Hair usually grow at the rate of half an inch per month, and each hair goes through a growth phase of two to six year. After this, the hair rests for a while, and then falls out, giving way for new hair to grow from the same follicle. Most people think that only men suffer from hairloss, but millions of women all over the world suffer from some form of hair loss, and the number of suffering women is increasing each year.
Sudden hairloss is not dangerous or painful, but 60% women suffering from it find it very devastating emotionally, that affects their career and marriage, and causes many other psychological problems.
Baldness is one of the most traumatic experiences for any woman, and it can be devastatingly heartbreaking. No woman ever contemplates seeing her hair fall out in lumps, and still not able to do anything about it. Baldness occurs when hair fall out, but is not replaced by new hair.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hairfall seen in women, and it is also known as female pattern alopecia. The hair start thinning predominantly on the sides and top of the head. It can begin as early as puberty, but is mainly seen after menopause.
Physical stress, medications, thyroid abnormalities, emotional stress, rapid weight change, illness, anemia, hormonal changes such as menopause, pregnancy and birth control pills, diet, and ringworm are some of the common causes of temporary and permanent hair loss.
Female pattern baldness is different from male pattern baldness, and this may include breaking of hair, temporary shedding of hair, skin disease or patchy areas of total losing hair. Female pattern baldness is usually mild or moderate, and is permanent.
If the person is comfortable, no treatment is required to cover the baldness, but for those who want a cure, minoxidil is the only medication that has been approved by FDA. It is applied on the scalp, and helps hair grow in 40-90% of the population. There is also an option of hair transplant, or using wigs to hide the bald spots.
There are many myths associated with hairfall such as frequent shampooing leads to hair fall, perms, coloring and other cosmetic treatments cause permanent hair loss, wigs and hats cause hair loss, shaving the head make hair grow back thicker, dandruff can cause permanent hair loss, standing on one's head increases the circulation and stimulate hair growth, hair loss affects only the intellectuals, hair loss does not occur in the teens or in early twenties, certain cosmetic products cause hair to grow faster and thicker and there is a cure for androgenetic Alopecia. These myths are very common, but most specialists suggest that you should get your hair diagnosed thoroughly by an experience dermatologist, and develop a better understanding of the treatment options best suitable for you.