Our bodies go through an incredible amount of change during pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding and just being a mum in general – nothing is ever quite the same again! But our hair falling out or thinning isn’t something we’re usually prepared for as women, even though it’s really common.

If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably already noticed your hair falling out and want some answers. And whether it’s happened gradually and you’ve realised your ponytail isn’t as thick as it used to be, or you’ve suddenly noticed a lot more hair in your brush, it can be really jarring and confronting.

So we’ve chatted to Royce Newton, the Co-Director of Hair And Skin Science about the triggers of hair loss in women, and what solutions are available (and thankfully, there are a few!).

 

What are the main reasons women may suddenly start losing their hair?

There’s actually a pretty long list of reasons that women experience hair loss and thinning, from having children to hormonal issues.

“One could be hormonal changes caused by pregnancy, childbirth, menopause and thyroid problems,” explained Royce. “Another could be family history – if a woman comes from a family with a history of thinning hair and female pattern baldness, she may develop it herself (hereditary hair loss).”

Childbirth

Royce says that during pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes significant hormonal changes, including an increase in oestrogen levels.

“This can lead to a prolonged growth phase of the hair (anagen), resulting in thicker and healthier hair during pregnancy. However, after childbirth, hormone levels drop dramatically, often causing hair to transition from the growth phase to the resting and shedding phase (telogen).”

Menopause

The dropping levels of oestrogen in our bodies during menopause is another reason we may experience sudden hair loss.

“Oestrogen helps to maintain the growth phase of hair. The reduction in oestrogen can lead to hair thinning and increased hair loss,” Royce said.

Thyroid

“Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism and cell growth, including hair follicles,” Royce explained. “Both an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can disrupt the normal hair growth cycle.”

Female pattern baldness

Genetics, hormones and our age can all also be the cause of hair loss in women. It may be worth chatting to the other women in your family to see if they’re going through the same issues, or did when they were your age.

Pregnancy

As beautiful as it is, pregnancy can wreak havoc on our bodies, including our hair.

“Fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly when the balance between oestrogen and progesterone is disturbed, can lead to hair loss.

“Telogen effluvium is a type of temporary hair loss that can be triggered by various factors, including physiological changes. Pregnancy itself is an important physiological event that causes hair follicles to enter the resting (telogen) phase, resulting in hair thinning and shedding.”

Sources: mayoclinic.org, healthline.com, my.clevelandclinic.org, hshairclinic.co.uk, hshairclinic.co.uk, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Is it normal to have hair loss or thinning hair as we age?

You may be wondering if it’s just you, or are other women going through the same hair loss issues. Rest assured, they probably are! Of course, it’s not just men who are self-conscious about hair loss, so it may be something your family and friends haven’t been comfortable talking about. But, as Royce explains, thinning hair and hair loss is common as we get older.

“As we age the rate of our hair growth slows and many hair follicles stop producing new hairs. Moreover, our hair strands will also become thinner, and less pigmented. It is estimated that nearly 50% of women experience significant hair loss.

“The most common cause of hair loss in women is Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL), which affects approximately one third of susceptible women, or approximately 30 million women in the United States.”

Sources: my.clevelandclinic.org, medlineplus.gov

If we have hair loss due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, will it grow back?

According to Royce, the short answer is yes (phew!), ranging from oral and topical medications to non-surgical and surgical treatments for hair loss in women.

Treatments include:

• Topical treatments/medication:
  -Rogaine
  – Minoxidil
  – Ketoconazole

• Medication you take orally
  – Oral minoxidil

• Hair transplant
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
• Hormone therapy
• Light therapy
• Corticosteroids injections
• Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)

If you’ve experienced thinning, there are ways to thicken your hair, from at-home to treatment options for thicker hair.

Treatment for thinning hair or hair loss

Whether your hair is thinning, falling out or you have a receding hairline, Hair And Skin Science has treatment options available.

PRP Hair Loss Treatment

Known as PRP, platelet-rich plasma treatment is a non-surgical option for women suffering from hair loss and thinning. It uses your own blood platelets, which can help stimulate hair regrowth. The treatment takes about 30 minutes, with a treatment performed every two to three weeks, approximately six to 12 times for optimal results*.

You’re able to go about your daily activities as normal straight away, steering clear of shampooing your hair or strenuous exercise for 12 hours after treatment.

The treatment involves three steps:

1. A nurse collects blood, drawn from the patient’s arm.
2. The blood is processed in a centrifuge, separating the platelets.
3. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the areas of the scalp where the hair is thinning. This is combined with micro-needling of the entire scalp.

Here’s how it works. PRP is rich in white blood cells and growth factors, and these can send messages to skin cells to work to the best they possibly can. The PRP combined with micro-needling can boost blood supply to the follicle. This helps activate natural hair growth and thicken the hair shaft.

This treatment may be beneficial to women with:

• Genetic hair loss
• Stress-related hair loss
• Androgenic Apolecia
• Hormonal related hair loss
• Menopause related hair loss
• Age related hair loss
• Alopecia related hair loss

FUE Hair Transplant Treatments

A different hair loss treatment available through Hair And Skin Science is hair transplants. This permanent solution involves two main techniques Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) and Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT).

The FUE treatment involves extracting individual hair follicles from donor areas and implanting them in your thinning or balding areas.

While the FUT treatment removes a strip of hair-bearing skin from the donor area, dissects it into grafts, and implants them in your thinning or balding areas.

Both of the techniques result in natural-looking results with transplanted hair blending in with existing hair.

This treatment may be beneficial to women with:

• Genetic related hair loss
• Stress related hair loss
• Alopecia related hair loss
• Hormonal related hair loss
• Age related hair loss

Hair And Skin Science is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies, including the NeoGraft hair transplant machine. This medical device performs the FUE, automating the process by using a mechanical punch tool to extract hair follicles from the donor area. It helps speed up the procedure and decrease the invasiveness.

How effective are the treatments that can treat hair loss?

According to Royce, these treatments can be quite effective.

“A study in which 10 people were randomly assigned to take an oral medication for hair loss and 5 to take a placebo found that those taking the placebo maintained a similar number of thick hairs they had before taking the placebo, while those taking the oral medication increased the number of thick hairs they had.

“Another study found that using microneedling to treat medium to serious hair loss has a clear impact and can effectively make hair thicker.

“Finally, a trial of mixing PRP treatments with a type of hyaluronic acid that doesn’t bind to each other seemed to work well for treating female pattern hair loss (FAGA) without any major problems.”

Sources: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, dovepress.com, onlinelibrary.wiley.com

*Treatment plans, the results, down time and recovery following treatment will vary from patient to patient.

Mouths of Mums is proudly working with Hair And Skin Science to bring you this article. Hair And Skin Science is the largest medical cosmetic clinic for hair loss and skin rejuvenation in Australia. Treatments are performed by Australian registered nurses, doctors and cosmetic surgeons.

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