Causes of Thinning Hair in Women

Thinning hair is a common problem that has affected millions of people around the world although causes of thinning hair in women has not been fully studied and researched. Thinning hair and baldness, which used to be common problems among men, have now also become major concerns of women.

The American Academy of Dermatologists claim that there are at least 30 million women in the United States that are suffering from various forms of hair problems. What is more interesting to note is that thinning hair, the type that is caused by aging, is prevalent in younger women compared to men. Even with this fact, women are not readily accepting the fact that they, too, have to experience receding hairlines and eventually baldness.


There are plenty of thinning hair products, including shampoo for thinning hair and hair pieces for thinning hair, that are available in the market and women have been scrambling to get their hands on these products to solve their dilemma. But because the causes of thinning hair in women are different from that of men, treatment for women hair loss has to be different and should be based on what triggered the problem in the first place. This said, women who bought thinning hair product often ended up frustrated because the did not see the results they wanted and the results that these products promised. Hair experts claimed none of the thinning hair remedies that are being sold in the market actually works.

Causes of Thinning Hair in Women

Female baldness often comes in diffused pattern, meaning the hair loss is prevalent on the middle top area of the head. Diffused thinning hair is considered hereditary and can be passed on from one generation to the next. For instance, initial clinical studies showed that women who have bald fathers and thinning hair mothers have the biggest chance of experiencing hair loss in the later part of their lives. And since this type of hair loss is passed on through the genes, thinning hair and baldness can not be prevented nor reversed. Female baldness, also scientifically called female pattern alopecia, will come as a natural part of the aging process of the affected woman so no amount of thinning hair products and shampoo for thinning hair will help.

Another cause of thinning hair in women are the different underlying medical conditions because a woman's hair is very sensitive to what her body feels and what she takes for medications and treatments of illnesses. Women who underwent surgical operations and those who have been given big doses of anesthesia are more prone to hair loss and thinning hair. Women in their menopausal stages and those who have ovarian cysts also have bigger chance of experiencing hair loss.

Iron deficiency anemia, certain cancers, and lupus also cause thinning hair in women. Overdose of medicines and other drugs can also cause the hair follicle to suffer, resulting to hair loss and baldness in the long run. Stress and unhealthy lifestyle have also been found to cause hair problem in women who are more susceptible to illnesses due to the lower amount of the hormone testosterone in their bodies. While testosterone is one of the culprits of thinning hair in men, scientists discovered that women with thinning hair have normal levels of testosterone. Certain diets have also caused hair loss in women and taking in of slimming pills and breast enhancement formula can also trigger damages to the scalp because of the sudden hormonal alteration these products create.

Hormonal Causes

Hormonal imbalance can cause several illnesses and conditions in the body. And imbalance of testosterone, for instance, has been considered as one of the major cause of thinning hair and baldness among millions of men. This is because when the body produces increased amount of testosterone, the sebaceous glands become imbalance and start producing high level of sebum, the natural oil that nourishes the hair and scalp. When there is too much testosterone, dihydrotestosterone or DHT, the harmful byproduct of testosterone, starts to accumulate in the scalp and clogs the hair follicles. When follicles are blocked, sebum cannot get to the hair and the scalp becomes dry. This will leave the hair malnourished that will eventually cause it to fall off the scalp.

In women, however, clinical studies have not conclusively proven the relationship of testosterone to hair loss. Instead, scientists found out that thinning hair women have higher levels of aromatase, the natural enzyme that fights off DHT from accumulating on the frontal hairline, which explains why hair fall among women is concentrated in the middle top portion of the head. But still the same, thinning hair in women is as depressing as thinning hair in men because society has fully embraced the fact that hair loss in women is a common occurrence nowadays and is a normal part of the life cycle.

Because the commonality of hair loss in women is a new scientific discovery, hair experts continue to conduct clinical studies to fully understand why thinning hair in women is different from thinning hair in men, in terms of affected areas on the head and the ages of affected women, in order to come up with thinning hair remedies that may prove beneficial in future treatments. Thinning hair shampoos that are currently used by men can also have the same effects on women  - these products nourishes the hair that is left but not prevent nor reverse the hair loss process.

There are still a few known causes of thinning hair in women and these include the genes and other underlying medical conditions that affect the normal growth of the hair. As women scramble to search for remedies, they should not forget that embracing the fact that hair loss is a natural aging process is the best way to prevent the psychological effect of this hair condition. Several women celebrities and known female figures have confidently displayed their bald and balding heads to the public to show that hair loss among women is no longer taboo.