Hair loss usually occurs because of hormonal factors. As a consequence, biological events like puberty, pregnancy and menopause that effect female hormone levels can also cause female hair loss. In the case of pregnancy, hair loss is simply a consequence of the stress the body undergoes during labor and should stop approximately 6 months after birth.

Discontinuation of taking birth control pills can also cause temporary female hair loss.

The cause of female baldness is not just limited to menopause. Some women begin to see their hair thinning as early as puberty. This typically results from a hormonal imbalance. A change in hormones can often lead to female baldness. A hormone evaluation can tell you if hormones are the cause.

What can cause this hormonal imbalance? Most commonly oral contraceptives, PCOS, menopause and pregnancy (post natal stages) can. All of these directly affect the hormone balance within a womans body and can lead to partial or dramatic thinning or loss of hair. Your doctor is the best person to speak to for advice on this especially in relation to PCOS, menopause or oral contraception.

Causes of Hair Loss:

Medication or drugs - the contraceptive pill, blood thinning or blood pressure medication, thyroid hormones, cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, coricosteroids, high dosage vitamin A, amphetamines, cocaine drugs. (Please note that hair loss does not necessarily occur with these medications).

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an immune disease that affects almost 2% of the population in the US. This type of hair loss appears in various degrees of severity from small, round patches of hair loss that regrow without medical treatment to chronic, extensive hair loss that can involve the loss of all hair on the scalp or body hair. This type of hair loss affects both genders equally and can occur at any age, although it occurs most often in children and young adults.

Physical trauma - scarring, childbirth, burns, accidents, general anaesthesia, surgery.

Some common myths related to female hair loss are that frequent washing and shampooing, and wearing of wigs and hats all cause hair loss. In addition, rumors abound that permanents, coloring, and other cosmetic treatments can cause permanent hair loss. Other myths are that brushing your hair everyday will create healthier hair, that shaving your head will cause hair to grow back thicker, and that stress causes permanent hair loss.

Stress is a major reason why you can experience hair loss. Therefore, start reducing the extra stress at once by taking some time out of your daily schedule to relax. Also get enough sleep. You can also start supplementing your diet with a good hair loss nutritional supplement.

The most important thing to remember is to try to remain positive throughout the treatments. It may take as long as a year to begin seeing results from any form of female hair loss treatment. Start by going to a doctor, and just remember, almost everyone is affected by hair loss at some point in their life.

Rogaine is the only medication approved by the FDA to treat female hair loss. Rogaine is packaged separately for women, in a solution of 2% minoxidil. Many physicians suggest not using Rogaine while pregnant or breastfeeding. Side effects can include scalp irritation and more serious, but rare side effects if too much of the medication is absorbed into the bloodstream. Talk to your doctor before starting any treatment.