Female hair loss

Female hair loss is one of the most common diseases of the modern world. This syndrome is very much connected with the modern-day lifestyle especially of the younger generation. This can happen also due to the reaction of the body to certain hormones.

Hormonal differences determine the varying rate at which hair is lost from the body between the male and the female. This is also true with respect to the dissimilarities in hair loss mode with reference to the sexes. The manner in which women lose hair has a definite pattern. This is clinically termed as FPB (Female Pattern Baldness).

ALOPECIA DIFFUSA: WHAT IS IT?

This style of female hair loss is clinically known as ‘alopecia diffusa’. In fact, alopecia diffusa is the most common factor leading to the hair loss syndrome in women. Alopecia diffusa refers to that typical FPB syndrome of the scalp when hair starts falling off in a diffused or scattered manner. Slowly FPB assumes a progressive form and it spreads in varied patterns to other areas of the scalp.

ALOPECIA DIFFUSA: DO I SUFFER FROM IT?

First, let’s take note of the fact that we shed hair daily. So, there is absolutely no reason to worry if your comb has strands of your hair. This is because hair loss is a natural process. Then, the moot point is how do I know that my scalp is slowly falling prey to FPB or ‘alopecia diffusa’?

FEMALE HAIR LOSS IS CURABLE

The word of comfort is that FPB can be cured when it is detected at the initial stages. It has also been ascertained that it is in very extreme cases of alopecia diffusa that it degenerates into total baldness.

But, remember, it does not mean that you are not suffering from FPB simply because there is no visible loss of your hair. In the same way, just because there is visible loss of hair does not allude to the misconception that you may be a victim of female hair loss.

FEMALE HAIR LOSS: THE TELL-TALE SIGNS

Here are some of the common signs to alert you about the female pattern baldness or the syndrome clinically termed ‘alopecia diffusa’.

The troubling factor is that you may not find any hair falling off while combing or washing. This is despite the fact that hair is thinning all over the scalp. Actually, hair thinning over one’s head is taken as the first sign of female pattern baldness.

The worst part of female hair loss is that the loss of hair takes place from those parts of the scalp which are not easily reflected on the mirror. In other words, the frontal line of hair remains healthy while the other portions of the scalp reflect the receding or the trend of scattered hair loss.

One thing is for sure, though.

In some women, the facial hair may turn coarse. This is owing to the presence of excessive male hormone.

FACTORS DETERMINING FPB

The primary factors triggering Female pattern baldness are generally two, viz., genetic sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the male hormone determining sex; and the general genetic disposition.

Here are the seven other secondary factors that trigger off Female Pattern Baldness. These are crash dieting; scarcity of nutrition commonly referred to as ‘nutritional deficiency’; frequent use of oral contraceptive tablets; child birth; hormonal changes; menarche; and menopause.

The first three agents – crash dieting, nutritional deficiency, and oral contraceptive pills – have appeared as the most common causes of FPB. In fact, each one of the trio are fallouts of the modern age.