Body hair loss is a common condition that most women undergo. It can affect ladies over twenty years or women who are over forty years old. Losing body hair occurs in different stages depending on the cause. You should attempt medical attention immediately if you experience hair loss to ensure early prevention before it worsens. This article will help you know more about body hair loss in women, its signs, the causes, and some of the medical treatments you can approach when you become a victim.
Signs of Hair loss in women
There are various symptoms that women experience as a result of hair loss. Some of them are;
Bald patches or bald spots
Bald patches are a common sign of hair loss in most women. It mainly occurs in the scalp, where one experiences a painful and itchy scalp that leaves circular patches like coins followed by hair loss.
Full-body hair loss
In most cases, complete body hair loss occurs when one uses some medications or therapies. The drugs lead to rapid falling out of hair in all parts of the body within a shorter period.
The thinning of hair
Many women experience sudden thinning of hair at the top of the head and on the crown. It is a sign that you might be affected by a hair loss condition. It is experienced by both ladies below or above twenty years and women of over forty years.
A visible scalp
A visible scalp is also a common sign of body hair loss in women, as the scalp might become visible due to stunted hair follicle growth that shows a clear scalp.
Hair loss in handfuls
One can notice a hair loss in high quantity when combing or styling her hair after physical trauma or an emotional experience that makes the hair follicle’s hormones react, thus leading to the thinning of hair.
Causes of losing body hair in women
The causes of body hair loss in women are as follows;
Medications
Certain medical conditions may interfere with the hormones that stimulate hair growth in women, thus leading to hair loss in the whole body. When one uses some drugs, she may experience sudden hair loss as a side effect.
If you are under medication and experiencing some hair loss from the scalp and other body parts, it might be due to the drugs you are using. You can consult your doctor to either change the medications for you or look for another option that might help you avoid future hair loss.
Hormonal imbalance
Hormonal imbalance is a cause of body hair loss where less production of progesterone and estrogen disrupts the growth of hair follicles, thus leading to less or no hair in the scalp and other body parts. Some women also experience hair loss when they are in menopause, during menstruation, or after a child’s birth.
An inheritance or genetic disorders
Losing body hair may come as a result of heredity from family or close relatives. For example, you might experience hair loss from your parent’s or grandparent’s genes which interferes with the growth of hair follicles or leads to falling out of hair in large amounts.
Some people are also born with weak and thin hair that falls all of a sudden and may not grow back. In most cases, when females experience hair loss from the scalp as a result of genetics, it is commonly known as female pattern baldness.
Stress
Body hair loss may occur some months, usually one to three, after physical or emotional stress. Hair loss resulting from anxiety occurs in different ways, such as; excessive hair loss from the scalp and other body parts and stagnant hair follicles or strands, which leads to thinning after some time.
Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI)
Sexually transmitted infections like Gonorrhea, Syphilis, HIV, etc., lead to body hair loss in patches or spots. The hair follicles break in large numbers due to weak immune systems that cannot support or give them the strength to thrive.
Fewer nutrients and iron in the body
Nutrients and iron help boost the body’s immune system by providing the right energy and improving the functions of cells responsible for the growth of hair follicles. If your body lacks enough nutrients and iron, you may experience hair loss and other deficiency diseases like anemia.
Diabetes
Diabetes affects the cells that stimulate the growth of hair follicles, thus leading to thinning of hair. Some hair takes a lot of time to grow, while others fall off at a particular stage due to less blood circulation in the body, which in turn causes body hair loss.
Treatments of body hair loss in women
i) Hair transplant surgery
Women can use hair transplant surgery that involves the extraction of hair follicles from the back of the head and planting them at the affected area to increase the density and thickness of hair. One should consult an experienced St George dermatologist to carry out the surgery for safety and positive results.
ii) Use of Minoxidil drug
Women experiencing hair loss can use minoxidil, also known as Rogaine, to restore the falling hair or accelerate the existing hair’s growth. You should apply this drug directly to the scalp or follow the doctor’s prescription for better results.
iii) Use of Platelet-Rich- Plasma
Here, the concentrated platelets are mixed with plasma for injection by dermatologists to stimulate hair growth in the body or scalp.
iv) Use of scalp micropigmentation is also an effective way of hair regrowth.
Conclusion
Loss of body hair disrupts many women, making them uncomfortable and depressed. Women who are pregnant should not use drugs such as minoxidil in treating their hair loss since it may negatively affect their health conditions.
