Monthly Archives: September 2010

It is very common to see men of all ages losing their hair and it has become an accepted part of society that in some stage in life, men are going to lose their hair. However, it is not common to see women who are suffering with hair loss. However, you might be surprised to hear that there are more women suffering with hair loss than you first thought.

More and more women are suffering with hair loss as a result of cancer treatment, conditions such as alopecia and telogen effluvium. In order to find out why they are losing their hair, women do tend to seek medical help in order to ensure that there isn’t anything more seriously wrong that could have resulted in their hair loss.

A woman that you might have seen recently in the press is Heather Fisher. Fisher, who plays on the England women’s rugby union team, has suffered from a severe form of alopecia for a number of years however she has continued to perform at her best for her country in defiance of her condition. Heather has been told that her condition relates to stress, however this has not affected her game and continue to go from strength to strength.

There are many causes for hair loss in women, so it is important to get a proper diagnosis from your GP if you think you are suffering from a hair loss condition. Only when the correct cause of your problem is identified can the right solutions or hair loss management options be found.

One cause of hair loss in women is down to the thyroid gland. Found in the back of the neck, the thyroid gland is responsible for three main functions, such as:

• The production of proteins
• How quickly energy is used in the body
• The sensitivity of the body to other hormones

An underactive thyroid is known as hypothyroidism, whilst an overactive gland is called hyperthyroidism. Both of these conditions can cause female hair loss, thinning or brittle hair.

Hyperthyroidism – overactive

A condition more common in women than in men, hyperthyroidism occurs when there is too much thyroid hormone in the body. It causes many changes in the body, such as weight loss/gain, a loosening of nails and patchy hair loss known as alopecia.

Hypothyroidism – underactive

This is when the underactive thyroid gland is not producing enough of the hormone known as thyroxine, causing symptoms that may not show up for several years. When they do, sufferers may notice hair loss, muscle cramps, tiredness, depression and many other symptoms.

There are many treatments available for hair loss and it would be worthwhile doing your research before you undertake any drastic measures in order to get your hair back. Most doctors would recommend medication for your hair loss and also ask that you examine your lifestyle, your work life balance and other stresses that you may have in your life that could contribute to the reasons why you are suffering from hair loss.

Your doctor may also refer you to a doctor who specialises in hair loss called a trichologists. They know everything there is to know about hair loss and will be able to point you in the right direction when it come to treatment and ensure that you are having your scalp regularly checked to keep an eye on the hair loss that you are suffering.

You could also think about having some alternative treatments for your hair loss in order to boost whatever you might already be doing. It can be a difficult time but if you relax and start to take life a little less seriously, there is a good chance that your hair will return. It may take some time but you may get a full head of hair back again.

Many people wonder why they suffer with alopecia and whether there are any prerequisites for explaining why some people suffer from it and others don’t. Hair loss is a mine field when it comes to explanations for certain types of hair loss and there are many differing options about why it happens and what causes it.

There are many different types of alopecia but the most common known forms are alopecia areata and traction alopecia.

Alopecia areata is the sudden loss of hair, generally in patches on the scalp. It is due to the hair follicles prematurely and rapidly entering into the telogen phase which is better known as the resting phase. Unfortunately, the cause of this type of alopecia is unknown but some experts believe that it should be catagorised as an autoimmune disorder. It is unusual for this type of alopecia to become widespread and tends to be in random patches all over the scalp.

Traction alopecia is caused by excessive amounts of tension being placed on the hair shaft. This causes damage to the hair follicle and over long periods of time, the hair will cease to be produced and will eventually lead to patches of baldness.

It is not uncommon for women of all ages to experience hair loss during their lifetime. A large proportion of women find that they lose some of their hair when they go through the menopause. This can be particularly distressing, especially given all of the other symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, hormone changes and mood swings so you really don’t want to have to contend with hair loss as well.

For some women have loss comes in patches, rather than all over. This is sometimes a sign that the condition relates to alopecia and in some instances, alopecia is curable and treatable in the majority of cases. However, alopecia is brought on by a range of different things and often the cause of the hair loss can be easily adjusted and their hair returns.

It must be remembered when it comes to hair loss that our hair and their follicles that produce hair work on a cycle of approximately 7 years. Whilst some follicles are producing hair, others will be lying dormant and the cycles alternate to ensure that there is always a full head of hair. However, for those who suffer with hair loss, the follicles that should be producing hair have become dormant and the other dormant follicles have not start to produce hair

It can be difficult to come to terms with hair loss particularly when you are a woman and it isn’t something that women usually experience. However, you will find that many women suffer from hair loss during times in their lives and it mostly occurs as a result of stress. Putting yourself through a large amount of stress at any time in your life is not good for your health and if you are showing symptoms such as hair loss, it would be advisable to speak to your doctor.

You might feel embarrassed about your hair loss, but you can reassurance yourself that your doctor has probably seen it before and they might have experience in losing hair themselves. It isn’t something you should be embarrassed or ashamed about and in most cases, your hair loss can be cured quite easily through medication and reducing the stresses in your life.

There are many alternatives to receiving medication for your hair loss and this can include alternative therapies such as acupuncture and reflexology to help you relax and distress. Coping with your hair loss will make you a stronger person and if you can take the advice that your doctor has given you and utilise it to the maximum, your hair loss should only be a temporary thing.