By some estimates 50% of all women in US will suffer from some loss of hair by the age of 50. Similarly to men in more than 90% of cases, the cause of hair loss in women is due to Androgenetic Alopecia or female pattern baldness.
What is Female Hair Loss?
It is a genetic condition inherited from either parent. The genetically affected hair follicles in women experiencing female hair loss are susceptible to a byproduct of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT which causes the hair follicle to shed the normal hair and produce thinner, shorter, and colorless hair. This peach fuzz hair makes the scalp look thinner in women and men. Over time the miniaturized hair follicles atrophy and die causing permanent hair loss known as balding. In the balding areas there is no peach fuzz hair and the scalp looks tight and shiny. Baldness is an irreversible condition. Once the hair follicle has atrophied it is gone forever. This would be similar to losing any other body part and since we are not able to reproduce our body parts there is no female hair loss product or remedy that can force the body to produce a new hair follicle.
Causes of Female Pattern Hair Loss
Women, just like men, inherit the genes for thinning hair from either parent. In women testosterone is produced in Adrenal glands and the ovaries. The amount of testosterone in a woman's body varies and although it gets converted to DHT it can not cause female hair loss due to the protective effects of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones reduce DHT production and block DHT’s attachment to the hair follicle as long as they are present in adequate amounts. Any condition that can cause a decreased production of estrogen and progesterone or over production of DHT can cause thinning hair in the genetically predisposed women. In women, hair loss can start at any age after puberty but in most cases it occurs with menopause. In menopause the normal production of female hormones drops significantly lowering the natural guard a woman has against thinning hair.
Hair loss in pre-menopausal women indicates an abnormal hormonal imbalance which requires medical investigation and appropriate treatment.
In post menopausal women hormonal replacement therapy restores the normal hormonal balance and stops the process. In cases were hormonal replacement therapy is not recommended the only other available medical option is Rogaine 2%. Although Rogaine activates the follicle’s growth phase it has no effect on DHT production which eventually leads to hair follicles atrophy.