Many women experience androgenetic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness, as they enter menopause. While very few women experience total balding, thinning hair in women can be significant and distressing. However, there are strategies and tips for dealing with thinning hair and perhaps reversing the process.
Hairstyles and Haircare
Women experience hair loss in a more diffuse pattern than men, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Because they usually do not experience complete balding, disguising hair loss is easier for women. Women are more likely and more able than men to disguise their hair loss by teasing their hair or consulting with their stylists about hairstyles designed to make their hair look thicker. You can help prevent hair breakage, which is often responsible for the appearance of thinning hair, by limiting the use of harsh hair styling products, according to Amy McMichael, M.D., a dermatologist at Wake Forest University, quoted on Hair Boutique.
Wigs and Weaves
Wigs, hairpieces and weaves are a nonmedical and noninvasive alternative for women dealing with thinning hair, according to the Mayo Clinic. Nonsurgical hair replacement is a viable alternative for women for whom minoxidil produces unsatisfactory results, or who are not good candidates for surgical hair replacement. A good-quality hair replacement system should consider any allergies or skin conditions you may have, and also should have a natural-looking appearance, including the hairline. With proper maintenance, a nonsurgical hair replacement should last about 18 months, according to the International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery.
Minoxidil and Finasteride
The Food and Drug Administration has approved minoxidil, commonly marketed under the brand name Rogaine, in a 2 percent solution for women who suffer from androgenetic alopecia. Some dermatologists will prescribe minoxidil in a 5 percent concentration to women off-label, with close supervision, according to the American Hair Loss Association. The drug finasteride, marketed under the name Propecia, is not approved for women of childbearing age. Pregnant women should not handle broken finasteride tablets because of the high risk of birth defects to male fetuses, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Surgical Hair Replacement
According to Jerry Shapiro, M.D., F.R.C.P.C., an adjunct professor at New York University, quoted by “Dermatology Times” and reported by Modern Medicine, 38 percent of women have visibly thinning hair by age 70. Women who have a “Christmas Tree” pattern of hair thinning, where the most obvious thinning occurs in the frontal scalp area, are the best candidates for hair replacement surgery, according to Shapiro. For these women, follicular-unit transplantation, or single units consisting of one to four strands of hair, often produces favorable results.
