Hair loss in women is a far more common occurrence that you would think. While it’s mainly men who lose their hair as they age, us girls can also suffer from hair loss for a range of reasons, from alopecia and stress to hormonal disorders like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

 

According to a study commissioned by Philip Kingsley, one in five UK women over the age of 25 suffer from hair loss. This study also showed that hair loss in women in most common with age, but that it can also occur at any age with one in eight women being under 35 when they suffered from hair loss.

 

Hair loss is something that although I have never experienced myself, is something that as a woman with PCOS I know I have a risk of developing at one point or another in my life. So talking about hair loss and the connotations that come with it is something that’s very close to my heart.

 

There’s no need to be embarrassed

 

I know, I know, it’s far easier said than done but it’s important to realise that when it comes to hair loss there is no need to feel embarrassed. I had a close female relative suffer from alopecia recently and I saw just how upsetting this was for her and how embarrassed she felt about other people seeing the patches on her head. This broke me, as I found it hard to see her so upset about something that she couldn’t help.

 

A large percentage of women feel the same way when they suffer from hair loss for whatever reason. There’s a culture of embarrassment regarding female hair loss linked to the fact that many of us girls feel like our hair is a key part of our femininity. However, we shouldn’t feel embarrassed about hair loss, it’s a medical condition like any other. A lot of women with hair loss find that attending hair loss support groups or talking online with other women going through the same thing can be a great help.

 

For me, as a woman with PCOS, I have joined multiple PCOS support groups to be able to meet and connect with other women going through the same thing that I am. A lot of the ladies in these groups suffer from hair loss and are able to support each other in an amazing way.

 

 

There are plenty of treatments available

 

What’s amazing about hair loss today is the number of treatments that are available. Of course, the treatment that you can undergo will depend on the cause of your hair loss.

 

For instance, if PCOS is to blame, the key is to get the hormones causing the hair loss under control – your doctor should be able to prescribe a medication that can help. Whereas, if the cause of your hair loss is balding due to age, then your options would be wearing a wig to hide the problem or undergoing a hair transplant procedure.

 

The good news is that there are plenty of hair loss treatments out there, so if you are suffering from a condition that’s meant you’ve lost some or all of your hair, or your hair has begun to thin, there are plenty of options available to deal with the problem. Many women swear by taking certain supplements to support normal hair growth, others use all-natural shampoos designed to encourage healthy hair growth, and some women undergo procedures like getting hair transplants. There are options there, it’s just a case of determining what works best for the condition that you are suffering from.

 

Hair loss in women is far more common than people realise and is perfectly natural, so there’s no need to be embarrassed if you suffer from hair loss as many other women do too.