Toronto Women Deal With Hair Loss Too – Here’s How We Treat It

Is the amount of hair on your pillow normal? If you’ve ever asked yourself that in a panic, you may be a woman experiencing hair loss. For women in Toronto, this is a far more significant problem than many guess. Some studies suggest up to ½ all women have seen notable thinning or balding by the time they reach 50. In their lifetime, nearly 80% of men and roughly 50% of women will have reported substantial thinning.

You may be aware that losing between 50 and 100 hairs per day is entirely reasonable. It’s the natural hair growth and shedding cycle that we all have, and the strands you find in your brush or the shower each day need not cause alarm. If, however, you have a family history of female hair loss or you notice sudden, rapid fall out, you can seek help from a hair specialist. Take heart – there are solutions.

Women with hair loss in Toronto report that it interferes significantly with their daily lives, including confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of femininity. Though it is widespread, there is a commonly held belief that balding is a man’s issue. So when women have hair loss, it stands out.

If you’re suffering from this issue, know that you’re not alone. At the Toronto Hair Transplant Clinic, we treat women successfully with a variety of hair restoration methods. Read on to learn more.

When the balance of estrogen and testosterone shifts, hair can be a casualty

DHT, the dihydrotestosterone hormone, is also at least partly to blame for hair follicle miniaturization in women, just like men. Males tend to have much more testosterone, so in many cases they notice androgenic alopecia in higher numbers, more severely, and starting at a younger age.

The pattern of women hair thinning is also different. Men will usually see a receding hairline first with deepening widow’s peaks, then a growing bald spot. Instead, women with hair loss typically see evenly diffused thinning all over the head, making the scalp more visible throughout. The part may also widen if they wear their hair long.

Pre-determined genetics will cause more men to bald predictably, so that condition is often nicknamed male pattern baldness.

It’s not just genetics – more reasons women have hair loss

Women’s hair loss causes aren’t just hormonal. Physical and emotional stress have been known to trigger a type of hair loss called telogen effluvium. When a woman’s body experiences something traumatic like childbirth, major surgery, crash dieting, or extreme grief, it can impact her hair.

Roughly 90% of your hair is in the growing (anagen) and transitional (catagen) stages at any given time, but they can all shift suddenly to the resting (telogen) phase. It’s almost as if a woman’s system locks down on some functions while it attempts to preserve health and safety.

Traction alopecia refers to the sometimes temporary, sometimes long-term balding resulting from consistent tension on the hair. It’s due to tight hairstyles such as braids and weaves. While the hair may grow back after the pressure is relieved, in extreme cases the follicles are damaged and will no longer grow hair.

Some women find the unwanted and unpleasant side effect of starvation dieting is that the temporary malnutrition and stress to the system causes telogen effluvium. The good news is that once the stressor is removed and your health is recovered, these hairs do tend to grow back. Though it will take many months, the follicles will become active again, so no hair loss treatment is required.