All about Women’s Hair Loss & Female Hair Transplant/Restoration

Hair loss is prevalent among all forms of animals and does not differentiate between genders. In humans, hair thinning and hair loss are common concerns among both men and women. Some people experience hair loss as they enter adulthood while some experience baldness towards 50 or 60 years of age. In women, hair loss can happen due to a variety of reasons such as pregnancy, child birth, menopause, hormonal issues and more. Alopecia, telogen effluvium, anagen effluvium, female pattern baldness is some of the types of hair loss in women. Hair transplant is the permanent solution to hair loss in women. Although hair transplants in men are common, female hair transplant is yet to gain similar popularity.

Female Hair Transplant

Female hair transplant is similar to what is performed on men. Hair follicles from the donor site is removed and transplanted on the recipient site. Anyone who has baldness in a particular region of the scalp but has thick hair at the back or sides of the scalp is an eligible candidate for hair transplant. A cosmetologist would be able to analyze the cause for hair loss and if a patient would get desirable results from a hair transplant treatment. Although hair loss could affect individuals of any age, hair transplant procedure is advisable for patients who are 25 years of age and above. Since hair transplant gives a very natural look, it is the most opted treatment option. 

Reasons for Hair Loss in Women

• Hereditary hair loss – hair loss that runs in families is called hereditary pattern baldness
• Female pattern baldness – genetics, excessive production of the hormone androgen, lifestyle issues and menopause can lead to this type of baldness
• Hormonal issues – Excess production of dihydrotestosterone or DHT is the most common reason for hormonal issues
• Lifestyle Issues – Smoking, drinking, pollution, stress, obesity related diabetes, heart diseases and more can cause sudden hair loss in women.
• Health disorders – individuals who suffer from certain types of scalp infection, alopecia (autoimmune disease) and others show signs of hair loss. Cancer, heart diseases, blood pressure and others can cause anagen effluvium, a condition where the medications weaken hair follicles and results in hair loss.
• Vitamin deficiency and lack of nutritious diet
• Rapid weight loss from dieting and others

There are different types of hair loss in women such as alopecia, female pattern baldness, diffuse unpattern hair loss (this represents hair loss in areas around the scalp and not in a pattern), telogen effluvium, anagen effluvium, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) folliculitis decalvans (inflammation of the scalp), hypotrichosis (genetic condition that causes very less hair to grow on the scalp and body) and others. Also, women with a wide forehead might want to reduce the broadness by moving the hairline a little forward. This can be achieved by female hair transplant.

How to Prevent Hair Loss in Women?

Hair loss can be prevented with appropriate care. Some of the tips for healthy hair includes:

• Regular scalp massage
• Olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil massage
• Avoiding too much of heat based styling products
• Staying away from stress and unhealthy lifestyle
• Usage of the right shampoo and conditioner
• Avoid bleaching and chemical treatment of hair

Treatment for Hair Loss in Women

There are a variety of treatments for hair transplant. What treatment works best for a patient must be decided by a doctor based on the nature of hair loss.

• Over-the-counter topical medications – topical solutions such as minoxidil are used to treat alopecia.
• Medications / drugs – Various drugs especially such as spironolactone are used in treating hormone related issues.
• Corticosteroids – Hair loss can be controlled by corticosteroid injections that prevent thinning of hair.
• PRP / Platelet-rich-plasma therapy – PRP is the latest technique of using a person’s own blood to prevent hair loss. After the blood is processed, platelet-rich plasma is separated out and injected in the scalp region. Natural hair growth is triggered with this process and reduces hair loss.  
• Light therapy / Laser therapy – red light therapy and laser therapy helps by absorbing photons and helping hair growth.
• Vitamin supplements – Vitamins have a vital role for hair loss in women. There are many vitamins such as biotin (vitamin B7), vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, iron and zinc that help hair growth. If you are deficient in any of these and suffer from hair loss, taking supplements would be effective.
• Hair transplant – The long-lasting treatment for hair loss in women is hair transplant.

FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant) hair transplant – in this method of hair transplant, a strip of hair from the back of the scalp is used to fill the bald region.

FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) hair transplant – individual hair follicles are extracted from the donor site and transplanted into the recipient site.

AHI (Aesthetic Hair Integration) FUE treatment – this is an advanced form of the FUE hair transplant procedure where a specialized implantation pen is used to create a very natural look.

Female Hair Transplant Cost in India for Women

The cost of hair transplant treatment in India ranges between INR 70k to over 2 lakhs. The exact amount of the treatment depends upon the number of hair grafts needed, the type of hair transplant procedure chosen, the city and clinic, the experience of the doctor and post-procedural expenses. The cost of one hair graft could be around INR 100 to 150. Most people would need between 1500 to 4000 hair grafts. It is extremely important to choose the right doctor for a hair transplant procedure. Hair transplant is a treatment that requires high precision, skill and care, only a board-certified doctor who specializes in hair transplant can guarantee good results. The chances of improving the final look and giving it a natural appearance is in the hands of the doctor.

Female Hair Transplant Before and After

In Chennai, female hair transplant is done at Tamira with all the care and precision. It is very important to identify the causes and treat accordingly which is done well at Tamira. The final results of a hair transplant treatment are obtained after months and hence it is important to be patient. Immediately after the hair transplant procedure, there would be shedding of the hair in a couple of weeks and new hair begin to grow in 3 months. A final result would be seen around 9 to 12 months.

Individuals with diffuse unpattern hair loss might not be a good candidate for hair loss. But other than that female pattern hair loss and alopecia can be treated successfully with hair transplant.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Can a woman have a hair transplant?

There is absolutely no hindrance to having a hair transplant done on women. However, the type of baldness in women is different from men and would require treatments specific to their needs. FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and AHI (Aesthetic Hair Implants) are the most popular treatments for female hair loss.

2. Do female hair transplants work?

Female hair transplants are a permanent solution to balding and hair thinning in women. Most women with hair loss from non-hormonal reasons are a good candidate for the transplant. The procedure might not work well for patients who have thyroid, diffuse hair loss and others might not get the desired results from hair transplants.   

3. Is female hair transplant permanent?

Female hair transplant is a successful treatment option for hair loss in women. Transplanted hair last for several years or even for a lifetime and hence is the permanent solution to hair loss in both men and women.

4. How much does female hair transplant cost?

The exact cost of hair transplant depends primarily upon the type of hair transplant procedure chosen. The cost of the treatment could range between INR 70000 to 4 lakhs.

5. Does transplanted hair thin?

Transplanted hair will thin over time just like natural hair. A touch-up or repeat session might be required if thinning is too much.  

6. What causes hair loss in women?

Health conditions such as thyroid, hormonal disorders, alopecia, cancer, scalp infections, telogen effluvium and changes due to pregnancy, menopause, childbirth and more can cause temporary and permanent hair loss in women.

7. What really works for women's hair loss?

Women can try topical solutions such as minoxidil, drugs for hair loss, corticosteroids, hormone therapy, PRP (Platelet–Rich Plasma) therapy, hair transplant and effective hair care routine that includes scalp massage are some of the things that can be tried for hair loss in women. What treatment works best would depend on the patient’s cause for hair loss and possible treatment plan.

8. Is female hair thinning reversible?

Female hair thinning would not be completely reversible. However, appropriate treatment and hair loss remedies can help reduce the condition.

9. Why am I suddenly losing so much hair?

There can be a lot of reasons to why a person might lose hair suddenly. Some of which includes acute or chronic stress, pregnancy, menopause, thyroid or hormonal imbalance, telogen effluvium and others.

10. What is the best vitamin for hair loss?

Vitamin B7, also called biotin, aids the production of keratin which is a type of protein that helps with hair growth. Vitamin C, vitamin D, Zinc, Iron are other important vitamins and minerals that help to prevent hair loss.

11. What hormone causes hair loss in females?

DHT or dihydrotestosterone is the hormone that causes hair fall. High levels of DHT and androgen will prevent hair from growing fast once old hair fall out.

12. Is it normal to lose hair at 25?

Hair loss could happen at the age of 25 and the trigger could be stress, lifestyle issues, health conditions and more.

13. How do you know if your losing hair or shedding?

It is normal to shed hair of about 100 strands in a day. But if someone loses between 200 to 700 strands a day, then it could be a sign of hair loss.

14. Does hair shedding stop on its own?

It is common to have hair shedding and it can stop on its own. This is specifically true for temporary hair loss conditions such as telogen effluvium, pregnancy or menopause.

15. Can hair regrow after Telogen effluvium?

Telogen effluvium is a temporary hair loss condition caused due to poor nutrition, stress, menopause, pregnancy and as reaction to certain medication. Hair loss due to TE or telogen effluvium heals on its own and the hair will grow back in time.