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Woman touching her thinning hair, symbolizing the impact of alopecia in women's lives.
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1 in 3 women suffer from some form of hair loss at some point in their lives. This further increases post-menopause, when about 2 in 3 women report suffering from thinning of the hair and bald spots. This can be very emotionally distressing for women and can adversely affect their health and well-being.

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The most common cause of hair loss, also called alopecie, is a genetic condition in Laval women that is exacerbated with age and changing levels of hormones. This condition is known as Androgenetic Alopecia Women Laval (Alopécie Androgénétique Femmes Laval).

Continue reading to better understand the condition, its causes, and possible treatment options.

What is female androgenetic alopecia?

Androgenetic alopecia can occur in both men and women. In men, it is called male pattern baldness, whereas, in women, it is called female pattern baldness or female pattern hair loss. Both male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness are similar to each other, in the sense that both occur due to the increased activity of androgens and both patterns of baldness may be due to genetics. However, female androgenetic alopecia differs from male androgenetic alopecia in the pattern in which hair thinning occurs.

In women, androgenetic alopecia generally starts with the progressive thinning of hair along the part line, accompanied by increasingly scattered hair loss from the top of the head. The hair at the temples may also start to fall off. Women, however, seldom experience receding hairlines and generally do not go completely bald.

What causes female androgenetic alopecie?

Androgenetic alopecie in women generally has hereditary causes which result in a shorter hair growth phase and a much longer duration between the hair shedding and hair growth periods.

Parental genes can also affect hair quality, resulting in smaller follicles and thin, fine hair strands.

Age and hormones also have a role to play in the occurrence of female androgenetic alopecie as it frequently arises post menopause when there is a significant fall in oestrogen levels in the female body. This results in the more prominent expression and activity of a group of male hormones called androgens, which are also naturally found in women but at lower levels. Tumours on the ovaries can also contribute to the increased production of androgens. Androgens are associated with both male and female pattern baldness.

What is the effect of female androgenetic alopecia on women’s hair?

Female androgenetic alopecia occurs when the growth phase of the hair shortens markedly and new hair strands take a very long time to start growing. This condition also results in the shrinkage of hair follicles from which shorter, thinner and weaker hair strands tend to grow. These fine hair strands are highly prone to breakage.

Female pattern baldness results in far more hair shedding than that experienced by the average woman who does not suffer from female androgenetic alopecia.

As mentioned previously, in male pattern baldness, the hair starts to recede from the front and continues till the back, eventually resulting in the person becoming fully bald. On the other hand, female pattern baldness begins around the part line and is followed by the diffused loss of hair from the top of the head. In some cases, hair loss may also occur at the temples. However, women’s hairlines generally never recede and usually, women do not go completely bald.

The Ludwig classification is used by doctors to describe female androgenetic alopecia and it classifies the condition into the following 3 types:

  • Type I: This is when there is a minimal amount of hair thinning along and around the hair part.
  • Type II: In this type of female pattern baldness, there is a noticeable widening of the hair part line with increased thinning around it, resulting in decreased overall hair volume. 
  • Type III: This stage is characterised by significant thinning at the top of the head resulting in a see-through effect.

How is female pattern baldness diagnosed?

A dermatologist or a clinician can generally make out whether a woman is suffering from female androgenetic alopecia by looking at the scalp and inspecting the pattern of hair thinning. Generally, no diagnostic tests are required for this.

However, if the doctor suspects that the cause of the hair loss and hair thinning is something other than female pattern baldness, then the doctor might order blood tests to be done in order to determine the levels of thyroid hormones, androgens, iron, vitamin D and other relevant hair growth affecting substances in the body.

Treatment options for alopécie androgénétique chez les femmes à laval/ Androgenetic Alopecia in Women in Laval

  • Minoxidil: The Food and Drug Administration in the USA (FDA) has to date approved only one drug for the treatment of female pattern hair loss and that is minoxidil. It is available in two strengths, 2% and 5%. The 5% strength was found to be more effective by a few studies conducted in the past. This medicine needs to be applied to the scalp every day and it shows effect in about 6-12 months. Although it does not lead to the regrowth of all the hair that one has lost, it does help a good amount of hair to grow back. One has to keep using Minoxidil in order to continue having the look of a thicker growth of hair. Once Minoxidil is stopped, hair goes back to looking like what it used to before.
  • Finasteride & Dutasteride: These two drugs have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of male pattern baldness and not female pattern hair loss. However, some studies have found them to be beneficial to women as well and therefore, some clinicians do prescribe them to women too.
  • Spironolactone: This drug is a diuretic i.e., it ejects excess fluids from the body by causing the kidneys to produce more urine. It also blocks androgens from working and thus, can help restore some of the hair that has been lost due to female androgenetic alopecia.
  • Laser combs & helmets: These devices have also been approved by the FDA for the treatment of hair loss. Laser combs and helmets make use of light energy to stimulate hair follicles to grow back hair, however, more studies need to be conducted in order to know exactly how efficacious these devices are.
  • Platelet-rich plasma therapy: This therapy has shown encouraging results in the past, however, more research still needs to be done. In this technique, the patient’s own blood is taken, put in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the other components of blood, and then the platelets are injected into the patient’s scalp to stimulate hair regrowth.
  • Supplements: Iron, folic acid, biotin, antioxidant, omega-3 and omega-6 supplements are often prescribed to combat any deficiencies the patient might have. However, supplements may not be very useful when combating female pattern hair loss.
  • Hair transplant: Hair transplants can act as a permanent solution when tackling androgenetic alopecia in women. In this procedure, thin strips of hair-growing scalp are taken from one part of the head, usually from the back, and are grafted into parts of the head that have experienced hair loss. The hair from these grafts then grow out like one’s own natural hair.   

Final take

Hair loss alopecia (alopecie) can severely affect a woman’s quality of life, more so than men, because of the social pressures that women have to face. One of the most common causes of hair loss in women in Laval, Quebec, is alopécie androgénétique femmes Laval. Women suffering from androgenic alopecia who are diagnosed early and start treatment have better outcomes in the long run. This informative post elaborates on the condition, its causes and available treatment options so that women suffering from androgenetic alopecia can take action today!

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