Hair loss in women is a complicated proces and adversly affects the woman’s mental state.Facing unapredictable hair loss and the inability to stop the decline takes a woman into powerless position at the era when the hair is a symbol of beauty and health, hair loss is a very stressful for every woman regardless of their age, profession or education.
Hair loss in women is significantly different than in men, among them the loss of hair in most cases is androgenetic alopecia-an inherited tendency toward a specific distribution of hair that owns enzim 5- alfa reductozaa that by conversion of testosteron into its active form and by di-hidrotestosteron(DHT) causes hair loss localised ( fronto-temporal recession, crown) while women generally suffer from diffuse hair loss. Hair becomes thinner and the number of hairs that fall out is always increasing. In men, hair loss begins at the age of 20 or 30, in women it is different so we can distinguish two periods when there is a loss of hair , in the 20s or after menopause.
In the normal condition of hair ,about 90% of hair is in the active growth phase called anagen phase lasting from 1 to 7 years. The rest of 10% of hair is in a quiet phase of growth and is called telogen phase lasting about 3 months when the hair starts to fall out , all of which leads to a gradual shortening of the anagen phase and extends telogen phase what leads to excessive decline of hair. During the last 3 months of pregnancy, hormones stimulate hair growth and this 90% of hair is in anagen stage of active growth while only 10% in the resting phase. After childbirth , 20-30% telogen hair goes into a resting phase and suddenly, 3-4 months after childbirth women begin to lose hair rapidly. But, it is a temporary condition that can usually recover after 6 months.
Unfortunatelly, one group of women remain with thin hair and of poor quality.
Chemotherapy affects the anagen phase of active growth as this group of drugs strongly affects the growth of cells. When the chemotherapy is completed the normal hair growth begins.
Disbalance of certain hormones often affects hair loss.”Male hair loss” in women when the hair becomes thinner in the region of the front-temporal recessions or crown are characteristic for excessive level of androgens in women with polycystic ovaries. The excessive hair loss also occurs with disorders of the thyroid (hyper or hypothyroidism). There is a strict protocol of what lab results must be done to set the right diagnosis and treatment of hair loss in women.
Other factors that contribute to the additional hair loss in women are badly balanced diet, surgical intervention, severe infection with high temperature, autoimmune disease (lupus,reumotoid arthritis), skin diseases (psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis), certain medications as beta-blockers, antidepressant, anti-inflamatory drugs and contraceptives. Stres directly affects hair loss. Although direct casual mechanism hasn’t been determined yet but almost all women report that their hairlos is greater in stressful situations.
It is very complex to establish the diagnosis of this condition, so the treatment can be very complex,too. Patients are advised to eat food rich in iron, zinc and biotin(spinach,tofu,beans,red meat) then, use a shampoo of good quality rich in coffeine, zinc ,vitamin E and menthol is recommended as a basic hair care for women.
Next, there is pharmacological treatment by using Minoxidil or Finasteride capsules (Proscar). Mesotherapy is also an option during which nutritious vitamin coctails are injected by atraumatic microsyringe.This therapy has proved to be very effective in prevention further hair loss.
PRP Therapy – Therapy which use our own platelets belongs to the most effective method for preventing hair loss but there is also a laser, a technological achievement,which stimulates the growth of new hair. Combining lasers and medicine can effectively treat hair loss .A laser for home use ( IGrow) can be purchased which is a very convenient and comfortable treatment.
And finally, FUE hair restoration, which is not so popular among women because donor area has to be cut short (but not the entire one!),is the only solution to the problem. Hair loss treatment requires a good diagnosis, therapy selection, persistence and patience both of the doctor and the patient.