Treating female pattern hair loss
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It is not uncommon to have accelerated phases of hair loss for 3–6 months, followed by periods of stability lasting 6–18 months. Without medication, it tends to progress in severity over the next few decades of life. While nutrition and specific nutrients are vital to the hair growth process, increasing your intake of these nutrients may not help you, especially if you have a certain type of hair loss, such as scarring alopecia or cicatricial alopecia. While some people might experience hair loss as early as puberty, others might not notice symptoms until their middle ages. Past medical history should note known possible causes of hair loss, including endocrine and skin disorders.
Genetics
On the whole, it’s important that you speak with your doctor about any symptoms you’re experiencing. A dermatologist can provide a proper diagnosis, and select a personalized treatment that will help restore health to you hair and scalp. Understanding the underlying cause of your hair loss is absolutely necessary in determining the best approach to halt and reverse any further damage to your hair and scalp.
What treatments are available?
You’re more likely to have male pattern baldness if you’re white, followed by Afro-Caribbean. You’re less likely to experience male pattern baldness if you’re of Chinese or Japanese descent. Male pattern baldness doesn’t typically affect Native American, First Nations and Alaska Native peoples. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that is characterized by “round patches of hair loss on the scalp,” although it can occur elsewhere on the body, Agbai says. While the exact reason for this type of hair loss is unknown, it is generally understood that “the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, leading to hair loss,” she adds. Traction alopecia is the result of environmental factors, such as wearing your hair in tight hairstyles, Agbai says.
Assessment and diagnostic criteria for AGA
Thinning hair in women: Why it happens and what helps - Harvard Health
Thinning hair in women: Why it happens and what helps.
Posted: Wed, 03 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
It is less likely that a woman will experience total baldness as a result of Androgenetic Alopecia. Many people choose not to see a healthcare provider if they have male pattern baldness. However, if you’d like to maintain your hair, you should call your healthcare provider as soon as you notice hair loss on your scalp. Many people with male pattern baldness think it’s part of the aging process and are comfortable with how it looks. However, your healthcare provider can help slow or replace your hair loss. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, it’s completely normal to shed anywhere between 50 to 100 strands of hair per day.
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It tends to ramp up in women after menopause.⁷ If you’re suffering from this condition, speak to a medical professional. They can assess your situation and give you the support and expert treatment advice you need. Male Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL) and Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) also referred to as Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) stand out as the most prevalent form of hair loss, impacting a substantial portion of the population. It is estimated that by the age of 70, at least 80% of men and 50% of women experience AGA (Devjani et al., 2023). AGA is marked by the gradual miniaturization of hair follicles, resulting in hair loss (Trüeb, 2002).
Male Pattern Baldness (Androgenic Alopecia)
Patients that have complicated medical conditions managed by multiple medications may also benefit from nutraceuticals, rather than adding more medical therapies with potential drug‐drug interactions or lowering the threshold for development of side effects. Procedural therapies such as PRP and hair transplantation may be more appropriate for patients willing to tolerate the pain induced by them. HT is usually reserved for patients who have failed the medical therapies. Contraindications of HT include scalp infection, mental illness, rapidly progressive variants of AGA, and diffuse hair loss. Antiplatelet and anticoagulants should also be stopped to mitigate the risk of excessive bleeding.187 Hair transplantation is also limited by each patient's supply of donor hair and the procedure can lead to possible scarring in donor sites.
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Small studies have shown benefit while high-quality large studies are hopefully forthcoming. Finasteride (Propecia) is a pill taken daily that’s been used for some time by men with hair loss. Finasteride is well known to have a negative impact on sexual function, primarily in men, and it has potential for other side effects. However, it’s generally safe for and well tolerated by women, though again, should not be used by those who are pregnant or intending to become pregnant.
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.
1. Low‐level laser therapy
The hair follicles affected by Androgenetic Alopecia are permanently damaged. There are treatments which can help to delay the process, but hairs that have been lost will not grow back. Many start to notice the early stages of male pattern baldness by their 30s, but they may begin as early as your late teenage years or early 20s. If your mother’s father (maternal grandfather) has male pattern baldness, there’s a good chance that you’ll have male pattern baldness as well.
You can either purchase over-the-counter laser devices to use at home or receive the treatments from a provider. Symptoms include patchy shedding of hair, which sometimes develops quite suddenly. About 70% of patients recover their hair within two years, whether or not they receive treatment. Patients that opt for hair transplantation have either failed medical therapy or have lost a significantly large and non‐recoverable surface area of scalp hair that can only be treated by implanting new hairs into the area.
Two patients with alopecia universalis experienced hair regrowth after undergoing fecal microbiota transplantation as a treatment for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (Rebello et al., 2017). Imbalanced gut microbiota, notably the proliferation of Lactobacillus murinus, followed by biotin deficiency, constitutes crucial factors contributing to the onset of alopecia (Hayashi et al., 2017). The transplantation of fecal microbiota or the use of a specific probiotic (Bifidobacterium longum HK003) obtained from the feces of healthy individuals could potentially stimulate hair regrowth (Lam et al., 2022). Further research on the effect of the family Acidaminococcaceae, genus Anaerofilum, and genus Ruminiclostridium 9 on AGA may guide targeted probiotic applications. Our findings suggest that modulating the gut microbiota through probiotics could offer new avenues for the prevention and treatment of AGA. Prescription medications, like finasteride (Propecia), may help prevent further androgenetic hair loss, especially for male pattern baldness.
For some patients, the inconvenience of continuous administration and time constraints may outweigh the desire for hair preservation, and other patients may not desire treatment at all. Hair transplantation is the only therapy for AGA that is performed as a one‐time procedure to offer permanent results. This procedure suits the patient that would like lifelong results without relying on daily treatment regimens. Oral dutasteride may exhibit an even greater likelihood of eliciting these side effects. Patients being considered for this medication should understand the risk of sexual side effects. Clinicians and patients should be aware that more studies are needed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of dutasteride.
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