What Causes A Receding Hairline In Women?
Women struggle with hair loss, too.
Androgenic alopecia, also known as pattern hair loss, is often primarily associated with men. When many people think about pattern hair loss, the picture that comes into their minds is of a man with a thinning spot at the top of his head and a receding hairline.
This prevailing perception of hair loss is often perpetuated by hair loss treatments’ marketing campaigns that are often primarily targeted towards men. For decades, many hair loss treatments, including Rogaine and other products that include the ingredient minoxidil, have been marketed to focus on dealing with male pattern baldness.
While it is true that a larger portion of males over the age of 50 are affected by androgenic alopecia than females (50% of men past this age deal with pattern hair loss to some extent), many women begin struggling with thinning hair as they age as well.
Around 25% of women over the age of 50 deal with androgenic alopecia. While advertising and the general cultural perception of hair loss may make it seem like a problem that only men deal with, the struggle is real for many women, too. For millions of women, pattern hair loss is a problem that can take a toll on confidence and negatively affect everyday life.
In this article, we’ll dive into the causes of pattern hair loss in women. Since androgenic alopecia is a common problem that many women struggle with, it is important that females get the representation that they deserve in the conversation on hair loss prevention.
Pattern hair loss can be daunting to face, but we’re about to get in-depth about some of the best ways to treat it by using the right ingredients in your daily hair care routine.
By the time you finish reading, you will be more informed about the underlying causes of hair loss in men and women, and hopefully will feel encouraged knowing that there are treatments that can help with hair growth and hair loss prevention.
What is Pattern Hair Loss?
Pattern hair loss, also known as androgenic alopecia or pattern baldness, is a condition that affects a large portion of men and women in the latter half of life. This type of hair loss does not cause the entirety of a person’s hair to fall out. Instead, androgenic alopecia typically causes significant thinning and reduction of growth in specific parts of the head.
The appearance of pattern hair loss is instantly recognizable, with the condition often manifesting itself in similar ways for different people. Androgenic alopecia tends to affect men and women in different ways, often causing hair thinning in different parts of the head depending on a person’s gender.
The primary cause of androgenic alopecia is found in its name – androgens. Androgens are male sex hormones, the hormones present in the male and female body that are responsible for the presence of characteristically masculine physical traits.
Androgens are found in higher quantities in the male body than the female body. However, both men and women have androgens in their bodies, and the fluctuation of the activity of these hormones can contribute to pattern hair loss, especially later in life.
The primary androgen responsible for pattern hair loss in both men and women is dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.
DHT is produced in the bodies of males and females as a product of testosterone, another androgen. The body converts testosterone into DHT to serve specific biological roles, especially during puberty.
In puberty, there is a surge of DHT production, especially in the male body. This increase in DHT production plays a key role in puberty, increasing growth of body hair, deepening the voice, and leading to ability to grow facial hair in males.
Although DHT production is beneficial in your body during puberty, it can have a negative effect on hair growth as you age.
While DHT is primarily associated with the development of masculine physical characteristics, the hormone also plays a key role in puberty for females.
The androgen is the primary cause for pattern hair loss in both men and women, but because it is more abundantly found in the male body, androgenic alopecia is twice as common for men as it is for women.
As you get older, DHT production in your body can continue to increase. This increase can cause your hair follicles to shrink. Shrunken follicles can cause your hair to grow more slowly and appear more thin. Thinning hair often starts to show up in the latter half of life for many men and women, as DHT production increases.
DHT is not your enemy, but it can negatively affect the appearance of your hair as you age. While it may play a key role in getting you through puberty and helping your body to mature, its continual production can eventually cause your hair to thin in certain areas.
Androgenic Alopecia in Men and Women: The Differences
Androgenic alopecia is the umbrella classification for pattern hair loss in both men and women. However, there are several key differences in how the condition affects males and females.
Androgenic alopecia often causes hair thinning in specific places – the crown of the head and the hairline for men, and the part in a woman’s hair. These areas often show the most conspicuous thinning, and create a difference in the appearance of pattern hair loss between men and women.
However, pattern hair loss can be unpredictable. Although men most commonly see a receding hairline as a result of androgenic alopecia, the condition can also cause a receding hairline in females.
Higher levels of DHT can often cause more significant hair thinning for both men and women, causing the thinning to appear in more parts of the head.
Preventing Pattern Hair Loss: What Can You Do?
Noticing your hair starting to thin out can be discouraging and frustrating. Fortunately, there are natural ways to decrease your body’s conversion of testosterone into DHT.
Natural ingredients such as saw palmetto, caffeine, pumpkin seed extract, stinging nettle, and more can boost your hair’s overall health, keep it moisturized, and reduce the appearance of thinning hair over time. The best way to reap the benefits of these ingredients is to include them in your daily hair care routine.
GroMD’s Hair Growth Shampoo & Conditioner, along with our Follicle Activator Spray, are packed with natural ingredients that make up our proprietary blend of DHT blockers. These ingredients provide a wide variety of benefits to thinning hair, not only aiding in reducing the appearance of thinning hair but also keeping hair healthy, soft and shiny.
Using a high-quality blend of DHT-blocking ingredients can make a major difference in the health and appearance of your hair, especially when you are dealing with androgenic alopecia. Since androgenic alopecia can have a major negative effect on your confidence and your ability to love your hair, it is well worth it to try to take great care of your hair by using the best ingredients possible.
Dealing with pattern hair loss may be tough, and it is a condition that affects millions of men and women.
If you notice your hair thinning out, though, all is not lost. The ingredients in GroMD’s hair loss prevention products are combined into a blend that is tailor-made to help you deal with hair loss and its underlying root causes.
If you are a woman dealing with pattern hair loss, don’t be discouraged – GroMD’s blend of DHT-blocking ingredients can make a big difference for your hair’s appearance and health. By addressing androgenic alopecia’s root cause – DHT production – you can increase hair growth, keep your hair looking great, and boost your confidence.
Dr. Amir Yazdan, MD, is an internationally renowned hair transplant surgeon, expert guest on Dr. Phil and The Doctors, creator of the GroMD hair restoration product line, ISHRS member, accredited member of the IAHRS and a visceral advocate for patient care. Learn more about Dr. Yazdan or read rave reviews from his patients.
Sources:
https://www.derm.theclinics.com/article/S0733-8635(18)30730-7/pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962288701085