Hair Loss Its in the Genes For Women Too

As a woman with thinning hair, do you find yourself comparing the thick luxurious locks you had in old photos with what you have now? What has happened? As women with thinning hair, we can think of our lives in two stagesbefore and after hair loss. Before were those (now) seemingly blissful days when our concerns were more about making our hair do what we wanted it to, and the after was the horrible realization of our new situation. We of course held strongly to the hopes that no one would notice and it would eventually grow back.

We all know men who have thinning hair. They understand and accept it as part of their genetic makeup. Male pattern baldness is caused by the conversion of the male hormone testosterone to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), but genetics ultimately determines exactly what their hairline will be and how much hair density they will lose.

The first time any woman looks in the mirror and starts to notice her thinning hair, she cant help but feel resentful, wondering what on earth happened and, why me? The answer depends on many issues as there are a wide variety of genetic, dietary and medical conditions that can cause hair loss in women, surprisingly many more than affect men.

Even though hair loss in women has multiple causes, many conditions are made worse by that same hormonal activity that kills male hair follicle. Testosterone is the male hormone which is responsible for aggression, whiskers, low voice, less body fat, muscle strength, and more. Men carry this hormone in their bodies in high concentrations, but women also carry it in smaller amounts. As men age, enzymes in the hair follicle convert normal testosterone into DHT, and in a process called miniaturization the hair follicles shrink and deteriorate, causing hair loss. The same process happens in women to a lesser degree and for women with a genetic tendency toward thin hair, DHT can cause their hair loss too.

For many women, this news comes as an unpleasant surprise. But here is the good news, if DHT and genetics are the root cause of your hair loss, your doctor can prescribe Minoxidil, one of the same medications proven to work against hair loss in men. So don’t wait to set an appointment with a doctor, genetic female hair loss responds best when treatment begins early. Results vary individually, and as these medications take time to work, try a hair thickening cosmetic for instant results.

The good news is that, with early and appropriate treatment, you may be able to slow down or stop further hair loss, even re-growing some of the hair you have shed.