Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness.
Unfortunately, male and female pattern baldness is not reversible without surgical intervention. However, if detected early enough, certain medications, such as minoxidil, finasteride, and Dutasteride can help halt the progression of thinning hair.
What is the most effective treatment for women's hair loss?
How is female hair loss treated? Minoxidil (Rogaine) 5% is the only topical medication approved by the FDA for female-pattern hair loss. The once daily use foam treatment regrows hair in 81% of the women who try it. Liquid options of 2% and 5% solutions are available over the counter.
Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil (Rogaine), which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.
A deficiency in one or more micronutrients may lead to hair loss. If you're experiencing hair loss, you may want to be tested for deficiencies in iron, vitamin D, zinc, B vitamins, and copper.
As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness comes from hormone imbalances, specifically dihydrotestosterone imbalances, or DHT. This hormone is similar in structure to testosterone, but it is significantly more potent [3]. DHT can attach to receptors on the hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink.
“Vitamins are essential for healthy hair growth and may help in preventing hair shedding and thinning,” says Michele Green, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. “The best vitamins for hair growth include B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, biotin and iron.
Lifestyle factors could include using certain hair products, wearing your hair up too tightly, experiencing high stress levels, or not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals in your diet. People who have immune system deficiencies could also have thinning hair.
In women, hereditary hair loss usually starts after the age of 40. Roughly 40% of women have noticeable hair loss by the age of 50. And less than half of women get through life with a full head of hair.
Nervous to cut thin, fine hair? Don't be! Longer tresses weigh down hair near the scalp, so you lose fullness and volume at the root. "Some women think by not cutting their hair it'll make it look thicker, but the reality is you have to cut it because if you don't it'll look stringy," Mele explained.
It'll take at least six months of treatment to prevent further hair loss and to start hair regrowth. It may take a few more months to tell whether the treatment is working for you.
Sometimes, the best-known product is best-known for a reason. Rogaine contains the active ingredient minoxidil, which has overwhelmingly been shown to effectively treat hair loss in clinical trials. And the clinicians I spoke to recommended it for women as well as men.
The short answer is - No, it's not true! Caffeine does not cause hair loss when applied on the scalp but here's what's important – it must be used in moderation.
