Alopecia and Hair Loss in Women

Nowadays more and more women are having suffering from balding and hair loss.Unlike most men, it is not easy for women to take hair loss in their stride as hair is often a defining point in their personal style. Naturally, even the thought of losing a few hairs while shampooing is enough for a woman to push the panic button. However, they cannot be blamed as according to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss or balding affects not less than 30 million women in the United States and the number is growing. In some cases, women as young as 15 or 16 are found to be facing hair loss problems.

In order to understand what causes a woman to lose her hair, we should have some idea about how hair grows. Our tresses normally grow at the rate of about one-half inch per month, and each hair has a growth phase of two to six years. At that point the hair "rests" for a while, and then falls out. At that time, the follicle from which it sprang soon starts growing a new strand. And the cycle goes on, till we become old enough.

In some persons who are genetically prone to hair loss, this natural process is hampered by a group of hormones called androgens. These androgen hormones include testosterone, androsteinedione, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These are produced in men's bodies in large amounts, and in women's bodies in small amounts. An excess build-up of DHT in the follicle causes it to shrink which affects the natural growth process of the hair. Some of the follicles perish, while others lose their capacity of producing or maintaining healthy hair growth.

Differences with men

This leads to hair loss, a condition that is medically known as androgenic alopecia. And contrary to earlier belief, it has now been found that androgenic alopecia is not the primary cause of balding as far as women are concerned. In fact, there are several evidences to suggest that the causes of male and female balding are not completely identical. Many other types of enzymes, as well as hormone receptors and blockers, may be responsible for hair loss in women. Apart from the pattern of hair loss, another difference is that male pattern baldness is mostly caused by a genetic predisposition coupled with age, but it can happen at any time in women.

It is therefore important to have the correct diagnosis in the treatment of hair loss in women. So, a woman should visit a doctor who specializes in female pattern hair loss and be ready to undergo different blood tests, or if need be, a scalp biopsy.