For many women, their hair is the best feature. If they begin losing their hair, it can cause self-esteem issues and even lead to depression.
How well our hair grows depends on different factors. The normal hair cycle will typically produce new hair on a regular basis. If this cycle is interrupted by something like illness, medication, chemicals, or infection, your hair can stop growing or will not be formed properly. Hair growth is very dynamic and if the cycle is interrupted, it can result in hair loss.
Many people think of hair loss as a male problem, but it can occur in women as well. In fact, women are almost as likely to experience hair loss or hair thinning, especially as they approach their 60s, although hair loss may occur at any age.
The hair cycle has three parts: anagen, catagen, and telogen. Most of the hair on our heads is in the growth or anagen phase. This phase can last from 2 to 8 years. The transition or catagen phase is when the hair follicle shrinks and can last from 2 to 3 weeks. The telogen phase is the resting phase and lasts from two to four months.
The average person will lose between 50 to 100 strands of hair daily. When the hair is washed, you can lose up to 250 strands, but do not try to prevent hair loss by not washing your hair. It will eventually fall out anyway. If you do not want to count the loss of hair strands every day, there are other ways to detect if your hair is being lost at a higher rate or is thinning.
Most of the time, women can see the difference. When they wake up in the morning, they may find an unusual amount of hair on their pillow. When they comb their hair, they will notice more hair than normal on their comb. Women may notice other visual cues of hair loss over time.
While men’s hair tends to experience hair loss on the crown of their head or see it receding from their forehead, women tend to experience thinning on the top of the scalp. In women, most do not notice a receding from the front of the hairline, but instead notice their part is gradually widening or when they pull their hair back, they see more of their scalp through their hair.
Hair loss in women may be caused by several different factors. First, it may be genetic, including an inherited condition called alopecia. Other causes of hair loss in women may be caused by medical conditions such as thyroid disorders, pregnancy or anemia. Other reasons for hair loss in women are stress, intense illness, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, dramatic weight loss, and taking too much Vitamin A.
Hair loss in women may be caused by a variety of reasons. If you notice more hair than usual on your comb or in the shower, consult with your GP about possible causes or speak to one of our team at Moorgate Hair Transplant about a possible treatment for your hair loss.