Reasons for Female Baldness
- Female baldness is usually caused by hormonal changes.naked bald girl image by amlet from Fotolia.com
Serious hair loss is a condition that affects about 30 million women in the United States. While hair loss itself is harmless, it can be psychologically distressing, and may indicate a serious medical problem. Like male pattern baldness, the most common forms of female baldness are caused by hormones, aging and genes. In other cases, hair loss can occur as a result of a disorder or medical condition. - In genetically susceptible women, menopause, pregnancy and hormonal problems such as polycystic ovarian syndrome lead to diffuse thinning around the top of the head. Higher levels of male androgens, including testosterone, can cause hair follicles to shrink, which may kill the follicles or prevent them from producing healthy hair.
- Some types of autoimmune disorders can trigger a condition called alopecia areata, which causes hair to fall out in large clumps and patches. The hair loss experienced in women with alopecia areata is less dramatic than hair loss caused by horomonal changes.
- Dramatic life changes such as childbirth, crash diets, surgery or trauma can affect the natural hair growth system. This leads to a temporary hair-shedding condition called telogen effluvium.
- Trichotillomania, an impulsive, repetitive hair-pulling condition, can lead to bald patches on the scalp and eyebrows. The condition is often mild, but some women with trichotillomania are obsessed with pulling out their own hair, to the point where it's impossible to think of anything else.