Read this guide on female hair loss and how to regrow thinning hair with home remedies, natural supplements, or other cosmetic processes. You will also understand the stages of hair growth in females and what causes them and what are the ways to prevent them.
Contents
Introduction
A woman’s hair, regardless of whether it is short or long, losses the same way as men do. As many people often think of hair loss as a male problem, there is no doubt that, women losses as much amount of hair as men does. However, unlike the male, the female often experiences thinning of hair and harder hair regrow rather than going bald as the men do.
In general, your scalp is home to about 100000 hairs, and most people shed about 50-100 strands every day. Although this seems to be normal, you should consult a doctor if you notice your hair falling out in clumps or getting thinner to be on the safe side.
Triggers of hair fall ranges from medical conditions to stress, your daily lifestyles and genetic factors. For most women, the hair plays an important role. It says a lot about someone’s expression of style and personality be it, long, short, bouncy, curly or sleek.
Hair is considered as the crowning glory. Therefore, women often freak out when they notice visible changes in their hair such as hair fall or their hair strands getting thinner.
Understanding the stages of hair growth cycle
As humans, everyone goes through the process of losing hair as it is part of the hair’s natural growth cycle. Following are the three stages of the cycle of hair growth:
- Anagen stage refers to the stage when a hair strand is actively growing which lasts for two to eight years.
- Catagen stage is the point where your hair has stopped growing and is preparing to shed; this phase lasts for just about three weeks.
- Telogen stage is the stage where the hair is being expelled from the follicle. This is basically the structure that produces and holds the hair. Although, after the hair falls, the follicle remains dormant for about three months before new hair strands starts to sprout again.
Although as humans, losing hair is part and parcel of our hair growth cycle. If hair is visibly thinning and it may be a sign that something is inappropriately out of place and wrong. And as such, you should visit the nearest clinic or hospital right away at your convenience.
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What are the causes of hair loss and thinning?
There can be many causes for your hair loss and thinning ranging from medical to lifestyle and genes. Mentioned below are some common and vital causes of hair loss and hair thinning:
Genetics
As the cause of hair loss may also be due to genetics, the most common genetic condition is also known as female pattern hair loss or androgenic alopecia. Women with this condition often undergo visible wide patch of hair loss on top of their head. Most likely when they reach the ages of 40s or 50s. This is a genetic condition that a woman goes through, if she inherited certain genes from one or both parents.
PCOS
This is one of the most common hormonal illnesses that occur in a woman. PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder that enables a woman to make more male hormones or androgen than it should.
This disorder can cause extra hair growth on the face and other parts of the body. However, hairs on the head thins out. PCOS also causes irregular menstrual cycle, acne and obesity. But in some cases, thinning of hair is the only visible sign that a female gets from this medical disorder.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata is a medical condition which causes your hair to fall out in big patches. Your immune system plays a big role for the cause of this disorder. Nevertheless, the missing locks grow back in about one year or less. But in some unfortunate rare cases, people lose all their hair on their head or scalp and body.
Ringworm
Ringworm is a type of fungus that occurs on your body. When this ringworm fungus affects the scalp, it causes distinct hair loss pattern of itchy round scaly and red bald patches. You can treat this condition with antifungal medication which your doctor may prescribe.
Childbirth
Motherhood can be the most beautiful thing. However, with it comes a long list of hormonal changes and complications in women. During your pregnancy, you are most likely to witness fuller hair due to high hormonal levels.
But after giving birth to your child, as things go back to normal, you are most likely to lose a lot of hair than you ever did. And this may take up to 2 years for your locks to return back to their normal stands.
Birth control pills
Studies shows that the pills that are being consumed to help the hormones suppress ovulation is causing your hair to thin. Or it is another possibility that, it is in the genes with a family history of hair loss.
Other pills that are linked to hair loss include drugs such as; blood thinners and medicines that treats high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis and depression.
Unhealthy lifestyle
Leading an unhealthy lifestyle is also one of the major contributors of hair loss and hair thinning. It is important that, you get sufficient sleep everyday topped with healthy diet plan. Try to make a habit of sleeping for at least 8 hours a day. Also, include lots of vegetables, fruits and water in your diet.
Avoid the habit of consuming just meat based products or processed foods bought from the store. When you deprive your sleep or live on just unhealthy diet, not only your hair but your skin and body, in general, gets affected.
Extreme stress and anxiety
When you are diagnosed with extreme level of physical and emotional stress and anxiety, it can cause you to shed huge amounts of hair. This may be sudden and not have been experienced before in your lifetime.
Other medical problems
Medical illnesses such as thyroid problems and cancer treatment, also contributes to hair loss and thinning. The thyroid gland at the front of your neck is responsible for pumping out chemicals that keep your body humming along. In case, if the butterfly shaped gland makes too much or too little thyroid hormone, it will directly impact the hair growth cycle and your hair may start losing or thinning.
However, it’s not just your hair that gets affected; you may most likely lose or gain weight, become sensitive to cold or heat weather, and notice changes in your heart rate. And we all know how cancer affects the overall health of our body. When a cancer patient goes through chemo and radiation therapy, it takes a heavy toll on the hair. As the therapies are used to kill the cancer cells, it can affect the hair follicles and cause dramatic hair loss. But the hair loss is always short lived and can grow it back once the treatment is over.
Yes, you can. Because, when you are diagnosed with extreme level of physical and emotional stress and anxiety, it can cause you to shed huge amounts of hair, which may be sudden and not have been experienced before in your lifetime. To prevent or control this problem, you can start by practicing self-care and maintaining a positive healthy lifestyle which will in turn complement your hair treatment plan.
Learn about the best solution for Women’s Hair Regrowth!
What are some tips to regrow thinning of hair in female and control hair loss?
There are three important ways in which anyone especially a female can regrow your thinning hair and recover your hair loss. And these are, natural supplements and remedies, medicinal prescriptions and treatments, and cosmetic options. Let us look into these options in detail.
Natural Supplements and Remedies
If you are one of those female who believe more in using natural products and remedies rather than doctors, you can try some of the natural home remedies below to regrow your thinning hair or hair loss in general.
Natural supplements
There are FDA approved natural supplements that regrow thinning hair. They are safe and secure to use. It comes in the form of eatable supplements or applicable serums. Here is a list of natural and safe supplements. You may click through to check their reviews.
- Tressurge Hair Regrowth Serum: Applicable serum for female and one of the best selling and popular solution to regrow thinning hair.
- Folexin: This is a supplement and works for both male and female. The most searched hair regrowth supplement.
- Hair revital X: It comes in theform of both supplement and applicable serum. The reason that it comes with both makes it effective to work.
- Organixx Collagen: It is a collagen powder that helps to keep both skin and hair healthy.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has long been widely known and used for its medicinal value. It is not only used for skin problems but for treating problems as well such as hair loss, dandruffs, etc. You can simply apply aloe vera gel on your scalp and hair twice or thrice days a week like a hair mask.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another important source that is mainly applied on the scalp and hair as it contains fatty acids that penetrate inside the hair shaft and try to reduce the loss of protein from the hair. You can either use the coconut oil before or after you wash your hair. It is a safe and natural way for a female to regrow thinning of hair too.
Fish Oil
Fish Oil contains omega fatty acids which help to improve your hair from the inside as they are filled with various nutrients and proteins. Consuming an omega supplement with other antioxidants helps to regrow and improve the hair density in female and diameter and reduces hair loss and thinning. The omega fatty acids also boost your immunity levels by helping your cells to work correctly.
Ginseng
Consuming Ginseng supplements promote healthy hair growth by stimulating the hair follicles. The ginsenosides present in the ginseng is considered to be the source responsible for the positive effect on the hair.
Onion Juice
Although onion juice comes with strong smell, it also has many benefits for a healthy hair growth. As onion juice is said to improve circulation, studies have shown that it improved keratin growth and blow flow to the cuticles. To use this product, you can blend the onions, squeeze out the juice and apply it on your hair for like 15 minutes before washing it off with shampoo.
Rosemary Oil
It is often one of the first essential oils that women choose to promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. Rosemary oil is known to stimulate new hair growth and is often used to treat androgenetic alopecia. To use this, take a few drops of rosemary oil on your palms and thoroughly massage your head with it. You can also mix some drops of rosemary oil into your shampoo or conditioner for daily use.
Medicinal Prescriptions
There may be cases where a woman had to consult with the physician and for which, medicines are prescribed. Minoxidil or Rogaine, a medicine that is approved by the FDA for female pattern hair loss. Through this prescription, it may help the hair to grow back. Corticosteroid also helps with re-growing thinning hair for women with alopecia areata.
However, it is important to understand that treatment mostly depends on the underlying cause and sometimes just simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be more than enough for the hair to regrow back. Platelet-rich-plasma is a newer medical option which is being used to treat hair loss.
For this treatment, the doctor draws your blood, divides it into separate components, recombines the blood plasma with a high concentration of platelets and introduces the resulting source back into your scalp, the growth factors present in platelets can stimulate regeneration of hair follicles and other tissues as well.
Cosmetic Options
When both natural remedies and medical treatments fall short, women can also opt for cosmetic procedures to make up for the loss of their hair. There are procedures such as hair transplantation which is a surgical procedure that shifts and moves the active follicles from the back of the scalp to the areas where the hair is thinning. Once this surgery is over and transplanted, the hair begins to grow normally again.
Hair transplantation surgery is often conducted as an outpatient surgical procedure. However, it may be noted that, not every transplantation surgery guarantees a hundred percent success rate; it may work very well for some people while the procedure may be a failure for some. Regardless, this treatment works best in treating smaller more defined areas of balding rather than in women who have diffuse thinning across the whole scalp.
Read the reviews on the Best Hair Transplant here!
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
Can Genetics cause hair loss or thinning of hair in women?
Yes, genetics can cause hair loss or thinning of hair in women. The most common genetic condition is also known as female pattern hair loss or androgenic alopecia.
What is PCOS? Is it related to just women?
PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder that enables a woman to make more male hormones or androgen, than it should. This disorder can cause extra hair growth on the face and other parts of the body while hairs on the head thin out. And yes, it is a hormonal illness that mostly affects just the women.
What is the success rate of getting hair transplantations?
Like any other surgeries, hair transplantation treatment also undergoes surgical procedure which does not guarantee a 100% success rate. This process may work very well for some people while the procedure may be a failure for some. Regardless, this treatment works best in treating smaller more defined areas of balding rather than in women who have diffuse thinning across the whole scalp.
What is Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia Areata is a medical condition which causes your hair to fall out in big patches. Your immune system plays a big role for the cause of this disorder. However, you can grow back your hair within a year or less with proper care and medication.
What do I do, if the natural remedies don’t help?
Suppose if you have tried all possible methods of natural remedies and it still doesn’t work, you can consult your doctor for medical prescriptions or cosmetic procedures to regrow your thinning hair.
