A Woman’s Guide to Hair Loss

Losing your hair is never easy, whether by natural cause or due to a health problem, hair loss can be embarrassing, dismaying, and depressing for many women. Unfortunately, there’s no way around the fact that 10% of women experience hair loss before the age of 30 and 40% by the age of 50. But whether hair loss is present as thinning, or complete baldness, there are steps that any woman can take for hair replacement, to hide thinning and balding hair and to help prevent hair loss.

Minoxidil Solution

Whether via an over the counter product or a doctor’s prescription, women can topically apply a solution of 2% Minoxidil for 32 weeks in order to see hair loss reversal. This is the best solution for women with pattern hair loss and balding, although due to the long term solution of the problem, most women choose to use hair extensions to add volume to their hair while applying the minoxidil. Minoxidil is chemically proven to increase hair growth, although some hairs can take as long as two years to fully mature, which is why most women will have to wait to see good results.

Avoid Actions that Cause Hair Loss

If your hair is thinning, try avoiding things that have been proven to cause hair loss. For example, anything that applies heat to your hair is actually damaging it. Heat breaks down proteins and makes hair more brittle, which means it is more susceptible to hair loss. Avoid curling irons, straightening irons, and hair dryers. Next, avoid pulling your hair tight on a daily basis, don’t put your hair up every day, tie it with an elastic band or braid your hair tightly every day as this can contribute to hair loss. Using a soft bristle brush, using fingers to undo tangles, and always waiting until your hair is dry can also help.

Hair Extensions

If your hair is thinning but still there, you can choose to go for hair extensions of either real or imitation hair. These are the best option for anyone who wants to have thicker hair but doesn’t want to go in for hair replacement. Hair extensions are generally woven into the natural hair to create a thicker, more lustrous look, perfect for temporarily increasing the thickness of the hair.

Wigs and Hair Pieces

Wigs and hairpieces are perfect for anyone who has near-total to complete hair loss. Women who are balding can choose to purchase either a genuine hair wig or an imitation wig. Good styles to choose from include scalp weft caps, which look like real hair. Wigs can generally be cut, styled, and cleaned in similar ways to real hair, but do generally require a bit more care.

Hair Transplants

Hair transplants are the most genuine form of hair replacement available for women.  The process involves using implanted grafts from donors to replace hair in thinning areas. If the hair is the right color, your type of hair loss won’t result in immediately losing the transplants and your health is okay, you could be eligible for having hair transplants.

There are many options for hair replacement for women, especially with new technologies and possibilities available. Most of the time, taking care of your hair before and after any surgery or implants, proper nutrition via either food or supplements, and avoiding hair damaging products such as blow dryers can help to keep your hair safe. For women with pattern baldness and stress or health induced hair loss, there are still plenty of options including hair pieces, hair extensions, and hair implants.