Can Women Have Pattern Baldness?

Male pattern baldness is a term that people have usually heard of, but female pattern baldness can happen as well. Approximately 30 million women in the U.S. alone suffer from hair loss. There are different reasons why women experience hair loss, including:

• Arthritis
• Depression
• Hormonal changes
• Medical problems
• Side effects of birth control pills
• Stress

There are roughly 30 different medical conditions that can cause hair loss in women as well. Female hair loss is more difficult to predict, since there are so many factors that go into it. In order to determine the cause of the woman’s hair loss, it is best to consult with a hair loss expert who can find the cause and discuss what your treatment options are.

Aging, hormonal changes and heredity are the most common causes of female pattern baldness. Menopause is often times the onset of female pattern baldness for many women who experience it. These women will usually start to have a thinning of all of their hair and they may notice that their center part is widening or they may have some baldness at the crown of their head. A receding hairline will very rarely be experienced and that symptom of baldness is typically the first sign of male pattern baldness.

There are a few different treatment options available for women who experience hair loss. Currently, the only FDA approved hair loss drug for women on the market is Minoxidil (Rogaine). Rogaine is an effective treatment for some people, since it can slow down or stop hair loss. Unfortunately, this treatment does not work for everyone and even if it does work, you need to continue treatment in order to maintain results.

Other treatment options for women include laser therapy and hair transplantation. Like Rogaine, you need to have continuous laser therapy treatment in order to retain results or else you will continue to have hair loss if the therapy stops. Hair transplantation is the only permanent solution for female baldness.

The Ludwig Scale measures female pattern baldness and there are three different stages:

• Type 1-a thinning on the top of the head
• Type 2-the scalp can be seen through thinning hair in certain areas
• Type 3-hair loss on the crown of the head

You can establish what the best treatment is for female pattern baldness by having a proficient hair loss physician determine what is causing your hair loss. If you are experiencing some thinning hair or balding, you can contact the experienced hair loss physician, Dr. Yates. He will be able to determine what is causing your hair loss and can let you know what your options are for treatment.