
All women have some of the male hormone testosterone in their
bodies, but women with androgenetic alopecia are more sensitive to
the hormone. This sensitivity causes hair to thin all over the head,
and some women develop thinning patches similar to male-pattern hair
loss
Sudden hair loss may not be painful or even dangerous in itself,
but for the six out of ten women who suffer from it at some point in
their lives can find, it a devastating blow to their confidence -
marital break up, career problems, social isolation and even suicide
has been known to follow in its wake.
One of the most traumatic experiences a woman could endure in her
life would be baldness. Hair thinning or slight hair loss is bad
enough but total baldness can be completely heartbreaking. To see
one's hair fall out in clumps and be able to do nothing about it is
something no woman ever contemplates. Sadly there is a hair disorder
that affects women for no reason, which causes the hair to fall out
in handfuls. There is no known cure for the problem and many women
with the disorder sadly spend vast sums of money with the so called
"hair specialists" on wonder shampoo's which they claim
will restore their crowning glory.
Society may mock men suffering from baldness, but at least it is
tolerated. However a woman suffering from baldness is just not
acceptable by society. Until people can actually accept one another
as they are and not judge them by their looks, then we shall always
have the problem, with bald women being virtually treated as
outcasts. For a woman hair loss can be devastating, in our society
hair is regarded as a symbol of beauty and desirability, without
hair some women feel complete failures and the effects can be
disastrous. Hair loss can be seen to some women as losing their
femininity.
Baldness occurs when the hair falls out but a new hair does not
grow in its place. The cause of the failure to grow a new hair is
not well understood, but it is associated with genetic
predisposition, aging, and levels of endocrine hormones. Changes in
the levels of the androgens can affect hair production. For example,
after the hormonal changes of menopause, many women find that the
hair on the head is thinned, while facial hair is coarser. Although
new hair is not produced, the follicle remains alive, suggesting the
possibility of new hair growth.
Genetic hair loss and moult or increased hair shedding (chronic
telogen effluvium), accounts for by far the majority of all hair
loss complaints in women - up 95% in fact before menopause. Unlike
men who tend to lose a lot of hair in particular areas, like the
temples and crown - Male pattern baldness - women are more likely to
thin diffusely from behind the front hairline to the crown.
The most common type of hair loss seen in women is androgenetic
alopecia, also known as female pattern alopecia or baldness. This is
seen as hair thinning predominantly over the top and sides of the
head. It affects approximately one-third of all susceptible women,
but is most commonly seen after menopause, although it may begin as
early as puberty. Normal hair fall is approximately 100-125 hairs
per day. fortunately, these hairs are replaced. True hair loss
occurs when lost hairs are not regrown or when the daily hair shed
exceeds 125 hairs. Genetically, hair loss can come from either
parent's side of the family.
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