Hair loss in women is more common than you may think, with approximately a third of women experiencing some form of hair loss throughout their lives. There is a wide selection of different factors that can lead to hair loss in women, ranging from natural causes requiring minimal intervention to others that might need some form of treatment. Noticeable hair loss can have an impact on your wellbeing and your mental health, so it is important to understand the potential causes and how to tackle them.

What Causes Hair Loss in Women?

Female Pattern Hair Loss 

Female pattern hair loss (female pattern baldness) is a type of hair loss that can affect any woman but usually affects women of postmenopausal age or those with a family history of hair loss. Female pattern baldness begins at the central parting of your hair as opposed to male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) which results in the characteristic M-shaped hairline. You may notice that your hair is thinning or more hair is falling out than usual. If untreated, female pattern baldness can get worse or even become permanent.

There are multiple options for treating hair loss. One such option is Regaine; a topical treatment that can be applied directly to the scalp. It contains an active ingredient called Minoxidil which helps to prevent hair loss, making your hair look fuller and more voluminous. 

Another option is an oral tablet, usually used by men, called Finasteride. It is not typically prescribed to women, however, because the higher doses needed to achieve success in women can lead to an increased risk of side effects. Therefore, Finasteride for women isn’t usually considered a viable option.

Illness

Illness can act as a stressor on the body – this stress can lead to a type of rapid hair loss known as telogen effluvium. This hair loss is temporary and can affect anyone. Telogen effluvium causes more resting hairs, which are hairs that are not actively growing, to shed after a change or stressor to the body. This may lead to the loss of around 300 hairs a day, leading to bald spots. 

Rather than a direct result of medical conditions, this may also be a side effect of some medications.

When it comes to treating telogen effluvium, it’s important to remember that it’s a temporary condition. Once the stressor is no longer present, your hair growth should improve after a short period of time. For this reason, identifying the stressor can be crucial to tackling this kind of hair loss.

However, if the hair loss is more permanent or lasts for a prolonged time, then there are treatment options. As in the treatment of female pattern baldness, topical Regaine is an effective measure to help promote hair regrowth. 

Postpartum Hair Loss

Postpartum hair loss is a common type of temporary hair loss in women. It occurs a few months after giving birth and is characterised by a thinning of the hair and increased hair loss. This loss of hair occurs due to changes in levels of the hormone oestrogen. 

During pregnancy, oestrogen levels rise which helps prevent hair loss. These hormone levels then drop after giving birth which results in increased hair shedding and can lead to thinning. Again, since it is a temporary type of hair loss, there isn’t a specific treatment for postpartum hair loss. However, your hair should grow back to its normal thickness after 6 months at most. 

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency, also known as low levels of iron in the blood, has been linked to increased loss of hair. Hair loss is not the most common symptom of iron deficiency but some research suggests a link between the two. More common symptoms include tiredness, weakness and pale skin. Despite varying evidence, it is understood that severe iron deficiency has an impact on the hair follicles themselves, most likely through a lack of blood flow, leading to damage and shortening of the anagen phase (growth phase) of the hair follicle.

Hair loss due to iron deficiency can be reversible. You may be prescribed iron supplements to help increase your iron levels and then, in turn, help with the regrowth of your hair over time. Also, diet has a role in helping to increase iron levels. Increasing your intake of high-iron foods like red meat, beans or nuts will help to increase your iron levels and reduce any hair loss.

Similar effects can be seen with other vitamin and mineral deficiencies; a healthy, balanced diet and a multivitamin can help stave off these effects.

Extreme Weight Loss

Extreme methods of weight loss, whether it’s through diets or even surgery, acts as a stressor on the body. This then can increase the chance of developing telogen effluvium leading to hair loss from the scalp. Weight loss due to dieting can also result in hair loss due to the restriction of the nutrients that your body needs. 

Nutrients such as protein and iron are vital building blocks that your body needs to grow healthy hair. Without them, hair will be weaker and ultimately will fall out more easily, resulting in hair loss. Eating a healthy, balanced diet with sufficient nutrients will help with both losing weight and regrowing your hair over time.