Q. What causes a female to lose her hair between the ages of 45-50? I have no
known health problems. What kind of doctor should I see about this?
_Anonymous, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
A. There are more than 20 million American women (and 2 million to 3 million
Canadian women) who could tell you that they have suffered from hair loss. Because of
the embarrassment it causes, a number of women keep it a secret. Some wear wigs or
hairpieces; others disguise it with hats or concealing hairstyles.
In some cases, this hair loss is temporary. Hair growth can be thought of as a
reflection of our underlying physical and mental health. When we're not well, our
hair may reflect that.
Crash dieting or "yo-yo" dieting puts a great deal of stress on a body
and compromises it nutritionally. Hair loss may result. Prolonged emotional stress
can
cause hair loss too. Any serious illness, including cancer that requires chemo or
radiation
therapy, can lead to hair falling out. An underactive thyroid gland (detectable using
a
supersensitive TSH assay) can cause brittle hair and hair loss. Excess sun and
chlorine
from a pool water can damage hair, leading to hair loss. Sometimes, a fungal scalp
condition can cause hair loss. The nervous habit of pulling on one's hair can also
lead
to hair loss.
All of these conditions need to be considered, since they're generally
treatable.
Assuming that you're healthy and don't have one of the above problems, we're
left with a diagnosis that applies to 95 percent of women with hair loss: "androgenic
(male sex
hormone) hair loss."
"But I don't have male hormones, do I?" you may be thinking.
Yes, you do. Men and
women have both male and female hormones _ obviously in different proportions.
The likelihood that you'll develop this kind of baldness depends upon three
forces: 1) age; 2) an inherited tendency to bald early; and 3) an over-abundance of
the male sex hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) within the hair follicles. It's
believed that DHT, a testosterone by-product, causes abnormal hibernation of hair
follicles.
"OK, so if I do have this kind of male-pattern hair loss, what can I do about
it?"
The only FDA-approved medication for female hair loss is Rogaine 2 percent hair
solution. There is a 5 percent Rogaine Extra-Strength hair solution, but it's not
indicated for
use in women.
You may have heard of the drug Propecia for hair loss. It's only for use in
men, and only modestly effective at that. It can cause serious birth defects in a
fetus if a woman merely handles a crushed or broken, so it's clearly not an option in
women of child-bearing age. The FDA has not approved its use in post-menopausal
women.
Some women have found modest success with medications which increase estrogen or
block the male-sex hormones. Estrogen replacement therapy (for example, Premarin);
estrogenic birth control pills; and Spironolactone are drugs that have been tried
with mixed success.
Some women have undergone single hair/micrograft hair transplantation with good
success. Others have tried scalp skin reduction surgery. Keep in mind that it may
cost
thousands of dollars, and it's generally not covered by health insurance.
My suggestion would be to start with a good Dermatologist who has an interest in
treating female hair loss.
Lastly, here's a bit of trivia for you: A person can inherit the gene for
baldness from either the mother's side of the family or the father's side.
