Hair Loss News

Boca Raton, FL — It may come as a newsflash to some, but hair loss isn’t just a problem for men anymore.

“Women’s hair loss is much more common than most people realize,” said Alan J. Bauman, M.D., a leading U.S. hair restoration physician. “Because of this, it’s important for women to educate themselves about certain health and physiological factors, like hormonal changes, that are associated with hair loss and thinning.”

Women have a 35-percent chance of experiencing hair loss by age 50, but the condition can occur anytime after puberty. Doctors have noticed that hair loss in women often coincides with hormonal fluctuations and is more likely to occur in women with a family history of hair loss.

Dr. Bauman is a top U.S. expert on female hair loss who’s treated hundreds of women over the last 10 years. According to Dr. Bauman, the top seven health factors commonly associated with female hair loss are:

(1)   MENOPAUSE - Hair thinning is a common complaint of women undergoing menopause. The condition coincides with a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, the female sex hormones.

(2)   POST-PREGNANCY - During pregnancy, a woman’s hair grows faster and feels more luxurious thanks to increases in hormones which keep a higher than normal number follicles in a growth phase. However, after giving birth, the sudden drop in hormones often causes shedding and thinning as the ratio of growing/resting follicles returns to normal.

(3)   CRASH DIETING - Unhealthy dieting and/or rapid weight loss may cause hair follicles to go into “shock,” resulting in increased shedding and a loss of volume that may last for months - or, in some cases, indefinitely - even after a healthy diet is resumed.

(4)   TRACTION ALOPECIA - Over time, certain hairstyles (e.g. tight braiding) and hair extensions can traumatize follicles and lead to permanent bald spots in the scalp, a condition known as “traction alopecia.”

(5)   TRICHOTILLOMANIA - Compulsive hair-pulling, or trichotillomania, can also lead to permanent bald spots in the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes.

(6)   PLASTIC SURGERY - Browlifts and facelifts can alter the appearance of the frontal hairline and may lead to both decreased hair density and scarring in those areas.

(7)   STRESS - Severe emotional stress and trauma can also take a toll on the body, often leading to excessive shedding and thinning that can last for weeks.

For more information about the causes and treatments of female hair loss, visit Dr. Bauman’s website at www.baumanmedical.com.