Reasons for Extreme Loss in Hair in Women

Hair loss in women can occur for a number of reasons, but the most common cause is the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is a testosterone derivative that shrinks hair follicles and stops hair from growing on the head.

Features

• Androgenic alopecia is a hormonal hair loss caused by an excess of the male hormone androgen in relation to the female hormones in the body. Sometimes the male hormones are at proper levels, but the female hormones are low; this causes an imbalance.

Effects

• Women with androgenic alopecia usually have significant thinning of the hair throughout the entire scalp. They don't experience the heavy loss of hair in distinctive patterns on the scalp, as men often do.

Causes

• Androgenic alopecia can be brought about by ovarian cysts, birth control pills with high levels of androgen, menopause or pregnancy.

Hereditary Factors

• Women may have a combination of hair loss pattern types (i.e., all-over hair loss coupled with pattern baldness). Female pattern baldness is often tied to hereditary factors.

Additional Causes

• Hair loss in women can also be caused by a traumatic event such as major surgery, malnutrition, childbirth or a severe infection. Such situations can trigger the hair to shed at once instead of in normal phases. This is called telogen effluvium and usually occurs 6 weeks to 3 months following the traumatic event.

Prevention/Solution

• Telogen effluvium can usually be reversed once the stressful event has passed, although some women suffer for years with the disorder for unknown reasons. Androgenic alopecia can often be reversed by the administration of female hormones to help re-balance the system.