Losing small amounts of hair everyday is perfectly normal, however, if you start experiencing extreme hair loss (more than 125 hairs per day), the thinning of the hair or bald spots on your scalp will become very noticeable. This can happen to people of all genders but, unsurprisingly, female hair loss is particularly devastating and can have huge effects on women’s self-esteem. Luckily, there are certain things you can try to help fight it. From medication to women’s hair transplant - this article will discuss the various hair loss treatments and their effectiveness.
Hair loss
Why do women experience hair loss?
Before getting into the different treatments, it is important to understand the causes behind hair loss in women. Unlike men, women generally do not have the tendency to experience baldness or receding hairline as they get older. Female hair loss is typically caused by a wide range of different hormonal changes, conditions and medical reasons. For instance, some women will experience it during pregnancy or menopause, although usually it is temporary and goes back to normal without the need for any treatments.
In other cases, however, hair loss can happen much more long-term or even permanently.. This is often due to various illnesses and medications used to treat them (e.g. cancer treatment with chemotherapy), high levels of stress, weight loss, iron deficiency and other underlying health conditions. Understanding the medical reasons behind the thinning of your hair as well as whether it’s a temporary change will be essential in order to choose the best treatment for you.
Treatments for hair loss
When hair loss is occuring temporarily and it will grow back or it’s due to natural ageing process, serious treatments are generally not recommended. Below is a list of solutions catered for a range of different scenarios, from short-term hair loss to more permanent treatments.
Wearing wigs
While not really classed as a treatment, wigs can be a good solution for those experiencing temporary hair loss for one reason or another. They are much more affordable than many of the other treatments and can look very natural, particularly if you purchase real-hair wigs as opposed to synthetic wigs. However, wigs won’t satisfy most people as a permanent solution, since they require a lot of maintenance every day and can cause discomfort, such as itching.
Minoxidil
Minoxidil is a type of medication typically used by males although it can also be beneficial when treating female pattern baldness. There are various brands selling minoxidil either in the form of orally-consumed pills or liquid solutions to apply directly on your bald patches. It has been found that this medication can slow-down or prevent hair loss, however, the amount of hair that grows back varies vastly from person to person. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that minoxidil will work for everyone and it can be expensive to purchase.
Steroid injections
Steroid injections is a treatment used to improve only particular types of hair loss, including alopecia areata, frontal fibrosis alopecia and discoid lupus. These conditions are caused by the body’s own immune system fighting hair follicles and so steroid injections can help stop it from doing so. This treatment can be received for up to 6 months every 4 weeks and a lot of women start noticing results after a couple of months. It is important to note, though, that steroid injections are only a temporary or permanent fix on a bald patch but they do not cure the condition itself.
Light treatment
Light treatment is concerned with shining ultraviolet light on bald patches in order to stimulate hair growth. This method attempts to reduce the “resting stage” of the hair growth cycle, this way fastening the growth stage. It is most commonly used for different scalp conditions, such as clearing the symptoms of psoriasis. While it can be highly effective in many cases, it also includes certain side effects, such as sensitivity to light, skin pigmentation or an increased risk of skin cancer.
Tattooing
Permanent tattoos or cosmetic microblading are a good solution for loss of short hair on the body, such as eyebrows. They can be done to look very natural and only need to be touched up if and when faded in the future. It is important to opt for an experienced professional for this treatment - while that may be more expensive, it is also more likely to bring nicer, more natural results. However, while men can have tattoos to imitate a beard, short scalp hair or a more even hairline, this solution is not particularly helpful for women who want to have long hair.
Hair transplant
When it comes to hair transplant women are most often choosing it as the more permanent and effective solution. It is most commonly used to treat hereditary hair loss, receding hairline or high forehead. This procedure is typically performed by extracting healthy hair follicles from the back of your head and planting them into the bald or patchy spots on your head. The results achieved with this procedure are highly natural due to using your own hair. While no treatment will 100% work for everyone, hair transplants are known to be the most effective as well as the only permanent solution for female hair loss.
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