Women with hair loss face some different challenges than men do. Almost all the research over the years has focused on treating baldness in men and not much has been done to help women. As a matter of fact, until recently about the only help a woman could get was to buy a wig.
A wig does a good job of covering up the hair loss but it is not practical for an active woman. Wigs tend to fall off when the woman moves around too much. Women today want to be able to ride their Harley, ski the back country, and go jet boating.
These physical activities have forced the medical establishment to look at hair loss treatments for women. Some of the old methods used by men can be applied to females and some can’t. With the high numbers of women looking for relief from hair loss a lot of research is being conducted into this problem.
The number one cause of hair loss in men and women is a condition known as androgen alopecia which is also called pattern baldness. This condition is caused by a build up of DHT at the blood boundary of the hair follicles. This causes a loss of oxygen and nutrients to the hair roots and the eventual death of the unit. The only way to treat this condition is to increase blood flow to the hair.
DHT, dihydrotestosterone, is a metabolite of the hormone testosterone. Although this hormone is thought of as being male it is found in both men and women. One drug that is effective for this condition in men is Finasteride which is marketed as Propecia. This was originally developed as treatment for male urinary problems.
Unfortunately for most women, the potential side effect of birth defects makes it not suitable for females of child bearing age. Another FDA approved drug that can be used by women is Minoxidil which is marketed as Rogaine. This substance acts to enlarge the blood vessels and thus increase blood flow to the hair follicles
Hair implants are another procedure that were originally not applicable for women. Female pattern baldness is usually associated with thinning hair over the entire scalp. The standard hair implant process required an area of the scalp with good hair growth to be used as a donor area. Most women did not have this thick hair anywhere on their head so they couldnt use hair implantation surgery.
The solution to this is a procedure known as Follicular Unit Extraction. With this method individual hair units can be removed from any part of the body and transplanted onto the balding area. Now women can have long lasting hair implants as another method of hair loss treatment.
As more women look for ways to treat their hair loss the hair industry is taking note. Wigs are no longer the only option when it comes to female pattern baldness.
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