For some reason, it is a lesser-known topic, but no less devastating or demoralizing when a woman discovers that the part in her hair has mysteriously grown to a half-inch gap. A permanent gap. Similar to men, the lost hair has fallen victim to the miniaturizing effects of the hormone DHT. And while female pattern baldness is moderately genetic, it seems more a cause of aging and hormonal changes than in men.

Dr. Umar disguises the donor area immediately post-FUE hair transplant on female patient

Other Female Hair Loss Causes and Cures

Another major cause of hair loss in women, which may also be a worsening factor for FPB, is malnutrition. Women tend to put others before themselves and skimp on meals to maximize what little time they have. This needs to stop. Nutrition is a key factor in all types of bodily functions, and healthy hair growth is certainly one of them. Simply put, the follicles need to be fed in order to live. Manifestations of malnourishment can include:

• Crash dieting
• Pregnancy
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Anemia
• Poor circulation

Aside from the preventative solutions to these additional factors (eating healthy, taking a multivitamin), cures for female hair loss aren’t as abundant as they are for men. Since Propecia is contraindicated in women due to child-bearing, ladies basically have Rogaine and hair transplant to choose between. Rogaine is easy to access—it’s available for purchase at any drug store—and relatively inexpensive, but must be used indefinitely to be effective. There may also be side effect with use.

Hair transplant is a safe, permanent, and minimally invasive solution to female pattern baldness. Typically, with the right surgeon, results look incredibly natural. Dr. Umar has performed FUE hair transplant, and even body hair transplant, on female patients with great success.

• Pregnancy
• Traction alopecia
• Lack of sleep
• Poor diet
• Bad circulation
• Iron deficiency
• Folic acid deficiency
• Stress

However, the leading cause of women’s hair loss is female pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia. This condition is different in women than it is men, largely because it lacks the prevalent genetic factor, and also because it’s a byproduct of the natural aging process—a culmination of hormonal changes.

Rogaine For Women’s Hair Restoration

Photo courtesy of www.soap.com

The next quandary to typically follow suit after a female pattern baldness diagnosis is: what’s the cure? Hair transplantation is as viable and permanent an option for women as it is for men. However, for those seeking non-surgical hair restoration, the male-female equilibrium of options changes. The two FDA-approved non-surgical hair loss treatments are:

• Finasteride (Propecia)
• Minoxidil (Rogaine)

Propecia is contraindicated in women and, therefore, off limits. But Rogaine is okay for female hair restoration. The women’s formula lining the shelves of your local pharmacy comes with a 2% concentration of minoxidil, while the men’s formula contains five percent. However, there are some cases for which a doctor may even recommend that his/her female patient use the 5% dose. Every person is different. If you are suffering severe female hair loss, unsure whether or not to try the higher dosage, check in with your physician or a hair loss specialist.

Rogaine may have side effects, especially in higher concentrations of minoxidil. This may include:

• Scalp itching
• Scalp irritation
• Facial hair growth

The ISHRS also tells us that past the age of 40, 50 percent of women will suffer some degree of pattern hair loss.

How Do Women Get Pattern Hair Loss?

Female pattern hair loss is very different from male pattern hair loss. While the mechanism remains the same—it is caused by the presence of the testosterone metabolite, DHT—the genetic component is not as clear-cut as with men. A young man can look to what clear hereditary associations exist within his family history, but the occurrence of pattern hair loss in women can be random.

In addition, the pattern in which women lose their hair is also different from men. For men, the hairline and temple points tend to recede first, often followed by the mid-front and crown. For women, hair on the top of the scalp begins to show a diffuse thinning. This condition can begin in women as young as teen age, or any time thereafter.

Are there Other Causes of Hair Loss in Women?

Though it is the most common, female pattern hair loss is not the only reason a woman might permanently lose her hair. Non-androgen related hair loss occurs more frequently in women than men. Likewise, women are also more likely to experience temporary hair loss.

Non-androgen related causes of permanent hair loss include:

• Alopecia areata
• Traction alopecia
• Triangular alopecia
• Trichotillomania

Non-androgen related causes of temporary hair loss include:

• Pregnancy
• Stress
• Untreated hypothyroidism
• Telogen effluvium
• Vitamin deficiency (especially iron deficiency, which can lead to anemia)
• Folic acid deficiency
• Lack of sleep
• Medication use

It is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. If you are a woman who is losing many more than this number of hairs daily, and are concerned about permanent hair loss consult your physician for some or all of the following: a history and physical, blood tests (such as iron and folic acid levels), testing of sex hormones, thyroid function, and basic chemistry. These should ideally be done by a certified dermatologist. Female pattern hair loss is typically treatable once diagnosed.

For information on hair transplant as a permanent solution, sign up for a free online consultation with Dr. Umar.

Female pattern hair loss may begin as early as puberty, and in these cases if there are signs of hormone imbalance, such as excess facial or body hair, a hormone evaluation should be done. Hormonal changes are a common cause of female hair loss. Many women do not realize that hair loss can occur after pregnancy or following discontinuation of birth control pills. It may also follow any sudden physical or psychological stress to the body.

While pattern hair loss affects both men and women, it is very different in women. For example, female-pattern hair loss is not characterized by a receding hairline or bald spot on top of the scalp as is common in men. Men lose hair on the temple, the crown, the bald spot in the back, while female pattern balding goes around the whole top of the head and diffuses. In women, the frontal hairline is usually maintained, but there is visible thinning over the crown. Another important difference is that while balding in men is almost always the result a genetic predisposition coupled with age; in women, it can happen at any time. In addition, underlying medical conditions can also be the cause of hair loss — even when true androgenic alopecia is the diagnosis.

Unexplained and sudden hair loss can take a significant psychological toll on many women and their overall quality of life. The most important way to treat hair loss in women is to get the correct diagnosis — if there is an underlying physical problem it has to be corrected first.  Dr. Umar, Los Angeles dermatologist and hair surgeon, advises women to see a doctor who specializes in female pattern balding and make certain to be checked for possible underlying medical conditions via blood tests, or if needed, a scalp biopsy.

The DermHair Clinic in Los Angeles specializes in treatments for hair loss in women. Dr. Umar is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is qualified to manage female patients with complaints of hair loss. Dr. Umar often receives referral of female patients from other physicians including other hair transplant doctors who are not certified dermatologists. Dr. Umar may require performing some tests to determine the cause of your hair loss and the best treatment options available. Please call the clinic at (310)318-1500, or visit http://www.dermhairclinic.com/ for more information

Female Hair Loss

Female pattern hair loss may begin as early as puberty, and in these cases if there are signs of hormone imbalance, such as excess facial or body hair, a hormone evaluation should be done. Hormonal changes are a common cause of female hair loss. Many women do not realize that hair loss can occur after pregnancy or following discontinuation of birth control pills. It may also follow any sudden physical or psychological stress to the body.

While pattern hair loss affects both men and women, it is very different in women. For example, female-pattern hair loss is not characterized by a receding hairline or bald spot on top of the scalp as is common in men. Men lose hair on the temple, the crown, the bald spot in the back, while female pattern balding goes around the whole top of the head and diffuses. In women, the frontal hairline is usually maintained, but there is visible thinning over the crown. Another important difference is that while balding in men is almost always the result a genetic predisposition coupled with age; in women, it can happen at any time. In addition, underlying medical conditions can also be the cause of hair loss — even when true androgenic alopecia is the diagnosis.

Unexplained and sudden hair loss can take a significant psychological toll on many women and their overall quality of life. The most important way to treat hair loss in women is to get the correct diagnosis — if there is an underlying physical problem it has to be corrected first.  Dr. Umar, Los Angeles dermatologist and hair surgeon, advises women to see a doctor who specializes in female pattern balding and make certain to be checked for possible underlying medical conditions via blood tests, or if needed, a scalp biopsy.

The DermHair Clinic in Los Angeles specializes in treatments for hair loss in women. Dr. Umar is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is qualified to manage female patients with complaints of hair loss. Dr. Umar often receives referral of female patients from other physicians including other hair transplant doctors who are not certified dermatologists. Dr. Umar may require performing some tests to determine the cause of your hair loss and the best treatment options available. Please call the clinic at (310)318-1500, or visit http://www.dermhairclinic.com/

Female Hair Loss

Hair Loss Solutions

Having personally experienced the devastating consequences of a poor hair transplant and scarring after undergoing a surgery done on him as a resident physician, Dr. Umar set out to find a new linear scar free, knife free, and minimally invasive hair restoration solution. In order to accomplish this, he first compared the different procedures for hair restoration. He focused on alternatives to the painful surgery and limitations of traditional treatments for hair replacement. At that time, many alternative treatments were still in the developmental stages and were flawed, so he began to design a new, minimally invasive, hair transplant procedure. Dr. Umar has spent years focusing on the invention and design of tools and techniques which allowed him to develop a successful, knife-free, natural replacement for hair loss.

The result is “The Umar Procedure,” or single follicle extraction and transfer (SFET). This is a more advanced form of the procedure popularly known as Follicular unit Extraction (FUE). This state-of-the-art hair restoration treatment results in rapid healing rates and better overall yield and growth of transplanted hair follicles on the scalp. The Umar Procedure is a minimally invasive treatment that requires no scalpels, strip surgery or stitches. Scarring and downtime are minimized with SFET. Best of all, because the procedure allows for the use of body hair, it allows for the number of transplantable hair or donor supply to increase in availability, giving many hair loss victims new hope for Los Angeles hair restoration. The newly transplanted hair follicles grow in a natural pattern after the first treatment. SFET (a form of FUE) and Body Hair Transplant (BHT) as performed by Dr. Umar is a minimally invasive process that occurs in complete patient comfort. After the procedure, most patients would not require even ordinary over the counter pain killers. Depending on the size of the surgery, as many procedures can be scheduled over the course of several back to back work days. Typically, patients’ returns to a normal life immediately and many have no need to cover their head with a hat ever again. Dr. Umar is a pioneer in FUE, inventor of SFET, and the top BHT hair surgeon in the world. For more information, please contact DermHair Clinic in Los Angeles at (310)318-1500, or visit http://www.dermhairclinic.com

The woman had been diagnosed with Lupus several years ago. Her condition began with inflamed lesions that eventually became scarred, affecting her face and scalp. She was on several medications to treat her lupus, and came to Dr. Umar with hope that he could help with the hair loss caused by her disease. After a thorough examination that included taking biopsies, Dr. Umar designed a plan that could help her hair grafts survive after transplant.

Using Follicular Unit Extraction, Dr. Umar first tested two lesions on her scalp to ensure the area would be able to take the transplant. He also discussed different options with her, such as having parts of her healthy scalp shaved of hair so that it would regrow naturally along with the transplanted hairs. She agreed, and this allowed Dr. Umar to better space the grafts and pull more hair for transplant. In all, 900 grafts were moved from the healthy parts of her scalp to the damaged areas.

After nine months, the results in this picture speak volumes. She was very pleased to have her hair and confidence restored.

Lupus is but one of many diseases that can prompt hair loss. If not caught early, some of them can  result in scarring with permanent hair loss. But through Follicular Unit Extraction, you do have an option beyond giving up hair.

Female Lupus Patient: Before

Female Lupus Patient: After

Have more questions about your hair restoration when diagnosed with another medical condition? Contact Dr. Umar for a free online consultation today.

Female pattern hair loss may happen as early as the stage of puberty, and if this is the case, hormone imbalance, such as excess facial or body hair, should lead to having a hormone evaluation be done. Many women do not realize that hair loss can occur after pregnancy or stopping the usage of birth control pills. It may also follow any sudden physical or psychological stress to the body. If lots of hair begins to fall out throughout the scalp, it’s obviously due to a change in the normal hair cycle: either a short anagen phase or an increase in the number of follicles that enter the telogen phase. This is called telogen effluvium or stress alopecia. A shock to the body’s system, which stresses the hair follicles, is often to blame for this change in cyclical hair events.

The difference between male and female balding is seen in the pattern of hair loss. Men most often lose hair at the temples and crown, while female pattern balding goes around the whole top of the head and diffuses. Not coincidentally, the hormone and enzyme receptor sites are also different in varying areas of the scalp — another reason doctors now believe the loss patterns are caused by different precipitating factors. Another important difference is that while balding in men is almost always the result a genetic predisposition coupled with age; in women, it can happen at any time. In addition, underlying medical conditions can also be the cause of hair loss — even when true androgenic alopecia is the diagnosis.

The most important way to treat hair loss in women is to receive the correct diagnosis the underlying physical problem has to be corrected first. Make certain to check for possible underlying medical conditions via blood tests, or if needed, a scalp biopsy.

The DermHair Clinic in Los Angeles specializes in treatments for hair loss in women. Dr. Umar is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is qualified to manage female patients with complaints of hair loss. Dr. Umar may require performing some tests to determine the cause of your hair loss and the best treatment options available. Please call the clinic at (310)318-1500, or visit http://www.dermhairclinic.com/ for more information.

To understand this specific condition of lupus better, cicatricial alopecia, also known as scarring alopecia, is hair loss that occurs in areas where there is scarring or other tissue damage that destroys the hair follicles. In other words, the term “cicatricial alopecia” refers to a diverse group of rare disorders that destroy the hair follicle, replace it with scar tissue, and cause permanent hair loss. Scarring alopecia divides into two categories: primary and secondary. In primary scarring alopecia, the hair follicle is the main target of inflammation. In secondary cicatricial alopecias, destruction of the hair follicle is incidental to a non-follicle-directed process or external injury, such as severe infections, burns, radiation, or tumors. The hair follicle is regarded as an “innocent bystander” as it is destroyed in a non-specific manner by skin inflammation. For both the clinician and the pathologist, identifying the particular forms of primary scarring alopecia and making a diagnosis can be rather challenging.

In some cases, hair loss is gradual, without symptoms, and is unnoticed for long periods of time. In other cases, hair loss is associated with severe itching, burning and pain and is rapidly progressive. The inflammation that destroys the follicle is below the skin surface and there is usually no scar seen on the scalp. Affected areas of the scalp may show little signs of inflammation, or have redness, scaling, increased or decreased pigmentation, pustules, or draining sinuses.

Cicatricial alopecia occurs in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages worldwide. A scalp biopsy and clinical evaluation will help arrive at the diagnosis of cicatricial alopecia. The scalp biopsy is necessary for a proper diagnosis of the type of cicatricial alopecia. It is also used to determine the degree of activity, and to select appropriate therapy.

Dr. Sanusi Umar is a board certified dermatologist and hair surgeon with extensive experience in conducting scalp biopsies and determining the correct therapy for different cases of hair loss. Visit this link on our website for a detailed account of how a case of cicatricial alopecia resulting from lupus erythematosus was managed successfully. Please call our clinic at (310)318-1500 or visit http://www.dermhairclinic.com/ for more information.

Telogen Effluvium is a form of non-scarring alopecia characterized by diffuse hair shedding, often with an acute onset. It is characterized by massive hair loss as a result of early entry of hairs into the telogen phase. A chronic form with a more insidious onset and a longer duration also exists. Telogen effluvium is a reactive process caused by a metabolic or hormonal stress or by medications. The disorder occurs when sudden or severe stress causes an increase in the shedding of the hair, and the stress causes hair roots to be pushed prematurely into the resting state. In other words, with telogen effluvium, a sudden or stressful event can cause the hair follicles to prematurely stop growing and enter into a resting phase. The hair then remains in the resting phase for approximately three months before a large amounts of hair are shed. The person involved might have recovered from the traumatic event before noticing any hair loss. Telogen effluvium can affect any body hair, but usually only affects hair on the scalp.

Telogen effluvium disproportionately affects women. This is because many women experience the disorder after childbirth. Some people experience TE after a death of a family member or someone close, an accident, abuse or any other severely traumatic event. Other common causes are high fevers, infections, chronic illness, psychological stress, major surgery or illnesses, over or under active thyroid gland, crash diets with inadequate protein, and a variety of medications. Medications such as retinoids, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, antidepressants, and NSAIDS (including ibuprofen) can also trigger the disorder. In most cases the hair loss is temporary and the hair soon recovers. In some cases where diffuse and sudden hair loss occurs, however, the hair loss might continue until the underlying cause is treated.

Do not hesitate and receive treatment today if you are experiencing symptoms of telogen effluvium. Contact the Dr. Umar at the Derm Hair Clinic to set up an appointment with a board certified hair surgeon. Call us at (310)318-1500, or go online for a free consultation.