Although you may have heard a lot about hair loss conditions such as alopecia, mainly due to celebrity sufferers such as Gail Porter, one of the most common female hair loss conditions is pattern baldness.
Pattern baldness, known as androgenic alopecia in both women and men, is caused by mainly genetic components. This means that if your mother, father or their parents suffered from pattern baldness, you have a greater chance of experiencing it too.
Androgenic alopecia shows itself differently in women than in men, as it is not generally characterised by a receding hairline or a bald spot on the top of the head. Instead, it shows itself as visible thinning over the crown. Women usually start to notice they have this condition when they spot that their parting has widened or that they have thinning hair.
Is there a treatment for pattern baldness?
The only medication currently used to treat this kind of hair loss in women is minoxidil, usually the 2% variety. This medication attempts to prolong the hair’s growth (anagen) phase, giving the hair more time to grow to its full length. You can see your doctor to find out more about this treatment, but be aware that you will need to be patient if prescribed it.