Matt L. Leavitt: Hi! I'm Dr. Matt Leavitt with the Hair Foundation and author of the book Women and Hair Loss. Today I'll be speaking to you about this topic that's called Androgenetic Alopecia or female pattern hair loss. There is little information available for females who suffer with hair loss and what's out there is mainly myth and heresy. One topic for women that is not myth is the emotional aspect of it. We have all seen bald men in the media whether it is a movie star, an athlete. For men baldness does not always affect their self-esteem, but for women it's different, women with hair loss are viewed as aging or ill.

There are no female role models that you can consult with on hair loss. Can you think about bald famous female actress or a public figure? It is not a topic women talk about, it's sensitive and it's emotional. For many women, their identity is tied into their hair loss and this can be very devastating. So why do women lose hair? Many who have experienced hair loss believe it's due to permanence, excessive coloring, bleaching, and over-processing.

Although these are valid reasons, no one causes hereditary and hormonal. It's not abnormal hormones but a genetic sensitivity to these hormones. Other top causes can include illness, medications, inflammatory scalp conditions, infectious causes, emotional stress or even the autoimmune condition Alopecia Areata. Additionally, certain hair styles may cause hair loss even wearing a tight ponytail.

As women age, hair loss is very common, it maybe subtle, and notice just a little bit or maybe dramatic where they take a brush and the brush is completely filled with hair. Before treating hair loss, it is critical to establish the reason why. A dermatologist or another physician specialized in hair loss can often discover the cause by taking your history, and examining you. If the cause is a medical condition, treatment is aimed at improving the medical condition. Physicians may also recommend the over-the-counter product Minoxidil, low-level laser therapy, or in more severe cases even hair transplantation. Remember, with the right help, you can improve your hair loss, and ultimately you can improve your self-esteem and your well-being.