Hair Revealed as Women’s Second Biggest Daily Worry

Women, on average, criticise themselves eight times a day, and when they’re not lamenting weight issues it is most likely to be their hair (think messy hair, poor cuts and hair loss) that is behind their self-inflicted vitriol.

Reporting on a study of 2,000 women, the Daily Mail says that selfies and social media platforms play a large part in women’s increasing obsession with self-image, with the five top criticisms that women level at themselves all focusing on appearance. “Not earning enough money”, at number six on the list, is one of just a handful in the top 20 that has nothing to do with looking good.

Hair loss part of the problem

To be precise, it is feeling that their “hair is a mess” that is the second most common of women’s gripes. While the article doesn’t delve deeper into this, for some women a large part of the problem is likely to be hair loss. We know this because 2015 continued the trend for more and more women seeking treatment for Female Pattern Hair Loss.

Thinning hair in women caused by genetics is incredibly common, though by comparison to Male Pattern Baldness it is rarely mentioned.

Part of the reason for this is that the shedding associated with Female Hair Loss isn’t usually as clearly pronounced as MPB; it causes a general thinning of the hair around the top of the head, rather than creating clearly defined areas of balding, such as a thinning crown or receding hairline. Another reason is that, due to the way women's hair thins, their pattern of hair loss can be easier to conceal - up to a point - using different styling techniques.

For anyone who has experienced hair thinning, however, it can feel like the end of the world, leading to stress, confusion and a loss of self-esteem.

Tens of thousands of women notice that they are affected every year, with Female Hair Loss common among women in their 30s and 40s, although, due to the pressures of modern life, increasing numbers of women are now starting to experience this type of shedding in their 20s. The condition becomes especially prevalant once women enter their 50s, when around 50 per cent will experience a degree of shedding due to this, or another condition such as Telogen Effluvium.

There are multiple reasons why a woman’s hair may suddenly start migrating to the plug-hole, though there are solutions to most. As well as genetics, a wide variety of influencers, such as dietary deficiencies and side effects of certain medications, can play a part in hair loss; additionally, it can also often be caused by fluctuations in female hormones.

Hair loss treatment for women

Luckily, the hair loss treatment Minoxidil is suitable for both men and women, as are hair growth boosters, and both are widely used at Belgravia.

Minoxidil increases the blood supply to the area it is applied to, which makes it easier for essential nutrients to get to the hair follicles. It also prevent shrinkage of follicles, and after many years of experience treating Female Hair Loss, Belgravia’s specialists generally expect to see regrowth results in well over 60 per cent of cases, with a large portion of the remaining 40 per cent seeing their rate of shedding stabilise.

The survey reported in the Mail found that 42 per cent of women had already criticised themselves at least once every day before 9.30am. If this sounds like you and the cause of your concern is thinning hair, a visit to a supportive, specialist hair loss clinic could quickly put you on the path to a brighter, less critical 2016 and pave the way for a much-needed boost in confidence.