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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 13 January 2008 |
Hair Loss in Women
Men don't like losing their hair, but women like losing theirs even less.
Each year, women spend countless hours and dollars on their hair. It can play a major role in a woman´s self-confidence and self-esteem, making female pattern hair loss a potentially debilitating condition, socially and emotionally. But it doesn´t have to be.
Mistakenly thought to be a strictly male disease, women make up a significant percentage of American hair loss sufferers. Forty percent of women have visible hair loss by the time they are age 40, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss in women can be absolutely devastating for self image and emotional well-being.
Unfortunately, society has forced women to suffer in silence. It is considered far more acceptable for men to go through the same hair loss process. Even more unfortunately, the medical community pays little attention to the issue of women's hair loss. Since hair loss doesn't appear to be life threatening, physicians often overlook women's complaints about hair loss and essentially tell their patients that "it's no big deal," and that "you'll just have to live with it."
Of course what these physicians don't seem to realize is that the psychological damage caused by hair loss and feeling unattractive can be just as devastating as any serious disease, and in fact, can take an emotional toll that directly affects physical health.
The American Hair Loss Association recognizes that hair loss is women is a serious life-altering condition that can no longer be ignored.
Hair Loss in Women: CausesAndrogenetic alopecia, commonly called male or female pattern baldness, was only partially understood until the last few decades. For many years, scientists thought that androgenetic alopecia was caused by the predominance of the male sex hormone, testosterone, which women also have in trace amounts under normal conditions. But while testosterone is at the core of the balding process, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is now thought to be the main culprit.
DHT, a derivative of the male hormone testosterone, is the enemy of hair follicles on your head. Simply put, under certain conditions DHT wants those follicles dead. This simple action is at the root of many kinds of hair loss.
Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. Scientists now believe that it's not the amount of circulating testosterone that's the problem but the level of DHT binding to receptors in scalp follicles. DHT shrinks hair follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.
The hormonal process of testosterone converting to DHT, which then harms hair follicles, happens in both men and women. Under normal conditions, women have a minute fraction of the level of testosterone that men have, but even a lower level can cause DHT- triggered hair loss in women.
Certainly when those testosterone levels rise, DHT is even more of a problem. DHT levels can be elevated and be within what doctors consider "normal range" on a blood test, but they may be high enough to cause a problem. The levels may not rise at all and still be a problem if you have the kind of body chemistry that is overly sensitive to even regular levels of chemicals, including hormones.
Since hormones operate best when they are in a delicate balance, the androgens, as male hormones are called, do not need to be raised to trigger a problem. Their counterpart female hormones, when lowered, give an edge to these androgens, such as DHT. Such an imbalance can also cause problems, including hair loss.
Hair loss can also be caused by an imbalance of thyroid hormones or pregnancy, disease, and certain medications, which can all influence hair's growth and shedding phases.
Hormones are cyclical. Testosterone levels in some men drop by 10% each decade after age 30. Women's hormone levels decline as menopause approaches and drop sharply during menopause and beyond. The cyclic nature of both our hair and hormones is one reason hair loss can increase in the short term even when you are having a long-term slowdown of hair loss (and a long-term increase in hair growth) while on a treatment that controls hair loss.
Hair Loss and Oral Contraceptives
Since approval by the FDA in 1960, oral contraception (the Pill) has become one of the most popular forms of birth control used today. Millions of women are prescribed the Pill each year in this country, but very few are aware that oral contraceptives are a common trigger of hair loss.
The Pill suppresses ovulation by the combined actions of the hormones estrogen and progestin, or in some cases progestin alone. Women who are predisposed to hormonal-related hair loss, or who are hypersensitive to the hormonal changes taking place in their bodies, can have hair loss to varying degrees while on the Pill or, more commonly, several weeks or months after stopping the Pill. (However, the Pill can be prescribed for androgenetic alopecia - female pattern baldness. See Treatments.)
The American Hair Loss Association (ALHA) recognizes that for the most part oral contraceptives are a safe and effective form of birth control. It also recognizes that the Pill has been clinically proven to have other health benefits for some women who use them. However, the AHLA believes that it is imperative for all women -- especially for those who have a history of hair loss in their family -- to be aware of the potentially devastating effects birth control pills can have on normal hair growth.
The AHLA recommends that all women interested in using oral contraceptives for the prevention of conception should only use low-androgen index birth control pills. Pills with the least androgenic activity include norgestimate (in Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen), norethindrone (in Ovcon 35), desogestrel (in Mircette), or ethynodiol diacetate (in Demulen, Zovia). If there is a strong predisposition for genetic hair loss in your family, the AHLA recommends the use of another non-hormonal form of birth control. Each woman should decide based on her own needs in consultation with her own doctor.
The hormonal contraceptives listed below have a significant potential for causing or exacerbating hair loss. Note that any medication or therapy that alters a woman's hormones -- including, but not limited to, contraceptives -- can trigger hair loss.
Progestin implants, such as Norplant, are small rods implanted surgically beneath the skin, usually on the upper arm. The rods release a continuous dose of progestin to prevent ovulation.
Hormone injections of progestin, such as Depo-Provera, are given into the muscles of the upper arm or buttocks. This injection prevents ovulation.
The skin patch (Ortho Evra) is placed on your shoulder, buttocks, or other location. It continually releases progestin and estrogen.
The vaginal ring (NuvaRing) is a flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter inserted into the vagina. It releases progestin and estrogen.
Women’s Hair Loss: DiagnosisHair loss in women isn't always as straightforward as it is in most men. In men about 90% of all cases are caused by hereditary male pattern baldness. In women, however, hair loss can be triggered by a multitude of conditions and circumstances.
The diagnostic tests below should be performed to help pinpoint the hair loss trigger. The truth of the matter is that for many patients these tests usually come back with readings within the normal range, but these tests can at the very least eliminate the possibility of certain disorders causing your hair loss.
It's important to remember that the proper diagnosis of female hair loss usually starts with the process of elimination.
Tests for Hair Loss in Women
* Hormone levels (DHEA, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, follicular stimulating hormone, and leutinizing hormone)
* Serum iron, serum ferritin, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC)
* Thyroid levels (T3, T4, TSH)
* VDRL (a screening test for syphilis)
* Complete blood count (CBC)
* Scalp biopsy -- A small section of scalp, usually 4 mm in diameter, is removed and examined under a microscope to help determine the cause of hair loss.
* Hair pull -- A doctor lightly pulls a small amount of hair (about 100 strands) to determine if there is excessive loss. If more that 3 hairs come out, then the patient is likely suffering from excess hair loss. Normal range is one to three hairs per pull.
* Densitometry -- The densitometer is a handheld magnification device used to check for miniaturization of the hair shaft.
Source : http://www.webmd.com
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 January 2008 )
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Hair Loss in Women 
