It’s your day off and you don’t have anything pressing. You’ve been looking forward to some “me time” all week so you decide to indulge yourself with a relaxing, unrushed shower to start the day. The house is peaceful and the only thing you can hear is the calming white noise of the warm, steamy water that gently surrounds you. You’re glad the new bottle of shampoo you ordered arrived yesterday. With anticipation, you squeeze some into your hand and you are pleased with its irresistible fragrance. Then, as you begin to lather the shampoo into your hair, it happens. Strands of hair begin to fall out and tangle between your fingers. At first you shrug it off. You rationalize, “It’s normal to lose a hair or two, right?” But wait. There’s more… and more. Anxiety rises as you struggle to untangle the many hairs that wrap around your fingers and you wonder, “How much hair loss is normal?! Am I beginning to lose my hair?”
Permanent or Temporary
You’re not alone. At least 40% of women experience hair loss at some point in their lives. Some hair loss can be temporary, and some is permanent. The good news is hair loss can be reversed and/or corrected in most cases.
What’s Normal?
The average woman has anywhere between 90,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head (depending on the color of their hair) and it is normal to lose approximately 100 hairs per day. Unfortunately, by the time you notice that you do have a hair loss problem, you may have lost a significant amount of hair already. It’s important to see a doctor as soon as you notice an unusual increase in hair loss that doesn’t seem to subside. Otherwise, if you neglect the issue, your hair loss may become permanent.
The Causes of Hair Loss in Women
Women can temporarily or permanently lose hair for many different reasons.
- Hormones can be a major cause of hair loss, either through pregnancy, post-pregnancy, or menopause.
- Stress can cause temporary hair loss.
- Damaging hair styles can cause hair loss – tight braids, perms, relaxers, straighteners, or dyes that burn the scalp.
- Medicines or disease can cause hair loss. A few examples are blood pressure medications or treatments for illness such as chemotherapy. There are even auto-immune diseases that cause hair loss such as Alopecia Areata.
- Injury on the scalp can cause hair loss such as a cut or a burn.
- Unhealthy hair that is dry, brittle and breaks easily can make your hair look thinner.
- Genetics (female pattern baldness) can mean that you’re more susceptible to DHT, which causes hair loss.
I Think I have Hair Loss. Now What?
It’s important to see a doctor who specializes in hair loss. At We Grow Hair, patients receive a complimentary microscopic hair loss analysis. We use the AI-Driven HairMetrix system which is an advanced diagnostic tool that takes the guessing out of a proper diagnosis. It’s high-resolution optics records images at 200X magnification and identifies variations over time, which helps consultants track progress throughout your treatment. It measures the health and diameter of each hair, the absence or growth of hair over time, and measures your density per square centimeter. It also identifies scalp/sebrum issues. We also offer biopsies to help identify issues.
Can Hair Loss Be Reversed?
It’s important to catch hair loss before it progresses. Once a hair is gone, it may be gone forever. These are some of the non-surgical treatments that can effectively restore the beauty and health of your hair.
- FDA approved Laser Therapy
- Enhanced Plasma Therapy
- DHT blocking Shampoos, Supplements, and Medications
- Minoxidil
- Shower Filters
DHT blocking shampoos can improve the health of your scalp, and non-surgical treatments can improve the blood flow to your hair follicles. In turn, valuable nutrients are delivered to your hair, which makes each strand thicker in diameter, shinier and healthier. Non-surgical treatments can also repair tissue at the cellular level. Most patients notice a difference after approximately 3-6 months of these non-surgical programs.
Would you like to find out more about your hair loss? Call our office and schedule a complimentary consultation so you can stop stressing about your hair loss!
