Even though the term “hair loss” is most commonly associated with men, women experience hairloss almost as frequently. Female hair loss is considered to be anything over the loss of about 100 hairs a day, that is experienced during a time when a woman has not just had a baby. After pregnancy, women commonly lose more hair than normal for several months after the birth of their baby because during pregnancy, the body holds onto hair.

Although it’s hard to tell if you’re losing more than a hundreds hairs per day exactly, you should take notice if you start to lose more hair than you normally do. A change in diet, sleep patterns or exercise habits could be a reason for the loss of your hair, but it could also point to something more serious. If you take the time to speak with a doctor and get the proper treatment, female hair loss can be stopped in its tracks.

The most common cause of female hair loss is called androgenic alopecia. It’s also referred to as pattern hair loss. In this type of hair loss, the main culprit is an abundance of the hormone androgen in a woman’s body. Androgen is a male hormone and, as you can imagine, it can wreak havoc in a woman’s body. It can produce thick hair on a woman’s face, back, chest and arms, but can also cause thin hair on top of a woman’s head. The scalp is most effected with this type of hair loss, but it can be treated with laser therapy or corrected with a hair transplant.

The next type of female hair loss goes by the name traction alopecia. As its name implies, it is related to the physical exertion felt against the hair when a woman pulls her hair back in a tight hair style. Tight ponytails buns and braids can cause tension around the hairline. Over time, the hair around the hair line stops growing and begins to fall out. Through this, a woman’s hair line can start to recede. By wearing your hair in a different manner, treating it with a gentle oil massage and using wide tooth combs instead of brushes, you can stop and prevent this type of hair loss.

Hair loss can also be caused by a thyroid imbalance and such cases go by the name telogen effluvium. It’s a result of either a thyroid problem, cancer, liver troubles or lots of stress. This name also applies to the hair loss that is experienced in cancer patients who receive radiation therapy. With this type of hair loss, the hair loss itself or another symptom of the condition can clue you into the presence of the condition. If your hair loss doesn’t fit into any of the aforementioned categories, discuss it with a doctor so you can get the right type of treatment.

Female hair loss isn’t as common as male hair loss, but it has just as much of an impact on the person losing their hair. Fortunately, with the help of a doctor, a hair specialist or a change in hair style, it can be stopped and reversed.