What Leads to Hair Loss in Women? Ways How to Prevent It

Stress

Hair loss can be a frustrating condition that often affects your self-esteem and overall quality of life. It can also lead to social embarrassment and depression.

Several factors can trigger hair loss in women, including genetics, hormonal changes and medications. If you’re having problems with your hair, a consultation with a dermatologist can help pinpoint the cause and suggest a treatment that works best for you.

One of the most common causes is stress. According to Shab Reslan, a certified trichologist and stylist, when your body is under severe physical or emotional pressure, it can interfere with the natural cycle of growth and rest.

This can result in a sudden and impressive loss of hair, called telogen effluvium. It can last for 3 to 6 months, but the good news is that most women don’t go bald from this type of loss. The other best part about stress-related hair loss is that most people recover from it and see regrowth simultaneously.

Hormones

Many women are surprised to learn that the same hormones that cause male pattern baldness can also cause hair loss in women. These are called androgens, sex hormones that affect growth, reproduction and hair growth.

Androgens can cause thinning or hair loss in areas that don’t usually get it, like the head, back, chest and face. They result from imbalances in testosterone and dihydrotestosterone or DHT.

With proper care, most of these hormonal imbalances can be corrected, and women can regain their natural hair growth.

See your doctor if you notice a change in how your hair grows or any thinning. They will do a thorough examination to find the source of the problem. Then, you can get treatments that help prevent it from happening again. This includes a healthy diet, stress reduction techniques, regular scalp massages and supplements that rebalance your hormones.

Lichen Planopilaris

Lichen planus is a common inflammatory skin disorder that causes itchy rashes. It can also affect the mouth, genitals and nails.

This is because the immune system – the part of your body that fights off infection – attacks cells of the skin or mucous membranes (e.g., the lining in your mouth). It usually happens younger than other autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, but women are two times more likely to develop it.

In this condition, hair follicles are damaged by inflammation, and hair loss occurs. The damage is permanent, so hair can’t be regrown.

The rash is reddish or whitish, sometimes with an itchy appearance. It tends to affect small patches on the scalp. The bald patches may progressively spread over time and join together.

Autoimmune Conditions

The body’s immune system is designed to recognize and attack invaders like viruses, bacteria, fungi and other pathogens. But autoimmune conditions can cause your immune system to go haywire, attacking healthy cells instead.

This can lead to chronic inflammation, which can affect several different areas of the body. This inflammation can also affect the hair follicles, causing them to stop producing new hair and begin to deteriorate.

In psoriasis, for example, patches of itchy, red skin are caused by the body’s immune system identifying the skin as foreign and sending white blood cells to attack it. This inflammation is also a significant trigger for hair loss in psoriasis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another autoimmune condition that can cause a lot of swollen joints and other symptoms, including hair loss. However, the autoimmune disease can be treated with a specific drug called baricitinib, which helps regulate the immune system and regrows hair by blocking the white blood cells attacking the hair follicles.