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Female pattern baldness

Approved by our Clinical team | Mar 25, 2020

Female pattern baldness (female pattern hair loss) is a common cause of hair loss in women. According to Alopecia UK it affects 50% of women over the age of 65. Read on to find out the causes and treatment for female pattern baldness.

What causes female pattern baldness?

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Also known as androgenetic alopecia, female pattern baldness is a type of female hair loss caused by genetic factors. The causes of female pattern baldness are not wholly understood, but the condition is thought to be genetic in nature and related to levels of male and female sex hormones. If you think you are experiencing female pattern baldness you may want to talk to female family member to see if they have had the condition too.

Female pattern baldness is more commonly seen in:

Post-menopausal women, which suggests a connection to the sex hormones (during the menopause, levels of oestrogen drop).
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome, which causes excess levels of male hormones and disrupts the menstrual cycle.
Older women, particularly those who have gone through menopause, but it can also affect women in their 20s and 30s.

In men, male pattern baldness is caused by sensitivity to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, which causes the hair follicles to shrink and die.

Other causes of baldness in women

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If you are experiencing patchy hair loss i.e. your hair is falling out in chunks or leaving bald spots, then it is very unlikely that you are experiencing female pattern baldness.

Patchy hair loss is the key characteristic of alopecia areata, a type of hair loss caused by the immune system attacking the hair follicles. It is usually temporary, which means hair should grow back within one year. In some cases alopecia areata can develop into a more serious form of hair loss that causes total baldness across the head, and sometimes across the body as well. These types of hair loss are known respectively as alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.

Despite the name, it is uncommon for female pattern baldness to lead to total baldness, which makes it easy to distinguish from these two severe forms of alopecia areata.

Some other causes of baldness in women include:

Autoimmune conditions such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes and Down’s syndrome
Skin conditions such as scleroderma and lichen planus
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Frontal fibrosing alopecia, which specifically affects post-menopausal women
Medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation
Traction alopecia which is caused by tight hairstyles that put strain on the hair follicles (women who wear weaves, tight braids, or extensions are particularly vulnerable to this kind of hair loss)

Symptoms of female pattern baldness

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Female pattern hair loss is usually fairly easy to distinguish from other types of hair loss. This is because it is characterised by the gradual thinning of the hair on the top (crown) of the head. Female pattern baldness does not usually lead to complete hair loss but it can cause widespread thinning across the head.

You may first notice that your hair is thinning at your parting; later, you may notice that you can see your scalp through the hair on the top of your head.

Other types of hair loss are distinctive from female pattern baldness as they tend to cause:

patchy hair loss
bald spots
or total hair loss across the head or body.

However, widespread thinning of the hair on the head (that resembles female pattern baldness) is also the characteristic symptom of telogen effluvium. This type of hair loss is usually temporary, and can be caused by pregnancy, hormonal changes, stress, illness, certain medications and even changes to your diet. In other words, if your hair is thinning, it may not necessarily be female pattern baldness, and the loss could be temporary.

What does female pattern baldness look like?

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The characteristic symptom of female pattern baldness is gradual thinning on the top of the head. Usually you will notice that your parting has widened; as the hair loss progresses, the thinning will become more widespread across the head.

Female pattern baldness doesn’t usually cause a receding hairline, and does not cause total baldness on the head.

How is female pattern baldness diagnosed?

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If you think you have female pattern baldness your doctor will be able to help diagnose your condition. They’ll look for:

thinning hair on the top of your head
increased hair shedding on the top of your head
family history of similar hair loss

Your doctor will want to know if you’ve had a history of gradual hair loss so you may want to take some photos to show them.

How is female pattern baldness treated?

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Minoxidil is an effective treatment for female pattern baldness which is available without a prescription in high street pharmacies. It comes as a foam or lotion, and must be applied directly to the scalp, once or twice a day.

You should use minoxidil every day as instructed. Within three or four months you should see an improvement. Most women who use minoxidil find that their hair loss stops; some will also experience regrowth. Remember, if you stop using minoxidil your hair loss will resume within a few months.

Treating female pattern baldness

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Currently, the only treatment available for female pattern baldness is minoxidil.

Minoxidil is a foam or lotion that is rubbed into areas of the scalp where the hair is thinning. Minoxidil does not require a prescription, and is not available on the NHS. It can be purchased over the counter from high street pharmacies.

Minoxidil must be used every day; depending on the type, it must be applied to the scalp once or twice a day. If you apply minoxidil every day as instructed you should start to see results within three or four months. In one study, 88% of women saw results from applying minoxidil at a strength of 2% to their scalp twice a day. These women all experienced a halting of hair loss, and some also experienced hair regrowth.

If you’re experiencing female pattern baldness and you’re interested in using minoxidil, just be aware that it is an ongoing treatment that requires everyday use. If you stop using minoxidil your hair loss will resume within a few months.

Is female hair loss reversible?

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Although female pattern baldness is treatable it can’t be reversed. The right treatment can help to stop female pattern baldness from developing further and can even help hair to grow. But these treatments can take a while to work and may mean you’ve got to take them for months or years.

How can you prevent female pattern baldness?

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The causes of female pattern baldness are not fully understood although it’s thought it is a genetic condition. The hereditary nature of this type of hair loss makes prevention more difficult. To help keep your hair as healthy as possible you can:

Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Take vitamin supplements
Try not to damage hair by perming or straightening it or having extensions
Wear a hat to avoid sun damage

Hair loss surgery

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Some women experiencing female pattern baldness may consider getting a hair transplant. These can be effective when done well by a specialist surgeon, but they tend to be very expensive and often require multiple sessions.

Before you get a hair transplant it’s recommended that you try other non-invasive treatments such as minoxidil.