A myth has it that baldness only affects men. This myth comes from the fact that baldness is very discernible in the male population 
and not in the other. However, to say the contrary, baldness occurs in the female population as well. In fact, it affects women of all ages.
Like men, the social stigma of hair loss makes the condition depressing to a woman. It is a huge deterrent when it comes to behaving during social engagements. Women with hair loss can only watch in envy over women who can be who they want to because they are confident, powerful, and beautiful like the women competing at the 2012 Australian Open. But do women experience the same kind of hair loss? Is it treatable like men’s hair loss? Is hair regrowth possible? Below are some of the answers.
Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium is a temporary condition which is very common in women. Temporary factors like pregnancy and stress can induce growing hairs to enter the telogen or shedding phase, resulting in massive hair loss. Telogen effluvium is perhaps the second most popular cause of hair loss. Unlike AGA, TE is temporary. The normal hair growth cycle will resume when the body recovers.
Postpartum
During pregnancy, oestrogen (steroid hormones) levels increase producing new hair follicles. However, after childbirth, the hair follicles return to telogen phase and therefore, the hair is shed.
Stress
Studies say that women have higher stress levels than men. Stress can cause hair loss. It is believed that physical or mental stress can cause hair loss that takes place a few months after the stressful event. Hair follicles at this stage also enter the telogen phase prematurely, causing hair shedding.
Female Pattern Baldness
Female pattern baldness is the female counterpart of androgenetic alopecia in men. This condition accounts for 85% of all causes of baldness. In order for this to occur, the enzyme called 5-alpha reductase has to metabolize testosterone into a chemical derivative, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Hair loss occurs when the androgen receptor sites in sensitive hair follicles process DHT. This causes the follicle canal to shrink because it has stopped receiving essential nutrients, thereby curbing hair growth. Eventually, DHT formation entirely destroys the hair follicles resulting in total baldness in androgen-sensitive areas in the scalp.
Women do not experience total baldness due to DHT because women do not secrete semen. This is the major difference between female pattern baldness and male pattern baldness.
Alopecia Areata
The third common form of hair loss is alopecia areata which is characterized by small patches of hair loss anywhere in the body. It is an autoimmmune disorder wherein lymphocytes attack the anagen hair bulb, leading to hair shedding. As to the reason of attack, it remains unclear. Alopecia areata has a high incidence in children and adolescents of both sexes. People with this condition are generally healthy but they do have some conditions in common: atopy, thyroid disease, and vitiligo.
Alopecia areata, female pattern baldness, and telogen effluvium are the three most common forms of hair loss that a variety of known and unknown factors can trigger.
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