Managing Women's Thinning Hair
Surprisingly - especially to men - almost 30% of women suffer from some level of permanent or temporary thinning.
While balding, hair loss and thinning are most often viewed as "normal" for men, women are especially susceptible to thinning due to increasing factors related to hormones, use of styling aids, birth control, and pregnancy. Managing women's thinning hair is hard, but it can be done.
Hormonal changes can create variances in mineral and amino acid levels. Needed nutrients such as Biotin, chlorophyll and vitamins B6, B12 and Niacin can and are diminished during pregnancy or during high-stress periods - death, job change, financial, relocation, etc . Stress is the most common cause of hair loss in men and women.
These and other factors that affect healthy hair growth such as iron levels, calcium and Vitamin C are depleted. To complicate matters, styling may a primary cause. Traction alopecia results from excessive to tight braids; Trichotillomania - pulling out of one's own hair can be subconscious; or genetic loss in females which is most commonly found during menopause, when hormone levels get out of whack.
Reversing the Thinning Trend
Maintaining hair health is paramount to avoiding thinning hair in women. Here are several considerations:
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Products containing Minoxidil or Trichogen are useful for stopping or reversing loss during or following menopause. Shampoo, conditioners and topical scalp applications can help address genetic predisposition for women. Other alternatives are hormone therapy and the use of some phytoestrogens. This will help slow thinning hair in women.
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Improve strength to avoid problems such as trichorrhexis nodosa - breaking and fractures of the hair shaft. This type breaking is most commonly associated with chemical or physical trauma - i.e. chemical treatments such as coloring and perms and heat damage or breaking from styling or combing and brushing. Brittle hair is a nightmare but it can be fixed.
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Maintaining cleanliness and purity can help complications from contact dermatitis, scalp psoriasis, ringworm, and fungal infections around the hair shaft. These issues can cause hair to thin rapidly.
For more information on managing and dealing with female thinning and hair loss, visit these links:
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