Much is said about male pattern baldness but little is said about the most common hair loss condition in women today, female pattern baldness. Here are some questions and answers about the condition found in over 30 million women today.
Is female and male pattern baldness caused by the same condition?
Yes, both female and male pattern baldness are a result of heredity. Both are caused by the formation of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which comes from the transformation of testosterone. When DHT is formed, it attaches to a hair follicle blocking nutrients to the follicle and hair strand. This causes the hair strand to fall out and the follicle to eventually die.
Testosterone is a male hormone so how do women get this hormone?
Females have testosterone but in much smaller quantities than in men. Usually testosterone is kept under control in women by the female hormone estrogen. But when estrogen levels are lowered, such as when a woman undergoes menopause, testosterone becomes unchecked. When this happens the testosterone is allowed to convert to DHT, allowing for the development of female pattern baldness.
Male pattern baldness creates bald spots in men; will women with female pattern baldness develop bald spots on their scalp too?
Rarely will women develop bald spots on their hair because of this condition. In most cases women will have a general thinning of their hair across the scalp. This is believed to be because of the angle at which a woman's hair grows out of the scalp is different than the angle of men's hair.
Can hair loss as a result of this condition be stopped and the lost hair re-grown?
Yes there are several proven methods that have been used to stop the effects caused by female pattern baldness. One method is to take a DHT blocker such as Saw Palmetto. This will stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT.
Along with the DHT blocker, women can use Minoxidil at 2% solution strength. This has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for use by women to help stop hair loss and re-grow hair. It is believed to work by increasing the blood circulation to the scalp allowing for more nutrients to be available for the hair follicles and hair strands.
Conclusion
The same hormone that causes male pattern baldness, DHT, causes female pattern baldness also. But the results are different. In men they will usually develop a bald spot on the crown of their head. Women on the other hand will rarely develop a bald spot, but will usually just have a general thinning across the scalp.
Jimmy Chase got into hair styling when he was in the Navy. After the Navy, he continued on in the profession of hair styling and studied how people can have beautiful hair.
