Hair loss seems to be a guy thing for an extended period. However, women nowadays suffer from premature baldness and hair thinning as well. If you are looking for causes and treatments for hair loss in women, this is the right place for you.

Read more: How To Increase Hair Growth By Using Suitable Hair Loss Shampoo?

How does hair grow?

Simply put, hair grows out of the human scalp. However, when you dive into the mechanism of hair growth, things get a little bit complicated. Underneath human scalp, there are thousands of tiny pockets known as follicles.

A newly born baby has already had over 100,000 follicles. Over the year, the number of follicles grows, and in total, you will have 5 millions of these tiny pockets.

As you ga et older, some of the follicles will stop growing. This explains why old people tend to have thinner hair or even suffer from complete baldness.

So, how does hair grow from follicles?

Here are the necessary steps:

•    Hair begins its journey from the root in the foot of the follicle. The source is constructed from protein cells.

•    Underneath, our blood vessels will nurture hair roots, generating more cells and stimulating hair growth.

•    As the hair gets stronger, it pushes its way through the scalp. On the way, it passes through oil glands and receives natural sebum to keep it soft and silky.

•    After sometimes, hair starts to wither and die. That is why we encounter hair loss every day.

How much hair loss is average for a female?

The cycle of hair growth shows that hair will never stay on your head forever. Hair loss is an everyday phenomenon. You can find your hair in the drain, on the bed, on the ground.

Even when you touch your hair, you can pluck out several weak hair strands. Especially when you wash your hair, hair is likely to get pull and tugged from the scalp.

The average hair shedding rate is somewhere between 50 to 100 strands

When you touch your silky hair and pull out a clump of hair strands, you may freak out. It looks like a lot, but you perhaps only experience regular hair loss.

So how much is the standard hair loss rate for females?

A report from the American Academy of Dermatologists shows that the average hair shedding rate is somewhere between 50 to 100 strands. The longer hair you have, hair shedding is more noticeable.

As we mentioned above, we humans have over 100,000 follicles. Therefore, the loss of 100 hair strands per day shouldn’t be a worry.

According to dermatologists, women lose more hair than men on a daily basis. While it is hard to give an objective comparison, we can see the problem subjectively.

Resisting heat styling and chemical processing is hard. These two factors accelerate the shedding rating in women. 40 % of women suffer from extensive hair loss daily because of how they treat their hair.

So, the average hair loss of women is somewhat higher than that of men. If you don’t use daily heat styling or frequent hair coloring, you may not encounter this problem.

The causes of hair loss in women

Medical conditions

Hair loss is considered the apparent sign of sickness. If you suffer from sudden hair shedding, you may want to check out if you have:

•    Thyroid diseases

•    Ringworm

•    Infections

•    Autoimmune disease

•    Diabetes

•    Anemia

•    Blood Thinners

The use of specific medication can cause hair loss in women as well. If you are on birth control pills, your hair will shed temporarily. What’s more, cancer patients under radiation and chemotherapy are also subject to hair loss.

For more information, please follow I’m Losing Hair Every Day. Should I Be Worried? and The Basics Of Human Hair Loss – 7 Surprising Reasons

Hormones

Female bodies are sensitive to hormones changes. Unfortunately, we often encounter hormones imbalance and change quite often. The monthly period is one of the most obvious examples of how hormones level rises and falls.

As a result, losing hair before women period is quite common.

Another factor that could trigger hair loss in women is pregnancy. When a woman starts to bear a child within her body, the hormones are out of balance. The body witnesses an intense shift of hormones to nurture the baby.

The body witnesses an intense shift of hormones to nurture the baby.

As a result, hair loss and pregnancy occur. During this period, women experience 30% more hair loss than average. Instead of 100 hair strands per day, you may lose over 300 strands.

The hormone level will not restore after pregnancy. Some women still suffer from hair losing after giving birth. Even the first year after pregnancy, this condition still exists.

If you are experiencing hair loss after birth, here are some solutions for you 4 Best Ways To Stop Hair Loss After Giving Birth

Losing hair breastfeeding is, therefore, quite common among women who refuse to use ready-made milk in stores to feed their newly born child.

It isn’t the end though. When women enter menopause, their hair suffers consequently. Hair problems during menopause include over shedding and hair thinning.

Fortunately, our body always tends to restore balance. Hormones will come back to normal after a while. So hair loss in women due to hormones is temporary.

Stress

Day-to-day hectic life can easily throw us out of the state of equilibrium. Stress and anxiety are common in modern society. Death of your loved one, sickness, or unemployment can cause us to lose more hair than usual.

Also, stress for a long time can lead to telogen effluvium. This condition triggers excessive hair loss in women, especially when we comb or wash hair.

Stress for a long time can lead to telogen effluvium.

To deal with stress, some people develop certain unconscious habits such as hair plucking. The scientifical name is trichotillomania. This tendency soothes tension and anxiety, but it is an entirely unhealthy practice to keep.

Nutrition

The lack of nutrition affects adversely not only your body as a whole but also your hair condition. Iron and protein deficiency can cause excessive hair loss.

Some people develop a habit of taking vitamin supplements daily. It seems to be a good habit only if you don’t overdose. Too much vitamin A can cause hair loss in women too.

Everyday negative eating habits found in young girls such as anorexia and bulimia trigger hair loss too.

Haircare

Some hairstyles are just bad for your hair if you wear them for an extended period. For example, ponytail style, hair is often pulled tight in the back, can weaken the hair. Also, cornrows are damaging to the hair follicles as a ponytail.

Other hairstyles that could lead to hair loss in women including

•    Frequent use of blow dryers or flat irons

•    Bleach, perms, coloring using harsh chemicals.

•    Hair is pulled tightly from clips or pins

•    Over-shampooing, overbrushing

The bottom line

Hair loss in women comes from many causes. Once you have addressed the root, it will be easier to find out the solution.

Stay tuned with us for the treatment guideline series coming up right next!

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