Female pattern baldness
Average number of hair follicles in women healthy scalp is about 1,00,000. Most of women lose 50 -100 hairs a day. If the hair is healthy, it will grow on its own. But if a woman is suffering from female pattern baldness, she loses 150 -200 hairs a day. These can be clearly visible as excess hairs in the comb, in the sink or in the shower drain
Baldness occurs when hair falls out and normal new hair does not grow in its place. The reason why new hair does not grow in female pattern baldness is not well understood, but it may be related to:
- Ageing
- Changes in the levels of androgens (male hormones). For example, after reaching menopause, many women find that the hair on their head is thinner, while the hair on their face is coarser.
- Family history of male or female pattern baldness
Hair loss can occur in women for reasons other than female pattern baldness, including the following:
- Breaking of hair (from treatments and twisting or pulling of hair, or hair shaft abnormalities that are present from birth)
- Certain skin diseases that lead to scarring of the hair follicles
- Hormonal abnormalities, such as too much testosterone, or too much or too little thyroid hormone
- Iron deficiency
- Medications such as chemotherapy and beta blockers
- Patchy hair loss alopecia areata
- Temporary shedding of hair (Telogen effluvium) after a major illness, surgery, or pregnancy
- Vitamin deficiency (such as biotin)
Although there are many conditions, diseases, and hair care practices that can result in female thinning hair and excessive hair loss, hereditary hair loss accounts for 95% of all women with hair loss.
Female pattern baldness involves a typical pattern of hair loss in women, due to hormones, ageing, and genes. The pattern of hair loss in women differs from male-pattern baldness and is more diffuse. In women, the hair becomes thinner all over the head, and the hairline does not recede. Androgenetic alopecia in women rarely leads to total baldness.
Hair thinning is different from that of male pattern baldness. In female pattern baldness:
- Hair thins mainly on the top and crown of the scalp. It usually starts with a widening through the center hair part.
- The front hairline remains
- The hair loss rarely progresses to total or near total baldness, as it may in men
Itching or skin sores on the scalp are generally NOT seen.
When Androgenetic Alopecia occurs large active hair follicles in specific areas begin to change to smaller less active ones that shrink slightly with each new growth cycle. The enzyme 5 Alpha Reductase is thought to be the major cause of this. Under the action of the enzyme the male hormone testosterone become Dihydrotestosterone. This causes the hair shafts to narrow producing progressively finer hairs with each new growth cycle until eventually the hairs become transparent and stops emerging. If an individual has Androgenetic alopecia the overall levels of testosterone may be normal however the activity of 5 Alpha Reductase is greater than normal, which results in increased amounts of Dihydrotestosterone in the hair follicle.
