Sadick & Reed Speak on Women's Hair Loss

Article by HairlossTalk.com

Hair loss is not just a problem for men alone. One out of every four women in the United States experiences hereditary hair loss, and for that one woman, hair loss can feel like a first class cosmetic disaster. The causes and symptoms of hair loss in women can be different than those associated with men. Below, two dermatologists discuss the differences between male and female pattern baldness.How common is hair loss in women?

NEIL SADICK, MD: The incidence of hair loss in women is almost parallel to that in men. However, in women, usually the degree of hair loss is not as extensive as it is in the male population.

So are they hiding it better than men?

NEIL SADICK, MD: Luckily, their genes do not express the trait to the same severe degree as men. There is the same amount of thinning in terms of numbers of women compared to men, but the degree of hair loss is usually not as severe as it is in the male population.

What are the differences in the cause of hair loss in women, as opposed to men?

MICHAEL REED, MD: Most women lose their hair for the same reason that men do-genetics. It's called female-pattern balding, as opposed to male-pattern balding, but both refer to what is called androgenetic alopecia, which means hair loss caused by a sensitivity to male type hormones, which men and women both have. Women are more protected by estrogen for a period of time, but the cause is the same. It's just that they have it happen later, it goes more slowly, and the pattern is such that it's easier to cover it up than it is for men. If I lose half my hair and it's on the top of my head, I'm going to be bald. If I lose half my hair and I'm a woman, it's diffused all over my head, so it's just going to be thin hair or "see-through hair".

Are there some myths that women have about what could cause their hair loss? Washing their hair too vigorously?

NEIL SADICK, MD: People feel that anything will cause the hair loss to accelerate-such as emotional trauma, washing their hair too often, poor diets-but those truly are myths.

How can a woman tell if she's actually losing her hair?

MICHAEL REED, MD: It's said that we have to lose 50 percent of our hair in any given area before it starts to be noticeably thin, but a lot of women notice it long before then. There are very few people with delusions of hair loss. They can just tell by the texture, by the body, that it's not the hair it used to be. Finally, though, it gets to the point where they begin to see scalp and not hair. Especially in women, right behind the hairline they tend to get a round or oval-shaped area that gets very, very thin, and those women seek treatment.

What is the second most common cause of hair loss in women?

- For more information, please read our Guide to Women's Hair Loss
- Read about the Proven treatments for Women's Hair loss
- Discuss your hair loss with other women in the Women's Forums

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