Androgenetic alopecia can appear also in women since the responsible genes for this scalp hair loss condition are hereditary to all people. In women hereditary is more complicated and there is not a condition of boldness like in men. The usual scalp hair appearance involves a great hair loss and thinning hair in a quite different pattern on the scalp and most usually all over the top of the head.
Normally women also produce androgens from the adrenal glands and the gonads. Yet the production of estrogens is prevailing and finally the hormonal balance between the sex hormones does not allow the presentation of androgenetic alopecia, even though the genes exist.
There has to be a state of relatively higher androgens (not higher than the normal) or problematic low level of estrogens, or a state of certain hormonal disorder, so that a hormonal imbalance between androgens and estrogens will take place leading to androgenetic alopecia (female pattern of hair loss).
Still it has to be clarified that a great percentage of androgenetic alopecia in women involves those who do not present a state of sex hormonal or gonads’ problem.
Certain pathological conditions in which this hair loss condition may also appear are the followings:
- Young women who have problematic menstrual cycle and their hormonal status is not controlled
- Young women with certain endocrinological conditions which affect the sex hormones’ balance (like thyroid gland diseases)
- Young women with problematic gonad function like in polycystic ovaries
- Women who underwent surgeries for various reasons (trauma, inflammation) and had their ovaries removed
- Women who have ovary cancer
- Women who are in their menopause phase (over the age of 40-45 years)
In all the above cases women finally present great hair loss in the form of hair thinning and decrease of hair density usually over the frontal part and the top of the scalp.
Women - good candidates for hair implantation procedure are those who are over the age of 45, present a family history of female androgenetic alopecia and have entered the menopause phase. Statistically in women the incidence of androgenetic alopecia (in the female pattern) increases in greater ages over 60 years.
On the other hand, young women (under the age of 40) should get properly diagnosed clinically and with blood and hormonal (sex hormones) tests. In the process they should get treated by their therapist accordingly, since their hair loss can be reversible.
When performing hair implantation in women, we extract hairs from the back of the head by shaving a zone that is covered by the above hairs and we implant them in the central area of the A and B zones of implantation (at the top of the scalp). This way we deliver great hair density at the problematic area and these hairs can overlay the original around, leading to a state of permanently restored hair scalp appearance.
A great percentage of women with this hair loss pattern use preservative methods like minoxidil 2% or laser comb locally, in order to enhance the strength and long living of the existing hairs at the problematic scalp area.
Before hair transplant
After hair transplant in combination with minoxidil use
