What you need to know about female pattern baldness

Did you know that about one-third of women will experience hair loss at some time in their lives? Female hair loss and baldness can be very distressing for women who find themselves with the condition. The quicker you realise and get treated, the sooner you will be able to stop the loss and potentially even regrow the hair.

What is female pattern baldness?

Female pattern baldness can also be referred to as androgenetic alopecia which is hair loss in women. Hair loss is normal and expected for women especially as you age with the majority of women experiencing it after menopause.

What causes female pattern baldness?

Hair loss is usually in your genetics with many parents passing their hair loss issues down to their children so if your mother or grandmother experienced hair loss then it is highly likely that you will too at some point in your life. Female pattern baldness can also be a result of hormones with many women experiencing hair loss after menopause.

Causes for hair loss can vary between women, a trichologist will be able to run a series of tests and look at your lifestyle to reveal what the potential causes of your hair loss may be.

What does female pattern baldness look like?

Female pattern baldness can be defined into three stages which forms the Ludwig Classification system;

Stage 1; Thinning around your parting
Stage 2; Increased thinning of the parting resulting in a wider parting appearance
Stage 3; Thinning throughout the head of hair with a noticeable see-through area around the crown of the head

Women are much less likely to go completely bald, but you will notice thinning throughout the hair as your hair follicles start to shrink resulting in thin and fragile hair that is susceptible to breakage. A usual loss of 50 to 100 hairs a day is surprisingly normal for women but if you are experiencing hair loss then this will be much more.

Can Female Pattern Baldness be treated?

Although female pattern baldness is not treatable, proper treatment will be able to stop the hair loss and potentially help to regrow lost hair too. The majority of treatments usually require you to stay on them long-term otherwise your hair will eventually return to its previous state once you stop.

There are a variety of hair loss medications such as Minoxidil and Spironolactone that may be prescribed to you which aim to help regrow and thicken hair in women. These will be discussed with you by your prescriber as some do come with their own side effects which you certainly need to be aware of before taking a course of them.

On seeing a trichologist they will take information about your lifestyle making notes on the potential aspects that are not helping your hair loss so things like quitting smoking, reducing treatments that damage your hair such as straightening and eating healthily will all help to reduce the scale of your hair loss.

In some cases your trichologist may suggest that the best way of resolving your hair loss issues is to undergo a hair transplant. Here at The Private Clinic we have some of the most experienced Hair Transplant Surgeons in Europe who are able to offer the most advanced method of hair restoration called FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and they will be able to assess your suitability and what results to expect from the procedure.

Is it possible to prevent female pattern baldness?

Unfortunately it is not always possible to prevent female pattern baldness, especially if it is genetic. There are a few ways you can help keep your hair healthy however and prevent it from excessive breakage and loss. These include; eating a healthy diet which includes plenty of iron, don’t smoke, ask your doctor if any medications you are taken have hair loss as a side effect, restricting sun exposure and avoiding treatments such as bleaching, perming and straightening that can break and damage the hair.

Female Hair Loss Treatment at The Private Clinic

We only work with highly experienced Hair Transplant Surgeons and recognised Trichology professionals certified by the Institute of Trichologists to get the best results for your needs.

Our elite team has advanced knowledge of hair loss and are able to utilise years of experience to ensure they find the best treatment plan for you. They work in collaboration to ensure results are not only noticeable, but also long-lasting.

Expert medical practitioners with years of experience.
State of the art medical facilities, all registered by the CQC (Care Quality Commission).
Our innovative treatment choice means you will be offered the most advanced treatment options.
When it comes to non-surgical treatments we always strive to give you little to no downtime, so you can get back to enjoying life.