How Does Hair Loss Treatment for Women Differ from Those Made for Men?

Female hair loss can be extremely devastating and heartbreaking for sufferers. While many men also feel a sense of dismay at becoming bald, baldness in men is much more common than in women, and therefore generally considered more “normal” and acceptable.

Female baldness, on the other hand, is much rarer and therefore tends to be much more devastating. Women who suffer loss of hair, while fewer in number, are more likely than men to look for a remedy. Is it possible to find a hair loss treatment for women that is effective? Are they more effective than those that are formulated for men or for baldness in general?

Female hair loss may occur for a number of different reasons. Female Pattern Baldness (FPB) is the most common type of hair loss in women. It is caused by hormonal changes and imbalances. Such hormonal issues are commonly associated with pregnancy, childbirth and menopause, although not everyone who experiences hormone imbalances will lose her hair. Others may experience more hair loss than usual, but not enough to leave noticeable bald spots.

In most cases this loss of hair due to hormonal changes is a temporary state. Those who experience it will almost always find that their hair returns to its normal state eventually, though it can take months or even years.

Alopecia Areata is another type of hair loss. It can occur in both males and females, though it is more common in females. Alopecia Areata can strike at any age, but seems to be most common during childhood. Unlike FPB, it is an immune disorder in which hair cells are wrongly targeted as foreign substances by the body’s immune system. Subsequently the immune system attacks and destroys any new hair cells that are formed. Some children with Alopecia Areata outgrow the condition, others do not, though doctors and scientists can’t explain why this is. Neither can they predict which children are more prone to outgrow it than others. There is no evidence that any hair loss treatment currently on the market is effective at treating alopecia areata.

Products that target men are typically formulated differently than hair loss treatments for women. An estimated 75 percent of the products on the market are actually formulated for men. A few companies make separate products for men and women, each balanced for the sex at which they are directed. Some products, chiefly those that are non-medicinal, are gender neutral and can be used by both males and females. At-home laser appliances are an example of one of these.

Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) is caused by an excess of the hormone DHT in the body. DHT is formed in the male body when testosterone reacts with the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. It isn’t known what causes some men to be more prone to forming DHT than others, other than genetics.

Since women do not have the same levels of testosterone present in their bodies as men, they don’t experience the same type of hair loss. Therefore, hair regrowth products that tackle the formation of DHT are ineffective on FPB.

The only products that have currently been acclaimed as being able to regrow hair or stop loss for women are those which contain the drug Minoxidil. Minoxidil has long been FDA approved and clinically proven to regrow hair.

Many hair loss treatments for women and men contain Minoxidil. Most contain numerous other ingredients, including natural/herbal ones, which act something like a supporting cast for Minoxidil. These ingredients may help Minoxidil do its job, but won’t necessarily stop hair loss or create regrowth in and of themselves.

Hair loss treatments for women with Minoxidil typically contain a two percent solution. Men’s formulas, on the other hand, usually contain five percent. This concentration is considered too high for women, and thus such products should not be used by females. Additionally, some men’s hair loss products contain certain chemicals known to cause birth defects in developing fetuses. These products should also be avoided by women.