The Main Reasons Why Women Begin Losing Their Hair
Although talked about much less often, women are losing their hair right alongside men. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology estimates that 40 percent of women will experience noticeable hair loss by the age of forty. While women often do not have complete bald spots like men do, their hair does thin noticeably so the scalp can easily be seen. And if you think it is traumatizing for a man to experience baldness, just think how it must affect a woman.
Many females believe their hair is their crowning glory. So when their hair falls out, they must believe it is affecting their overall beauty. While it is common to lose a little bit of hair daily (most people shed about eighty hairs a day), when it doesn’t grow back it becomes a major concern for most women. Here are some of the top reasons for female hair loss and how to go about treating it.
Stress Can Play a Huge Factor in Losing Your Hair
When it comes right down to it, there are basically two types of hair loss. You may be losing your hair because it is built into your DNA or something might be triggering your hair loss. In this case, severe stress can cause hair loss to happen for a woman.
When severe stress presents itself, it can cause a large amount of hair follicles to automatically head into the resting phase. Weeks down the road, this could mean hundreds of hairs coming out daily when combing or washing your hair.
In addition, stress can make some women pull strands of their hair out to deal with their issues. You may see this type of stress hair loss quite a bit in eyebrows as well. Women tug away at these hairs and before they know it, they have lost a considerable amount.
The third type of hair loss caused by stress is called alopecia areata. This happens when there is so much stress present that it confuses your immune system. The body will attack hair follicles, thinking they are foreign intruders. With this condition, large patches of hair may fall out in a matter of a day or two. The good news is that if your hair loss is caused by stress, it can often regrow after the stress has been removed for a while.
An Illness Could Be the Cause
There are certain illnesses that can cause hair loss and there are treatment options for illnesses that can bring about hair loss as well. For instance, thyroid disease can cause a woman to lose her hair. A high fever can also shock the body into losing hair as well.
On the other hand, while cancer may not bring about hair loss on its own, the treatment options can definitely cause hair to disappear off a person’s scalp. Also, medications used to treat high blood pressure, depression, arthritis, and heart problems can make a woman’s hair thin out.
A Hormonal Imbalance Could Be Making Your Hair Fall Out
Hormones can wreak havoc inside a woman’s body and even on their personality. Fluctuating hormones can create extreme highs and severe lows. This may bring about acne, weight gain, and hot flashes. On top of all of this, a hormonal imbalance can make a woman’s hair fall out.
Estrogen is a hormone that is extremely hair-friendly as it allows the follicles to stay in their growth phase for a long period of time. Androgen is a male hormone that is present in women. But when androgen levels start to rise, this means the hair growth cycle is severely shortened. When these hairs stop growing and fall out, this creates overall thinning of hair across the entire scalp. When hormone levels are not running optimally, a woman’s hair is just one of the casualties. A simple talk to your doctor could lead the way in getting hormones back under control.
Iron Is Needed for Optimal Hair Growth
When not enough iron is present in the body, not only does it bring about anemia, but it can also cause hair to stop growing and fall out. Essentially, your body goes into survival mode when there is an iron deficiency present. All of the oxygen in the body is sent to vital areas to keep you alive. This means that the hair loses and can fall right out. However, this can be fixed with a good daily iron supplement.
A Risky Diet Could Result in Losing Much More Than Weight
Crash diets are never the answer to losing weight and getting in shape. Health and fitness is a lifestyle change and if you try a shortcut, your body will sometimes respond unfavorably. After a dramatic weight loss, you may believe that you look good from the outside. But it can cause your hair to fall out in just a matter of months.
Age Is a Factor
If we could all just stay young forever, many of our health issues would never present themselves. Age brings on the body’s decline in many ways, including hair loss. It is part of the aging process. As we all age, our hair becomes thinner and thinner. You can combat some of this by using hair-thickening shampoos that bring moisture and give your hair a boost in volume, but don’t expect the same thick hair you had in your twenties when you are fifty years old.
