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What Are Some Reasons Why a Woman's Hair Falls Out?

According to the American Hair Loss Association, 40 percent of the people in America who have hair loss are women. Hair loss can be temporary or long lasting, depending on the cause of the condition and its progression. Excessive or abnormal hair loss is called alopecia. Hair loss is always a symptom of something else that is happening in the body, whether it is genetics, stress, pregnancy or birth control pills.

  1. Androgenetic Alopecia

    • Androgenetic alopecia is commonly called female or male-pattern hair loss. Women diagnosed with this condition have hair thinning across the scalp, except for across the front hairline. The condition is because of the presence of androgens, male hormones that usually occur in small amounts in women. A change in hormones could be attributed to ovarian cysts, birth control pills, pregnancy and menopause. Heredity sometimes plays a part in this condition.

    Telogen Effluvium

    • Women who have experienced childbirth, major surgery or extreme stress can develop telogen effluvium. Between 6 weeks and 3 months after the event occurs, women might discover that a lot of hair is being shed. This condition often will stop, as long as stressful situations can be avoided. In some cases, this disorder can continue, and women can experience hair loss for an extended period time, even though there is no known reason.

    Anagen Effluvium

    • Anagen effluvium occurs when there is a shocking and sudden disturbance to the hair follicles while hair is in its growth phase. This commonly occurs when a woman is being treated with chemotherapy or radiation. Rather than shedding the hair, it is being broken off from the hair shafts at the scalp. After the chemotherapy or radiation ends, new hair will usually begin to grow again.

    Traction Alopecia

    • Traction alopecia is typically caused by sustained tension on the hair follicles. This usually results from hair being worn repeatedly and for long periods of time in hairstyles such as braids, cornrows and tight ponytails. At first, the hair loss is reversible, but with prolonged wearing of such hairstyles, the condition could become permanent.

    Birth Control Contraceptives

    • Contraceptives are a common cause of hair loss in women. The American Hair Loss Association recommends that women who use oral contraceptives for the prevention of contraception should use low-androgen index birth control pills. For women with a family history of hair loss, a different form of non-hormonal birth control should be used.

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