If you are a woman suffering from hair loss, you know the feelings of distress this can cause. One thing is certain: you are not alone. According to an article in Harvard Health, one-third of all women experience hair loss at some point in their lives, and up to two-thirds of post-menopausal women experience thinning hair. Pattern hair loss in both men and women is call androgenic alopecia. With women it begins with gradual thinning where the hair parts, followed by hair loss that is diffuse, generally radiating from the crown. In advanced female hair loss the hair can take on an almost “see-through” appearance. However, unlike men, women do not experience dramatic temple or crown recession, and women rarely become bald.
But definitions and statistics can’t begin to describe your feelings, and they cannot restore your precious hair. So what can?
First of all, you will want to consult a physician to rule out any underlying medical issue that may be responsible for your hair loss. These can include but are not limited to the following:
- Anemia
- Connective Tissue Disease
- Hormonal Imbalances
- Thyroid Disease
- Vitamin Deficiencies
- Gynecological Conditions
- Emotional Stress
- Autoimmune Skin Diseases (scarring alopecia)
Next, you want to rule out other physical causes that may be causing your hair loss, but that are unrelated to female pattern baldness. These include:
- Loss of hair due to inflammation of the follicles
- Loss due to surgical and aesthetic procedures (such as face lifts or brow lifts)
- Loss due to wearing very tight hairstyles such as cornrows that exert a constant pull on the hair; this is called traction alopecia
If none of these conditions apply you are probably suffering from female pattern hair loss. And a hair transplant might be just what the doctor ordered.
Is your donor hair right for a hair transplant?
The single most important aspect for candidacy for a hair transplant in female pattern loss is the quality of the donor hair. By “donor hair” I mean the follicles that will be selected as healthy and robust enough to be taken from one part of the head and put into another, and survive and thrive in the new spot. The specific quality I look for is low miniaturization—that is, a low percentage (less than 30%) of hairs must not have less than “normal” hair shaft diameters. If that criterion is met, most likely you are a candidate for a hair transplant, where hair follicles are taken from areas of your head and “planted” in the areas where thinning is present.
Sufficient donor hair may also be used to fix or change a high hairline, or to address damage to the hairline or sideburns from plastic surgery, or to address hair loss due to scars or trauma.
Many female hair loss solutions are non-surgical.
Furthermore, there are a number of effective non-surgical treatments for women, depending on your personal condition and goals. These include Rogaine for women, platelet rich plasma treatment, and laser hair therapy.
Take a look at our Woman’s Hair Transplant Before and After Gallery and schedule a consultation. Not only will you avail yourself of the latest technology and state-of-the-art options for treating hair loss, you will also find a team of surgeons, stylists and support staff that is kind, caring, supportive, and genuinely interested in successfully addressing your unique situation.
