Does brushing your hair loosen way too many strands from your head? Or do you find clumps of hair clogging up your shower drain?
If you are losing more than 100 strands of hair daily (out of your 100,000 hair follicles), you could be suffering from female pattern hair loss.
Female pattern hair loss
Female pattern hair loss, or balding in women, is a condition where there is a progressive central widening of the scalp line. It is a genetic condition, so if your parents had extensive hair loss from a young age, it is likely that you will suffer from the same condition – sometimes from an even younger age. There are other contributory environmental factors, such as stress and diet.
While hair loss in women is often most obvious in middle age and during menopause, thinning of hair can occur in those who are in their 20s too. There are even girls below 10 who are suffering from baldness.
Is it the same as male pattern hair loss?
Although balding is widespread in men, its incidence is much less in women. About 100 per cent of men will get some form of male pattern hair loss in their lifetime. But only about 30 to 50 per cent of women experience female pattern hair loss.
The pattern of hair loss also varies. For men, hair loss occurs in targeted areas such as the temples and the top of the head. In the case of female hair loss, there is typically thinning of hair in the crown area.
Growing it back
In a non-balding scalp, hair grows for up to three years, allowing it to become long and thick. In a balding scalp, hair is very short and fine. That’s why one of the aims of treatment is to increase the duration of hair growth.
Treatment options include:
- Topical drugs: These refer to approved medicated solutions, for both men and women.
- Oral drugs: There is one approved oral medication for male pattern hair loss (containing finasteride 1mg). There are other oral medications available for both men and women but these should be discussed with your doctor, as they are not officially approved by the FDA or HSA for hair loss disorders.
- Medical device: There is an approved laser light device that can prolong the duration of hair growth and thus thicken and lengthen individual hairs. It is to be used over the area of potential hair loss. Best results are obtained in combination with another treatment option.
- Hair transplant: Preferably considered when medical options do not provide enough cosmetic improvement, are not suitable or when patients are not keen to try them.
It is recommended that patients try a course of medication first. They should also be assessed for suitability – if they do not have enough hair to distribute around the head, they may not look so good afterwards.
Also, patients must have realistic expectations. The transplant is meant to cosmetically enhance the appearance of a balding scalp – it will not give you the lush hair you had in your heyday.
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