Causes of Hair Loss in Women

If you're a woman and you're losing your hair, an illness or a medical condition could be the cause. Find out what's behind female hair loss.

Women are losing their hair and going bald at an alarming rate. Approximately 30 million women in the United States are losing their hair. This hair-loss problem is being seen in younger women — and more women overall — every day. But what causes women to lose their hair? Here are a number of causes and medical conditions at the root of women’s hair loss.

Your hair-growth cycle is out of balance, which causes hair loss.
Hair grows about a half inch per month. Each hair goes through different phases lasting a total of two to six years. That includes periods of growth and rest before it falls out and the hair follicle below grows a new strand of hair. But some women who have a genetic factor that makes them susceptible to hair loss do not experience this normal hair-growth process. For these women, hormones called androgens interfere and throw off the cycle.

Pregnancy and childbirth can cause hair loss in women.
Many women experience a temporary hair-loss problem about three months after childbirth known as telogen effluvium — a change in the natural hair-growth cycle that often follows childbirth. This usually corrects itself in a few months.

Hormonal issues can cause hair loss in women.
Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be remedied by treating the thyroid disease. Hair loss may also occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormonal imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Medication can cause hair loss in women.
Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medications used for gout, chemotherapy agents used to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills, and antidepressants.

Infections can cause hair loss in women.
Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.

Autoimmune and other chronic diseases can cause hair loss in women.
Lupus or diabetes, among other illnesses, can cause hair loss in women. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

Poor eating habits can cause hair loss in women.
Crash dieting can cause a woman’s hair to fall out. Restoring normal eating patterns will not help hair regrow but may stop the loss.

Emotional strain often causes hair loss in women.
Some women experience hair loss as a result of a traumatic emotional event. A death in the family, divorce, becoming the caretaker for a loved one with a serious illness, or extreme anxiety alone can cause women to lose their hair. The old adage that worrying makes your hair fall out has some truth to it!

Menopause can cause hair loss in women.
Among all the other side effects of menopause, hair loss is one of the most common.

Hair loss in women is not uncommon and can sometimes be reversed when an underlying condition is identified and treated. If you suspect that one or more of the conditions above may be causing you to lose hair, contact your doctor or dermatologist to get to the root of problem.