Women can experience hair loss for a variety of reasons, such as stress, illness, a side effect from taking certain medications, etc. Various treatments can help women cope with the phenomenon; the treatment selected should be influenced by the source of the issue, as well as by the patient’s desire and choice. Treatments include natural treatments for balding in women, such as PRP, which involves injecting the patient’s own platelet-rich plasma into the affected areas. PRP hair treatments are suitable for men and women alike, and are considered extremely safe. Natural hair loss treatments for women also include various ways of concealing the issue, such as donning a wig, or taking medications or vitamins – Minoxidil, Saw Palmetto extract, Biotin, and others.
What is Female Balding?
Female balding, or balding in women, is a phenomenon where women suffer from intensive hair loss that leads to bald or thin patches along the scalp. As women age, they naturally lose some hair, and over 60 percent of women experience hair thinning after undergoing menopause. That said, female balding is most commonly genetic, and it begins with hair thinning, mostly in the center of the scalp, where the hair naturally parts.
The Stages of Female Balding
When women suffer from hair loss, the growth of new hair follicles is significantly slower than it should be. Thus, it takes new hair far longer to grow. The reduction in new growth leads to thinner hair which, with time, makes each individual hair more fragile and less durable. As a result, women suffering from hair loss end up losing many more hair follicles than the average woman, who naturally loses tens of hairs each day.
During the first stage of female balding, a relatively small amount of hair will shed, leading to slight thinning that can easily be concealed. Later, the thinned area will grow and the thinning will increase as a result. Finally, the hair loss will become more prominent and hair across the scalp will thin out, making the balding harder to conceal.
Preventing Female Balding
When the source of hair loss is genetics, balding cannot always be prevented. That said, here are some tips to help you keep your hair follicles healthy and prevent unnecessary damage.
It is recommended to:
- Consume vitamin and protein-rich food.
- Avoid hair designs that can be harmful to your hair, such as flat ironing, chemical straightening, gluing in hair extensions, bleaching your hair, etc.
- Only comb your hair when it’s dry, as hair is more prone to breakage when wet.
- Protect your hair against harmful UV rays.
Treatments for Female Balding
How can hair loss in women be treated?
Indeed, there are many diverse treatment options for female balding. Ultimately, the treatment selected should depend on the severity of the woman’s hair loss, the root of the problem, her physical and mental health, and, above all, her desires. In addition, there are natural hair loss treatments, conservative hair loss treatments, and radical hair loss treatments.
The natural treatment category includes proper nutrition and the consumption of essential vitamins, as per the results of relevant blood tests and the recommendation of a physician who specializes in hair regeneration and health. For example, taking antioxidants and Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids can help improve hair thickness and density.
Another natural treatment option for female balding is PRP. PRP treatments involve drawing blood from the patient, which is then placed in a centrifuge machine that quickly spins the blood to concentrate the platelets found within the plasma. Once the blood has been spun, the concentrated fluid is injected into the bald areas of the woman’s head. Benefits of PRP include it being a natural hair loss treatment that’s relatively affordable, and its short treatment time – PRP treatments take about an hour and are considered extremely safe.
Conservative treatments for hair loss in women include the following medications:
Minoxidil – A medication that has been proven effective in treating hair loss in men and women. The medication is rubbed into the balding areas of the scalp, to help prevent further hair loss and encourage hair growth. One of the medication’s disadvantages is the commitment that has to be made to its application. It must be used continuously, according to expert recommendations, to maintain its results. Women experiencing balding before menopause must not spread the medication over a 2 percent concentration.
Radical treatment options for female balding include hair transplants for women. A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that must be performed by an expert physician, under local anesthesia. During the hair transplant, the physician removes hair follicles from a non-balding area of the scalp, and transplants them into balding areas of the woman’s head, in the hopes that they take root and promote natural growth.
Hair transplants are not suited to every woman. Potential hair transplant candidates must be assessed for suitability, by an expert physician. This is a great, effective option, but it does have its share of disadvantages, including the procedure’s substantial cost; hair transplants typically cost tens of thousands of shekels. Another disadvantage is the fact that it’s a surgical procedure. On the other hand, it provides a long-term solution that basically eliminates the problem, for good.
Many women choose to follow their physicians’ recommendations to combine PRP with hair transplants (either before or after the procedure). PRP treatments help maximize the results of hair transplants, prevent additional hair loss, and maintain the existing hair’s health. The cost of a PRP treatment is generally affordable, averaging at about 1,000 NIS. Note that more private insurance companies help with PRP treatment payments, while healthcare providers such as Maccabi Healthcare Services, Clalit Health Services, and Meuchedet Health Services do not.
Another option is to conceal the issue with a wig. This option is suitable for women who cannot or do not wish to take medications or undergo a surgical procedure that poses a risk to their health, or may come with its share of side effects.