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Female Pattern Baldness

Affects: Around 8 million women in the UK
Most Common Type: Androgenetic Alopecia

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female pattern hair loss

Hair loss in Women

Suffering with hair loss can be a traumatic stage of any woman’s life. Whether your female pattern hair loss runs in the family, or you’re dealing with the side effects of medical treatments, we, at Harley Street Hair Transplant Clinics, have developed this information page to help you understand your hair loss and what you can do to combat it. If you haven’t already, consult our main hair loss page to get a general understanding of baldness!

The truth is, whilst hair loss can affect men and women alike, it can often do so in very different ways. Often affecting different areas of the scalp and occurring as a result of different environmental factors, learning the differences between male and female baldness can be the first step taken to offer a permanent solution to your hair loss.

Why do we lose hair?

Before discussing why we lose hair, it is first important to understand the life cycle of a hair follicle. We all have about 100,000 hair follicles on our head at any one time and each follicle us at a different stage of growth. Each hair follicle will go through three stages of growth:

  • Hair Growth Phase: If you look at yourself in the mirror, most of your hair follicles on your head in this state right now. Your hair constantly grows as it performs a number of key roles: it insulates your body, removes substances like keratin from your body, and helps expel sexual signals to other people.
  • Hair Transition Phase: when your hair stops growing, it enters a brief period when it still remains in the hair follicle (a little structure in your outer layer of skin that houses your hair snugly within it.
  • Hair Resting Phase: During this phase, your hair will shed from the follicle, sometimes making room for a new hair to grow. Every day, we lose between 50 and 100 hairs from our head.

Generally speaking, hair loss occurs because more hair is lost from the scalp than can be replaced by new hair follicles. What is even more alarming is that by the time women reach 50 years old, nearly 50% will note a considerable increase in hair loss and hair thinning.

There are two factors that cause hair loss in women: genetic and environment. Genetic factors, usually labelled as hereditary hair loss is where losing hair runs in the family. Equally, it is not uncommon for women to experience hair loss from a number of external factors. It may be the severe stress of modern life or something as simple as being on the wrong contraceptive pill – balding can occur in a wide range of scenarios.

The good news is treating hair loss is easy! Whether it’s your scalp or eyebrows, getting a hair transplant is the only long term solution that will put an end to your hair loss concerns. Book your free consultation today!

How can women spot signs of hair loss?

When it comes to spotting signs of hair loss, there are a number of different symptoms to watch out for. We’ve derived this list to help you determine what symptoms you may be suffering with:

  • Thinning Hair – if you notice that your hair is not as thick and full as usual, this may be a sign of hair loss!
  • Patchy Hair Loss – if you are beginning to notice bald spots in your hair, this could be indicative of alopecia areata.
  • Loosening of Hair Follicles – if you notice hairs on your pillow or the shower, this may be an indication that you are suffering with hair loss.
  • Itchy or Painful Scalp – if you are in a constant state of discomfort, this may be indicative of autoimmune condition, or even something as simple a scalp infection.

If you’re suffering with any of these symptoms, be sure to book yourself a free consultation with one of our doctors. Each surgeon at Harley Street is experienced in diagnosing and treating all forms of hair loss in women!

What are the main causes of hair loss in women?

Female Pattern Hair Loss

This condition, sometimes called androgenic alopecia, is where women may experience a gradual thinning and receding of the hairline as they age. This condition, research suggests, is predominantly hereditary.

There are different stages of female pattern baldness, but women will usually experience signs of thinning at the top of the head. Hair towards the back of the scalp is healthy and this is where surgeons will find donor hairs to implant onto the recipient site.

Alopecia areata

Another condition affecting women is alopecia areata. This is where a patient finds bald spots on their scalp or, in some cases, beard. Whilst there may be genetic factors predisposing some patients, current research suggests it is an autoimmune condition that can be caused by Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. This is where the immune system attacks the cells in your own body.

External Factors

For many women, hair loss can often occur as a result of beauty treatments that can be harmful to your hair. In many cases, behaviours such as excessive eyebrow plucking, scraping hair into tight hairstyles are leading causes for female hair loss.

In other cases, hair loss in women has also occurred as a result of hormonal changes on the contraceptive pill. If you begin to notice hair loss and think it may be down to this side effect, discuss this with your GP.

External Stress

For many women, modern life comes with many stresses. Whether you suffering with a hair pulling disorder, or the experiencing of sudden hair loss as from a rough time at work, external stressors are a major cause for hair loss. In some cases, hair loss may only be temporary, so it may be wise to monitor your condition over a longer period of time before committing to one of our hair loss treatments.

What can women do to prevent hair loss?

Whilst hair loss is a condition that will inevitably cause baldness, there are plenty of measures you can take to help limit the extent of balding:

  • Avoid extremely hot showers – this can be a major cause of shock to your scalp, stripping your hair of natural oils.
  • Avoid using chemical hair products – many hair gels and waxes contain chemicals that can, in fact, damage your hair and scalp.
  • Avoid nutrient deficiencies – one cause of hair loss can be due to a lack of vitamin B12, zinc, and iron in their diet.
  • Reduce stress – one of the key things women can do to limit their hair loss is to limit the amount of stress in their lives. Whether it’s taking up yoga, or just finding five minutes in your day to breathe, controlling the amount of stress in your life can help slow the effects of hair loss.
  • Assess hair styling practices – avoid putting your hair in tight buns or pony tails, if possible. One of the best things you can do for your hair is let it fall free!

What can women do to treat hair loss?

When it comes to treating your hair loss in the long term, nothing else compares to a hair transplant. Many patients come to us having already tried other treatments on the market, like chemical treatments and scalp micro pigmentation.

At Harley Street Hair Transplant Clinics, we’re dedicated to treating all types of hair loss at a cost affordable to everyone. We have a selectable payment plans to aid in combatting hair loss for good. Currently, we offer:

What’s even better is that modern treatments also enable women to have more than just a hair transplant. If you’re worried about facial hair, we provide eyebrow transplants using the FUE procedure.

Want to read more about our hair loss treatments? Have a look at our treatment pages and pricing plans.

Patient Testimonials

Aside from achieving fantastic results, we believe that keeping in touch with our patients before, during and after their hair transplantation procedure is paramount – it helps to keep our patients feeling calm and in control. We’re always on hand to provide guidance, support and aftercare advice. Time and again, our patients tell us that this is what sets us apart from other clinics.

You can read our great reviews of FUE hair transplants over on Google and TrustPilot

Kieran Dancy
Kieran Dancy
19/01/2024
"My experience with Harley Street Clinic was exceptional. I was very apprehensive about getting my FUE procedure done, as one would expect. However, Sara reassured me and was very supportive pre and post-procedure. I am so pleased with the result thus far. The new hairline suits my face, and I cannot wait to see the full results. I must thank everyone at the Harley Street Clinic for their support, guidance, and care."I had an outstanding experience with the Harley Street Clinic. Initially, I had some apprehensions about getting my Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) procedure done, as I was unsure about how it would turn out. However, Sara, who assisted me throughout the procedure, was very supportive and helped calm my nerves. She provided me with thorough pre and post-procedure guidance, which was extremely helpful. I am delighted with the results I have seen so far. The new hairline suits my face perfectly, and I cannot wait to see the full results in the coming months. The team at the Harley Street Clinic was very supportive, and I felt like I was in good hands throughout the entire process. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone at the clinic for their support, guidance, and care. The experience was very positive, and I would highly recommend the Harley Street Clinic to anyone looking to undergo a similar procedure.
David Price
David Price
09/01/2024
Thank you to the doctor and team. I was well looked after on the day of surgery and I’m really looking forward to the results. Initial anaesthetic injection was the only bit that I didn’t like but other than that, all good. Would recommend. David
ashley sheppard
ashley sheppard
07/09/2023
Lovely surgeon and assistants who made me feel at ease. No pain whatsoever. Would recommend.
Ross Thorndyke
Ross Thorndyke
31/07/2023
Great surgeon, quick responses. Even drafted a Locum in to cover the original surgeon being on holiday. Very impressed with the set up and the results are very good so far.
GrayBx
GrayBx
17/04/2023
To start, their care and procedures are absolutely incredible, if I was to base the review solely on the Dr and nurses I had for my procedure it would be an easy 5 stars. However I am rating only 4 stars, which I would consider slightly generous. I am trans, although very early transition when I had the procedure, and within the consultation I feel I was overlooked of what I wanted. After being asked what I was looking for from the procedure, I said I was trans, and wanted a natural looking feminine hairline (as well as obviously fixing my natural hairline), to which my consultant claimed that a masculine hairline would be easier to look natural. Going along with this, I thought any hairline transplant is better than nothing, and that he was the professional so I should take his advice and bite my tongue. In fairness, I was not wearing make up and was in jeans and a hoodie for the consultation, so maybe what I said just went over his head or maybe he didn’t take me seriously. In hindsight, I wish I didn’t closet myself at the first sign of push back from what I perceived as a medical professional, even talking to my doctor near the end of the procedure I felt comfortable enough to come out to him after what I had initially perceived to be a transphobic clinic (I promise you it’s not), and wish he was the one to do the consultation in the first place. He even said something along the lines of “I’ve done a masculine hairline on you, I wish you had have said something sooner”, and I didn’t want to cause any trouble for my consultant, so I didn’t say anything. All in all, the procedure went perfectly, and has healed really well. Cannot speak any higher of my doctors and nurses (although I have forgotten their names), and although not entirely happy with the hairline I received, it was done perfectly and is 100x better than my natural hairline. To all my trans girlies out there, please make it really clear what you want, look as fem as possible for the consultation, and if they push back at all - don’t let them walk all over you.
Ricardo David
Ricardo David
14/12/2022
Loved the team!
Emma Walker
Emma Walker
27/09/2022
I originally took a lot of time researching a hair transplant company within the UK and came across these guys. I have to say that the whole experience has been so smooth from start to finish. Kevin has been nothing but helpful and it was encouraging to know that he only wanted the best for the client. The reason for my hair transplant was traction alopecia and even though I am only 5 days post op I can already see the potential hairline I will have in a few months time. Everything including booking, payment, forms etc was all so easy and straightforward to do with the help of Kevin. The day of the surgery I had my mum come with me and she was able to come into the room to start with before the actual surgery to help choose my hairline and Dr Kalra explained everything not only to me but to my mum also. Then it was onto the actual surgery part of the day and I have to say that while the local anaesthetic injections were pretty painful, the rest of the day was completely relaxing. Dr Kalra and the other staff (sorry I can’t remember their names) totally put me at ease. Everything was explained and if I needed anything all I had to do was ask. Post op I had a lot of bleeding in the donor area which I was worried about but Dr Kalra put my mind at ease straight away. If I had any questions or worries then Dr Kalra and Kevin were always on hand to help. 5 days post op I still have a fair amount of swelling and bruising but it is improving every day and I can’t wait to see results. I’ve booked a PRP session with Dr Kalra for 5 weeks time so I will post another update once that has been done. Thank you to everyone but special thanks to Kevin and Dr Kalra!
Jack Booth
Jack Booth
10/09/2022
The whole experience was very straight forward and professional and the staff were very friendly. I felt I was in safe hands with Dr Kalra and the others who did the surgery and the aftercare process was explained very clearly to me afterwards.

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