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By Melissa Tennen, HealthAtoZ writer
When you think of someone balding, you think of a man. But women lose their hair, too. In fact, there are just as many women as there are men who have hair loss. Menopause's shifting landscape of hormones may make it worse.
About 40 percent of women by age 40 have some hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Hair loss can begin for women as early as age 20. Hair loss accelerates during menopause.
It's not clear what the cause of hair loss is, but family history certainly plays a role - your father or your mother can pass along the gene whether you are male or female.
When women are in menopause, the hormones estrogen and androgen start to shift. The body begins to make fewer of these hormones, but there is more of a drop in estrogen than there is in androgen. This imbalance worsens your hair loss.
Women lose their hair differently than men. Their hair loss tends to be an overall thinning. The center part starts getting wider and the ponytail gets a little thinner.
Keep the locks you have by:
- Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Not putting chemicals on your hair.
- Reducing the time you spend in the sun, which can stress your tresses.
Treatment options for hair loss include:
- Topical minoxidil. You can find this drug over the counter. Apply it twice a day to your scalp. You won't see results for at least four months. The drug reverses the shrinking process of hair follicles and encourages hair growth. The results will last only as long as you use the medication. Once you stop, hair loss begins again. Minoxidil works in 60 percent of women with hair loss.
- Hair transplantation. This is best for women with mild to moderate hair loss. Healthy hair follicles are moved from one part of the scalp to the thinning area. You must have healthy scalp areas to have this procedure done.
- Wigs and hair weaves.
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External Sources
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The North American Menopause Society
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The American Academy of Dermatology
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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