Everything You Need to Know About Female Pattern Hair Loss—Including How to Treat It

Many of us have heard of Male Pattern Baldness, but there is an equivalent for women – Female Pattern Hair Loss. Our hair changes a lot as we get older, and hair loss or thinning becomes a lot more prevalent in women as they age. Our hair is a large part of our identity – it’s an expression of our style and who we are. So, when we start losing it, it can have devastating effects.

When it comes to hair loss, there is a range of many potential triggers, which means it isn’t always easy to pinpoint the exact cause or how best to treat it. Losing your hair can be distressing, frustrating and downright scary. In this guide, we break down the possible reasons behind your thinning hair as well as the treatment options that are available.

Why do we lose our hair?

Hair loss is a lot more common than you might think. In fact, 40% of women experience hair loss by the age of 40 and 80% by the time they reach 60.

There are many different reasons why women may start losing their hair, ranging from hormones and stress to vitamin deficiency and chemical processing. Hair loss may even be a symptom of a greater issue such as Thyroid disease which is why it’s so important to seek medical guidance when hair loss becomes an issue.

Hair loss is nothing to hide or feel ashamed about, especially when it can give us insights into what’s happening with our underlying health and well-being. Many women are completely unaware of their hormonal or thyroid issues until they see a specialist looking to be treated for hair loss.

The role that hormones play

Hair loss in women is more common after the menopause. Specifically, this is due to a lowered production of oestrogen and progesterone, which are the hormones that help hair grow and stay on the head for longer periods of time. In women, hair follicles start to shrink from the mid-40s onwards, and so hair becomes finer with each year.

When seeking advice from a medical practitioner regarding hair loss, they will often start by looking at your blood profiles and if necessary, recommend hormone replacement therapy such as BHRT which can be a very effective solution for hair loss triggered by menopause.

What treatments are available?

Many people assume that a hair transplant is the only real option or that only men can undergo this type of procedure, but for those women who are suitable for surgery, it can be life-changing.

However, in many cases, women may not be suitable for surgery since the type of hair loss or thinning they experience is very different to men. In women, the hair can often thin all over the scalp, leaving little or no area suitable as a donor site.

Fortunately, there are now several alternative treatments available to treat female hair loss and thinning without turning to surgery.

The most appropriate treatment for you will depend on the degree of hair loss, the type of hair loss and the age of the individual. Here, we run through a few of the options:

Trichotest

While the Trichotest isn’t a treatment as such, it is an excellent starting point to your treatment journey.

The Trichotest is an advanced blood test which provides a full explanation of your genetic characteristics and how they relate to your hair loss. This information provides your hair specialist with a deep understanding of the causes behind your hair loss and will enable them to provide a fully personalised treatment plan.

The beauty of the Trichotest is that it takes the trial and error out of hair restoration treatments. You can start with the most appropriate treatment approaches and ultimately, see the best results possible.

HydraFacial Keravive

Poor scalp health is a significant contributor to damaged and thinning hair. The Keravive by HydraFacial uses patented vortex technology to unclog hair follicles, boost circulation and remove dead skin and congestion while nourishing and hydrating the scalp.

The treatment infuses a proprietary blend of skin proteins and growth factors to encourage the growth of thicker, healthier and stronger looking hair. It works well as in individual treatment but can also be combined with other hair restoration treatments such as PRP to enhance results.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Many of us have heard of the ‘PRP facial’. Or, at least you have probably seen photographs of celebrities undergoing the treatment floating around on social media. PRP hit the headlines a few years ago both for its rejuvenating benefits and scary-cool Instagram’s.

PRP has more to offer than collagen boosting and skin tightening – it also works to stimulate the production of new hair cells. During treatment, your practitioner will take a vial of your blood, usually no more than the average blood test would require, and they’ll spin it in a centrifuge to plasma rich in platelets. These are then infused or injected into your scalp where they’ll release growth factors and encourage hair growth.

Scalp Micropigmentation

Scalp Micropigmentation is a tattoo-like procedure using a tiny needle to stimulate or replicate follicles on the scalp. This gives the illusion of a full head of hair or thicker, denser hair. It can also help recreate a new hairline, fill in a patch of Alopecia or camouflage surgical or trauma scars on the scalp. A medical or clinical grade ink is usually used for the procedure, and results should last 3-5 years on average.