What Are the Causes of Hair Loss in Women?
Almost half of all Australian women experience hair loss at some point in their life. Yet we’ve still got a long way to go to understand what causes hair loss in women — and this is critical. With this knowledge, we can provide effective hair loss treatments for women.
The role of testosterone — well established in male hair loss — is less clear in female hair loss. Yet scientists have identified a range of possible female hair loss causes. Let’s take a look at each one in turn:
- Hereditary hair loss
- Hormonal hair loss
- Diet and nutrition
- Medical conditions
- Medications
- Over styling
- Stress hair loss
The Main Causes of Hair Loss in Women
Genetics, hormonal fluctuations, and nutritional deficiencies are common hair loss causes in women. But there are many other reasons why you might be losing your hair.
Hereditary Hair Loss (Female Pattern Hair Loss)
It’s common knowledge: Most men can thank their genes for their hair loss. Less widely known is the fact that women can also inherit hair loss. In fact, almost 60% of Australian women are predisposed to it.
Hereditary hair loss in women is called female pattern hair loss (in men, we know it as male pattern baldness). In men and women, this type of hair loss shares a more formal name: androgenetic alopecia.
And no, it’s not inherited from your mother. That’s a hair loss myth. You can inherit hair loss from either side of the family.
Androgenetic alopecia happens when your hair follicles shrink, causing hair to become finer and thinner. Some follicles may stop growing hair altogether.
Hormonal changes can also contribute to female pattern hair loss. Symptoms often start during menopause, when oestrogen levels decrease.
Hormonal Hair Loss
Two hormones in particular have a hairy effect on women. Oestrogen and progesterone are hormones that make your hair grow faster and stay on your head longer.
Increase the levels of these hormones and your body will produce more hair. Decrease them and your hair will begin to thin.
A woman may experience hormone fluctuations and hair loss at different times in her life. These include pregnancy and menopause.
Pregnancy Hair Loss
Most women lose hair after giving birth, usually around 3 months later. When you’re pregnant, your oestrogen levels rise, causing your hair to grow more and become denser. However, these hormonal levels return to normal after childbirth.
As your oestrogen decreases, your hair follicles adjust to the changing hormonal levels. You might notice that you are losing more hair than usual. This is often because you grew more hair than usual while you were pregnant.
Some women may have less oestrogen while pregnant because of hormone imbalances. You can also have less oestrogen if you stop taking birth control or have an abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
Pregnancy-related hair loss is usually nothing to worry about. In most cases, it’s temporary and your hair will return to normal within 6–9 months as your hormones level out.
Menopausal Hair Loss
Alongside hot flashes and sleep problems, perimenopause and menopause may cause hair thinning, brittle hair, and hair loss.
This is because your body produces less oestrogen and progesterone during menopause. It may also increase the production of male hormones called androgens, which can shrink hair follicles and contribute to thin or weak hair.
After menopause, some women may experience hair regrowth. In other women, menopausal hair loss may signal the onset of female pattern hair loss.
Diet and Nutrition
Our hair follicles need nutrients to thrive and produce healthy hair. Without them, you may end up with weak or thinning hair.
The research into nutritional deficiencies and hair loss is ongoing and often contradictory. However, evidence suggests that if your hair follicles don’t get enough vitamin D, folate, B12, zinc, or iron, they may have trouble making healthy hair.
Hair Loss Caused by Medical Conditions
If you have a medical condition that affects the hormones or scars the scalp, you may experience hair loss.
Here are some common medical conditions that may cause hair loss in women:
- Pregnancy
- Thyroid disorders
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Anaemia
- Ringworm
- Scalp infections
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Psoriasis
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Diabetes
- Lupus
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Hypopituitarism
- Coeliac Disease
- Trichorrhexis Invaginata
- Addison’s Disease
- Lichen Planus
- Scleroderma
Three conditions deserve special attention because they directly relate to hair loss.
Alopecia Areata
This is an autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your hair follicles, causing hair loss.
Trichotillomania
This is a disorder similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, where you’re compelled to pull or remove your hair, usually as a response to stress.
Cicatricial (Scarring) Alopecia
You may have scarring alopecia if your hair starts falling out from the middle of your scalp. It fans outwards, leaving your scalp shiny and smooth. This hair loss occurs when inflammation damages the hair follicles.
Hair Loss from Medications (Anagen Effluvium)
Sometimes hair loss can be a side effect of a particular medication. Your hair may grow back once you stop taking your medication.
The two most well-known medical treatments that cause hair loss are chemotherapy and radiation. The resulting hair loss is called anagen effluvium.
Other medications that may cause hair loss in women include:
- Birth control pills
- Blood thinners
- Steroids
- Retinoids
- Beta-blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Antidepressants
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Over Styling (Traction Alopecia)
Excessive hair styling can put so much stress and tension on your hair follicles that they’re damaged. This may lead to a particular type of hair loss called traction alopecia.
If you have wispy hair near the forehead or bald patches where your hair is usually pulled, you may have traction alopecia.
Here are some hairstyles and habits that may cause thinning hair and hair loss in women:
- Cornrows
- Tight buns or ponytails
- Braids
- Weaves
- Hair extensions
- Dreadlocks
- Using curling irons
- Using wigs
- Bleaching or perming
- Colouring
In most cases, your hair can regrow if you ditch the over styling and let your hair down. However, if your follicles are severely damaged, your hair loss may be permanent.
Stress Hair Loss (Telogen Effluvium)
If your body experiences a sudden shock, it can shut down certain processes. One thing it may do is send your hair follicles into an early and prolonged resting period.
Your hair begins to shed but it’s not immediately replaced by new growth. You may notice this kind of hair loss, called telogen effluvium, about 3 months after a stressful event.
Telogen effluvium can be caused by any event that puts undue, severe stress on the body, such as:
- A sudden illness
- An unexpected death of a loved one
- Childbirth
- Surgery
- A divorce
Stress hair loss rarely results in baldness and is usually temporary. Your hair may return to normal in 6–9 months, once the stress is gone.
How to Treat Women’s Hair Loss
Sometimes, all you need is patience to regrow your hair. If stress or pregnancy is causing your hair loss, your hair may return to normal once the stress is gone or you’ve given birth.
However, some types of hair loss, like female pattern hair loss, require treatment.
The most common hair loss treatment for women is topical minoxidil. This foamy solution helps regrow hair by increasing blood flow to the scalp but it usually takes months to see results.
Alternatively, some women turn to more invasive treatments, such as low-level laser lights, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, microneedling, or, in extreme cases, hair transplants.
However, the best hair loss treatments don’t have to be invasive. They’re just personalised to you.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about female hair loss, it’s that every body is different. The best way to stop or reverse hair loss is to create a treatment that addresses your body’s specific needs.
The Hairy Pill® is an oral hair loss treatment for women. It offers more than 650 different ingredient combinations, so our partner doctors and compounding pharmacists can ensure your treatment is tailored to you.
The best bit? It’s just one pill, taken daily. Get started now.
