Women may notice their hair thinning for a number of reasons, including stress, sudden shock or trauma, vitamin deficiency or as a side-effect of medications or illness, as well as from hereditary hair loss. Some of these lifestyle-related triggers will cause temporary hair loss whilst others may cause more prolonged conditions.
Whilst there are hair loss treatments for women available which have been shown to produce regrowth, reversing the signs of certain female hair loss conditions, the only condition to have a medically-proven remedy is genetic hair loss.
Minoxidil is licensed by the MHRA and its American equivalent, the FDA, for the treatment of female pattern hair loss, however, it has also produced promising results when used for the treatment of other hair loss conditions.
The following hair loss conditions are most likely to cause thinning hair in women and we have experience in treating each of these conditions here at Belgravia.
Female Pattern Hair Loss
Despite this genetic condition being the female equivalent of male pattern baldness, women’s hair tends to thin around the top of the head rather than develop into bald spots. Women may also notice a receding hairline, although thinning hair is the most common sign of this type of hereditary hair loss.
Female pattern hair loss will not go away of its own accord, however, it can respond well to treatment plans which involve the clinically-proven hair loss product, minoxidil.
You can see a number of photos showing examples of women treated for female hair loss at our hair loss clinics in our Hair Loss Success Stories. These should help provide a guide as to the type of results it has been possible for Belgravia clients to experience and the length of time each patient took to see each level of regrowth.
Telogen Effluvium is a temporary hair loss condition which displays as thinning hair. It generally lasts around six months, however it may not become noticeable until three months after the trigger event has taken place. This is due to the condition being linked to the hair growth cycle which runs in three month stages. Therefore, an event which causes the hair follicles to prematurely enter their ‘telogen’ or ‘resting’ phase, will cause the hair to shed approximately three months later, after this event. Triggers that can cause Telogen Effluvium to occur include:
Sudden shock, trauma or extreme stress
Hormone changes due to pregnancy, childbirth, terminations or taking oral contraceptives
Some medications or diet pills
Whilst Telogen Effluvium should generally correct itself in time, some people prefer to seek expert help with treating their hair loss to try to speed up the rate at which regrowth appears. Whilst there is no proven treatment for Telogen Effluvium, a number of our female clients have experienced promising results by following comprehensive hair loss treatment programmes featuring minoxidil as the active pharmaceutical component.
To get a better idea of the type of results some Belgravia clients have accomplished, you can see some of their photoscans, which link to their Hair Loss Success Stories, on the Telogen Effluvium page.
Diffuse Thinning also known as Chronic Telogen Effluvium
Whereas Telogen Effluvium is a temporary hair loss condition which tends to last no more than six months, Chronic Telogen Effluvium – also known as Diffuse Thinning or Diffuse Hair Loss – refers to a more protracted version of this condition which lasts for six months or more.
As with the temporary condition, the main signs of Chronic Telogen Effluvium are thinning hair although unlike thinning caused by Female Pattern Hair Loss, this can be across the whole scalp rather than just restricted to the top of the head. Common causes of Diffuse Thinning include:
Prolonged stress
Illnesses such as anaemia or thyroid disorders
Medication side effects
A lack of certain nutrients in the diet
You can find further information about this condition, along with examples of a number of Hair Loss Success Story images featuring ‘Before and During’ treatment images of Belgravia patients who have come to us looking for help in treating Chronic Telogen Effluvium.
Submit an instant online consultation so that one of Belgravia’s hair loss specialists can diagnose your condition and recommend an effective course of treatment, wherever you live. Or, arrange a free consultation at our Central London clinic.