If you noticed your side part widening or the volume of your hair getting smaller, you may have female pattern hair loss. It is clinically referred to as androgenetic alopecia and it affects millions of women, making it one of the common causes of hair loss in females.
Unlike men who lose hair in a predictable pattern and eventually grow bald, women generally don’t. Female pattern hair loss is characterised by generalised or diffused hair thinning which affects your overall hair volume. But, even though the scalp is visible, the hairline usually does not recede. It may appear less thick but it still retains its form, compared to how it regresses in men. Without treatment, some women may develop widespread thinning.
For more info about hair loss, learn more here.
Besides Androgenetic Alopecia (pattern hair loss), there are other types of hair loss that can affect females. Beyond genetics, other factors such as stress, medications, and even the wrong hairstyles can lead to serious consequences to the hair. Take a quick look at what these are, here.
Doctors base their diagnosis on two parameters – the intensity and pattern of hair loss. The basic tool to classify the extent of hair loss women have is the Ludwig Scale and the Savin Scale. Today, we can also find a Ludwig – Savin Scale, which is an integrated and comprehensive table that serves as the female counterpart of the Norwood Scale in men.
While checking the degree of thinning, clinicians will also take note of the location. Furthermore, a hair strand test may also be done to assess the integrity of the hair follicles and also determine if what was lost can be grown back or not. You may also be referred to a dermatology specialist or a trichologist, and get a dermatoscopic exam or scalp biopsy.
Laboratory testing can also check the concentration of androgen in the blood, as well as other hormones such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin. Further testing may include an assessment of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, like vitamin D, iron, and zinc.
The approach to any hair loss is challenging and involves a combination of a patient’s medical and family history, trichoscopy, laboratory evaluation, and potential biopsy to further examine the possibility of an inflammatory and scarring alopecia.
Medications
Minoxidil
This over-the-counter (OTC) medication is the first-line treatment of female pattern hair loss. The ones suitable for women to use come in two preparations, and you can buy them without prescription from pharmacies and other retail outlets. It comes in foam or liquid form and it should be spread on the scalp everyday. Minoxidil solutions should be applied to the affected areas of the scalp 1 to 2 times a day, while foam is applied once a day. It may have to be used for six months or more to prevent further hair loss and promote hair growth.
Before using a Minoxidil treatment, you need to make sure that this is the right treatment for you. It’s important that you speak with a doctor or pharmacist:
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you are not sure what is causing your loss of hair.
If the skin on your scalp is sore, or if you have a skin condition which affects your scalp.
If you have a heart condition, blood vessel disease, or high blood pressure.
If you ever had an allergic reaction to a skin preparation, or to any other medicine.
If you are using other skin preparations or taking any other medicines. This includes over-the-counter medications, as well as herbal and complementary medicines.
Medicated Shampoo
What makes this shampoo effective against hair loss is its organic compound that has anti-inflammatory and anti-androgenic properties. The anti-androgenic mechanism decreases the dihydrotestosterone at the level of the hair follicle. To ensure that the ingredients do their job, you are supposed to lather the shampoo and leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing off.
Women with androgenic alopecia may consider trying prescription ketoconazole at a strength of 2 percent. It is prepared as a shampoo which contains an antifungal agent that may reduce the body’s production of testosterone and other androgens (male hormones) that cause hair loss.
Supplements
Viviscal
It’s important to consider supplements as a complementary treatment to fight hair loss. It primarily fills in the nutritional gaps that may have contributed to falling hair (e.g. iron deficiency, biotin deficiency).
Currently, there are different nutrients and special ingredients that have established benefits in controlling hair loss and encouraging hair health. Companies invested in research to add unique components that have hair-building capacities.
As a consumer, it’s important to cover the basics. Important nutrients to look for include:
Vitamin A
B-vitamins
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Zinc
Iron
Folic Acid
Curcumin
Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
Laser devices are non-invasive treatments that stimulate hair growth for people with androgenic alopecia and pattern balding. They can be used without a prescription, and they come in the form of combs, brushes, and other handheld items that emit light and make existing hair thicker.
While it may be called by other names such as red light therapy, cold laser, or soft laser, it’s worth noting that not all lasers are the same. To experience the therapeutic effect, one study emphasised the importance of having the right wavelength, timing, pulse and power density. Furthermore, if the wrong dosage is applied to a particular treatment, the effectiveness can be lower or the treatment may not produce any results at all. If you seek treatment in an aesthetic clinic, we assure our patients that we use medical-grade lasers to ensure a safe, efficient, and effective service while aiming for good quality results. More than that, Dr Tyng Tan is trained and certified to use this device
Regenera Activa
Regenera Activa Device
This treatment is a less invasive option than hair transplant. Regenera Activa uses regenerative medicine protocol through ‘Stromal Vascular Fraction.’ It means that it relies on your body’s own cells to stimulate hair follicles to combat hair loss and grow new hairs. It does so by ‘activating’ the follicles that have become dormant.
It is a good option for female patients because the process is minimally invasive and discreet. That means you don’t have to shave the entire head since it only requires small skin samples taken from the occipital area of the scalp (back of the head); the area least susceptible to hair loss. It is done for about 30-45 minutes with practically no downtime, and this already sets into motion a natural hair growth process which can last you up to two years.
Hair Transplant
Hair-Image
According to experts, there is a small percentage of women who are good candidates for hair transplant surgery. A smaller percentage of women, compared to men, are suitable candidates for surgery since the ladies have limited donor hair available.
Suitable candidates include the following:
Women who have suffered hair loss due to mechanical force (nonhormonal), also referred to as traction alopecia.
Women who have had previous cosmetic or plastic surgery and are concerned about hair loss around the incision sites.
Women who have a distinct pattern of baldness, similar to that of male pattern baldness. This is often characterised by hairline recession, vertex thinning (on the crown or top of the scalp), and a donor area that is not affected by androgenetic alopecia.
Women who suffer hair loss due to trauma, including burn victims, scarring from accidents, and chemical burns.
Women with alopecia marginalis, which is hair loss that primarily occurs along the hairline and temples, similar to traction alopecia.
Hair loss in women is associated with significant psychological impact which boils down to society’s perception of beauty. Although not life threatening or painful, societal norms dictate that hair is an essential part of a woman’s sexuality and gender identity. Therefore, hair loss generates feelings of low self-esteem and anxiety from a perception that it diminishes one’s attractiveness.
As a result of hair loss, women are more likely than men to have a lowered quality of life. Society tends to regard hair loss in men to be expected and normal due to the greater visibility of hair loss within this group. In women, however, the progression of hair loss breeds psychosocial complications which include low self-esteem, depression, and altered body image. These problems may lead women to avoid social engagements, or they may find it less enjoyable.
The struggle may be harder in women, but there are professionals and support groups available to help you manage this problem. You may speak to your dermatologist, primary physician, or a hair transplant surgeon for proper interventions. There are also different online groups that you can tap so that you can get the support and information you need about hair loss and how to deal with it.
If you wish to speak to someone who is in authority when it comes to hair loss and its treatment, you may approach Dr. Tyng Tan of Aesthetics and Hair Clinic in Singapore today. Since every case is unique, your treatment approach deserves a personalised touch to ensure effect the change you seek. To learn more about the treatments designed for Asian women hair, call us now or simply fill out our inquiry form today!
Dr. Tyng Tan is one of the few doctors approved by the Singapore Medical Council to carry out both FUE and FUT hair transplant (which includes non-shaved FUE where donor hair length is preserved an...
