Hair Loss In Women: How To Prevent Female Balding

Of all the challenges menopausal women face, perhaps the giant elephant in the room is hair loss.
We unashamedly discuss menopause, wrinkles, weight gain, dry skin, saggy breasts and our fight against breast cancer. But for some reason we hardly talk about the strands of hair that are sitting in our hairbrushes and shower drains, instead of on our heads.

It's widely reported that women develop thinner hair as they get older because of a lack of estrogen, which often leads to gradual hair loss. Genetics plays a big role, too.

“A thinning of scalp hair along with a growth of excessive facial hair occurs in about half of all women by age 50, although it may begin anytime after puberty," Dr. Enas Bukhari, a dermatologist at a private practice in Jeddah, told Arab News. "We can always blame postmenopausal hair loss on a lack of estrogen, but research has shown that more than one hormone is involved in this process. The loss of both progesterone and estrogen throughout menopause seems to lead to a new hormonal pattern that leads to hair fall and an increase in facial hair.”

Many scientists are now getting to the root of the problem, and their studies show that some hair loss is preventable. Click through the slideshow below to find out how to avoid female baldness.

HAIR EXTENSIONS, WEAVES AND BRAIDS

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According to ABC News, hair extensions that are too heavy or too tight can cause hair loss. Doctors told ABC News that women with already thin or weak hair, or with a pre-existing medical condition, like anemia, are particularly at risk for damage from hair extensions

Similarly, tight braids and weaves may increase the risk of scarring hair loss on the crown of the scalp, according to a new study in the Archives of Dermatology.