WHAT CAUSES HAIR LOSS IN WOMEN?
By Sabrina Cooklin
When we think about hair loss, we often think about middle-aged men becoming bald. However, many women also suffer from hair loss. Female hair loss is often stigmatized and not talked about. If you are a woman dealing with hair loss, you should know that you are not alone. There are millions of women all over the world dealing with the same thing as you are. We know that losing your hair can be an emotional experience and that your self-confidence might be affected, and PURA D’OR wants to help you.
Read more to learn about what could be causing your hair loss and what you can do about it.
What is Hair Loss?
Hair loss is when hair breaks off, thins, or falls out of the hair follicles for a variety of reasons. Hair loss can affect anybody, although it’s most common in middle-aged men ranging from ages 30-50. Women can experience hair loss, too, at any age, but mostly at post-menopause or slightly before menopause in a stage called perimenopause. Even teenagers can lose their hair, seemingly for no reason at all.
There is no cure for hair loss, AKA alopecia areata, but don’t worry! There are some medical treatments and hair products that can help reduce hair loss. If you are not currently experiencing hair loss, make sure to stop doing the things below if you want to prevent it from happening.
What Are the Causes of Hair Loss in Women?
Unfortunately, there can be thousands of reasons to answer why you’re losing your hair, but these are the most common.
Hormonal Changes
As we get older, our bodies begin to change. As a woman, you might start experiencing menopausal symptoms, such as weight gain, hot flashes, and even losing your hair. When you reach menopause or get close to it, your reproductive system no longer works the same way it did in your teenage years. Estrogen and progesterone production drops steeply, which stops ovulation. Testosterone becomes one of the dominant hormones. Since testosterone is the dominant hormone in men, and men experience hair loss at a much higher rate than women, when a woman has an influx of testosterone, she can begin to experience hair loss the way males do.
Additionally, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism could be affecting your hair. This is because your thyroid produces essential hormones, called thyroid hormones, which change your metabolic rate. As your metabolism becomes too quick or too slow, the hair on your head can grow thinner or fall out entirely.
If you are a woman not yet in your 40s and 50s and are experiencing hair loss, your birth control may be causing this problem. Most birth control pills are made with synthetic progestin, a hormone designed to trick your body into thinking you’re pregnant. However, because this hormone is artificial, there can be unwanted side effects and may reflect the impact of male hormones, causing hair loss.
Poor Hair Care
Using poor-quality hair products, especially shampoos and conditioners, may be what’s causing your hair loss. Some chemicals in many drugstore-brand products have been linked to hair loss, so always do your research and only buy from reputable companies. Keep reading for more information on ingredients in hair care.
Low Nutrition
Many people don’t realize how significant an impact your diet can have on every aspect of your life. What you put into your body matters, even when it comes to your hair!
If you frequently eat fast food or other processed snacks, your body will likely not get the amount of vitamins and minerals you need. If your body isn’t getting enough high-quality protein, amino acids, zinc, and fatty acids, your entire body, including your hair, will suffer. These essential nutrients and minerals are what builds the hair shaft. Think about it like this: If construction workers don’t have any building materials, how can they build houses?
Hair loss is also common in women suffering from eating disorders -- primarily anorexia and bulimia. If you are not eating enough to sustain your body, your hair will begin to fall out since the energy you have left goes to something more vital than hair growth. If you are currently suffering from an eating disorder, please seek medical treatment. You deserve better!
Stress
These days, life is more stressful than ever. Between all the things you juggle, it’s hard to find time just to relax, unwind, and get some beauty sleep. When you feel stressed out, your body is constantly in fight-or-flight mode due to raised adrenaline levels. When adrenaline is at a high level for an extended period of time, your normal bodily functions can become less effective. For example, when your adrenaline is high, your digestive system is not working at 100%. Of course, your body will send energy and blood to other places than your hair follicles, causing hair loss.
Meditation, reading a good book, or just taking a minute to yourself to take a few deep breaths are all great ways to reduce your levels of stress. Make time for self-care moments.
Lack of Sleep
Many of us are constantly on the run. Whether you have children, a job, school, grandkids, or all of the above, most women in today’s society do not get enough sleep to function normally. Sleeping for less than 8 hours a night is one of the most detrimental causes of poor health, including the health of your hair. Your body goes through a lot of stress throughout the day (as does your hair), and sleep is the time for your cells to recover. If there’s no recovery period, those missed zzz’s add up. Melatonin, the “sleep hormone,” has been connected to hair growth. If you are not sleeping, you are not utilizing the melatonin that your body has produced, and your hair will probably start thinning or falling out.
Genetics
If you have a family history of baldness, specifically in women, there’s a pretty high chance that you’ll experience the same thing. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose our genes (it would be pretty cool if we did, though, right?). Hair loss due to genetics is usually inevitable. However, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, having a great hair routine, and eating a well-balanced diet may help reduce hair loss.
So, What Should I Do?
Once you’ve identified the causes of your hair loss, you may be able to form a better, more comprehensive plan of action than before. However, regardless of cause, a high-quality hair care routine is essential to reducing hair loss. Many shampoos and conditioners have TONS of fillers and chemicals that could be stripping, breaking, and thinning your hair. Read on to understand which ingredients can actually help you keep your hair!
What Ingredients Should I be Using in my Haircare Routine?
Caffeine
There has been some research done to indicate that caffeine can reduce hair loss in both men and women. When you drink caffeine, the cells inside your body become hyperactive and work more efficiently. When you put caffeine topically onto your scalp, your hair follicles become stimulated and increase the amount of energy your cells have, possibly boosting hair growth.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant that has been used in ancient medicines for centuries and also has excellent benefits for the hair. Aloe vera gel contains a long list of vitamins and minerals that help protect and nurture each hair strand, including fatty acids that help sheath the hair in a protective coating. Aloe vera is a key ingredient to keeping your hair from breaking off.
Stem Cells
We often hear about stem cell treatments for various cancers, but what about hair loss? Stem cells are able to reproduce quickly and efficiently wherever there is damage to the body. They help to promote healthy cell growth. A good shampoo helps create and maintain a healthy scalp environment, which, in turn, helps regenerate the cells around the hair follicles for thicker, healthier hair.
Glycerin
Glycerin is a jelly-like substance that is used in almost all hair and skin products. Glycerin is a humectant, meaning that it draws and locks in moisture around the hair follicle, preventing breakage due to brittleness. It’s also possible for glycerin to prevent dandruff due to it being so hydrating. Also, since it doesn’t clog the sebum pores on the scalp, it doesn’t make your scalp oily!
Retinol
You may have heard of retinol when it comes to skin. It’s a well-known anti-aging ingredient that helps increase cell turnover and boosts the metabolic rate in the facial skin. In addition, when applied to the scalp and length of the hair, it’s been found that retinol helps remove impurities from inside the hair follicles that could be blocking hair growth and helps to thicken new hair.
What Products Should I Use to Reduce My Hair Loss?
PURA D'OR offers many products to help increase volume and improve hair thickness by reducing breakage in both men and women. Here are some of our favorites ...
PURA D’OR Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner
PURA D’OR’s Made-in-the-USA, cruelty-free Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner set has been used successfully by thousands of women to reduce thinning hair caused by breakage. Breakage occurs when previous hair products have thinned out the hair shaft by removing the top layers of the hair, making it very brittle and easy to break. Once the hair is broken off, you are left with random short hairs, or if the strand broke off at the root, you are stuck with less hair overall. PURA D’OR’s HTT Shampoo and Conditioner Set is clinically tested and has been proven to reduce thinning hair due to breakage as both products fortify the hair shaft and help to regrow lost hair.
PURA D’OR’s HTT Shampoo and Conditioner are made with a blend of organic, non-GMO, and herbal ingredients. At PURA D’OR, we believe that science and nature should go hand-in-hand. If you don’t know where to find all the best ingredients for your hair, you’re in luck! PURA D’OR’s Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner contains all of them.
On top of containing exotic herbs, extracts, and oils, both products include a total of 15 key active ingredients that promote healthier hair. Our factory plant also uses renewable energy, making us one of the most sustainable haircare companies on the market.
You can find PURA D’OR’s Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner by clicking here. Be sure to click on the Amazon link to see some amazing before and after photos!
If you’re interested in more PURA D’OR haircare products, you can also visit our entire catalog to find a haircare regimen that truly works for you.
Quick Recap
- Contrary to popular belief, women can experience hair loss/alopecia areata the same way that men do
- Female hair loss can be caused by many things, including aging, hormonal changes, stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, genetics, and a low-quality haircare regimen
- Many ingredients have been clinically proven to reduce hair loss, including aloe vera, stem cells, retinol, glycerin, and caffeine, among others
- PURA D’OR Hair Thinning Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner set has been tested and is proven to reduce thinning hair caused by breakage. These products are cruelty, sulfate, paraben, and harsh chemical-free. They’re also vegan, hypoallergenic, and safe for color-treated hair. They’re made in the USA and are produced in a green facility
- BONUS: Brush your hair with care! If you just rip the brush through your hair, you’ll break and pull out your own hair, possibly leaving you with unwanted bald spots. Staying away from heat products is another great way to reduce breakage, as heat makes the hair shaft prone to brittleness and dryness as it evaporates the water in the hair
Here at PURA D’OR, we care about you and your hair. If you have any questions about which of our products are best for you and your hair condition, please email us at support@purador.com. We’ll be delighted to talk with you. We’re here to share our knowledge and give you some pointers on what has worked for our customers and for us.
Please don’t feel alone! Hair loss is a common issue for women, and we can help you navigate the best solution for YOU!