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FEMALE
HAIR LOSS
AND THINNING
HAIR
Most health
practitioners
and
hairdressers
would agree
they are
seeing
increasing
numbers of
pre and
postmenopausal
women
experiencing
hair
loss
problems.
It’s
estimated
over 90% of
these women
can be
grouped into
two
categories
of female hair
loss:
-
Female
androgenetic alopecia from some form of hormonal change, and
-
Diffuse (“all
over”) hair loss from a nutritional disturbance, principally
low iron levels.
1. Female
Androgenetic
Alopecia:
Causes
of female
hair loss may
be as simple
as the wrong
choice of
contraceptive,
or the
effects of
an endocrine
tumor
requiring
immediate
medical
intervention.
Half a
century ago
female
genetic
thinning was
almost
exclusively
a problem of
post-menopausal
women.
The
exponential
rise in the
numbers of
younger
women
developing
genetic
thinning is
multi-factorial,
but is
thought to
be in part
due to the
advent of
synthetic
hormones
used in
contraceptive
and hormone
replacement
therapies.
In a woman
with the
inherited
tendency to
develop it,
genetic hair
thinning is
always
triggered by
some event
that causes
fluctuations
in her
body’s
hormone
balance.
Female
pattern
genetic
thinning is
characterized
by a
progressive
thinning-out
of the top,
temple
and/or crown
areas of the
scalp.
Unlike men’s
genetic hair
loss, not
all the hair
follicles
across the
top of a
woman’s
scalp are
affected –
thus
‘thinning’
of the hair
density
occurs
rather than
total
baldness.
Assessing
and Treating
Female
Androgenetic
Alopecia
The numerous
factors
having the
potential to
both
initiate
and/or
impact
female
genetic
thinning
make it
essential
for a
careful and
detailed
history to
be taken by
the treating
practitioner.
Circumstances
surrounding
the onset of
the problem,
signs/symptoms
of hormonal
disturbance,
menstrual or
reproductive
difficulties,
and current
contraceptive/hormone
replacement
therapy are
the
predominant
issues to
explore.
For some
time now the
accepted
treatment
regime for
female
androgenetic
alopecia has
centered on
some form of
oral
hormonal
therapy,
either as
prescription
anti-male
hormone
medication (Androcur/Aldactone)
or
phytohormones.
Hormonal
profiling
is the
specific way
to assess
whether or
not a
woman’s
hormones are
in balance.
However,
because pre-menopausal
hormone
levels often
vary from
day to day,
it’s vital
that
“patterns”
of symptoms
over time
are
assessed,
and assessed
in
conjunction
with the
woman’s
“total
picture” of
diet, stress
levels,
lifestyle,
medical
history, and
blood test
results.
Minoxidil
topical
solution in
combination
with the NHR
is now
considered
the specific
treatment
regime for
hair loss of
hormonal
origin.
2. Diffuse
Hair Loss:
Diffuse hair
loss is
excessive
hair loss
from all
over the
entire
scalp.
Because the
growing hair
is very
sensitive to
nutritional,
metabolic or
environmental
disturbances,
hair is
often one of
the first
areas of the
body to
reflect
disturbances
in
physiological
functioning.
When hair
loss is
subtle,
slowly
thinning out
over many
months or
even years,
the
underlying
cause is
likely to be
a
nutritional
or metabolic
disturbance.
Hypervitaminosis
or mineral
overdose
resulting
from dietary
intake is
very rare,
rather it
occurs over
time from
the
excessive
consumption
of
supplements.
WE
ARE
COMMITTED TO
QUALITY
CLIENT CARE
Our
success is derived from the synergy of using our acclaimed
combination approach to hair loss management.
If
you would like to visit us in person to explore your options,
please call us at
(703) 212-2000,
or click on the link at right.
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