Female pattern baldness, also known as alopecia diffusa, is a common cause of hair loss in women. It is characterized by diffuse loss of hair from the scalp.
The mechanism of female pattern baldness is believed to be very similar to that of male pattern baldness, with the bulk of the damage being done due to hormonal changes in the body. Genetic disposition combined with sensitivity to the male sex hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) are the primary triggers for this condition.
“A hair in the head is worth two in the brush” thus said Oliver Herford and he surely realized the worth of every strand. But do we stop to think as to what has resulted in all those extra hair in our hair brush, on the pillow or on the floor of our house? If we know what has caused the hair loss, we can surely take the next step to control the same.
We have already seen that DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) - the male sex hormone - is the primary trigger of male and female pattern baldness. Besides this, more and more hair follicles go into the resting phase with advancing age leading to gradual thinning of hair. Heredity is also known to determine hair loss problems.
Besides the aforementioned, following can also lead to hair loss in the characteristic FPB pattern:
Hormonal changes
Menarche
Delivery (Child birth)
Menopause
Nutritional deficiency
Oral contraceptive pills
Crash dieting
How to identify Female Pattern Baldness?
Hair thinning all over the head - even if there is no visible loss of hair while washing or combing hair
The frontal hairline is generally maintained
Moderate loss of hair from the crown
In rare cases this may progress to total or near baldness
Facial hair may get coarse in some women (due to the effects of the male hormone)