Hair loss in Women

It can be a distressing time when hair thins unexpectedly. But things can be made a little easier if you know why it is happening. By understanding how your hair ‘works’, you’ll also be able to find out what you could do to help solve any problems.

Causes of thinning hair

It is completely normal to lose some hair – about 100 strands – every day as a part of the hair growth cycle. But if you feel your hair is becoming thinner, there are a number of reasons why, including the natural ageing process and hereditary hair loss. Women with thinning hair often think it’s due to something they’ve done. Whereas, in fact, sustained hair thinning in women is usually hereditary, so don’t blame yourself. It is only occasionally that there may be other causes, such as illness, diet and stress. But the important thing is for you to get a proper diagnosis of your particular thinning hair by seeing your GP.

Thin, fine or thinning hair?

These three terms are often used in the same breath when talking about thinning hair. However, they each mean something different:

Thin hair If you have thin hair, it means you physically have a small number of hair follicles on your scalp. Blondes normally have the most hairs, around 140,000, with redheads having fewer, around 90,000.

Fine hair Although blondes have more hair follicles, the actual diameter of their hair strands are normally smaller, making it appear ‘fine’. Hairs that are coarse have wider, ‘thicker’ hairs.

Thinning hair When hair is thinning, it means that the scalp is in the process of losing hair. This can be due to a variety of conditions. The most common cause is androgenetic alopecia (hereditary hair loss).

It’s in the genes

You may be surprised to learn that one of the most common causes of thinning hair in women – and men – is actually hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia. In fact, 95% of all hair thinning in men and women can be put down to hereditary hair loss. Few women have heard about this condition and even fewer realise that this may be the cause of their hair loss.
The word ‘alopecia’ is used to describe types of significant hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia describes hair loss that is caused by ‘androgens’, which are hormones present in everybody, man or woman.

Both women’s and men’s bodies contain testosterone (male hormone) and oestrogen (female hormone) but in very different amounts. Although this type of condition is actually linked to male hormones, it doesn’t mean that women who experience this type of hair thinning have higher levels of testosterone, it is more to do with how sensitive their bodies are to it.

What happens to your hair

The hair growth cycle Our bodies contain all the hair follicles we’ll ever have from the very day we are born. Although over time, some may change in size, often due to hereditary hair loss, new hair follicles do not develop. As adults, we have about 100,000 individual strands of hair. Losing around 100 of them every day is completely normal and is simply the result of the natural hair growth cycle, similar to an 'on-off' system. This means that when an old hair ‘dies’, the growing phase starts again for a new hair to replace it. The hair growth cycle has three different phases:

The 3 phases of the hair growth process

Phase 1 – Anagen - The growing phase, lasting approximately 1,000 days
The anagen phase is the growing, or the ‘on’ phase. In humans, this lasts for approximately 1,000 days, but can range from 2 to 6 years. During the anagen phase, hair cells grow rapidly, producing the hair shaft from the follicle, which itself grows deeper into the scalp. The length of your anagen phase determines the maximum length of your hair. So, the longer your anagen phase, the longer your hair will grow.

Phase 2 – Catagen - Hair stops growing
The catagen phase only lasts for one to two weeks. It is the transitional or regressive phase. Essentially, it is when the hair stops growing. During this period, the hair follicle shrinks and part of it starts to die.

Phase 3 – Telogen - Resting phase
The telogen phase is the final resting stage, or ‘off’ phase.
When the old hair is in this phase, the hair follicle becomes active again and a new hair in the anagen phase develops, forcing the old telogen hair out. This is when you might notice hairs in the bath or in your brush or comb.
At any one time, around 90% of most people's hair follicles are in the ‘growing’ anagen phase and approximately 10% are in the ‘resting’, or telogen, phase.

Thinning hair and the hair growth cycle

Once you understand how your hair grows, you can start to understand why, for many women, it also stops growing. Lack of growth causes the overall effect of thinning on the scalp. Noticeable hair thinning is usually caused by a short anagen phase and a particularly long telogen phase, which eventually leads to the hair follicles shutting down completely and the ending of their growth cycle. Women who experience thinning hair also have follicles which shrink due to changes in hormone levels, resulting in finer, barely visible hairs.

Women who have hereditary hair loss have hair follicles which are, unfortunately, genetically programmed to turn from the longer, coloured terminal hairs to shorter, vellus-like hairs. Their growing (anagen) phase also becomes shorter and shorter, while a greater percentage of hairs enter the telogen (resting) phase.

Women’s vs. men’s hair thinning

With women’s hereditary hair loss, hair can shed from all over the head but the front hair line and hair on the temples can often remain intact, even in advanced cases. This pattern of thinning is called the Ludwig pattern of hair loss (also known as female pattern balding) and differs from men’s hair loss.

Men who experience androgenetic alopecia normally have hair which starts thinning from the temples, above the forehead and crown (male pattern balding) and lose a lot more hair than women. Very occasionally, women can experience male pattern baldness and men can experience female pattern baldness, but these incidences are very rare.

Women’s hair loss can start from 20 years of age, or more commonly with the onset of the menopause. This is much later than men, who can start losing hair from puberty. It effects women of any race and can be inherited from either the mother’s or father’s side – or even both. The condition can also skip generations, so even if your mum or dad have got a thick head of hair, androgenetic alopecia could still be in your genes.

Regaine for Women

You can call a halt to hereditary hair loss
Fortunately, there is something you can do to help stop this type of hair loss. Regaine for Women is the first women’s hair loss treatment in the UK that has been proven effective. It contains the active ingredient minoxidil and is clinically proven to treat hair thinning, with 4 out of 5 people finding that Regaine for Women actually prevented further hair loss with continued use. In fact, clinical trials have shown that 3 out of 5 women go on to regrow some hair.

What is Regaine for Women?

Regaine for Women is the only clinically proven hereditary hair loss solution available without a prescription. What makes it such a success is its active ingredient, minoxidil, which works effectively to stop hair from thinning and can regrow thicker and fuller hair.
Minoxidil is a drug which has been extensively researched and tested for its safety and effectiveness in treating thinning hair. Scientists believe it works by helping the blood flow to the hair follicle, stimulating and prolonging growth for a genuinely thicker, fuller head of hair.

Regaine products

At the moment, there is one specific Regaine product available for women – Regaine for Women, which contains a 2% concentration of the active ingredient minoxidil.

• Regaine for Women is proven to help prevent further hair loss for 4 out of 5 women
• It has been shown to regrow some hair for 3 out of 5 within 32 weeks
• Results may be seen in as little as 16 weeks
• Regaine for Women is available without a prescription.

Click here to order Regaine for Women

Pregaine
You could also use Pregaine, our gentle shampoo which has been specially formulated to care for thinning hair. Although this isn't specifically made for women, it will add body, volume and manageability to your hair. It also cleans your hair effectively without affecting how Regaine for Women is absorbed.

Click here to order Pregaine Shampoo

Regaine for Women contains minoxidil. Always read the label and follow instructions for the best results.