What is female pattern baldness?

Female pattern baldness, also called androgenetic alopecia, is hair loss that affects women. It’s similar to male pattern baldness, except that women can lose their hair in a different pattern than men.

Hair loss in women is normal, especially as you age. Up to two thirds of women experience hair loss after menopause. Female pattern baldness is hereditary. It’s more common after menopause, so hormones are likely responsible. If you notice that you’re losing hair, see your doctor or a dermatologist. They will be able to determine if you’re experiencing female pattern baldness or another type of hair loss.

The sooner you get treated, the faster you’ll be able to stop the loss — and possibly even regrow hair.

What does female pattern baldness look like?

In female pattern baldness, the hair’s growing phase slows down. It also takes longer for new hair to begin growing. Hair follicles shrink, leading the hair that does grow to be thinner and finer. This can result in hair that easily breaks.

It’s normal for women to lose 50 to 100 hairs each day, but those with female pattern baldness can lose many more.

In men, hair loss starts in the front of the head and recedes to the back until they go bald. Women lose hair from all over their head, starting at their part line. Hair at the temples may also recede.

Woman are less likely to go completely bald, but you may have a lot of thinning throughout your hair.

Doctors divide female pattern baldness into three types:

• Type I is a small amount of thinning that starts around your part.
• Type II involves widening of the part, and increased thinning around it.
• Type III is thinning throughout, with a see-through area at the top of your scalp.

Can genetics cause female pattern baldness?

Hair loss is passed down from parents to their children, and many different genes are involved. You can inherit these genes from either parent. You’remore likely to have female pattern baldness if your mother, father, or other close relatives have experienced hair loss.

Treatments for female pattern baldness

If you have female pattern baldness, you may be able to camouflage the hair loss at first by adopting a new hairstyle. Eventually, you might have too much thinning at the top of your scalp to hide.

Early diagnosis is encouraged, as it can enable you to get on a treatment plan and potentially minimize future hair loss. Your treatment plan will likely consist of one or more medications approved to treat hair loss.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the only drug approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat female pattern baldness. It’s available in 2% or 5% formulas. If possible, opt for the 5% formula.

To use, apply minoxidil to your scalp every day. Though it won’t fully restore all the hair you’ve lost, minoxidil can grow back some hair over time. It is great to use in combination with a FUT or FUE hair transplant procedure as it may assist in aftercare and thicker hair maintanance.

You’ll need to keep using minoxidil to maintain the effect, or it will stop working. It may also take between 6-12 months to see results. If it stops working, your hair may return to its previous appearance.

The following side effects are possible:

• redness
• dryness
• itching
• hair growth on areas where you didn’t want it, such as your cheeks

Finasteride and dutasteride

Finasteride (Propecia) and Dutasteride (Avodart) are FDA-approved to treat hair loss in men. They’re not approved for women, but some doctors do recommend them for female pattern baldness.

Studies are mixed as to whether these drugs work in women, but some research has shown that they do help regrow hair in female pattern baldness.

Side effects can include headaches, hot flashes, and a decreased sex drive, especially during the first year of use. Women shouldn’t get pregnant while on this drug, because it can increase the risk for birth defects.

Spironolactone

Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a diuretic, which means it removes excess fluid from the body. It also blocks androgen production, and it may help regrow hair in women.

This drug can cause a number of side effects, including:

• electrolyte imbalances
• fatigue
• spotting between periods
• irregular menstruation
• tender breasts

You may need to have regular blood pressure and electrolyte tests while you take this drug. If you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant, you shouldn’t use this medication. Spironolactone may cause birth defects.

Other options

If low iron is contributing to your hair loss, your doctor might prescribe an iron supplement. At this time, there isn’t any conclusive medical evidence that taking iron will regrow your hair. Other supplements, such as biotin and folic acid, are also promoted to thicken hair.

Women developed thicker hair after taking omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants. However, it’s best to check with your doctor before taking any supplements to re-grow hair.

Laser helmets like the Capilus are FDA-approved to treat hair loss. They use light energy to stimulate hair regrowth. More research needs to be done to determine if this is truly effective.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy may also be beneficial. This involves drawing your blood, spinning it down, then injecting your own platelets back into your scalp to stimulate hair growth. Though promising, more studies need to be done.

Finally, a hair transplant, like those offered at Best Hair Transplant in Redondo Beach, is a more permanent solution. During this procedure, your doctor removes individual folicles and/or a thin strip of hair from one part of your scalp and implants it in an area where you’re missing hair. The graft regrows like your natural hair.