Signs of Female Pattern Baldness

Female pattern baldness is a condition that causes hair loss in women. The important distinction here is that hair loss can occur for many reasons, not only female pattern baldness. Because of this, it's important to accurately recognize the signs of female pattern baldness so proper treatment options can be pursued.

Visible Symptoms

• There are key differences between male and female pattern hair loss, so it is important to be aware of what you are looking for.

  In female pattern hair loss the key visible symptoms are:

  thinning of the hair at the crown of the head

  progressive thinning of hair over the entire surface of the scalp

  The hairline is typically maintained, and rarely does female pattern baldness lead to total hair loss.

Symptom Testing

• If the symptoms are indeterminate and your doctor cannot tell from a visual examination weather you are experiencing female pattern baldness, he may perform a range of tests including checking hormone levels (specifically the level of male androgen hormones), skin biopsy to rule out skin disease, as well as other visual examinations checking for unusual scabbing, flaking or acne.

What You Won't See

• It's important to recognize that female pattern baldness is not the only cause of hair loss in women. Should you begin to lose your hair and experience some of these symptoms, there is a good chance that your condition may be related to other problems that must be discussed with your doctor:

  abnormal hair growth on other areas of the body

  changes in your menstrual cycle

  acne, scabbing or flaking on your scalp or surrounding areas