Do women become bald? Yes, they do but the problem is not as severe as in men.
Female-pattern baldness, which affects about 50 percent of women, is characterized by thinning hair all over the head with moderate hair loss on the crown. Like male-pattern baldness, it follows the aging process and is inherited.
“Both men and women suffer from pattern balding. In men, it tends to be hereditary and involves the metabolism of male hormones (androgens) in the hair. Male hair loss can begin at age 20 or earlier. In women, pattern balding is also related to a hormonal mechanism, but usually doesn’t begin until after menopause,” explained the editors of “The Women’s Book of Home Remedies” published by Consumer Guide.
“In men, hair loss begins at the forehead or either side of the front and continues to the top of the head. In contrast, pattern balding in women is more diffuse, usually less extensive and starts on the back of the crown. Some women experience hair loss at times of hormonal fluctuation such as during pregnancy, menstruation, or during post-menopausal hormone therapy,” they added.
In male- and female-pattern baldness, the problem is due to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is derived from androgen, a male hormone. Circulating through the bloodstream, androgen is converted to DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.
“Those with greater enzyme activity have more DHT binding to hair-follicle receptors. If flooded by DHT, the follicles sprout thinner and thinner hairs until nothing regrows, and the follicles eventually wither away,” explained Larry Hanover in FDA Consumer magazine.
If baldness is in your “blood”, is there a way out? What can be done about the problem? Do so-called hair growers work or are they just a waste of money? Find out in my next article. (Next: Quack cures for baldness.)
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Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com.