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Hair Loss And Women's Health
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Aspects of pattern hairloss in women
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 Andro
Genetic
Alopecia (AGA), commonly described in women as female pattern hair loss, is
thought to be caused by a combination of factors including age, genetic susceptibility and hormones. In both genders, the onset of AGA can occur in late puberty or early adulthood, though females effected by this disorder tend to present signs and symptoms somewhat later than males.
Interestingly, recent studies suggest that women with some markers of insulin resistance are at significantly increased risk of female
AGA. Moreover, a paternal history of
AndroGenetic Alopecia seemed to be a stronger predictor of female AGA compared to women with normal or minimal loss of hair.
Female AGA has also been linked with
both HyperAndroGenism and Hirsutism.
Most recently, female pattern hairloss
has also been linked with PolyCystic
Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), even though epidemiological documentation of
this association is not necessarily statistically compelling. Nevertheless, the association between
PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome and insulin resistance is well documented.
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What actually happens in pattern hairloss for men and women?
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From a susceptibility standpoint, the inheritance pattern in female
pattern hairloss is
polygenic, and the onset
and incidence of the disorder closely parallels that observed in males. The disorder begins in susceptible hair follicles, where
Di-Hydro-Testosterone (DHT) has been shown to bind to the androgen
receptor sites (ARS).
This hormone-receptor complex translocates to the cell nucleus of
affected hair follicles, initiating a gene activation program thought to be responsible for the gradual transformation of large terminal follicles to miniaturized follicles.
This process occurs within a genetically
pre-determined anatomical region of the scalp. The resultant clinical phenotype may thusly be described as pattern hair loss because the area of loss is segregated within a fairly well defined zone of the scalp.
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Treatment Options
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From a treatment perspective,
the
mono-therapeutic interventions against female pattern hair loss have included topical
Minoxidil, oral Spironalactone, oral Flutamide and other Anti-Andro-Genetic compounds.
Recently, botanically derived substances, such as
HairGenesis, have also come under investigation as agents potentially useful against this disorder.
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