I’m female and I’m going bald at 20. What’s happening?

Hair loss can be a scary time for anyone, but when you start to notice severe hair loss as a female in your 20s it can cause you to run into a downward spiral of panic. However, losing your hair doesn’t always mean you need to panic, for some, this can be completely natural and nothing to worry about.

Today we’re going to go over some reasons females might be experiencing hair loss at a young age and if it’s a cause for concern and time to look for help or if it is normal.

What is causing my hair loss?

It is difficult to say exactly what is causing someone’s hair loss without meeting them. There are many different types of hair loss that are caused by a number of different factors. There are some types of hair loss that can only affect females too – the good news, is some of these are not permanent.

In most cases, there is an underlying cause of your hair loss that you have left untreated, for others there could be an underlying health problem that could be causing hair loss?

What are the main causes of hair loss in females?

Generally, there are three categories of hair loss in women, androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium and non-pattern hair loss. Within these categories, there are different types of hair loss that are caused for different reasons.

• Androgenetic Alopecia: The most common cause of hair loss in both men and women. The pattern of hair loss in women is less predictable than in men. This condition is inherited and causes sensitivity to the effects of the male hormones on the scalp and hair follicles which cause thinning. There is no cure for androgenetic alopecia, there are, however, hair restoration treatments that can help.
• Telogen effluvium: A type of hair loss that can happen from many causes, this includes medication use, dietary tendencies and factors such as stress. Hair loss happens in response to a certain event such stress, childbirth or a change in medication. This causes an increase in the amount of hair being shed due to the events causing the hair to stay in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle for around 3 months, which is followed by hair shedding.
• Non Pattern hair loss: A category that all other rarer types of hair loss fall into. Hair loss caused by disease and illness will fall into this, such as hair loss due to diabetes, cancer, lupus and thyroid disorders.

For females, hair loss can be a common side effect of anaemia, PCOS, pregnancy, birth control and menopause. If you would like more information on hair loss we recommend booking a consultation to see one of our hair loss specialists. During your personalised consultation, we’ll be able to work out the route of your hair loss and work with you on a hair restoration treatment plan.

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