The Double Standard of Hair Loss in Women
Our society has made hair loss in men much more acceptable than in women. Hair loss in men has even become so acceptable that bald men are seen as strong and masculine. You see bald and balding men in movies and TV, hosting talk shows, and even modeling. Hair loss in women is so taboo that the only time you will see a balding woman on TV is when they are portraying a wicked witch or a cancer patient.
While our culture has generally accepted that hair loss in men happens, its also very common in women. More than 50% of women experience noticeable loss at some point in their lives. In America alone, 21 million women suffer from some form of hair loss. 95% of the hair loss in women is androgenetic, meaning it results from, genetics and a hormone called androgen. Androgens include testosterone and other “male” hormones, which can accelerate hair loss in women.
What Are the Effects of Female Hair Loss?
So, what happens to these women who are experiencing the hair loss? Chances are that they are trying the very best to hide it from the world, due to the stigma female hair loss carries with it. If you see a balding man at the grocery store, chances are you won’t even remember the encounter, but if you see a balding woman, then it will stand out. The saddest statistic is that over 29% of women suffering from hair loss also reports two or more symptoms of depression. Chances are that depression is due to society’s unacceptance of hair loss in women, no matter how common it is.
Many of these women will seek out the nearest FUE clinic for a hair transplant surgery. FUE stands for Follicular Unit Extraction and is the latest hair transplant technique. However, a FUE transplant can run upwards of $15,000 in a worst-case scenario. If these women live on the coast, and cannot afford a hair transplant in Los Angeles, you have additionall options. There are some natural home remedies for hair loss you can try before surgery.
Natural Treatments for Hair Loss in Women
Treating Hair Loss With Onion Juice
While we do not recommend that you try to drink the juice of the onion, but it does contain a large amount of sulfur. While it doesn’t sound like sulfur would be great for hair, it’s packed with amino acids. They’re components in protein, specifically a protein known as keratin found in skin, nails, and hair. So, when added to your hair, onion juice will prevent hair loss and promote hair growth. (Hartney, 2018)
Sulfur is also a necessary ingredient in the formation of collagen. Collagen is a protein found in our bodies that promotes healthy skin and hair growth. Personally, I use collagen pills and collagen coffee creamer to get my daily dose. However, onion juice works too! Onion juice has also been shown to increase circulation. When you apply onion juice to the hair and scalp, the increased circulation could increase the blood supply to the underperforming hair follicles, helping them to improve their growth.
Onion Juice Hair Strengthening Studies
In 2014, a study was conducted on just how effective onion juice was on hair loss. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 16 males and 7 females aged an average of 22.7 years. The second group consisted of 8 males and 7 females with an average age of 18 years old. All suffered from a form of hair loss called Alopecia areata. The first group was given onion juice and was told it was a hair loss solution, and the second group was given water and told the same thing. They were instructed to apply the solution twice daily for two months.
The study showed that “Re-growth of terminal coarse hairs started after two weeks of treatment with crude onion juice. At four weeks, hair re-growth was seen in 17 patients (73.9%), and, at six weeks, the hair re-growth was observed in 20 patients (86.9%) and was significantly higher among males (93.7%) compared to females (71.4%).” (Khalifa E. Sharquie, 2014)
Keep Hair Loss Minimal with Plenty of Iron
Iron is essential for your body to produce hemoglobin, which is a protein in your red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to the cells of your body which assist them in the re-growth and repair process. These cells include the cells that help with hair growth.
Many women who are of child-bearing age and have monthly periods become anemic, meaning their bodies are iron deficient. When anemia happens in the body, one of the first signs is hair loss. Vegetarians and vegans are also highly at risk of developing an iron deficiency, especially if they are women of childbearing age. If you are a woman who is not vegetarian or vegan, the best way to get enough iron in your system is to eat two, 4-ounce portions of red meat per week. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, then beans, spinach, and other dark leafy vegetables can be sufficient sources of iron.
Zinc May Prevent Hair Loss in Women
Zinc is a nutrient found in your body that helps your immune system and metabolism function. Supplementing your normal diet with this minal may reduce hair shedding. Zinc also will strengthen the hair follicles in your scalp that help your hair to grow.
A 2009 study reported that some alopecia areata patients had a zinc deficiency. The study provided oral zinc supplementation for 12 weeks to alopecia patients who had the low levels of zinc in their systems. The study showed that the zinc supplements could become a therapy for alopecia patients bases on the results, but only for those who had low levels in zinc in their systems and all other methods of treatment had failed.
Drugs for Treating & Addressing Hair Loss in Women
If some of the natural hair loss remedies have failed, then a step below looking into a hair transplant surgery would be some prescription and over-the-counter drugs. There are a number of topical and oral hair loss drugs, all with their own effectiveness and side effects.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) for Hair Loss in Women
Minoxidil was first used in a pill form to treat high blood pressure. Doctors noticed that the patients treated with Minoxidil developed excessive hair growth as a side effect. This spurned a great amount of research into Minoxidil use as a hair restoration treatment.
Minoxidil actually seems to be more effective as a hair loss treatment for women than it does for men due to how androgenetic alopecia manifests in women. When men start to lose hair due to alopecia, the hairline will begin to recede as well as hair loss occurs on the crown of the head, developing fully bald spots over time. Androgenetic alopecia in women causes a general thinning over the entire scalp. Minoxidil is rarely effective in regrowing hair in fully bald areas but is effective when the hair is only thinning like it does in women suffering from alopecia.
Currently, product labeling for Rogaine only recommends women use the 2% concentration of Minoxidil as the 5% is not FDA-approved for women. However, some doctors will prescribe the 5% for women with androgenetic alopecia when used under their supervision. Clinical trials have shown that 5% Minoxidil solution is more effective in regrowing hair for women that the 2% solution. (Anne W Lucky, 2004)
Androgen Receptor Inhibitors for Women’s Hairloss
Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a potassium-sparing diuretic. Normally taking this drug is reduces the fluid in the body without lowering potassium levels. Spironolactone will inhibit androgens by slowing down the production in the adrenal glands and ovaries as well as prevent dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from binding to its androgenetic receptor.
Cimetidine, brand name Tagamet, belongs to a class of histamine blockers used mainly to treat gastrointestinal ulcers. In the past Cimetidine was used to treat excess facial hair growth in women but has since shown promising results in studies in treating androgenetic alopecia in women.
Estrogen and Progesterone for Female Hair Loss
When menopause has been identified as the reason for hair loss in women, hormone replacement therapy may be the most effective option. Hormone therapy involves women taking female hormones like estrogen and progesterone in cream, pill, and other forms.
When estrogen levels are high, women typically sport full, thick heads of hair. However, estrogen levels drop over time. Pregnancy or menopause force hair to enter a “resting” of growth. Finally, the hair follicle death process result in hair loss. For women affected by low levels of estrogen, hormone replacement therapy may restore estrogen levels. It may even slow or stop hair loss.
Oral Contraceptives May Have an Effect on Hair Loss & Thinning
Birth control pills may decrease the production of androgens in the ovaries and may treat androgenetic alopecia in women. However, it is important that women discuss this approach with their doctors and follow the same cautions when taking oral contraceptives as though for pregnancy prevention. Things like blood clots can form in women smokers over the age of 35. Only low-androgen index birth control pills should be used to treat hair loss. High androgen index birth control pills may contribute to hair loss by triggering or enabling it.
When Surgery is the Only Option
Nobody, neither men nor women, wakes up in the morning of a hair transplant surgery excited for their day. A hair transplant in Los Angeles is a minimally invasive procedure that can also be expensive. At least depending on the location you choose. Here at Best Hair Transplant Los Angeles, we are an FUE clinic that understands that hair transplant surgery is normally the very last option when it comes to hair restoration in women. It’s never easy to admit you’re losing your hair. We’re sensitive to the stigma that out society puts on hair loss in women. Furthermore, we know what kind of toll it takes on your self-esteem.
An FUE hair transplant surgery is by far the best option for women who are suffering from alopecia due to the precise extraction and implantation of the hair follicles in the procedure. When a woman’s hair is thinning over the entire scalp, using the FUE method, our doctors can strategically implant hair follicles so that when those follicles begin to grow new hair, it will create an appearance of a full head of thick hair.
An FUE hair transplant to treat hair loss in women works well alongside hair restoration drugs like Rogaine. Using Minoxidil before an FUE procedure may increase transplanted hair results. Therefore, this may increase or improve the results of the FUE procedure. If Minoxidil is used after a hair transplant, the drug will help stimulate the transplanted hair follicles to begin the growth phase and therefore re-grow the hair faster.
Affordable Los Angeles Hair Transplants
If all other hair loss solutions have failed and the only other option is to find an FUE clinic for surgery, you can trust us here at Best Hair Transplant Los Angeles. We have performed many hair transplants for women, and we understand the particular needs and techniques that women need for their procedures. Contact us today and set up your complimentary consultation.
Best Hair Transplant is the best place to schedule your hair transplant in Los Angeles. We’ve helped thousands of women like yourself regrow their lost hair. We’re proud of our results and happy to provide hair restoration services. Additionally, we’re proud to make hair transplants affordable and help you save money on a variety of hair transplants. We can’t wait to help you start restoring your lost hair.
YOUR HAIR RESTORATION SOLUTION
Best Hair Transplant
1970 S. Prospect Ave., Suite 2
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(213) 403-0455
References
- Anne W Lucky, D. J. (2004). A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 5% and 2% topical minoxidil solutions in the treatment of female pattern hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol.
- Hartney, M. (2018). More Sulfur Facts to Grow By. Retrieved from FFAA.
- Khalifa E. Sharquie, H. K.-O. (2014). Onion Juice (Allium cepa L.), A New Topical Treatment for Alopecia Areata. The Journal of Dermatology.
