FEMALE HAIR LOSS
Factors that can affect women hair can include:
- Diet and Nutrition
- Thyroid /Diabetes
- General poor health
- Menopause
- Hormonal imbalances
- Chemicals used on the hair
- Certain hair styles
- Genetics
- Stress
These can have a great impact on hair quality or cause excessive shedding. The hair cells are the one of the most sensitive cells in the body to respond to internal fluctuations.
Genetic Thinning
Men and women both suffer from from genetic thinning. In most cases, women who suffer from Androgenic Alopecia have diffused thinning which can affect the entire scalp, but can also suffer from the ‘Ludwig’ pattern indicated by significant hair loss through the top of the scalp compared to the back and sides.
Androgenic Alopecia in women can be a natural occurrence caused by the onset of the menopause, but it also can be exacerbated by thyroid, hormonal imbalances, medication or underlying medical issues that are having an impact on shortening the hair cycle independently of hormones.
We try to ensure there is no underlying issues that can be impacting on the hair cycle, after which certain therapies can be used to maintain and strengthen the hair.
Telogen Effluvium
(Hair Shedding)
Telogen Effluvium (excessive diffused hair shedding) may be caused by several problems.
Acute (Quick onset) diffuse hair loss can be caused by a shock, be it psychological, physical or emotional (e.g.: Pregnancy, medication, a physical or emotional shock to the system, an illness or a fever).
Chronic (Ongoing) diffuse hair loss is caused by an underlying problem which is causing the hair cycle to be interrupted and shorten. This could be something as simple as a nutritional insufficiency, long term medication or even simply be age related. Many of the ‘triggers’ for chronic hair loss issues we deal with may have happened many years ago, are low level, innocuous and have gone under the ‘radar’ of most doctors for a long time.
Sufferers from both types notice a thinning of hair on the scalp, and little ‘broken’ hairs around the fringe and poking out around the parting, Chronic Telogen effluvium is a problem which usually carries on indefinitely until the problem is rectified.
This problem is largely female problem and is ‘self-limiting’ this type of hair loss does not cause total baldness but can make the hair feel and look extremely thin compared to what it did.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Female genetic thinning can be purely ‘genetic’ or can be exacerbated by underlying health problems or long-term medication, causing the problem to become worse. We will investigate your medical history to eliminate any exacerbated issues and suggest what steps to take next.
Acute Telogen effluvium… the disorder will simply rectify itself after 6 months or so, the shedding will slow, and the hair will gradually get back to normal. We can help identify the trigger and offer advice as to when you will see a change in the hair cycle.
For Chronic Telogen Effluvium to be corrected, the underlying condition must be corrected or medicated against before the hair cycle corrects itself and allows the hair to start growing ‘normally’. A full investigation is required to determine the cause, which in turn will guide us to what the protocol will entail.