Women lose their hair just like men do. Most of the time they lose their hair for health reasons but sometimes it’s also a genetic component just like with men and male pattern baldness.
In fact, hair loss affects about 30 million American women. About 40 percent of all women suffer some form of hair loss or thinning of their hair by age 40. Even though in many cases it’s a normal part of aging, women (more than men) suffer unnecessary embarrassment due to their hair loss. Let’s look at some common causes of hair loss in women.
* Mental and Physical Stress – Any time you’re not getting enough sleep or you’re stressed out, whether it’s mental or physical, there is a chance your body will respond by shedding hair. Usually, if you can get back to homeostasis you’ll grow your hair back.
* Pregnancy – When you’re pregnant, you produce a lot of specialized hormones that help your baby grow. But the result can be a thick full hair while you’re pregnant that seems to all fall out after you have the baby and your hormones fluctuate. For women who suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum (which is a condition that causes very severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and other issues), deficiencies this condition causes can lead to hair thinning and hair loss.
* An Overdose of Vitamin A – Many people think more of something is better. But an overdose of vitamin A can cause hair loss and other problems. It’s important to make sure you’re only taking vitamins that you really need according to blood tests, and not just because someone else said to take it.
* Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency – Iron deficiency (anemia), vitamin B, protein deficiency and nutritional deficits can cause hair loss and hair thinning. It’s always a good idea to get your blood tested to find out what’s going on if you’re experiencing thinning of hair or hair loss.
* Heredity – There is a thing called “female pattern” hair loss that affects some women. You will know if your elders also have hair loss issues. The best course of treatment for this type of hair loss is to use something like Rogaine or a doctor prescribed treatment to help.
* Autoimmune Illnesses – There are a whole host of autoimmune illnesses that can cause hair thinning or hair loss, such as lupus. But there is an autoimmune illness called alopecia areata that causes straight-up hair loss, because it attacks the hair follicles. It’s characterized by scarring and can sometimes be mistaken for ringworm.
* Losing Weight Fast – Whenever you lose weight fast, your body may react by shedding hair. If you had a gastric bypass or do anything to limit your calories to the point that you’re losing more than a couple pounds a week, hair loss is a potential side effect. If you realize that you’re losing your hair as you shed the weight, consider whether you need to add vitamins to your day or add more calories to slow the weight loss.
* Chemotherapy – Hair loss is a well-known side effect for anyone undergoing chemotherapy. The best thing to do is understand that once your treatments are over your hair will grow back. Try finding cute wigs, try different styles and colors, and don’t forget if you’re hot you can just let your bald head shine because even though it’s dramatic, traumatic, and hard – it’s temporary.
* PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome is an imbalance in your hormones that can cause both weight gain, cysts, diabetes, period problems, infertility, and hair thinning. If you’ve not changed much in your diet or life but are experiencing any of these symptoms, ask your doctor to rule out PCOS. Not all people with PCOS experience pain.
* Drugs – Prescribed drugs used to treat depression, blood thinners, and others can cause hair loss in some individuals. If you note that you’re losing your hair after starting these types of drugs, be sure to report that to your doctor.
* Over-styling – Tight braids, weave, chemical treatments, even hot-oil treatments and harsh chemicals found in perms and hair color can damage the roots of your hair and cause it to fall out. Sometimes it falls out in patches where the hair was weaker. The trick is to avoid over-styling and try to use fewer chemicals on your hair. In addition, don’t use your hot styling equipment every single day.
These are all possible reasons why you’re losing your hair. No matter the reason, there are usually things you can do to lessen the problems associated with hair loss.
Eight Ways to Conceal Hair Loss
Hair loss in women is not a rare occurrence, but most women experiencing it don’t like to talk to their best friend about it – much less their doctor or anyone else for that matter.
Many factors can play into hair loss, from illness to genetics. No matter what, you should start with talking to your doctor. But in the meantime, there are ways to conceal hair loss.
1. Get the Right Hairstyle – Call around your area and find a salon that has a stylist who has dealt with hair loss. Depending on how severe your situation is, you may be able to simply style your hair in a different way that strategically covers the hair loss. If you normally part your hair on the left, try parting it on the other side to see if that makes a difference. But, dealing with a professional is the best way to ensure that you get a good style.
Sadly, this professional help will not happen at a chain chop shop. You’ll need to find an upscale solution but when you spend the extra time and money on a truly professional service, you usually end up with results that last longer.
2. Wear a Wig – If your hair loss is especially severe, you may want to consider wigs and hairpieces. Today, most wigs and hairpieces (even the ones on the lower price scale) are very well made and don’t make your head as hot as the old-fashioned wigs used to. You can go to a wig shop too and try on some different styles, and then they’ll make one especially for your needs.
3. Bald Is Beautiful – Women are conditioned to have long hair but that doesn’t mean you don’t look beautiful bald or with a buzz cut. Sometimes that is a great solution, depending on where you live. If you live in a hot and humid climate, getting a buzz cut or letting yourself be bald can be a fashion statement of your own. After all, why should you hide something if you don’t really want to?
4. Scarves Are In – Another great way to deal with your hair loss is to use scarves, hats, and other head coverings as a fashion statement. You can use them in strategic ways or cover your entire head. It’s up to you. You can get so many colors and do so many things with scarves that you will feel beautiful.
5. Waterproof Hair Loss Concealer – If you have some small patches on your head, one way to cover it is to use waterproof hair loss concealer on the spots. This works best if you have darker hair than if you have lighter hair, and if your spots are few. Follow the directions for using it correctly.
6. Dye Your Hair Darker – If you have a few spots that are thinner or even patchy baldness, but you otherwise have a lot of hair, color your hair as dark as is appropriate for your skin tone. Then style your hair in a way that will cover the spots. In combination with the waterproof hair loss concealer, this works great.
7. Try Some Potions – Viviscal Gorgeous Growth Densifying Elixir (link below), Nioxin Diamax, and other potions actually do work to help grow hair, make hair thicker, and help you deal with your hair loss. You can also get prescription level potions from your doctor, which is why you should not be afraid to show them your hair loss.
8. Get More Volume – Finding ways to add volume to your hair can also help you cover bald and patchy spots. Using a root lift spray can help make your hair fuller so that you can strategically style it around the spots.
As you see, there are many things you can do to try to conceal your hair loss. Hair loss in women is not as rare as you may think so you are not alone in any way. How do you deal with your hair loss?
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