Female Androgenetic Alopecia Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatments

Understand the causes, how to diagnose, and what type of treatments are available.

Androgenetic alopecia, or pattern baldness, is the most common form of hair loss in men and women. This type of hereditary hair loss can begin anytime after puberty and usually occurs in women, if at all, before the age of forty.

What it Looks Like:

Women who have androgenetic alopecia usually have increased thinning or diffuse hair loss all over, but most noticeably at the part line and top area just behind the bangs, while often maintaining their front hairline. Female pattern baldness is measured with the Ludwig Scale, as seen below, ranging from 1, 2 and 3, with varying degrees inbetween.

How Androgenetic Alopecia in Women Works

During the course of androgenetic alopecia, the follicles become sensitive to hormones, or androgens. Within the follicles are androgen receptors. These androgens send messages to the follicles to produce less hair. Consequently, growing cycles are shortened while hair becomes thinner and finer. While there is no loss of the actual follicle, eventually they can halt hair production altogether.

Within these follicles are enzymes known as 5 alpha-reductase. Your body naturally produces two types of 5ar in the sebaceous glands, sweat glands and dermal papilla cells. Type 2 is predominantly found at the root. Women with androgenetic alopecia many times have higher levels of these 5 alpha-reductase enzymes. Another enzyme known as cytochrome P-450 aromatase has been found at the outer root of hair follicles, and has been observed at higher concentrations at the frontal hair follicles in women.

Through biochemical reactions, the 5 alpha-reductase enzymes convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This DHT will shrink hair follicles, causing them to degenerate in a process called miniaturization. Miniaturized hairs are the result of shorter growing cycles, that produce thinner, finer hairs with each succession.

Causes of Androgenetic Alopecia in Women

Causes for hair loss in women can be numerous. That is why numerous blood tests are usually the first step in eliminating potential causes. Many conditions such as menstrual irregularities, hirsuitism, acne, naturally higher testosterone levels can all be indicators associated with hair loss. Birth control pills are common, pregnancy is one of the MOST common, and pre and post menopause are all hormonally related factors that can trigger hair thining on a small to large scale. Stress can exascerbate the progression but unless you've experienced several months of stress that has damaged your physical state, it is typically not the most prominent cause. Androgenetic Alopecia by definition means Androgen / and Genetic related (Hormones and Genes).

Treatments for Androgenetic Alopecia in Women

Luckily many women who have androgenetic alopecia respond well to various treatments. Before we look at treatments, let's take a look at how you can help your doctor diagnose your condition.

 

Step 3: The Doctor Visit and the Blood Tests

 

If you are experiencing patchy hair loss, or sudden drastic head or body hair loss, we will be publishing guides for you in the coming months as well.

We encourage you to join our Discussion Forums where we have social networking forums just for those of you with conditions like these: Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, and Alopecia Univesalis.