Female Baldness- Common Causes And Treatments

Throughout history, beautiful women have been portrayed with long, luxurious hair. So, when a woman begins to see signs of hair loss, she may feel panicked and hopeless. There are many causes of female baldness; hormone imbalance, chronic illness, stress, thyroid conditions, and auto-immune disorders are just a few. Various treatment options are available, so your best place to start is your doctor's office. Once the cause is diagnosed, you can begin the road to treatment.

Blood tests can be administered by your doctor to determine the cause of your hair loss. These tests can show whether you have a hormone imbalance, thyroid condition, or autoimmune disorder. This will help the doctor to know which step to take in treating this problem.

A common cause of female baldness is Androgenic Alopecia; a hormone imbalance. This occurs when a overabundance of the male hormone (testosterone) is present in the system. Testosterone causes DHA to form in the hair follicle, which can cause hair to stop growing or fall out in patches. Ovarian cysts, certain birth control pills, menopause, and pregnancy are all common causes of Androgenic Alopecia.

Treatments range from herbal to hormone supplements that all have anti-androgenic properties. Speak to your physician or visit a health food store for information on these options.

Medical Treatments; such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and chronic illness are also common causes of female baldness. However, there are few, if any, treatment options for these side effects. These can be very trying times, but there are ways around the awkward feeling of losing your hair to medical treatments or illness. Search online for information on wigs or hair pieces to get you by until your own hair grows back.

Another common cause of hair loss is excessive stress. When we are overly stressed our bodies tend to react in a negative manner; this leads to illness, acne, weight fluctuation, and even hair loss. There are various methods to help you learn to cope with stress. Counseling can be helpful, relaxation exercises, or herbal and prescription relaxants are also good options.

There are two types of thyroid disorder; hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid gland, and hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid gland. The symptoms for each are very specific, people affected by hyperthyroidism may have an increase in metabolism and appetite, and weight loss; however, in the case of hypothyroidism, a person may feel sluggish and gain weight with no change in appetite. There are very effective prescription treatment options available for both conditions, so consult your physician.

Autoimmune disorders are also a common cause of female hair loss. Thyroid disorders and Alopecia Areata are classified as common autoimmune disorders that include hair loss as a side effect. Treatments for Alopecia Areata include applying a topical steroid to the affected area, steroid injections, or applying a topical irritant to stimulate hair growth; such as Anthrolin.

The best thing to remember when dealing with female baldness is that there is hope! Do your research and speak to a health professional. You will soon be on the road to recovery.