It’s no secret that women suffer with hair loss. Though most of us picture middle aged men when we think of baldness, the truth of the matter is that women suffer with thinning, shedding, and balding at nearly the same rate as their male counterparts. In fact, recent estimates indicate that almost 40% of the hair loss sufferers in the United States are female.
Waging an Emotional Toll
Perhaps more so than men, women are known to suffer emotionally from hair loss. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, typically in proportion to the degree to which hair is falling out. A few of the most common emotional side effects to female hair loss include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of Self Esteem
- Loss of Self Confidence
- Compromised Sexual Identity
But why do women suffer so much more than men? To begin, it’s important to consider how hair affects the perception of health, success, and sexual attractiveness. Expert hair loss surgeons indicate that thicker, fuller hair makes individuals appear to be better-off in each of the aforementioned respects.
Unlike women, balding men can shave their head without society perceiving them as generally unhealthy, unsuccessful, or unattractive. Women, on the other hand, face greater adversity when they begin to lose their luscious locks. In an interview with Medical News Today, Dr. Marc Glashofer explains:
Society unjustly puts an inordinate amount of pressure on [feminine] beauty[…] For women, the hair is the crown, a symbol of beauty/pride[…] If this starts to diminish, it can be devastating to a woman’s identity and self-esteem, especially when affected at an early age.
Difficulty Finding Treatment
Experts agree that finding hair loss treatment is often more difficult for women as well. There are at least 3 reasons for this difficulty, each of which stem from the unique way in which hair loss affects women.
When men go bald, hair falls out in a predictable pattern that begins at the hairline and ends at the crown of the head— hence the name, male pattern baldness. Women, on the other hand, experience hair loss in a more spread out and diffuse manner that is not always easy to detect. Parts become wider, scalp becomes more visible, but “tell tale” signs of hair loss are overall discreet. Often times, women do not realize they are going bald until many years after it has begun.
To make matters more difficult, women tend to be more reluctant to pursue hair loss treatment compared to men. Society tells us that it is common for men to go bald, making it easier and more acceptable for men to find treatment. For females, admitting to hair loss often means ceding control over one’s beauty, femininity, and sexual prominence.
Finally, women have a more difficult time finding “hair loss drugs” compared to men. Though minoxidil (Rogaine) is approved for use by women, other drugs like Finasteride (Propecia) are not. Some physicians believe that drug companies are deterred from investing in research and development of hair loss drugs for women, fearing adverse hormonal side effects. This situation is perhaps best summarized by the American Hair Loss Association in the following statement:
While many drugs may work to some degree for some women, doctors are reluctant to prescribe them, and drug companies aren’t exactly falling over themselves to test existing or new drugs specifically for their ability to prevent and treat female pattern baldness.
Laser Hair Restoration Offers Hope
Today, the emerging field of laser hair restoration offers hope to women who suffer with hair loss. Such treatment gives females the ability to reverse the signs of thinning, shedding, or balding, without the need for surgery or hair loss medications (though laser therapy might be used in conjunction with both).
Laser hair restoration is a simple, safe, and effective treatment protocol that is rooted in over a half century of cold medical laser research and development. Since the 1960s, over 53 individual studies have demonstrated the ability of low level laser therapy (LLLT) to induce natural hair growth.
How it works. Low level laser light is believed to improve circulation and induce phototherapy within the hair follicles. This is known to nurture hair follicles, reawakening them to a functional state in which natural, thick hair can grow. At our Institute, we offer home-use laser therapy caps that are worn for just 15 to 20 minutes, 3 times each week, or as otherwise advised by our physicians.
Learn More About Laser Hair Restoration at Our Institute
At the Hair Transplant Institute of Miami, we are pleased to offer laser hair restoration with the Capillus272 laser therapy cap. The Capillus272 is the only laser cap on the market with FDA clearance for the treatment of hair loss in women (iv). To learn more, visit this page on laser hair restoration in Miami or call directly at 305-925-0222.