TYPES OF HAIR LOSS IN WOMEN

Hair shedding is a common phenomenon. On a typical day, it is okay for women to shed 50 to 100 hairs; however, when this balance is disrupted, and women start losing more hair than usual, it becomes a problem. This condition of excessive hair loss in females is called Alopecia. There are several causes of hair loss – the most common being stress, pregnancy, and hormones. Once the cause is diagnosed, it is better to treat it and stimulate hair growth by consulting a dermatologist.

There are several types of Alopecia:

  •       Androgenetic Alopecia: Also called androgenic, androgenetic alopecia causes diffused thinning on all the areas of the scalp. This condition is majorly caused by the presence of male hormones called androgens in women’s bodies in small amounts. It can also be caused by actions of hormones such as menopause, pregnancy, birth control pills, etc.
  •       Telogen Effluvium: Hair can be impacted by traumatic things like stress, malnutrition, infection, or surgeries. In this condition, stress can shift hair from the anagen and catagen phases to the telogen phase. It is important to avoid stressful situations to get rid of this condition.
  •       Anagen Effluvium: This condition is common in women undergoing chemotherapy. In Anagen Effluvium, the metabolic activity of hair follicles is impacted, and 90% of hair in the anagen phase falls out.
  •       Traction Alopecia: Traction Alopecia happens due to tight hairstyles, which damage the hair follicles. Some examples of these hairstyles are braids, tight ponytails, cornrows, etc.

Ways to prevent hair loss

Several treatments can stop or reduce hair fall. However, these treatments come with a lot of misinformation, such as hair treatments can be expensive or painful or have side effects like burning of the scalp. We have prepared a list of the top five hair treatments for women which are effective and do not have any side effects:

  •       Low-light lasers: Using a laser cap hair growth can stimulate the hair follicle, reducing shedding and promoting hair growth. Even though hair loss caused by hair genetics can be cured completely, buy using these caps for fifteen minutes every day can reduce hair fall to a great extent by improving the scalp’s health and strengthening the hair.
  •       Ketoconazole: Androgenetic Alopecia causes inflammation in the hair follicles, leading to hair falling out. The drug ketoconazole can control this condition. This drug is available in the market in shampoos and decreases the production of androgens which destroy the hair follicles.
  •       Hormone therapy: If you are experiencing loss because of any hormone conditions, such as menopause, it is recommended to take hormone therapy to fix it. The most common treatments would be hormone replacement treatment or birth control pills. You can also consider taking antiandrogens which stop the production of androgens in your body and prevent hair loss. However, it is better to recommend a dermatologist before starting these medications.
  •       Platelets for hair: Women can also consider taking injections infused with platelet-rich plasma. The process of injecting plasma into the hair involves the doctor drawing blood from our body, centrifuging the white blood cells, and injecting it into the affected areas of the scalp. These white blood cells in our body are rich in plasma which can repair the hair tissues and promote the growth of thicker and denser hair.
  •       Hair transplant: If none of these treatments work, it is better to consider hair transplantation, which is taking a small piece from your scalp and adding it to the bald area. However, if you decide to go with a hair transplant, it is crucial to look for an experienced and reputed surgeon to get the best results. 

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