If you feel that you might be losing more hair than you should, you may have questions regarding exactly what you can do to prevent it. Many women experience premature hair loss, so you aren't alone. Hair loss in women is usually concealed to a much greater extent than it is by male sufferers. Male Pattern Baldness is much more recognizable in the world today than hair loss in females.

Often times a woman's fear of hair loss is unfounded. Hair loss can be a product of some natural process in life such as childbirth, illness or pregnancy. In these cases, hair loss is temporary - it may concern you (greatly!) when it first appears, but it is temporary and will diminish when your condition changes. Hair loss in women that is not related to a temporary condition usually occurs later in life than it does in men. Most women who recognize significant hair loss do so after the age of fifty.

But if you are really the kind of woman who fears that the hair loss you are experiencing is not normal, you should probably see a specialist to have an early diagnosis. It is recommended to see a specialist rather than doing a self exam because often times, self diagnosis is not accurate. As mentioned above, women don't shed hair like men - men have an obvious thinning of hair, a completely different pattern than women.

As stated earlier, hair loss in women most often presents itself after the age of fifty. That having been said, occasionally it can occur at an earlier age. Often these earlier cases of hair loss are the result of Trichotillomania (a psychological disorder that includes compulsive hair-pulling), Alopecia Areata, which is an autoimmune disorder, or Scarring Alopecia - hair loss due to scarring of the scalp brought on by trauma or severe mistreatment of the scalp. These causes, however, are much less prevalent than the most common cause: Androgenic Alopecia.

Androgenic Alopecia is the scientific name for pattern baldness in women or men. In males, it appears as a receding hair line or a bald spot that spreads from the crown of the head. In females, thinning hair over the entire scalp area is most often Androgenic Alopecia. It is by far the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women, and thankfully it is treatable.

Once you've ruled out other potential causes of hair loss you can most often conclude that Androgenic Alopecia is at the root of the problem. If this is true in your case, there are treatments available on-line that you can research and purchase from the comfort of your home. There are many to choose from, some FDA approved, and some that contain a plethora of ingredients - both FDA approved and not - that target the cause of Androgenic Alopecia. Do your research, find a product that works for you, use it diligently and stick with it. The relief that comes with finding a product for hair loss that works for you will be well worth any effort you expend in doing so!