TL;DR:
- Hair loss in women can result from genetics, hormones, stress, nutrient deficiencies, scalp diseases, autoimmune/hormonal/systemic conditions, and poor hair care.
- Types of hair loss include:
- Androgenetic alopecia: Male type (forehead/top thinning), Female type (diffuse on central scalp).
- Scarring alopecia: Irreversible follicle damage caused by inflammation, trauma, or diseases (e.g., lupus, scleroderma).
- Hair transplantation (FUE method) is effective (99% success rate) for conditions like androgenetic, scarring, or post-traumatic alopecia; conducted with local anesthesia, short recovery (4–7 days), and invisible scars.
- Hair transplant replaces weak follicles with healthy ones, naturally stimulating growth. Ideal for cases where non-invasive treatments fail.
- Common triggers for hair loss include excessive sun exposure, stress, exhaustion, and hormonal changes (e.g., menopause, post-pregnancy).
Baldness is commonly considered a male problem, and indeed – it is much more common in men. However, it is worth remembering that women can also lose their hair for genetic or hormonal reasons. If less invasive methods fail, a hair clinic can help.
What can cause hair loss?
Excessive hair loss can be caused by many factors, and we are not always talking about baldness that requires a transplant. Very often it is temporary, appearing after childbirth, during menopause or after stopping birth control pills. Hair loss – causes, effective treatments. Among the most common causes of excessive hair loss are:
- prolonged exposure to the sun,
- chronic stress,
- lack of sleep, exhaustion,
- nutrient deficiencies (e.g. biotin, vitamin D, protein, iron),
- inadequate hair care (careless combing, daily straightening, bleaching, tightly pinned-up hair), anemia,
- scalp diseases (dandruff, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, ringworm),
- autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's),
- hormonal problems (especially thyroid disease),
- systemic diseases (e.g., diabetes).
When do we talk about baldness?
Until we start diagnostic tests, the severity of hair loss is a subjective matter. It happens that what we assess as baldness is in fact within the limits of normal or is temporary and caused, for example, by stress, fatigue, nutrient deficiencies (especially protein, iron, vitamins). We naturally lose about 50-100 hairs a day. Hair loss in handfuls, which is perfectly visible after washing or in the morning on the pillow, should raise concern. It is very common for excessive hair loss to become coarse, dull, and dry.
Types of baldness in women
Hair transplantation in women is a procedure that is less frequently performed, but as much as possible. It is a solution to such problems as androgenetic, scarring or post-traumatic alopecia.
There are several types of baldness in women. One of them is androgenetic alopecia, sometimes wrongly considered a typically male problem. Typically, hair begins to thin as early as ca. 30 years of age. Initially, the problem is visible on the top of the head – the parting becomes wider and wider, and the hair on the top of the head is lighter and finer than before. After menopause, hair loss becomes more intense as estrogen levels drop. Hair no longer falls out only on the top of the head, but also on the temples. Androgenetic alopecia in women can appear in two forms:
- Male type – hair thins on the forehead and top of the head, followed by the temporal and parietal regions. Due to lower testosterone levels, women do not lose their hair completely, unlike men.
- Female (diffuse) type – baldness concentrated on the central part of the head, a few centimeters from the forehead.
Androgenetic alopecia in women is primarily genetic. However, the loss can be accelerated by chemicals found in hair dyes, sprays and other hair styling products. Excessively high androgen levels can also cause problems such as hirsutism, acne or obesity. The second type of baldness that occurs in women is scarring alopecia. This means that hair follicles are damaged as a result of baldness. The most common causes of scarring alopecia include:
- inflammatory conditions,
- trauma,
- systemic lupus erythematosus,
- lichen planus,
- scleroderma,
- sarcoidosis,
- ringworm.
Scarring alopecia occurs primarily in women between the ages of 30 and 50. Outbreaks appear on the head – the hair falls out, the skin becomes thin and shiny, with no signs of hair follicles. Sometimes single tufts of brush-like hair appear. Hair loss is an irreversible process here, so hair transplantation is the best treatment. The procedure can be performed when scarring alopecia is in remission. Transplantation is also possible for people struggling with alopecia areata, as long as the alopecia is not in the active phase. Transplantation is also helpful for people who struggle with post-traumatic alopecia. Hair loss can result from mechanical trauma, surgery, burns or radiation therapy.
What does a hair transplant look like in women?
Although baldness looks a little different in women than in men, the same solution here is hair transplantation. The reviews speak for themselves – transplanted hair accepts 99%. This high success rate is provided by the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method. The procedure involves replacing weakened hair follicles – with healthy ones taken from another part of the head. As a result, when the transplanted hair falls out, the follicles produce more, as happens without surgical intervention in people who do not have problems with baldness. A plus with the FUE method is the short convalescence (4 – 7 days). In addition, the procedure does not require stitches, and scars are invisible to the naked eye. Hair transplantation is carried out under local anesthesia, so in addition to the administration of anesthetic, the patient does not feel pain. Hair loss is a major stress for women and a reason for complexes – after all, everyone would like to enjoy a thick hairstyle. If non-invasive methods of stopping hair loss fail, a more radical solution is transplantation – it only takes a few hours to naturally thicken the hair.
Conclusion
Hair loss in women can result from many causes—hormonal changes, genetics, or medical conditions. Understanding the type and severity of hair loss is key to determining the right solution, from small lifestyle adjustments to hair transplants. While non-invasive treatments work for many, transplantation offers a long-lasting fix when other methods fail. With modern techniques like FUE, results are natural, recovery is fast, and confidence is restored. Whether temporary or permanent, know that effective options exist to address hair loss and improve quality of life.
