Is balding is an issue for women too?
Women suffer from the rages of balding just as much as men. And just like men, and the reason why no-one talks about it a lot, is they hide it even better than men. However there is a difference in scale here, we don’t want you guys having nightmares that most women are in fact bald on top, wearing wigs, toupees or have mastered the art of comb-overs.
Women only loose large masses of hair very rarely or through associated illnesses. They tend to suffer from bald patches which can be just as debilitating mentally and physically as going totally bald.
You only have to read our last article in this blog on how poor Laura-Alicia struggled with her hair loss that you realise the condition amongst the fairer sex is far from being a rarity. The good news is Skalp™ is just around the corner and able to offer a truly innovative solution. It was poignant how Laura-Alicia spoke about how her career as a model was placed in jeopardy and a testament to the Micro Pigmentation treatment to hear how it had helped her both in her personal life and professional role.
So if it is getting more prevalent what actually causes baldness in women?
- Female pattern baldness (just like male pattern baldness) is the most common form of hair loss and appears as thinning hair on the crown and at the front of the head. By the age of 50 a third of women will have developed this complaint. Its scientific name is “Androgenetic Alopecia” and occurs when the body becomes overly sensitive to male hormones called androgens which can reduce hair growth.
- A fall in oestrogen levels may also be a cause for an increase in the appearance of bald patches and hair loss. This is especially prevalent after the female menopause.
- Another common form of hair loss is telegen effluvium and affects 45% of new mothers. The good news is this tends to be more temporary but presents itself in a generalised thinning and shedding of hair across the head.
- Medication such as statins, blood pressure tablets and contraceptive pills can all have side effects which may result in hair loss.
- Stress can cause hair loss. Stress glands secrete male hormones which in turn block hair growth.
- Sometimes when hair extensions are applied badly (as with Laura-Alicia) they can cause an extra strain at the roots of the hair. Having your hair tied up in dreadlocks or in a ponytail for long periods of time can have the same effect.
- Another autoimmune type of hair loss is scarring alopecia, when the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicle, causing inflammation and the formation of scar tissue. The most common form of it is frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA). It generally starts at the ears and moves upwards until as much as the first 5in of the hairline are lost. It is most common in post-menopausal women.
- Alopecia Arerata can lead to baldness all over the body.
As with men women are slowly realising that the best way to halt hair loss is tackle it as soon as it becomes prevalent. You need to visit your GP and get a prognosis as soon as possible. There are medications, and changes in lifestyle which can quickly confront the issue.
Skalp® have clinics around the world. We have clinics in New York, Los Angeles, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Marbella, Milan and Amsterdam.
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