This is the most common cause of hair thinning and loss in women. It is also known as Female Pattern Hair Loss or FPHL. Up to 50 % of women have some degree of this in their lifetime. It certainly is more common as women age, particularly after menopause, but it can start as early as the teenage years. We know that it tends to run in families but sometimes there is no family history.
Inheritance can be from either the mother’s side or the father’s side of the family. We know that hormones play a role in this type of hair loss, especially the “androgenic” hormones such as testosterone.
Female pattern hair loss is typically more pronounced in the frontal areas of the scalp. Over time the hair shaft gets thinner in a process known as “miniaturization”. The hair goes through a constant life cycle, as it naturally sheds and grows new hairs. However, miniaturization occurs, because the anagen phase, or growth phase, of the hair cycle, gets shorter, which means the hair is not able to grow as long or thick as it has in the past. Eventually if not treated, the affected hair will continue to get smaller and disappear completely.
It is essential that women start treatment as soon as they notice excessive hair shedding or thinning. By the time the scalp is visible through the hair, almost 50% of the density in that area has been lost.
Symptoms of Androgenic Alopecia
Female Pattern Hair Loss Widening part More visible scalp Smaller ponytail
Female Pattern Hair Loss most commonly caused by genetics. Typically, hair loss will be more pronounced in the frontal areas of the scalp.
You may have heard in the news lately that recent studies have shown the promise of JAK Inhibitors in treating hair loss. We have received many questions from patients about these studies, and whether these drugs could potentially work for them. JAK Inhibitors are a type of medication that inhibit one or more of the […]
Everybody cries. In my first post introducing you to Medi Tresse, a hair rejuvenation practice for women only in Wellesley, Massachusetts, I shared my reasons for starting a women-only practice. For a woman, losing her “crowning glory,” a key component of her appearance, her style, and her sexuality, hair loss shakes her to her core. In our first […]
The Medi Tresse team is composed of experts in female hair loss. We are committed to offering innovative, non-surgical treatments for hair rejuvenation in women. Whether you are simply looking to increase your hair’s thickness or want to stop more extensive hair loss, Medi Tresse has a wide array of solutions ranging from platelet-rich plasma therapy to low-level laser therapy.
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