Hair Loss Treatment For Women

Hair Loss Treatment For Women
Hair Regrowth

Patterned hair loss in women (androgenetic alopecia)
Hair loss in women tends to produce thinning over the top of the scalp rather than a patch of baldness. Minor degrees of patterned hair loss occur in over 55 per cent of women as they age, but only about 20 per cent of women develop moderate or severe hair loss.
Female pattern baldness is caused by genetic predisposition, ageing and increased levels of endocrine hormones (particularly androgens, the male sex hormones). Thyroid disease is a rare cause of patterned hair loss in women.
A number of treatments are available for female pattern hair loss including topical minoxidil lotion (not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women) and antiandrogen medication. These are available on prescription and require medical supervision.
Hair loss can occur in women for reasons other than female pattern baldness. These may include temporary shedding of hair (telogen effluvium), breaking of hair (from such things as styling treatments and twisting or pulling of hair), the autoimmune disorder alopecia areata, hormonal imbalances, the contraceptive pill or the effects of corticosteroids.
Hair Loss

THE NORMAL HAIR GROWTH CYCLE
It is important to understand the normal hair growth cycle to understand why hair loss occurs. The hair follicle is an anatomical structure which evolved to produce and extrude (push out) a hair shaft. Hair is made up of proteins called keratins. Human hair grows in a continuous cyclic pattern of growth and rest known as the "hair growth cycle". Three phases of the cycle exist: Anagen= growth phase; Catagen=degradation phase; Telogen= resting phase. Periods of growth (anagen) between two and eight years are followed by a brief period, two to four weeks, in which the follicle is almost totally degraded (catagen). The resting phase (telogen) then begins and lasts two to four months. Shedding of the hair occurs only after the next growth cycle (anagen) begins and a new hair shaft begins to emerge. On average 50-100 telogen hairs are shed every day. This is normal hair loss and accounts for the hair loss seen every day in the shower and with hair combing. These hairs will regrow. Not more than 10 percent of the follicles are in the resting phase (telogen) at any time. A variety of factors can affect the hair growth cycle and cause temporary or permanent hair loss (alopecia) including medication, radiation, chemotherapy, exposure to chemicals, hormonal and nutritional factors, thyroid disease, generalized or local skin disease, and stress.
Androgens (testosterone, dihydrotestosterone) are the most important control factors of human hair growth. Androgens must be present for the growth of beard, axillary (underarm), and pubic hair. Growth of scalp hair is NOT androgen-dependent but androgens are necessary for the development of male and female pattern hair loss.
Hair Loss

Hair Loss Treatment For Women

by hairlossgone on Nov 24, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

1 Embed 1

Statistics

Hair Loss Treatment For Women — Presentation Transcript