Hair Loss in Women

This article was submitted by Dr. Robert True as seen in News USA

Believe it or not, hair loss is common in women, too.

Some women, like men, lose hair in one area like the crown of their head. Other women tend to lose hair evenly all over the head, resulting in thin hair on the entire scalp.

While primarily a genetic problem, a variety of factors can contribute to female pattern hair loss, including stress, hormonal changes, change in diet and certain medications.

While society generally accepts baldness in men, the same is not always true for women. Unfortunately, fewer options are available for women who want to do something about their hair loss. In fact, the only medical option approved by the Food and Drug Administration for women seeking to re-grow hair is minoxidil, a chemical found in some hair re-growth lotions.

Minoxidil does not work on some areas of the scalp, like the front hair line. It does not completely stop hair loss on a long term basis and must be used continuously in order to keep seeing results. In fact, manufacturers admit that if patients stop using minoxidil, within a year all re-grown hair will be lost.

On the other hand, some women choose to undergo hair transplantation. Hair transplantation involves taking hair from the back of the head and moving it to the balding area. However, traditional hair transplant methods produce a “corn row” look caused by the largeness of the grafts.

But now, a new technique called follicular unit hair transplantation has been developed to solve most, if not all, of the problems associated with older hair replacement options. With the use of the follicular unit hair transplantation, the result is a natural look. This look is achieved with tiny grafts that can be placed very close together, producing a uniformity of hair distribution.