At Newin Institute approximately half of
the patients we consult are women. This may surprise a lot of people, but hair loss in women is more common that people think.
Hair loss in women occurs roughly at the
following percentages – 10% under age 20; 20% aged 20-30 years; 30% aged 30-50
years; and 40%+ in women who are over 50 years of age.
Hair loss in women can be very
psychologically distressing, so women will often go to great lengths to conceal
their hair loss, so the figures above may seem to high to the average person
who looks around for hair loss in women in the general public.
At Newin Institute probably the most common
cause of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia, which probably makes up
about 80%+ of the cases of female hair loss we see. However, there are many
other causes of hair loss in women – these can include thyroid disease, iron
deficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and alopecia areata just to mention a
few.
At Newin Institute, Dr Rhett Bosnich
reviews all female patients himself and if they have not had their hair loss
assessed by a dermatologist or GP he will perform an appropriate review and
arrange appropriate investigations. Once the cause of hair loss in a woman has
been determined Dr Bosnich will determine an appropriate treatment regime.
If there is a specific cause of hair loss
in women e.g. iron deficiency then correction of this problem will often result
in improving hair overall. However, if hair loss in women is caused by
androgenetic alopecia, unfortunately there is no cure. However, there are many
treatment options that are available alone and in combination, such as
medication, PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatment and Hair Transplant surgery
(in some instances). This treatment needs to be instituted by a doctor who
specialises in hair and progress needs to be monitored regularly with respect
to medication and the regular performance of photographs to determine whether
treatment is effective.
