Many women who start experiencing hair loss or excessive shedding can place the blame squarely on their genes. Others can point to menopause, stress, or certain medications they may be taking. But female hair loss can also be a symptom of or related to other medical conditions. Such is the case with fibroids, especially in African-American women.
What Are Fibroids?
Fibroids are benign, non-cancerous tumors made of smooth muscle cells and fibrous connective tissue that develop within the wall of the uterus. While most women who develop fibroids experience no noticeable signs or symptoms and thus do not need treatment, those who do may see:
- Heavy or prolonged periods
- Bleeding between periods
- Pelvic pain and pressure
- Frequent urination
- Low back pain
- Pain during intercourse
- Difficulty getting pregnant
The risk of developing fibroids increases with age and is particularly pronounced in African-American women. While approximately 20 to 40 percent of women aged 35 and older have fibroids large enough to cause symptoms, black women experience fibroids at a rate three times higher than that of other women, with some experts estimating that upwards of 80% of African-American women will have fibroids at some point in their life.
What is the Connection Between Fibroids and Hair Loss in Women?
As noted above, heavy and prolonged periods and bleeding between periods are two symptoms of fibroids. These issues can ultimately lead to anemia – a lack of iron. Iron deficiency restricts the blood flow needed to supply growth-stimulating nutrients to our hair follicles. Without those nutrients, our follicles can become weak, dry, and brittle and more prone to falling out.
While you should follow your physician’s specific recommendations if you have anemia, iron-rich foods like spinach, kale, broccoli, and other leafy greens can boost your iron intake and help feed your follicles the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
Experiencing Hair Loss? Call the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami Today.
Female hair loss can be stopped and in many cases reversed through the cutting-edge and proven treatments we offer at the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami. Which procedure will be most effective depends on the causes and degree of hair loss in the individual patient. We use a comprehensive, holistic approach for evaluating and treating women experiencing hair loss and leverage the very latest scientific advancements in hair loss treatments at our state-of-the-art facility.
Schedule an appointment with the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami today by calling 305.925.0222. We look forward to assisting you.