HAIR LOSS IN WOMEN

WHAT IS ABNORMAL HAIR LOSS?

It is normal to lose about 100 to 125 hairs a day from your scalp. However, hair loss may be a problem when you lose more than 125 hairs a day from your head, or when new hair does not grow back to replace lost hairs. You may also lose hair from other parts of the body. The loss of hair may be temporary or permanent, depending on the cause.

HOW DOES IT OCCUR?

There are several types of hair loss in women:

Female-pattern baldness
Local hair loss
General hair loss.

Like the common male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness runs in families. This hereditary baldness usually causes the hair to thin in the front, on the crown, or on the sides. It seldom causes women to become completely bald.

Local hair loss is usually patchy and confined to certain areas. It may result from:

Alopecia areata, a condition in which hair is lost suddenly from a particular area, usually a small area of the scalp (the cause is unknown)
Ringworm, a fungus infection
Cancer therapy
Frequent use of a hot comb or hair dryer
Hairstyles that pull on the hair, such as tight pigtails or cornrows
Hot oil treatments and chemicals used in permanents and hair dyes
Repeated nervous hair pulling
Permanent skin damage from burns or skin disease.

Pregnancy can be another cause of local, temporary hair loss. One to five months after your baby is born, you may lose more hair from your scalp than usual. The loss of hair happens because during pregnancy more hairs go into a resting phase than when you are not pregnant. The resting phase is part of the normal growth and loss cycle of scalp hair. Six to twelve months after delivery your hair will become thicker again. The hair loss will not be permanent or cause obvious bald patches.

General hair loss occurs when all of your hairs enter a resting phase at the same time and then fall out. This may be caused by stressful situations or conditions, such as major surgery, high fever, or severe or chronic illness. Other causes of general hair loss are:

Drug treatment for cancer
Some prescription drugs
High doses of vitamin A
Thyroid disease.

Alopecia universalis is a rare and severe form of baldness that results in permanent loss of all body hair, including eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair in the genital area and armpits. The cause is not known.