Female Hair Loss Specialist
-
- Tweet
The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine
Shamila Gupta Rawal, MD
Otolaryngologist & Head and Neck Surgeon located in Madison, WI
Women define their individual style and personality by the way they wear their hair. It’s such an integral part of their identity, that it can be devastating when they start to lose hair. Shamila Gupta Rawal, MD, at The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine fully understands the effects of hair loss in women. She works closely with each patient to determine the cause of their hair loss, then creates a customized plan using medical and surgical modalities to restore their beautiful hair. To schedule a consultation, call the office in Madison, Wisconsin, or use the online booking feature.
Female Hair Loss Q & A
What causes female hair loss?
Many women are surprised to learn that 40% of women suffer from hair loss. Some of the most common causes include:
Female pattern baldness
Like men, one of the top causes of hair loss in women is pattern baldness. However, in women the pattern is different; they develop diffuse thinning over the top and crown of their head. Low levels of hormones, such as thyroid hormone and testosterone, often cause female pattern baldness. In some cases, women may develop oversensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Telogen effluvium
You normally shed about 50-100 hairs every day. Losing more than 100 hairs, however, is the sign of telogen effluvium, which occurs when an underlying problem prematurely ends the hair follicle’s growth phase. Many different problems can trigger this type of hair loss, including:
- Stress
- Infection
- High fever
- Surgery
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Hormonal changes
- Sudden weight loss
- Systemic disease
- Medications
You start to see the sudden hair loss — even as much as handfuls of hair coming out at one time — about six weeks to three months after the triggering event.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata causes hair loss when your immune system attacks certain hair follicles. The resulting hair loss forms a distinct round or oval patch that may gradually enlarge.
Traction alopecia
Traction alopecia arises when tight hairstyles such as ponytails, braiding, and extensions traumatize the hair follicles. If detected at an early stage, this type of hair loss is reversible, and the hairs typically regrow.
What causes hair loss in my eyebrows and eyelashes?
You may start to lose eyebrow hairs from medical treatments such as chemotherapy, excessive plucking, and hormonal changes at menopause. Low thyroid hormones frequently lead to a loss of eyebrows and eyelashes. A classic sign of a thyroid deficiency is when the outer one-third of the eyebrows disappear. Alopecia areata is also a common cause of hair loss in eyebrows and eyelashes.
How is female hair loss treated?
The treatment for female hair loss at The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine depends on the underlying cause. You may need to restore a nutritional deficiency or start hormone therapy to correct an imbalance. Dr. Rawal has helped many women overcome hair loss with the aforementioned and treatments such as:
- Surgical hair transplants (follicular unit transplantation and follicular unit extraction)
- Regenerative medicine (platelet-rich plasma)
- Eyebrow and eyelash restoration
- Low-level laser light therapy
- Medications (topical and oral)
- Scalp micropigmentation
To schedule a private consultation for female hair loss, call The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine or use the online booking feature.
