Androgenetic alopecia is the leading cause of hair loss found in women. It is also called “female pattern baldness.” Hair loss of this type is genetically induced and starts from the time of puberty, with occurrences rising with age. It is more common after age 40, by which time half of all women will have experienced androgenetic alopecia. Although this hair loss mechanism is genetically based there are other suspected catalysts, like pills bearing hormones, certain medications, and stress.

Telogen effluvium (physiologic shedding) is another hair loss disease found mostly in women. It is more often catalyzed by underlying causes instead of genetics. These causes can be surgery, pregnancy, shifting of hormones, illness, thyroid imbalance, or anemia.

Another kind of hair loss women may suffer is alopecia areata. In this condition, the sufferer loses hair in patches, creating bald spots across the scalp. This may be due to allergies or immune system imbalance. It’s possible that alopecia areata can clear up with no treatment. However, it may also be pervasive.

Traction alopecia, in which the victim suffers style-related hair loss, is yet another hair loss ailment. Although, as traction alopecia is directly caused by excessive hair styling—which may involve tight braids, pulling, weaves, and extensions—it is easily preventable.

Other hair loss ailments which are less common may stem from scalps disorders, fungal infections, inflammation, and chemical treatments. And yet, many others also factor in sleep, diet, genetics, and stress. Spencer Kroben, American Hair Loss Association founder, says, “If you have hair loss in your genes, it’s going to happen. But there are solutions that can slow this process down or sometimes stop it for a while.”

It is advised that women suffering from hair loss seek help from a physician specializing in female hair loss. As there may be underlying medical conditions, a scalp biopsy and blood tests should be administered prior to diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Umar, of the Los Angeles DermHair Clinic, specializes in hair loss treatments for women. Certified by the American Board of Dermatology, Dr. Umar is qualified to diagnose and treat women suffering from hair loss. He may require the above-mentioned tests be performed in order to determine the cause, and best treatment, for your hair loss. Contact the clinic for a free consultation.

Research shows that mal-nutrition is linked to damaged hair follicles. In fact, without sufficient nutrition, optimal hair growth cannot occur. Since hair is considered by the body to be a non-essential tissue for survival, long-term nutritional deficiencies can lead to early hair loss in women and men. With hair loss in women being an especially traumatic condition, it is important to remain vigilant of diet and vitamin intake.

Healthy hair grows at a rate of approximately one-half inches each month, making it one of the fastest growing tissues in the human body. This is why any ongoing reduction in vitamins and minerals will cause a disruption of the hair growth cycle. Women recovering from difficult pregnancies should be particularly mindful of their nutrition, as they are even more susceptible to these risks. The anagen phase, or growing phase, of the hair follicle can be greatly disrupted in the case of mal-nutrition. This can, in turn, promote shedding of the hair and stunted re-growth—thus, hair loss in women.

Nutritional Steps To Prevent Hair Loss In Women

Once hair loss becomes a noticeable problem, the solution is simple and cost effective. Here is a list of simple steps to take or nutritional things to be aware of for hair loss in women:

1. Proper intake of vitamins will reverse hair loss in women. Specifically vitamins A, B12, C, D, and E. Each of these vitamins performs a different nutritional duty within the body.
2. Minerals are critical for hair cell metabolism. Proper intake of minerals, like iron and zinc, will reverse hair loss in women.
3. Normal protein ingestion, like the kind found in chicken, fish, and other poultry, is essential to hair nutrition. Hair loss in women may increase for extreme dieters and some vegetarians.
4. Most commonly, hair loss in women occurs because of nutritional deficiencies created while dieting. If you are dieting, be sure to do so safely and to take a daily multivitamin.

On the average, people shed about 100-150 hairs per day. Unfortunately, about one-third of women suffer from androgenetic alopecia, also known as female pattern alopecia or baldness. Female pattern hair loss is seen predominantly over the top and front of the head. In female pattern hair loss, after the hair has shed, the root that grows in its place becomes shorter and shorter. Eventually those hairs become invisible and look like peach fuzz.

Female pattern hair loss can occur due to a number of reasons. It is most commonly seen after menopause and other hormonal changes such as pregnancy or a discontinuation of birth control pills. If women begin to lose a lot of hair throughout their scalp, the female pattern hair loss is due to a change in the normal hair cycle-possibly a short anagen phase or there has been an increase in the number of follicles that enter the telogen phase. Also referred to as telogen effluvium or stress alopecia, a shock to the body’s system can stress the hair’s follicles and create the female pattern hair loss.

Dr. Umar has been certified by the American Board of Dermatology to treat women and their female pattern hair loss. He will begin by running some tests to see what is the ultimate cause of the hair loss, and from there, assess the best treatment available. Becoming more popular, Body Hair Transplant will use SFET to safely remove hair from anywhere else on the body-head, face, legs, etc-and transfer it to the area in need, leaving no scars behind. Having perfected the BHT procedure, Dr. Umar aims to provide his patients with fuller and better hair loss restoration in ways not possible with more traditional hair transplantation. Results seen within approximately 12-18 months, the permanent procedure includes a minimal follow-up and patients are typically released after a year or two. Depending on whether the patient has the appropriate amount of hair and the proper body hair characteristics, he will decide whether to use Body Hair Transplant or other traditional hair transplants.

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

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.