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Pattern Baldness does not only happen to men but also in women too. Female Pattern Baldness (FPB) is a progressive hair loss condition common among mature women and females suffering from hormonal imbalances.

Although FPB does not share the similar traits as Male Pattern Baldness, the male's version of genetic baldness, the main causes of hair loss for women are related to genetics quite alike men. It's pretty hard to actually determine whether you face with this condition because the symptoms are very faint and common so you will need to be more aware while detecting this condition.

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What causes FPB?

Female Pattern Baldness is a genetic hair loss condition that causes gradual hair thinning all over the scalp. The pattern of thinning are very general and usually resembles diffuse thinning all over the entire scalp. Therefore, it's hard sometimes to actually pinpoint whether the hair loss is FPB or a different hair loss condition like Telogen Effluvium.

The main cause of FPB is directly related to testosterone, the same male sex hormone that is responsible for the Male Pattern Baldness. Women too have this male hormone but in much lesser quantities compared to men.

When testosterone binds with an enzyme in your body known as 5 alpha reductase, it converts into a much more potent form known as Dihydrotestosterone or better known as DHT, an androgenic compound. DHT is responsible for causing hair loss when it sticks to the androgen receptors at the bottom of your hair follicles. Over time, DHT will thin out the hairs causing the appearance of hair loss.

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The First Line of Defence

A very good advantage that women have over men in preventing Pattern Baldness is the female hormone estrogen and it's the first line of defence against testosterone. Estrogen acts as a balancing hormone that prevents testosterone from being dominant in the women's body. It actually suppresses and counter the effects of testosterone thus in a way, preventing genetic hair loss.

However, due to many reasons, the levels of estrogens can dwindle and thus giving an opportunity for testosterone to strike and when it does, it strikes hard. Women are generally much more vulnerable to the effects of DHT compared to men because of the nature of the hormone.

Further to that, women's hair follicles are not genetically resistant to DHT (unlike men's follicles that are mainly resistant at the back and sides). Consequently, DHT will affect the hair follicles in the entire scalp, leading to diffused pattern baldness.

Find out more about DHT and how it thins out the hair.

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What Causes FPB?

Female Pattern Baldness is often caused by hormonal issues that exposes the body to the male sex hormone. Some of the few common hormonal issues are

• Stress related conditons
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Hormonal disorders
• Premature aging
• Birth contraceptives
• Chronic illnesses

Any treatment or disease that can affect your body's hormone and its organs is a potential catalyst for FPB. Therefore, to prevent FPB, you must be alert of any medications that you are taking that can affect your hormone levels. In addition, regular check-ups and blood tests can help you avert this unwelcome situation.

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Will I get completely bald with FPB?

FPB is generally more controllable than Male Pattern Baldness and you are highly unlikely to go completely bald with it. However, proper management is very significant to reduce the hair loss especially when it comes to women hair loss. Diffuse thinning is much difficult to treat than pattern balding in men because it often encompasses the entire scalp. So the best way to stop it is through prevention and constant monitoring.

To pinpoint the present state of FPB that you are in, there is a special chart known as the Ludwig scale that is specially created to measure the severity of hair loss specifically triggered by FPB.

Check out the Ludwig Scale here.

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Treatments and Solutions for Female Pattern Baldness

There are a few remedies for treating FPB. If you are looking for non surgical options you can always try

• Topical applications like Rogaine for Women
• Hair Concealers
• Medications and supplements

Take a quick look at the products review.

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Back to Hair Loss in Women
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