Top Causes of Hair Loss in Women

It’s a little-talked about health issue, and one that can cause stress and embarrassment for the woman who is going through it. While people are very aware of how common hair loss is in men, they don’t often discuss it in women. What causes hair loss in women? How common is it? These are the questions that so many women are faced with, and are left searching for answers.

How Common is Hair Loss in Women?

While it’s very normal to lose hair on a regular daily basis, that norm is set between 50 and 100 hairs a day. For women suffering from hair loss, they experience a much higher rate of loss. So just how common is this abnormal rate of hair loss in women? You may be shocked to hear that according to the American Hair Loss Association up to 40% of those suffering from hair loss are in fact women. This means it’s not so rare and uncommon after all.

So why aren’t we aware of this rather large number of women suffering? Well, it’s simple, women have traditionally been made to feel embarrassed, as though it is unacceptable for them to suffer hair loss, and therefore they’ve been trained by society not to say anything about it. The idea that women should just learn to accept it and live with it has been the norm until late.

It isn’t just society who are passing it off as though it is no big deal, either, even the medical community haven’t put too much focus on it. Instead, their efforts are mainly spent trying to figure out and solve hair loss in men.

As we now know, hair loss in men and women is equally as devastating and can have profound effects on a person mentally and emotionally. It’s not something that should be pushed to the side and ignored. Rather, it needs to be dealt with.

Why it Happens

So why exactly does hair loss occur in women? Well, there is no definitive reason instead it tends to be a variety of factors either working on their own or in conjunction with each other. Some of the most common reasons women suffer from hair loss are:

Hereditary – Unfortunately a woman’s genes can be a huge factor in determining if they will suffer from hair loss. If the woman’s grandmother, mother, and aunts have all had issues with hair loss – then the odds are high that she will as well.

Illness – Some illnesses can also cause hair loss, such as anemia, thyroid disorders, psoriasis, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Pregnancy and/or Post-Pregnancy – Because pregnancy changes your hormonal balance, hair loss can occur either during or after.

Dramatic Weight Loss – If a woman should go through dramatic weight loss – either on purpose or due to an illness – it can result in hair loss.

It’s Never Easy

This is just a small look at some of the reasons that a woman may be suffering from hair loss. Regardless of the reason, it’s never an easy thing to go through and the woman should be encouraged to seek help from a medical professional.