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Female hair loss: Causes and what treatments are best.

The signs are subtle: a too wide parting in your hair or more strands than normal in your brush. Or they could be obvious: an overall thinning or balding spot.

Female hair loss is fairly common, trichologists and doctors say, and in some cases, it could signal a potentially serious medical problem.

What causes hair loss?

Blame the three H’s: heredity, hormones and health problems. In addition to your genetics, the doctors said hormone imbalances after childbirth, during menopause and at puberty can cause hair loss. So can certain types of lupus, thyroid problems, low iron stores and vitamin deficiencies. Other triggers include too tight braids or ponytails, stress, rapid weight loss or following a vegan diet without taking supplements.

How common is it?

This problem is more common than most people think. “About 50 to 80 percent of women will experience some hair loss in their life, although official numbers probably say it is 20 percent,” Hair loss is very common among older women, but it is the younger women who come in for treatment for vanity reasons.

Is the problem getting worse?

There is no hard data on women’s hair loss, and there is no reason to believe it has been increasing. Permanent hair loss caused by stress to the hair may be decreasing, because hairdressers and beauticians are more aware of the hazards of pulling hair too tight when braiding or using relaxers to straighten your tresses.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

How stress over staying thin leaves 1 in 3 women with hair loss.

The stresses of modern life have left one in three women over the age of 25 suffering from hair loss, research has revealed.

Experts believe a major cause is society’s obsession with being thin.

This leads women to eat less as they try to imitate the skinny frames of celebrities, which means they are not getting enough nutrients which, in turn, is causing their hair to thin or even fall out.

A survey found that 37 per cent of women have experienced hair loss to some degree, with serious thinning a problem for 4.8million women in the UK.

Researchers argue that because the phenomenon is regarded as something that happens only to women in old age, the hair loss itself is adding to stress levels, accelerating the process.

Almost all of the 3,000 women aged 25 and over who were polled said they would be ashamed to say they were losing their hair.

A third of the women said hair loss made them depressed, while a quarter said their personal lives had been affected.

Trichologist Sara Allison said: ‘We are all leading more emotionally stressful lives and are more nutritionally deficient than previous generations.

‘The pressure on women to stay thin often means that they simply don’t eat enough to get all the nutrients or they are not eating the right foods.

‘Hair is essentially the least important tissue of your body; therefore, your hair only receives nutrients if there are any remaining in the body after your vital organs have taken what they need.’
Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist, said: ‘In Western culture, hair is bound up in notions of femininity, youth and sexual attractiveness.

‘Because a woman’s hair plays a big part in value judgments made about youth and attractiveness, the experience of thinning hair is bound to be anxiety provoking.’

In some cases there are medical causes of hair loss, such as chemotherapy. Women are also more likely to lose hair after pregnancy and during menopause, although it grows back.

But there are conditions where the loss can be permanent, such as alopecia, in which the immune system attacks hair follicles.

The survey was commissioned by vitamin supplement specialists Vitabiotics Wellwoman Tricologic.

I’M ONLY 30… I’M SCARED I’LL GO COMPLETELY BALD
Paula Smith is only 30, but is already suffering from extreme hair loss.

She said: ‘I lose so much hair andfuls of it every day. If I sit on the sofa and get up then I leave clumps behind and I clog up the bath.

‘I have had to restyle my hair to cover up the bald patches and I can’t wear my hair up any more.

Paula Smith blames her hair loss on her post-pregnancy diet

‘It’s got to the point where I feel so self-conscious that I have stopped going out with my friends as I am sure people can notice it.

‘My confidence is very low and it seeps into every other bit of my life. My big fear is that I will go completely bald. My hairdresser has restyled my hair to cover up the problem but if things deteriorate I will have to go to the GP.’

The assistant Post Office manager, who lives with her partner Sean Juliano and their three children in Hertfordshire, blames her hair loss on the pressure to lose weight after the birth of her youngest seven months ago.

She said: ‘I felt pressured after seeing celebrities get back into shape within months of giving birth.

‘My diet suffered and that must have contributed to my Paula Smith: Post-pregnancy diet hair loss.’

NOW! Hair loss is a thing of the past. TAKE ACTION TODAY and speak to a Westminster Trichologist before it is too late! read more information on Hair Loss Services.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Asian Female Hair Loss Case Study

Humara has been using Vitastim 15% and Biostim 15% together once in the morning and once in the evening for the last 21 months. She has also requested a diet sheet and additional booster treatments to assist the quality of the regrowth hair in the past 6 months. Humara’s hair is extremely important to her appearance and culture as a young Asian woman in her twenties prior to marriage.

Her results are self evident. Tighter parting lines and lovely long thick luxurient hair. If you think you look like Humara in this photographs at the start of treatment in March 2008, then you too can achieve these results within 21 months yourself.

So why not start treatment today at The Hair Centre and start the New Year with a full head of hair.

At the start of treatment MARCH 2008

Today DECEMBER 2009

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

To help women maintain healthy hair growth & condition

The changes which occur as we age, as well as an inadequate diet, stress, hair styling and lifestyle, can all impact hair condition, strength and growth.

Shedding of excess hair in women is different to that in men and can begin around the age of 30 and in some cases even as early as the 20s. It usually becomes noticeable around the age of 40, and may be even more noticeable after menopause. By the age of fifty, 50% of women will probably experience some degree of excess hair loss.

Healthy hair growth is related to many factors including:
Age and genetic factors
Hormonal influences
Pregnancy and menopause
Chemicals/colourants and physical damage
Trauma/stress
Rapid weight loss
Inadequate nutrition

Nutrition and your hair
Having a healthy head of hair and a healthy scalp begins with the proper nutritional building blocks. The hair follicle is a highly active factory and metabolic requirements for oxygen, energy and protein synthesis must be met to maintain healthy hair. A reduction of nutrients in the diet or a reduction of blood supply to the scalp can threaten the delivery of adequate oxygen, glucose and essential nutrients which can have a negative impact on the body’s ability to assimilate nutrients required to maintain normal follicle metabolism and hair growth. Supplementation can therefore play an important role in safeguarding an individual’s nutritional intake.

How does Wellwoman Tricologic® work?
Wellwoman Tricologic® has been scientifically formulated to provide a complete spectrum of 26 nutrients, including biomarine collagen, amino acids and special plant derived nutrients, which play a role in scalp health and hair follicle metabolism. The bio-active nutrients of Wellwoman Tricologic® are delivered via the blood stream directly to the hair roots for maximum benefit.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help