Three Determining Causes of Hair Loss in Women

As we age, we hear it time and time again that our hair will become thinner, less voluminous, and harder to style, but that isn’t always the case… In fact, despite hair loss being more common as we age, hair loss in women can start at different ages for a variety of reasons.  

Hair loss and hair thinning in women can be a very emotional reality for some. However, something that most women experiencing hair loss don’t realize is that they are not alone. Not only are millions of women from around the world dealing with hair loss1, but there are so many resources out there to help them on their journey to regaining their confidence. In fact, there are dedicated skin care physicians and dermatologists that devote their life to helping women reclaim their confidence.

So, whether you are starting to notice hair loss, or are a woman that has been dealing with hair loss for years, you have probably asked yourself– Where did my hair loss come from?

To answer your question, we will highlight the 3 determining causes of hair loss in women:

• Hormones
• Disease
• Chronic stress

Hormones

As a woman, I am sure you are well aware of the various hormones in your body, and how hormonal imbalances can cause issues in your energy levels, your mood, and sometimes your willingness to get up in the morning!

Hormones hold so much power in how our bodies operate, so it’s only natural for our hormones to affect our ability to grow thick luscious locks. If we take androgen alopecia for example, a form of hair loss that affects 40% of caucasian women, it is caused by an androgen known as dihydrotesterone (DHT). DHT attacks the skin and hair follicle, promoting acne as well as hair loss. On the basis of hair loss, DHT miniturizes the hair follicles which results in thinning of the hair, and although the effects of this hormone on the hair follicle is more common as you age, some may experience its effects once they hit puberty. 

As you can see, high levels of the DHT hormone can cause damage to the hair follicle, but unfortunately it doesn’t end there… 

Hormonal imbalances due to disease are another popular cause of hair loss. Below we will uncover a common diagnosis that may be leading to your hair loss or the thinning of your hair. 

Disease

Let’s dive into the most common disease associated with hair loss in women–Hypothyroidism!  

This condition affects 5 out of 100 people in North America, and is also known as underactive thyroid condition. This disease can be best described as the thyroid being unable to produce the appropriate amount of thyroid hormones for your body to function properly². As a result, women dealing with cases of hypothyroidism may see a decrease in the density of the hair follicle which leads to thinning overtime^2,3. . Hair loss due to hypothyroidism mimics the well known term “androgenetic alopecia” due to where on the scalp the thinning occurs;  the vertex and the frontal hairline³.

Other health issues such as iron deficiency, as well as general malnourishment can lead to similar effects to the hair follicle. This makes blood tests a good start for many dermatologists and skin care physicians, to best determine the cause of your hair loss, or hair thinning³.

Now that you uncovered the effects of hormones, and common hormone based diseases, it’s time to understand what stress can do to your hormones and hair line!

Stress/Chronic Stress

Oh the joys of stress!

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious is a feeling that I’m sure you know a little too well, especially as we navigate through this pandemic. But did you know that these feelings go well beyond the thoughts circling in your brain? Stress, more specifically chronic stress, is a great way to elevate levels of, you guessed it, another hormone!

Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, is the hormone that your body produces in response to stress. When cortisol is high, it works the same as dihydrotesterone or hypothyroidism in the sense that it targets the hair follicle, specifically during periods of ongoing chronic stress⁴.

Takeaways

As you can see, there are many causes as to why you may be experiencing hair loss as a woman, though it mostly comes down to hormones! With that being said, no matter the current state of your hair, consulting with your dermatologist or skin care physician to identify what hair loss treatment is best for you, should be next on your to do list!

By consulting with your dermatologist or skin care physician, they will be able to assess your hair loss patterns, and point you in the right direction. Common treatments for hair loss are PRP, which you can learn more about here, as well as the use of both topical and oral treatments.

If you would like to regain your confidence through personalized care and want to start treating your hair loss, you can book a consultation with Dr. Shehla Ebrahim, a skin care physician based in Vancouver, BC, who also runs a tele dermatology clinic for her national and international patients.

Click here to book your consultation today! 

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