Androgenetic alopecia – in women, hair generally thins in the top, frontal area, just behind the hair line, but stays thick at the back. An enzyme causes conversion of the male sex hormone testosterone to another hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), causing the hair follicles to produce thinner hair until they stop.
The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia. Women with this condition might notice a widening of the part at the top of the head, often beginning when a woman is in her 40s or 50s. You might experience this if you inherit certain genes from one or both parents.
Here's the truth: You can't change the size of your hair follicles. If you were born with fine hair, it's genetics, and no product will completely alter that. Of course, there are ways to maintain your hair health, add volume, and keep it from getting any thinner.
Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the only drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat female pattern baldness. It's available in 2% or 5% formulas. If possible, opt for the 5% formula — older studies found that it's superior. Apply minoxidil to your scalp every day.
Can Alopecia Be Reversed? Whether your hair loss is caused by hormones or an autoimmune disorder, regrowing your hair by using new medications and modifying your diet can be possible as long as you start treatment early.
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.
Androgenetic alopecia – in women, hair generally thins in the top, frontal area, just behind the hair line, but stays thick at the back. An enzyme causes conversion of the male sex hormone testosterone to another hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), causing the hair follicles to produce thinner hair until they stop.
Yes. In many cases, receding hairline is indeed reversible. The right treatment for you depends on the cause. “For androgenic alopecia, minoxidil (Rogaine) is the only FDA-approved medical treatment for both men and women,” Krejci says.
Can frontal fibrosing alopecia be reversed? If you catch FFA early and treat it, you may regrow some hair. As FFA progresses, the hair follicles (openings from which hair grows) scar over. Once a hair follicle scars, it can no longer grow hair.
One of the most widely used and proven treatments is minoxidil (Rogaine and various generic products). It's available in liquid, foam, or shampoo options. Stronger forms of minoxidil are also available by prescription. Minoxidil may cause side effects like skin irritation or unwanted hair growth on skin near the scalp.
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.
If you're specifically searching for answers as to why hair is thinning at the front, your most likely culprit is hormonal shifts, as these do tend to lead to hair loss at the crown of the scalp. Changes in hormones is also one of the reasons hair density changes with age. The older you get the thinner hair can appear.
Age-related hair loss is common in women. About 55 percent of women experience some hair loss by the age of 70. The most common cause is female-pattern baldness, an inherited condition.
If the hair at the front of your head is thinning, it's likely a sign of male pattern baldness. Hair loss affects nearly all men at some stage in life; the good news is that there are plenty of ways to treat it, including Minoxidil and Finasteride.
Hormonal Hair Loss: Gradual Thinning Of Hair
In women, androgenic alopecia begins with a gradual widening of the part line, followed by increased thinning starting at the top of the head. “A patient may begin to notice a thinner ponytail or may say 'I see more of my scalp,'” St. Surin-Lord says.
Hair loss and thyroid disease
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Symptoms of thyroid-related hair loss
Hair loss may develop slowly with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. You won't necessarily notice patches missing or bald spots. Instead, your hair may seem thinner all over. You lose between 50 and 100 hairs from your head each day.