Female baldness is a condition that affects many women. It impacts not only their hair health, but also their aesthetics, confidence, and self-esteem.
Although the condition is effectively more common in men, female baldness presents its own, unique causes, patterns, types, and hair treatments. All of which you should know in order to recover the health and beauty of your hair.
Also known as female androgenetic alopecia, female baldness is a condition characterized by the progressive loss of hair in women.
However, unlike what happens in men, the pattern of female baldness – that is, the pattern of hair loss in women – tends to be more diffuse, involving general thinning of hair strands.
Even so, the progressive loss of hair in women caused by female alopecia tends to start in the upper region of the scalp. This is where the thinnest areas of hair, or even areas without hair, are noticeable.
Although there is no definitive cure for female baldness, there are very effective treatments for female hair loss that can help slow down or even reverse the situation.
However, it is very important that you monitor the progression of hair loss, namely through an evaluation consultation.
Since the frontal line of the hair tends to remain intact, particularly in the early stages of female baldness, baldness in women can sometimes be difficult to recognize at first.
Unlike what happens with male baldness patterns, the pattern of female baldness progresses differently.
As we have seen, female baldness tends to start in the upper central region of the scalp. As it progresses, it can affect other areas of the head.
The earlier hair loss begins, the more severe will be the pattern of alopecia progression.
Still, the pattern of female baldness is divided into degrees, or stages, on a scale created in 1977 by the German dermatologist Elise Ludwig.
The Ludwig scale divides female androgenetic alopecia into three degrees, according to the intensity and extent of hair loss.
In other words, there are three types of female baldness:
In the primary stage of female baldness, there is a slight decrease in hair density in the upper central region of the scalp.
At this stage, female baldness can go unnoticed since there is not yet a significant exposure of the skin of the scalp. In fact, degree 1 of female baldness can even be confused with a normal or seasonal pattern of hair loss.
In the second degree of female baldness, the decrease in hair density in the central region of the scalp is greater than in the first stage. There is a moderate loss of hair and some exposure of the scalp skin.
At this stage, hair loss becomes more evident and female baldness can already cause some aesthetic and emotional discomfort in women.
In the last degree of the hair loss pattern in women, hair loss and the decrease in hair density is considered severe.
There is significant exposure of the skin in the upper central region of the scalp that progresses until frontal female baldness is installed.
Female baldness is very pronounced, and can compromise the self-esteem, confidence, and quality of life of the affected women.
The main cause for female baldness is female androgenetic alopecia, which affects between 20% to 40% of the entire female population.
In these cases, hair loss in women is intrinsically linked to the presence of sexual hormones (androgens) in the hair follicle genetically predisposed to the condition.
Hair follicles are the structures responsible for the growth and renewal of hair. When affected by female baldness, they become weaker, thinner, and more sensitive.
Over time, female baldness – that is, androgenetic alopecia – causes hair strands to renew increasingly thinner, shorter, lighter, and sparse until they stop growing definitively.
It is in the hair follicles genetically marked by sensitivity to androgens that give the name to androgenetic alopecia that this process occurs and which, ultimately, causes female alopecia.
The cause of baldness in women occurs due to a person’s increased sensitivity to DHT testosterone (dihydrotestosterone).
There may or may not be an increase in the production of this hormone. Even in normal or physiological quantities DHT causes the alteration and miniaturization of the strands in genetically predisposed people.
This is also why female baldness is less intense than in men: testosterone levels in women are naturally lower.
In fact, estrogen (hormone) can even help protect hair follicles from the described androgen effects and, therefore, help prevent the beginning of female baldness.
However, with the onset of menopause, there is hormonal change and, therefore, hair loss can intensify at this stage, making female baldness more evident.
Finally, it should also be noted that the clinical picture of female baldness can be more intense in the case of associated hormonal changes, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or hirsutism.
Despite this being the main cause of female baldness, the truth is that this is also a multifactorial condition: it can also occur due to other factors, including nutritional or medicinal factors, for example.
The main symptom of female baldness is, naturally, hair thinning. However, while in men the loss of hair strands may eventually be more noticeable, the same cannot be said in the case of women.
In women, the process occurs more gradually and diffusely, particularly in the upper area of the scalp. Therefore, it is precisely in this area of the head that you should pay close attention to identify the symptoms of female baldness.
Observe the decrease in hair density, as well as the signs that indicate a greater hair loss or a notable thinning of the hair strands. Because of female baldness, it is possible that the scalp becomes more visible.
Other signs of female baldness include:
In case of doubt about the symptoms of female baldness, consult a specialist doctor to receive an accurate diagnosis.
At Master Group, you will find an experienced and dedicated medical team, capable of helping you identify female baldness and recommend the best treatments for female hair loss.
Female baldness is a chronic and progressive condition with a genetic basis. Although there is not yet a definitive cure for female baldness, there are some preventive measures that can help slow down or control its effects. There are also some effective hair treatments, especially for cases of lighter female alopecia or where the diagnosis has been made in a timely manner.
To a large extent, the prevention of female baldness is associated with a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating habits and regular physical exercise.
Likewise, the use of products suitable for your scalp is also important to take care of your hair health.
Other preventive measures that can help include:
Alongside these measures, try to monitor your hair health with the help of specialists and regularly check your hormonal balance to keep it controlled or stable over time.
The treatment for female baldness directly depends on an evaluation consultation in which the cause and current degree of female alopecia are identified.
Even so, all treatments for female baldness aim to fulfill the same objective: to interrupt or slow down the progression pattern and stimulate the growth of new hair strands.
Although there is no definitive cure for female baldness, the truth is that total hair loss is rare in female patients, although this can happen in more severe cases and in older women, especially after the onset of menopause.
Currently, hair transplantation is the only definitive solution for the treatment of female androgenetic baldness. Namely through the FUE technique – an innovative technique, with natural and lasting results and a minimum recovery time.
However, depending on the degree of female baldness identified in the evaluation consultation, the best treatment for female androgenetic alopecia may vary.
At Master Group, you can count on the best hair treatments to help treat female baldness, including the use of medications that aim to prevent the hormonal action on hair follicles (anti-androgenic medications) and that can be administered orally or locally in the form of micro-needling, mesotherapy or lotions applied directly to the scalp.
At the same time, it is also possible to stimulate hair growth with the use of vitamin supplements.
Remember that hair loss and absence have a negative psychological effect that can generate a high level of anxiety, and it is even common for depressive states and low self-esteem to begin. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
At Master Group, we help you make an informed decision about the best treatment for female baldness.
With a timely diagnosis, it is possible to resort to the best hair treatments to help slow down or even reverse hair loss.
