Hair is a major aspect of an individual's personality and creates a huge impression on others. It is a source of pride for most people, especially females. However, with the change in lifestyles, ageing, and many more factors, Hair Loss has now become a common problem among females. It is studied that 40% of the total population suffering from hair loss problems are females. Hair loss can be temporary as well as permanent. However, it can be treated with the availability of various treatments and medications.
Table of Contents
Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:
- What is Female Hair Loss?
- What does Female Pattern Hair Loss look like?
- Causes of Female Hair Loss
- What are the symptoms of Female Baldness?
- Diagnosis of Female Hair loss
- Treatments for Female Hair Loss
- Recovery Timeline after Female Hair Transplant
- How Hair Transplants Benefit You?
- Cost of Female Hair Transplant
1. What is Female Hair Loss?
Hair loss is a part of the human biological cycle and is quite prominent among females. It is natural for any individual to lose 50 to 100 hair daily. The hair we lose is generally substituted by the new hair that grows in. However, when the number of hair shedding becomes large, and the equilibrium between the falling and growing of hair is disrupted, it is seen as Hair Loss. The clinical term for baldness is "Alopecia".
Hair loss starts with a drop in the thickness of the hair along with its density. This further contributes to baldness or patchiness. It is more likely to be seen in females at the time of menopause. It is common that when a woman hits her 40s or 50s, and menopause begins, the hair loss accelerates and becomes more noticeable. This is because, at the time of menopause, a woman faces a massive decline in the estrogen level, which leads to thinner and slower hair growth. With this, factors such as genes, stress, ageing, medical conditions, and more add to hair loss.
2. What does Female Pattern Hair Loss look like?
Female Pattern Hair Loss is one of the hair loss disorders that affects the density of hair over the head and forehead and forms patches over there. However, it does not have any severe impact on the front hairline.
To aid hair loss among females, Ludwig’s Classification is used by surgeons and specialists. Ludwig divided the pattern of female baldness into three distinct stages. These stages are popularly known as the Ludwig scale.
- Grade I: Small amount of thinning
- Grade II: Widening of the part
- Grade III: See-through area at the top of the scalp
Hair Growth Cycle:
To keep your hair smoother, longer, and healthier, it is advised to know the way hair grows. Hair develops beneath the skin from the follicle or root. Follicle blood vessels feed the hair and provide it with the required nourishment to grow. Between the growth and falling out of hair, there are three stages. These stages are known as the Life Cycle of Hair.
- Anagen: The Growth Phase
It is a period of growth where hair grows from the roots for a tenure of around 3-10 years. The length and time of hair growth are affected by genetics, health, age, and several other factors.
- Catagen: The Degradation Phase
It is a phrase that just lasts for 2-3 weeks. In this phase, the hair follicle shrinks and detaches itself from the blood supply.
- Telogen: The Resting Phase
At last, hair enters the resting phase, which on average lasts for 3-6 months. During this phase, old hair rests in the roots and simultaneously, new hair starts to grow beneath it.
Once the hair passes all three stages, all the old hair starts shedding while showering or combing. However, it is nothing to worry about, as in the meantime, you will notice new hair coming out through the hair follicle.
Factors affecting the hair growth cycle:
While the hair goes through its growth cycle, it is affected by several factors. These factors affect the normal cycle and might cause hair loss in females. Medications, chemotherapy, usage of chemicals, hormonal changes, thyroid, etc., are some of the prominent factors that affect the cycle. Among all the factors, Androgens are the prime factor that does not contribute to hair growth but affects the hair loss pattern.
3. Causes of Female Hair Loss
- Genetics- Carrying the genes for hair loss from one or both of the ancestors is the most prominent cause of hair loss in females.
● Traction alopecia- Traction alopecia is affected by hair pulling, as tight hair weakens the roots.
● Medication- As a side effect of various drugs used for treating severe diseases, hair to fall out and leading to hair loss.
● Illness- Illnesses cause the deficiency of anemia, nutrition, vitamins, iron, etc., and weaken the immune system which contributes to hair loss.
● Menopause- At the time of menopause, the estrogen level in the female body drops massively and causes inflammation to rise, this further results in hair loss.
● A very stressful event- Stress disturbs the whole system of the body and shifts the hair from the growth phase to the resting phase. This causes hair to fall out and eventually leads to hair loss.
● Smoking- Smoking a cigarette damages the immune system, prevents the follicles from producing healthy hair, and causes hair loss.
4. What are the symptoms of Female Baldness? When to see a doctor?
When a female starts to develop the following symptoms of baldness or if the hair loss begins to cause discomfort, it is advised to see the doctor and opt for early treatment.
- Overall thinning- With age, the volume and thickness of hair tend to be lost. It generally begins from the top of the head and leads to a broadening in the hair.
- Bald spots- Due to autoimmune disorders and fungal infections on the scalp, females begin to lose hair in an irregular or patchy spot.
- Handfuls of hair- It is a sudden loss of hair while combing, washing, or tugging. It is usually caused due to physical shock or emotional stress.
- Dandruff- Having severe dandruff affects hair growth and its thickness as it negatively impacts the scalp and the hair follicles.
5. Diagnosis of Female Hair Loss
Together with the information about the patient’s diet, her hair care routine, and the medical history of her family, the diagnosis of female hair loss includes a few examinations. The following are some of the tests that the doctor may ask for.
- Pull test: Doctors take out a few dozen hair to know the way they get off.
- Blood test: Helps in detecting the underlying medical problem that is causing the hair loss.
- Light microscopy: The hair is inspected from the base using a special tool, and the hair loss disorders are identified.
- Scalp biopsy: Using a skin sample and plucked hair, the doctor examines the roots to identify the cause of the hair loss.
- 70-fold magnification: It is a Trichometric analysis to examine the characteristics of hair and scalp. Using a computerised tool, frontal, occipital, and temporal areas are examined and compared to determine the average thickness of hair.
6. Treatments for Female Hair Loss
As per the cause of the hair loss, doctors suggest several medications and treatments to increase the hair volume in the balding area. At Dermalife, you will get the right solution for curing female hair loss. Here you will find a team of highly skilled and competent physicians for hair transplantation and cosmetic surgeries. Below are therapies prescribed for women's hair loss by physicians:
Hair Transplant
A hair transplant is one of the highly suggested treatments by the doctor. It is done by taking hair follicles from the back of the scalp, called as donor area, and these follicles are planted in the areas of baldness with the help of special instruments.
Different techniques are being used for performing hair transplants in females. FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) are the two main techniques being used. BOOSTED-FUE are another hair transplant technique that is are modified version of FUE. Among the four techniques, FUE and BOOSTED-FUE are a bit more expensive and time-consuming as they don’t leave any scars on the scalp.
FUT: In this form of hair transplant, a complete strip of skin with hair follicles is cut out from the scalp. After that, surgeons remove each follicle from the strip and insert it in the balding area. Even though the transplanted hair looks natural, it leaves a scar on the head. The size of the strip generally depends on the number of follicles to be transplanted and takes 4-8 hours to complete the surgery.
FUE: It is a type of hair transplant where individual hair follicles are taken out from that part of the scalp that has more hair and moved to the bald part. Under this surgery, micro punches are being used to extract the follicle so that no scar will be left. This surgery takes a couple of days to be done, with 2-4 hours of sessions each.
BOOSTED FUE - FUE: It is an improved version of FUE. In this technique, hair follicles are implanted in the bald area without touching the roots, so that there is no root handling. Because of this, the roots grow healthier and denser.
Other treatments
Several other therapies, such as light therapy, hormone therapy, and laser therapy, are also prescribed by doctors to treat women's hair loss rather than a hair transplant. With this, some other recommendations by the doctors include drugs like Rogaine and Ketoconazole, injections such as Corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma, a good, nutritious diet, and the use of hair loss shampoo.
7. Recovery Timeline after Female hair Transplant
- What does the recovery process look like, and post-operative care?
After a hair transplant, the scalp becomes sore and tender. For a few days after the surgery, the patient is required to wear bandages and take painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medications. For the best results from a hair transplant, the doctors advise keeping the operated area moist, sleeping at a 45-degree angle, washing hands before touching the scar, avoiding sunlight, exercising, and limiting alcohol.
- How much time will it take to recover?
It generally takes 2 to 5 days to recover after the hair transplant. After resting for a few days, patients tend to return to their work. However, transplanted hair used to fall in the first few weeks of the transplant.
- When does hair start growing naturally?
It usually takes 6 to 9 months for natural hair to grow back. However, some patients take 12 months to notice the natural hair growth.
- When is a second hair transplant needed?
Most of the patients get to see satisfactory results from the first transplant and are not recommended for the second transplant. However, if a patient desires to have more density, the definition of the hairline, or wants to improve the overall look, then she can choose a second transplant.
8. How do Hair Transplants Benefit You?
- Enhanced looks- After the hair transplant, all the bald patches disappear with the new hair and provide an improved appearance to the patient.
- A permanent solution- Once hair is transplanted, it permanently covers the bald patches and stops the hair loss permanently. However, a few hairs will fall out during the regular cell cycle.
- Takes off balding- Only after the hair transplant, the bald area will have new hair growth without excessive fallout.
- Minimal maintenance- The new hair growth after the transplant is natural and requires no special measures for maintenance.
- Natural hair growth- Hair transplant fills in the bald patches with the patient’s hair follicles and hence provides them with natural-looking hair.
9. Cost of Female Hair Transplant
Cost is one of the major factors to be considered before opting for hair treatment. The cost of a Female hair transplant varies with some factors. Grafts are a major consideration while estimating the cost. Generally, 40-100 INR is charged per graft. The whole treatment generally sums up to 90,000 INR- 3,00,000 INR. However, this amount might vary with the technique of hair transplant, the degree of baldness, the number of grafts, the experience of the surgeon, and more. Spending lakhs on hair treatment might seem costly; however, low-cost treatments are not advised by doctors as they might not be reliable.
Demalife is equipped with advanced and finest tools and offers treatment at a reasonable price. Here, you will get a team of professional surgeons who are the best for female hair transplant treatment.
Take Away
It is impossible to count the number of hair an individual loses per day. However, when the number of falling hairs increases, it's recommended to seek an expert. No matter at what age a female notices the hair loss, it can be treated with the help of proper guidance. You must address the cause of hair loss and take the appropriate treatment on time to cure the hair loss at an early stage.
