In both sexes, genetic hair loss is the leading cause of balding, but there are other causes of hair loss as well. Some of these are more common in women or solely affect women. We’ll look at both emotional and physical conditions that affect women and lead to balding.
Trichotillomania
The obsessive need to pull out one’s own hair is a symptom of trichotillomania, a psychiatric condition. Hair pulling can cause diffuse or localised balding on the scalp. Although both sexes are susceptible, it has been noted that women are more likely to have hair loss as a result of this condition. Although this illness is likely underreported, gender differences in symptom expression may help explain why women have more frequent hair loss.
Researchers have shown that men are more prone to pluck facial, arm, and chest hair than women are. However, in females, the eyebrows and eyelashes are secondary pulling sites to the scalp. It has also been observed that women are more likely to tear off their hair just before their periods start.
Trichotillomania: Treatments
Anxiety, sadness, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are all linked to trichotillomania. Using the DSM-5, a medical professional can determine if you have this disorder. Medication, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and behavioural therapy have been shown to be effective in reducing hair-pulling in certain cases. A hair transplant can be an effective therapeutic option if the disorder causes permanent hair loss and scarring.
Syndrome of Excessive Ovary Cysts
PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is a hormonal disorder that affects women’s reproductive health. In this condition, which causes female hair loss, the ovaries create an excess of androgens. Excessive levels of these male hormones have been linked to increased hair growth (particularly on the face), fat storage, and infertility.
While hair loss from the scalp is possible, hair growth elsewhere on the body is possible. Androgenic alopecia can develop when testosterone levels rise. The hair on your temples and the front of your head may begin to thin.
PCOS: Treatments
Treatments like Minoxidil, a topical medication administered directly to the scalp, or a switch in birth control can help revive dormant hair follicles. Birth control pills can help women with PCOS reduce their testosterone levels. Unfortunately, this method usually just slows facial hair growth.
This research also shows that the oral medicine spironolactone may be used to stimulate hair growth. A hair transplant can be useful in restoring density in areas where there has been irreversible loss of hair due to prolonged shedding.
Effects of Contraceptives
Millions of women worldwide rely on hormonal birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Birth control pills can assist women with PCOS keep their hair from falling out, but they can have the opposite effect on other women. This is especially true for people who are hypersensitive to the pill’s hormones. Having a history of female pattern baldness in your family might also make this a problem.
Some hormonal contraceptives have been linked to an accelerated transition from the active growth phase of hair to its dormant resting phase. Telogen effluvium is another name for this type of unexpected hair loss. Women may have hair loss when they initially begin taking the medicine. When people stop taking the pill or change brands, this might also happen.
Effects of Contraceptives: Treatments
Many cases of telogen effluvium are treated by discontinuing the offending drug. Hair thinning due to birth control drugs, however, often stops after a few months. However, your doctor may recommend Minoxidil to encourage growth if hair loss persists.
If you have a family history of balding, you may want to try a different medication. Some birth control tablets have a lower androgen index, which means they may actually encourage hair growth by keeping your hair in the anagen (growth) phase for a longer period of time.
Seek medical advice
It’s important to talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and risks of each method of contraception. If you have a history of female pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) in your family, you may want to consider using a form of birth control that does not use hormones.
