Causes of Hair Loss in Women

Causes of Hair Loss in Women

Hair loss affects three out of ten women, a disorder that stems both hormonal and genetic factors and situations related to stress. Almost 30% of women suffer alopecia, excessive hair loss caused in 95% of cases by hormonal and genetic factors, but can also be caused by stress and the rapid pace of modern life. Its consequences go beyond aesthetics as hair loss can have serious psychological problems in affected women. These situations are hopeless with adequate medical treatment or in severe cases, by a hair transplant operation.

The term alopecia was coined by the French dermatologist Sabouraud and is defined as ‘loss or hair loss of any kind and origin’ and is not a new phenomenon among women. The novelty is that today the number of women suffering from alopecia is growing and disorder is increasing. Hair loss affects 28-30% of female population, a figure that increases among working women and women with stress.

The head has an average of 100,000 hairs that grow and are renewed regularly, the daily fall between 50 and 100. Each hair remains on the head between two and six years, and during most of this time, it is continually growing. When you get older, the hair enters a resting stage in which the hair remains on the head, but does not grow. Eventually, the hair falls. When the hair does not grow, it falls excessively or becomes so thin that it cannot withstand a daily combing and the problem of alopecia arises.

Experts say that in 95% of cases of hair loss in women the cause is androgenetic i.e. that it is a disorder related to androgens (male hormones) in whose development play an important role both as hormonal hereditary factors. In such a case, there is excess conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male hormone, within the hair follicle. The conversion of testosterone to DHT is regulated by an enzyme, the 5-alpha on the scalp. An excess of DHT causes the follicle to degrade and grow ever smaller. In addition, increasingly more hairs fall and hairs thin gradually to not resist the slightest brushing.

This abnormal hair loss is usually the body’s response to an internal change. Women usually start noticing hair loss between 40 and 55 years. But not only it is influenced due to the age, but there are situations or special stages in the life of a woman who foster this loss, and stop ingesting oral contraceptives or postpartum stage since pregnancy is ideal hormonal state of women and behind it the lack of estrogen can cause hair loss. Women can also lose hair thoroughly during menopause.

Having a high fever, suffering food poisoning or having undergone a medical operation are also situations that favor hair loss. If hair loss is, however, slow and continued for many months or years, the reason for baldness can be found in a medical problem or a nutritional disorder such as iron deficiency anemia, thyroid problems, diabetes or a calcium deficiency. The female alopecia may also respond, as experts say such as excessive stress, anxiety or various reasons which women are going through at any given time of your life such as a divorce or a major shift of work.

editor

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.