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Before beginning a birth control regimen, many women want to know if oral contraceptives can lead to female hair loss.  Because of the medication’s hormonal component, it’s a valid concern and studies have demonstrated an actual connection between oral contraceptives and female baldness.

One of the active ingredients in birth control pills is the hormone estrogen. Although estrogen is responsible for a number of regular biochemical functions, it also causes hair growth and extends the growth cycle of female hair follicles. Initially, this may sound like the opposite of hair loss, but this extended cycle causes follicles to reach the resting phase at an increased rate and a rapid hair shedding period. However, the good news is that this thinning is not permanent, and, on average, hair growth and cycling returns to normal after 3-4 months (meaning no accelerated or permanent balding). Additionally, some women have reported thinning hair after stopping a birth control regimen, but this shedding cycle is also usually temporary.

Because the hair loss is temporary and normally grows back without any permanent change, it’s not recommended that you discontinue oral contraceptives without discussing the issue with your prescribing physician. If the anxiety regarding femaile hair shedding and birth control lingers, it may be advantageous to seek a consultation with one of the hair transplant network‘s recommended physicians.

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Blake Bloxham – aka Future_HT_Doc

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

Unlike male pattern baldness, which can manifest itself in any number of patterns as classified on the Hamilton-Norwood scale, female pattern hair loss is often diffuse or occurring over the entire area of the scalp. While there are factors such as childbirth, menopause or even stress that can induce temporary female balding, 96% of female balding is hereditary.

So what’s a woman with thinning hair to do? Currently there is only one FDA approved, non-surgical hair loss treatment for women, Rogaine (2% minoxidil). Like men however, women with hair loss may benefit from using concealers such as Toppik or DermMatch.  A female patient may also wish to explore surgical hair restoration as an option.

Women that may benefit are those that have a distinct pattern of hair loss more typically associated with male pattern baldness; those whose hair loss is caused by traction alopecia (damage done to the hair follicle by continual pulling and tight tension for very long periods); and women who have suffered hair loss due to trauma such as burns or scarring. Women with diffuse hair thinning all over the scalp typically don’t make good candidates.

Below, you’ll find examples of when surgical hair restoration can be appropriate for women.  These examples were recently posted by leading hair restoration physicians on our popular hair loss discussion forum.

Dr. Dorin – Female Traction Alopecia Healing Series – 1965 FUT

Dr. Lindsey – 6 Month Check on Female Postage Stamp FUE

This concerned inquiry comes from the Question and Answer section of the Hair Restoration Discussion Forums:

I’ve previously never experienced any issues with my hair, but for the past year it’s been severely thinning. I’ve tried searching online, but I’m still not sure how women are supposed to fight female hair loss? Is hair transplant surgery an option?

Since hair loss affects both males and females, several therapies exist for women battling thinning hair:

First, Rogaine (minoxidil), a FDA approved therapy, produces a line of topical medication specifically for female hair loss. Since this product is trusted and proven, it’s highly recommended as a non-surgical option for female balding.

Second, numerous women battle thinning hair by undergoing a hair transplant procedure with a recommended hair restoration physician. Recent cases presented on our hair loss discussion forum by Dr. William Lindsey (seen here) and Dr. Sheldon Kabaker (seen here) demonstrate the effectiveness of a female hair transplant.

Additionally, before using any of these therapies, it’s highly recommended that female hair loss sufferers make an appointment with a dermatologist to analyze their hair loss. It could be caused by a variety of different things and letting an expert give his or her opinion on why your hair is thinning and how to proceed is a responsible first step.

Blake Bloxham – aka Future_HT_Doc

Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

Dealing with the emotional impact of hair loss can be quite challenging for many balding men and women worldwide. That’s why in addition to learning how to treat baldness, we’ve put together several suggestions and tips for coping with the emotional and psychological impact hair loss can have on our lives.

Keep Your Friends Close: Battling with hair loss is ultimately about acceptance. While we may not like what we look like with a bald head, knowing people still love and respect us despite an altered appearance is vital to one’s overall emotional and psychological wellbeing. Communicating your struggle with close friends, especially those who can relate to you can also be therapeutic.

Relate, Share, and Connect with Other Balding Men and Women: The expression, “there is safety in numbers” has never been so true. Sharing, connecting, and relating to others struggling with hair loss can bring comfort and peace in knowing you’re not alone. Our hair loss forum can be a great place to find support and encouragement in your struggle with baldness.

Find Hair Loss Solutions that Really Work: For some, hair loss is a fact of life and they’ll choose to go bald gracefully. For others, they’d like nothing more than to keep or restore their natural hair. Though no cure for baldness exists, non-surgical treatments such as Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) are proven to slow down, stop, and even reverse the effects of male pattern baldness in most men. Today’s revolutionary ultra refined hair transplant procedures can produce undetectable results so natural that you’ll fool even the toughest critics. Those considering hair restoration, especially hair transplant surgery are encouraged to take plenty of time to research and educate themselves on the benefits, limitations, and potential risks that go along with each treatment.

Shortly after balding men and women come to terms with the realities of thinning hair and hair loss they see in the mirror, questions of if and when it will stop crowd the mind like a shopping mall during the holidays. At what age will pattern baldness cease? Will I go completely bald? What hair loss treatments if any will stop it from continuing?

You are not alone in asking these questions. Several months ago, hair loss forum member “Youngguy” asked the same question and members of our community have been discussing it ever since. To see what others are saying and to contribute your own input and experience, visit “At What Age Does Hair Loss Generally Stabilize?”

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Social Network and  Enhanced Forum
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Technorati Tags: balding, thinning hair, hair loss, baldness, bald, hair loss treatments, hair loss forum, Bill Seemiller, Falceros

Our popular hair loss forum community is dedicated to providing the most recent and up to date news on hair loss, hair transplants, and helping balding men and women find the world’s leading hair restoration physicians.

Below, we’ve compiled some of the latest hot topic questions and answers we received from veteran hair transplant patients and expert hair restoration physicians.

How Long Can Transplanted Hair Stay Out of the Body Before Implanted? Learn why Coalition member Dr. Glenn Charles believes it’s better to minimize the time transplanted hair stays out of the body.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Transplanted Hair Survival: Learn whether or not platelet rich plasma (PRP) can increase the survival rates of transplanted hair.

Multiple Hair Transplants and the Available Donor Supply: Learn why Coalition member Dr. Timothy Carman believes it’s critical to make the best long term use out of the available donor hair supply.

Female Hair Loss After Giving Birth: Learn why females sometimes experience excessive hair loss immediately following pregnancy and how to treat it.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
Follow our community on Twitter
Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair transplants, balding, hair restoration, Dr. Glenn Charles, transplanted hair, platelet rich plasma, PRP, Dr. Timothy Carman, donor hair, Bill Seemiller, Falceros

This insightful article was written by Dr. Michael Meshkin of Newport Beach, CA who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians.

Crash diets and caloric deprivation of less than 1,000 calories per day or sudden weight loss of more than 20 pounds have been reported to be associated with hair loss. The evidence of hair shedding can be noticed one month after the diet begins. Nutritional factors that are necessary for essential hair growth are protein, fatty acids, Zinc, Iron, Biotin, Magnesium, vitamins A,C, E, and B complex. Like any other body organ, the hair needs food to grow. Therefore, it is important to know about the quality and quantity of the various nutrients necessary for healthier hair. Tailoring of a diet to achieve a reasonable weight-loss goal must include appropriate levels of essential nutrients.

Certain nutrient deficiencies are known to be specifically associated with hair loss such as:

• Iron deficiency causes anemia, which is known to contribute to hair loss. 
• Zinc Deficiency is known to be associated with hair loss. A very low-calorie diet with little or no red meat protein can contribute to zinc deficiency because zinc is absorbed less readily from plant sources of zinc than from animal sources.
• Biotin Deficiency is associated with hair loss as well as some skin disorders. Biotin is one of the B vitamins that have a broad range of functions in the body. Biotin is found in many foods, and has rule in food metabolism. Biotin is found in wheat germ, brown rice, red meat, and egg yolk. 

Our popular hair loss forum community includes dozens of active patient and physician members devoted to answering your hair loss questions daily. Get past the hype and learn about proven treatments that really work to stop baldness.

Below, we’ve compiled answers to hot topic questions we received from real patients and expert hair restoration physicians.

Feel free to ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by using the contact us form.

Graft Survival Rates and High Hair Densities (Dr. Brad Limmer)

Claims that Hair Multiplication is Available Today

Female Hair Loss Due to Hair Straightening and Blow Drying

Why Some Clinics Can Perform Hair Transplant Sessions Exceeding 5000 Grafts

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
Follow our community on Twitter
Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair loss forum, hair loss, baldness, hair restoration

At the first sign of obvious hair loss, men and women are immediately concerned with whether or not the condition will progress and if so, how much will they lose and how long will it last.

While genetic female hair loss and male pattern baldness is progressive, not everybody experiences the same amount and degrees of hair loss. To see the varying patterns and degrees of balding experienced by men and women, see the Norwood Scale and Ludwig Scale of hair loss.

Given that men and women suffer from varying degrees of baldness, is there a way to determine just how it will progress for each person? Members of our community are asking the same question. To see what other members are saying and to offer your input, visit this discussion topic.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
Follow our community on Twitter
Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair loss, balding, baldness, Bill Seemiller, Falceros

Our popular hair loss forum community includes dozens of active patient and physician members devoted to answering your hair loss questions daily.  Get past the hype and learn about proven treatments that really work to stop baldness.

Below, we’ve compiled answers to hot topic hair loss related questions we received from our Associate Publisher Bill Seemiller and expert hair restoration physicians. 

Feel free to ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by using the “contact us” form. 

Do All Good Doctors Shave the Patient’s Head for Hair Transplant Surgery? (Dr. Glenn Charles)

Can Saw Palmetto Really Reduce Hair Loss?

Can Oxygen Deprivation Cause Hair Loss? (Dr. Scott Alexander)

Creating a Natural Looking Female Hairline with a Hair Transplant (Dr. Bernard Nusbaum)

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
Follow our community on Twitter
Watch hair transplant videos on YouTube

Technorati Tags: hair loss, baldness, Bill Seemiller, hair restoration, Bill Seemiller, Falceros