Why You May Need to Explore Hairstyles for Thinning Hair

Identifying the Causes and Solutions for Female Hair Loss

Do you have thinning hair? 

Hard question to answer, isn't it?  If it was a worry, you'd probably look behind you first to see if someone else is listening before you'd reply. 

Betting is if the polls and surveys of stylists are correct, you'd likely say yes. 

Sites covering hair care topics like TerrificTresses.com or TotatBeauty.com or NaturallyCurly.com even would agree with that and provide help and ideas. 

Plus isn't this why Rogaine was reformulated with women in mind - a growing market? 

Even so, admitting such a thing is still not easy and may even be embarrassing because women with less hair have long been suffering in silence.  Far too many regard the situation as simply unacceptable.  For a reason.

I mean society has long defined bountiful hair to be the epitome of womanly beauty.  Besides, your mane isn't called your crowning glory for nothing, now is it?  Which is why far too many women who are losing hair often feel depressed and try to hide their situation from prying eyes.

For men who are balding, well they have long been let off the hook socially.  When they lose their hair, their name isn't automatically inserted on the list of those suffering from some kind of fashion taboo.  In fact, some see the bald look as a testament of wisdom.  Others find it sexy or use it to boost their sex appeal. 

While women with the same problem are to quickly labelled an outcast.  A disgrace.  They are gossiped about behind their back.  Guys avert their eyes. 

But did you know that there are actually over 30 million women in this county alone suffering from thinning hair?  Most of them will not openly discuss life with less hair out of fear of being ridiculed.  So they end up living in shame and hiding.  Hoping no one will notice.  Clueless as to what caused their condition with no idea what possible solutions they could seek to solve this problem. 

Now it's about time we talk about it. Starting with some of the more common...

Causes of Thinning Hair

Female hair loss is caused by many factors such as medical conditions, stress, hormonal issues, nutritional deficiencies, medications, genetics, and poor hairstyling practices.  Let's look at some of the causes more carefully.  You may want to pay attention as we discuss these so you better understand and can at least start to decide if the cause may apply to your situation. 

Medical Conditions:  Certain medical conditions can cause thinning hair and this is can be an offshoot of autoimmune diseases like alopecia areata which is otherwise known as spot baldness. Another type of baldness called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (and isn't that a mouthful?) is characterized by inflamed scaly and scaring tissues that damage the hair follicles.  If a medical cause is suspected only a qualified physician can rule in or out any underlying condition as the reason behind your thinning situation.

Stress:  Believe it or not studies show that stress can actually cause hair loss.  This is because stress tends to restrict normal blood circulation (this is why you feel cold when stressed sometimes).  The result is your once flourishing follicles no longer get an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients they need.

Hormonal Changes:  Oh, so you noticed that your hair tended to fall out once you went off the pill?  That's because your body underwent some hormonal changes that are known to trigger hair fall.  Other conditions that bring about hormonal changes contributing to hair loss include childbirth, thyroid disorders, and menopause.  Again another topic to discuss with your doctor to see if you can't get to the bottom of it.

Nutritional Deficiencies:  People who are deficient of nutrients (that keep hair healthy) like proteins, biotin, iron, and zinc are prone to hair loss.  And so is a lifestyle of crash dieting.  Are you a fan?  Well, be forewarned.  Crash dieting and other eating disorders that point you toward poor nutrition can actually be another reason for hair loss. 

Medications:  We're all well aware that one of the side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss.  But did you know that there are other medications that can cause hair thinning?  Like some prescription drugs for treating heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, acne, and cholesterol. 

Genetics:  Your genetic background, thanks Mom and Dad, could be responsible for your hair loss.  In fact female pattern baldness, which is genetic, in nature is the most common cause of baldness.  So blame it on your grandfather.  This medical condition is otherwise called as androgenetic alopecia that again has something to do with overproduction of hormones called androgens.  Female pattern baldness usually occurs in women aged and above although there are cases of women in their s already having this.

Poor Hairstyling Practices:  Do you commonly braid your hair?  Not too tightly I hope.  Otherwise you could develop a condition called traction alopecia that results to temporary baldness.  Whenever you pull your hair too tightly this causes your hair strands to become stretched beyond its limits causing it to become weak and to eventually break off.  Excessive styling could also lead to thinning hair because if there's already product build up on your scalp and you fail to clear them away, these residues may block your hair cuticles from receiving its needed nutrients causing damage and its growth hampered.

And this is real life.  Here's the story of someone who appears to be hair savvy yet fell in love with perms.  Her hair didn't love it so much.  As a result she developed hair loss symptoms that took a year to overcome. 

A Hair Loss Story

I'm not sure about the products.  But the fact she stopped perming her hair applies to straightening, coloring and any chemical treatment done to excess. 

Anyway, any and all of these causes for hair loss could apply to your thinning situation.  So it's important you specifically identify which one causes your problem because your solution depends on it. 

What To Do

It's normal to see hair fall of around 70-100 hair per day.  But if you notice anything beyond "normal" then it's time you consult a doctor immediately.  A dermatologist more specifically. 

But then again, not all dermatologists specialize in hair loss.  So you better choose the right doctor either.

I suggest you avoid self-treating without doing so because you may only make the situation a bigger nightmare than it already is. This is all the more true if you still haven't pinned down the root cause for it. 

When you're in the doctor's office expect to run through a few of tests along the lines of blood tests, hair biopsy, scalp analysis, maybe even a serum ferritin test (to measure the amount of iron stored in your body), some tests to rule out the possibility of hormone problem, and an extensive interview of your lifestyle and history.  Once the primary cause is identified, then it would be followed with the corresponding treatment.

Again hair loss treatments depend on what causes the hair loss problem.  Thinning hair remedies may include hormonal therapy, iron supplementation, cortisone injection for inflamed hair follicles, and dietary changes.  Hair loss from childbirth will usually dwindle naturally.  If hair loss is caused by excessive styling, then you may have to avoid strong treatments and avoid wearing tight ponytails and braids.  If it's caused by stress then you can resort to a number of relaxation and stress reduction therapies.  Condition your hair regularly and steer clear of anything that gives off extreme heat.  Cosmetic options may include wigs, use of scalp concealers (I didn't know such thing exists), and if you have sufficient resources you can opt for hair transplant surgery.  For those with female pattern baldness, one treatment that's proven to work is the use of thinning hair products like Monixidil solution.  But then again I can't stress more the importance of consulting your doctor first before resorting to any of these. 

Now how can you style your hair in the meantime that you're waiting for your hair loss to be completely treated?  There are actually a number of hairstyles for thinning hair that you can go for.  I suggest you go for haircuts like short blunt or layered cuts.  These cuts also work great for fine thin hair.   

Also go for styling products that create fabulous thin hair hairstyles including volumizing products and conditioning solutions.  If you wish to cover that bald spot showing, try combing your hair over to hide the spot or work your way with an assortment of hats and wigs. 

It's time we put an end to this social stigma and give these women what they deserve.  Acceptance.  And with this comes the possibility we are now more open to talk about things like this more freely without fearing the mockery of others.