Alopecia in Women

The medical fraternity calls it alopecia areata, however, in the common man's language it is known as hair loss! Alopecia is characterized by hair loss and formation of bald patches. The worst part of this disorder is that, it is not confined to the scalp. In fact, it can affect hair on other parts of the body too! Alopecia areata is a very common disorder and is seen in around 3 million people in the world. Alopecia can affect people from all the age groups and neither of the gender is immune to it. But, it is found that women are more widely affected by alopecia areata.

Alopecia in women is actually a disturbing disorder. The condition of rapid hair loss and bald patches on the visible part of the skin can affect their overall looks, appearance and can have an adverse psychological effect on them. Here, in this discussion, we will figure out some common causes, symptoms and treatment measures for alopecia in women.

Alopecia in Women Causes
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. There are several types of alopecia in women and therefore, there are many causes that lead to it. However, our discussion will be confined to the general causes of alopecia in women. Given below are the most widely seen causes of alopecia in women.

• Aging: Aging brings in many changes and alterations in a person's body. On one hand you grow strong with your experience, you health turns weak, on the other. Your body, then becomes prone to many disorders and health problems. By far, the most common cause of alopecia in women is aging.
• Heredity: When the main reason for alopecia in women is heredity, the hair loss is seen in a diffused pattern. It comes either from the paternal or maternal side. Hereditary hair loss in women is caused by enzymes called 5-alpha reductase and aromatase.
• Stress: Alopecia areata is problem that not only affects the person's hair, but also affects the mental state. Hair loss is mostly a psychological problem and therefore, it can be figured out as a cause as well as a symptom.
• Lack of Nutrients: Improper or unhealthy eating habits, which lead to deficiency of essential nutrients in the body can affect hair strength, health as well as can hamper their growth.
• Other Causes: Apart from the above mentioned causes, some more important ones are, menopause, allergies towards medications, hormones such as androgen, which lead to androgenic alopecia in women, etc.

Alopecia in Women Symptoms

The early symptoms of alopecia in women are patchy baldness, rapid hair loss on the scalp as well as other parts of the skin. Alopecia areata neither affects the functioning of other parts of the body, nor the overall health of the person. However, if one develops stress and depression out of it, the problem could turn more serious leading to complications. In some people, symptoms such as itching and complete baldness could also be seen.

Alopecia in Women Treatment

It is believed that, treatment of alopecia areata gets is done automatically, over a period of time. A proper and guaranteed treatment for this condition has not been found, yet. However, some of the effective treatment options are, medications that slow down the process of baldness and encourage hair growth in affected areas, hair transplants, wigs. Another good treatment is to maintain a balanced diet and consume foods that would strengthen the immune system and prevent it from working against your body. Nonetheless, it is your doctor, that would prescribe the appropriate medication for you, as treatment options might differ from person to person.

Although not serious, for some people (mostly the beauty conscious ones), alopecia areata can become disturbing. Hair are one of the best features of a woman's beauty and therefore, proper hair care needs to be taken, so that they become healthy and strong. As of this discussion on alopecia in women, I hope, it was sufficient enough to give an overview of the causes, symptoms and treatment for alopecia in women.