Hair loss affects both men and women, but women often experience thinning hair all over rather than noticeable bald spots. Hormones, genetics, and over-processing hair can all contribute to hair loss, and it can also be a symptom of underlying medical conditions.
Hair loss can be as common among women as it is among men, but it’s not as obvious, as it happens to men and women in very different ways. Men lose a greater volume of hair due to androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness. Where men have noticeable bald spots, women shed hair more thinly and often just have hair that feels and looks a little thinner all over.
The female pattern for hair loss is around the top of the entire head, while for men, hair loss occurs in the crown, temples, and bald spot areas of the scalp. The different receptor sites of enzymes and hormones explain the pattern differences between men and women. Some women have a genetic predisposition to hair loss as a large amount of testosterone in their systems reacts with hair cell enzymes to produce thinning hair.
All humans lose and regrow hair on a daily basis. Alopecia, or balding, occurs when the normal human pattern of hair growth is out of balance. The normal hair growth pattern is growth, rest and shedding and if the hair growth pattern is out of balance, hair will not grow back as fast as it falls out. Whites are more prone to male pattern baldness than Japanese. Black people are likely to experience more hair loss than white people.
Many women don’t realize their hair loss until they feel their hair thinning when they put it into a ponytail or braid. The differences between men’s and women’s hairstyles can also make male pattern baldness more noticeable. Sometimes over-processing the hair can cause thinning hair, such as bleaching, coloring or using strong shampoos. Hormones during aging and menopause can cause women’s hair to become thinner. High amounts of vitamin A and medications like Allopurinol/Zyloprim and Coumadin/Warfarin can also affect hair.
Other causes of hair loss include anemia, severe diets, surgery, and emotional trauma. Polycystic ovary syndrome, childbirth, and thyroid disorders can also be causes of female pattern baldness. Some autoimmune diseases can cause clumps of hair to fall out, which is called alopecia areata. Hair loss can sometimes be the only symptom of a disease, so women should visit a female pattern baldness specialist to check for possible underlying medical causes.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
