Alopecia in Women – The facts you need to know

Hair loss can have a significant affect on your life. For women this can be an extremely hard condition to deal with. Alopecia in women is not life-threatening but it can have a serious impact on your quality of life.

If you are one of the many women suffering from Alopecia, then it is important you get all the help and support you need to deal with this condition.

Types of Alopecia

Alopecia in women is more common than you may realise. This condition affects as many as 8 million women in the UK alone. Alopecia can lead to some serious emotional and psychological conditions including loss of self confidence, withdrawal from society and depression.

There are several different types of Alopecia including:

Telogen Effluvium – this condition is connected to significant trauma or shock to the body and can occur as a delayed reaction after childbirth, sudden weight loss, major surgery or extreme stress. The hair will shed and thin in different levels of severity. This type of alopecia is normally temporary and the hair will normally grow back naturally after a few months.
Alopecia Areata – this condition can affect young adults and teenagers and is often link to problems with the immune system. This type of alopecia cause patches of shedding and thinning. In most cases the hair will grow back after a few months.
Androgenetic Alopecia – this is also know as ‘female-pattern baldness’ and is when the hair thins and sheds with age. This tends to run in families and typically occurs after the menopause.
Conventional Treatments

It will depend on your individual diagnosis as to what treatments can be offered for Alopecia in women. For example if you are suffering from female-pattern baldness in some cases a course of minoxidil can slow the baldness and thicken the remaining hair. A quarter of women on minoxidil can also see some regrowth in hair.

However there are no really effective treatments available for Alopecia Areata. Doctors may prescribe minoxidil to boost hair regrowth but in most cases the hair should grow back naturally within 12 months.

Alternative Options

Many sufferers of Alopecia see some positive results from alternative natural remedies. You should talk to your doctor before you try any natural remedies as in some cases these can interact with conventional medicines you could already be taking.

In serious cases of Alopecia in women you may be interested in alternative solutions such as wigs, hairpieces and hair transplants. This can all be effective for covering baldness and helping patients to live a more normal life. Wigs can be a good choice as there are many very natural looking options available. They can provide an instant boost to self esteem and are easy to take care of.


Alopecia in women can affect all ages. It is important if you see any symptoms of hair loss you speak to your doctor. This can sometimes be indicative of an underlying medical condition that could need treatment.