There is little that can be done to prevent this type of hair loss or to promote regrowth during illness, surgery or chemotherapy treatments. However, this type of female hair loss is also temporary. In most cases, full your hair will make a full recovery after the illness is over.
Hair growth can be promoted after the illness by getting regular trims and using growth enhancing shampoos and conditioners. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial.
Hair loss in women is more common than we might think, the true extent of the problem being "hidden" by useage of wigs and hairpieces. Many women may experience hair loss and dismiss it as a natural occurrence that comes along with age. A lot of these women fail to seek the necessary hair loss treatment that can help them keep their remaining hair and regrow new hair.
So, if you are experiencing hair loss, do not think that it is just because you are getting older. Is it a sign of stress, or possible illness? Whatever the cause - there may be something that you can do to keep the hair on your head from clogging your drain...
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