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Hair loss in women
What can be done about hair loss in women?
Our experienced dermatologists will help you with a professional assessment and by providing the best medical solution for your specific situation.
After the age of forty, as many as 40% of women experience thinning hair. This can be emotionally taxing because your hair is an important part of your identity.
Various causes can lead to excessive hair loss in women.
Extreme stress situations such as childbirth, illness or hormonal fluctuations can cause your body to temporarily lose a lot of hair. Heredity also plays a role in thinning hair.
To determine the cause of your hair loss and discuss the right treatment options, it is important to consult a specialized dermatologist.
An accurate diagnosis is essential for choosing the right treatment and predicting the treatment outcome. You can make an appointment for a personal consultation with a dermatologist to discuss your hair problem.
At our hair clinic we offer different treatment options, depending on the cause of your hair loss. Whether it's androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, cicatricial alopecia or alopecia areata, we can provide you with expert advice and tailored treatment plans to improve your hair health.
Remember that not every treatment is right for everyone, and consulting a dermatologist will help you find the best solution for your specific situation. We are ready to support you in tackling your hair problems and restoring healthy hair growth.
The most common hair problems in women are:
Hereditary predisposition to hair loss
Androgenetic alopecia
What is popularly called normal or classical baldness is medically called alopecia androgenetica. Androgenetic alopecia occurs in both men and women. Hair loss or thinning hair in women due to androgenetic alopecia is a process that - in addition to heredity - is influenced by race, gender, age and a combination of genetic and hormonal factors, in which dihydrotestosterone (DHT) plays a role.
In androgenetic alopecia, the hair follicles gradually become smaller and produce thinner and shorter hair, resulting in a loss of hair density and volume. It usually starts in specific areas of the scalp, such as the crown in men and the center parting in women, and can gradually spread to other areas of the scalp.
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What causes androgenetic alopecia?Each hair follicle can produce a hair approximately 20 times per lifetime, after which it dies. Because each hair remains in the hair follicle for three to five years, a person would only experience baldness after 60 to 90 years. Baldness at a young age with a hereditary cause is caused by the degree of sensitivity of certain hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT is formed from the hormone testosterone under the influence of an enzyme (5-alpha-reductase, types I and II). The DHT binds to the androgen receptor (a 'biological magnet') of the hair follicle, which therefore has less blood flow. The growth phase of the hair is therefore shortened from three to five years to just a few months. The affected hairs become finer and shorter with each hair cycle and the hair follicle eventually dies at an accelerated rate. If this process occurs in many hair follicles, the hair becomes thinner. The number of androgen receptors a person has is genetically determined and that explains why some people go bald and others do not.
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What treatment options are there for androgenetic alopecia?There are quite a few products and treatments that claim to have an effect on stopping hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (hereditary baldness). Every two months a new shampoo, lotion or nutritional supplement comes onto the market with claimed effectiveness. Unfortunately, these claims are usually empty promises and the effect cannot be scientifically proven. However, there are also plenty of options whose effectiveness has been proven in scientific studies. Below is an overview of the treatment options used at Intermedica. The effectiveness of the products can be expressed as a percentage of full effectiveness, where hair loss is completely normalized. The effectiveness of the products for which scientific evidence is available is as follows (estimates): Minoxidil lotion: 25% Diane pill, Yasmin pill or Yaz pill: 25% Trix Basic Alpha + Trix Basic Beta: 25% Aminexil: 20% Androcur: 20% Other nutritional supplements: 0-10% Shampoos with Aminexil: 5% Other shampoos and lotions: 0-2% The effectiveness of the various products should not be added together. However, the effectiveness of one product can be improved slightly if another product is used. In addition, treatments are offered for which there is also only weak evidence that they inhibit the process of hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. Examples of such treatments are light and laser treatments and the injection of vitamins and minerals into the scalp (PRP, mesotherapy). These are not carried out at Intermedica.
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What about finasteride and dutasteride for women?The drugs finasteride and dutasteride have been prescribed for a long time and with good clinical results to women with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia by the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic. These medicines are prescribed off-label. Off-label use of medicines means that they are prescribed for a purpose or in a different way than that for which they were approved. This is done based on a doctor's professional assessment. This is legally permitted. Finasteride and dutasteride were originally approved and prescribed for the treatment of prostate problems, but in low doses they also appear to be effective in preventing hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia, a so-called positive side effect. Finasteride and dutasteride affect the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your blood. DHT is an important substance in the development of the male genitalia. This development starts in the womb and continues in men until the end of puberty. To prevent any risk (however small it may be!) of a genital abnormality in a male fetus, the prescription of finasteride and dutasteride is subject to strict rules.* The Intermedica clinic can prescribe finasteride or dutasteride to women under certain conditions. These conditions are: there is infertility (post-menopausal, sterilization) or finasteride or dutasteride is the only possible treatment in your situation (other treatments have proven to be ineffective or insufficiently effective) and you have been fully informed about the advantages and disadvantages of finasteride/dutasteride and you sign a statement about this (“informed consent”) and consultation has taken place with the pharmacy that supplies the medicine. It is solely the dermatologist who assesses and decides on each patient and circumstance. By the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic in 2013 in collaboration with internationally renowned trichologists conducted a retrospective study on the effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride when used by women with androgenetic alopecia. You can read the results of this research here or download it in PDF format below. PDF scientific publication: “The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia”. Ids H. Boersma, Arnold P. Oranje, Ramon Grimalt, Matilde Iorizzo, Bianca M. Piraccini, Emiel H. Verdonschot *The Lareb side effects center received ten reports of possible side effects of finasteride/dutasteride in women in the period between 2005 and 2014. Two of these reports concerned the use of finasteride during pregnancy. On this basis, pharmacies are advised not to supply finasteride and dutasteride to fertile women. You can find Lareb's full message here.
Hair loss in women due to 'stress'
Telogen effluvium
This form of hair loss in women can be caused by various physical or psychological stressors, such as high fever, infections, anemia, surgeries, accidents, emotional problems, strict diets or alcohol abuse.
After giving birth, many women experience a phase of telogen effluvium. The hair root stops growing and retreats more quickly in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle, resulting in increased hair loss when brushing or running your hands through the hair. Fortunately, the hair usually grows back after about six months.
In some cases, there may be a chronic telogen effluvium, where excessive hair loss in women persists for many months or even years. If you lose more than the average 100 hairs per day, this may indicate telogen effluvium and it is important to have this examined.
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What causes androgenetic alopecia?Each hair follicle can produce a hair approximately 20 times per lifetime, after which it dies. Because each hair remains in the hair follicle for three to five years, a person would only experience baldness after 60 to 90 years. Baldness at a young age with a hereditary cause is caused by the degree of sensitivity of certain hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT is formed from the hormone testosterone under the influence of an enzyme (5-alpha-reductase, types I and II). The DHT binds to the androgen receptor (a 'biological magnet') of the hair follicle, which therefore has less blood flow. The growth phase of the hair is therefore shortened from three to five years to just a few months. The affected hairs become finer and shorter with each hair cycle and the hair follicle eventually dies at an accelerated rate. If this process occurs in many hair follicles, the hair becomes thinner. The number of androgen receptors a person has is genetically determined and that explains why some people go bald and others do not.
-
What treatment options are there for androgenetic alopecia?There are quite a few products and treatments that claim to have an effect on stopping hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (hereditary baldness). Every two months a new shampoo, lotion or nutritional supplement comes onto the market with claimed effectiveness. Unfortunately, these claims are usually empty promises and the effect cannot be scientifically proven. However, there are also plenty of options whose effectiveness has been proven in scientific studies. Below is an overview of the treatment options used at Intermedica. The effectiveness of the products can be expressed as a percentage of full effectiveness, where hair loss is completely normalized. The effectiveness of the products for which scientific evidence is available is as follows (estimates): Minoxidil lotion: 25% Diane pill, Yasmin pill or Yaz pill: 25% Trix Basic Alpha + Trix Basic Beta: 25% Aminexil: 20% Androcur: 20% Other nutritional supplements: 0-10% Shampoos with Aminexil: 5% Other shampoos and lotions: 0-2% The effectiveness of the various products should not be added together. However, the effectiveness of one product can be improved slightly if another product is used. In addition, treatments are offered for which there is also only weak evidence that they inhibit the process of hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. Examples of such treatments are light and laser treatments and the injection of vitamins and minerals into the scalp (PRP, mesotherapy). These are not carried out at Intermedica.
-
What about finasteride and dutasteride for women?The drugs finasteride and dutasteride have been prescribed for a long time and with good clinical results to women with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia by the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic. These medicines are prescribed off-label. Off-label use of medicines means that they are prescribed for a purpose or in a different way than that for which they were approved. This is done based on a doctor's professional assessment. This is legally permitted. Finasteride and dutasteride were originally approved and prescribed for the treatment of prostate problems, but in low doses they also appear to be effective in preventing hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia, a so-called positive side effect. Finasteride and dutasteride affect the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your blood. DHT is an important substance in the development of the male genitalia. This development starts in the womb and continues in men until the end of puberty. To prevent any risk (however small it may be!) of a genital abnormality in a male fetus, the prescription of finasteride and dutasteride is subject to strict rules.* The Intermedica clinic can prescribe finasteride or dutasteride to women under certain conditions. These conditions are: there is infertility (post-menopausal, sterilization) or finasteride or dutasteride is the only possible treatment in your situation (other treatments have proven to be ineffective or insufficiently effective) and you have been fully informed about the advantages and disadvantages of finasteride/dutasteride and you sign a statement about this (“informed consent”) and consultation has taken place with the pharmacy that supplies the medicine. It is solely the dermatologist who assesses and decides on each patient and circumstance. By the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic in 2013 in collaboration with internationally renowned trichologists conducted a retrospective study on the effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride when used by women with androgenetic alopecia. You can read the results of this research here or download it in PDF format below. PDF scientific publication: “The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia”. Ids H. Boersma, Arnold P. Oranje, Ramon Grimalt, Matilde Iorizzo, Bianca M. Piraccini, Emiel H. Verdonschot *The Lareb side effects center received ten reports of possible side effects of finasteride/dutasteride in women in the period between 2005 and 2014. Two of these reports concerned the use of finasteride during pregnancy. On this basis, pharmacies are advised not to supply finasteride and dutasteride to fertile women. You can find Lareb's full message here.
Patchy baldness
Alopecia areata
With patchy baldness, medically known as "alopecia areata", hair loss can occur in the form of round or oval patches without scarring. This form of baldness is caused by a malfunction in the immune system. Although there are no physical complaints, the condition can cause concern and fear for the patient and their family.
The size of the round spots can vary, either becoming larger or smaller. The bald spots can become completely or partially covered with hair again. After the bald spots disappear, they can remain absent for a long period of time, but they can also return after a few months. The course of spot baldness is therefore unpredictable and can vary from person to person.
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What causes androgenetic alopecia?Each hair follicle can produce a hair approximately 20 times per lifetime, after which it dies. Because each hair remains in the hair follicle for three to five years, a person would only experience baldness after 60 to 90 years. Baldness at a young age with a hereditary cause is caused by the degree of sensitivity of certain hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT is formed from the hormone testosterone under the influence of an enzyme (5-alpha-reductase, types I and II). The DHT binds to the androgen receptor (a 'biological magnet') of the hair follicle, which therefore has less blood flow. The growth phase of the hair is therefore shortened from three to five years to just a few months. The affected hairs become finer and shorter with each hair cycle and the hair follicle eventually dies at an accelerated rate. If this process occurs in many hair follicles, the hair becomes thinner. The number of androgen receptors a person has is genetically determined and that explains why some people go bald and others do not.
-
What treatment options are there for androgenetic alopecia?There are quite a few products and treatments that claim to have an effect on stopping hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (hereditary baldness). Every two months a new shampoo, lotion or nutritional supplement comes onto the market with claimed effectiveness. Unfortunately, these claims are usually empty promises and the effect cannot be scientifically proven. However, there are also plenty of options whose effectiveness has been proven in scientific studies. Below is an overview of the treatment options used at Intermedica. The effectiveness of the products can be expressed as a percentage of full effectiveness, where hair loss is completely normalized. The effectiveness of the products for which scientific evidence is available is as follows (estimates): Minoxidil lotion: 25% Diane pill, Yasmin pill or Yaz pill: 25% Trix Basic Alpha + Trix Basic Beta: 25% Aminexil: 20% Androcur: 20% Other nutritional supplements: 0-10% Shampoos with Aminexil: 5% Other shampoos and lotions: 0-2% The effectiveness of the various products should not be added together. However, the effectiveness of one product can be improved slightly if another product is used. In addition, treatments are offered for which there is also only weak evidence that they inhibit the process of hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. Examples of such treatments are light and laser treatments and the injection of vitamins and minerals into the scalp (PRP, mesotherapy). These are not carried out at Intermedica.
-
What about finasteride and dutasteride for women?The drugs finasteride and dutasteride have been prescribed for a long time and with good clinical results to women with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia by the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic. These medicines are prescribed off-label. Off-label use of medicines means that they are prescribed for a purpose or in a different way than that for which they were approved. This is done based on a doctor's professional assessment. This is legally permitted. Finasteride and dutasteride were originally approved and prescribed for the treatment of prostate problems, but in low doses they also appear to be effective in preventing hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia, a so-called positive side effect. Finasteride and dutasteride affect the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your blood. DHT is an important substance in the development of the male genitalia. This development starts in the womb and continues in men until the end of puberty. To prevent any risk (however small it may be!) of a genital abnormality in a male fetus, the prescription of finasteride and dutasteride is subject to strict rules.* The Intermedica clinic can prescribe finasteride or dutasteride to women under certain conditions. These conditions are: there is infertility (post-menopausal, sterilization) or finasteride or dutasteride is the only possible treatment in your situation (other treatments have proven to be ineffective or insufficiently effective) and you have been fully informed about the advantages and disadvantages of finasteride/dutasteride and you sign a statement about this (“informed consent”) and consultation has taken place with the pharmacy that supplies the medicine. It is solely the dermatologist who assesses and decides on each patient and circumstance. By the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic in 2013 in collaboration with internationally renowned trichologists conducted a retrospective study on the effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride when used by women with androgenetic alopecia. You can read the results of this research here or download it in PDF format below. PDF scientific publication: “The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia”. Ids H. Boersma, Arnold P. Oranje, Ramon Grimalt, Matilde Iorizzo, Bianca M. Piraccini, Emiel H. Verdonschot *The Lareb side effects center received ten reports of possible side effects of finasteride/dutasteride in women in the period between 2005 and 2014. Two of these reports concerned the use of finasteride during pregnancy. On this basis, pharmacies are advised not to supply finasteride and dutasteride to fertile women. You can find Lareb's full message here.
Baldness in the front hairline
Frontal fibrosing alopecia
Frontal fibrosing alopecia, also known as FFA, is a chronic inflammatory form of hair loss that mainly affects women after menopause. It can be characterized by the gradual retreat of the hairline at the front and sides of the scalp, often accompanied by redness, itching and a burning sensation. Although the exact cause of FFA is unknown, it is believed to be an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes scarring.
Diagnosis of FFA is made on the basis of clinical examination and sometimes a skin biopsy. There are treatment options available for FFA to slow the progression of the condition.
The condition can be persistent, eventually disappearing, but will sometimes cause irreversible hair loss.
-
What causes androgenetic alopecia?Each hair follicle can produce a hair approximately 20 times per lifetime, after which it dies. Because each hair remains in the hair follicle for three to five years, a person would only experience baldness after 60 to 90 years. Baldness at a young age with a hereditary cause is caused by the degree of sensitivity of certain hair follicles to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT is formed from the hormone testosterone under the influence of an enzyme (5-alpha-reductase, types I and II). The DHT binds to the androgen receptor (a 'biological magnet') of the hair follicle, which therefore has less blood flow. The growth phase of the hair is therefore shortened from three to five years to just a few months. The affected hairs become finer and shorter with each hair cycle and the hair follicle eventually dies at an accelerated rate. If this process occurs in many hair follicles, the hair becomes thinner. The number of androgen receptors a person has is genetically determined and that explains why some people go bald and others do not.
-
What treatment options are there for androgenetic alopecia?There are quite a few products and treatments that claim to have an effect on stopping hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (hereditary baldness). Every two months a new shampoo, lotion or nutritional supplement comes onto the market with claimed effectiveness. Unfortunately, these claims are usually empty promises and the effect cannot be scientifically proven. However, there are also plenty of options whose effectiveness has been proven in scientific studies. Below is an overview of the treatment options used at Intermedica. The effectiveness of the products can be expressed as a percentage of full effectiveness, where hair loss is completely normalized. The effectiveness of the products for which scientific evidence is available is as follows (estimates): Minoxidil lotion: 25% Diane pill, Yasmin pill or Yaz pill: 25% Trix Basic Alpha + Trix Basic Beta: 25% Aminexil: 20% Androcur: 20% Other nutritional supplements: 0-10% Shampoos with Aminexil: 5% Other shampoos and lotions: 0-2% The effectiveness of the various products should not be added together. However, the effectiveness of one product can be improved slightly if another product is used. In addition, treatments are offered for which there is also only weak evidence that they inhibit the process of hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia. Examples of such treatments are light and laser treatments and the injection of vitamins and minerals into the scalp (PRP, mesotherapy). These are not carried out at Intermedica.
-
What about finasteride and dutasteride for women?The drugs finasteride and dutasteride have been prescribed for a long time and with good clinical results to women with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia by the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic. These medicines are prescribed off-label. Off-label use of medicines means that they are prescribed for a purpose or in a different way than that for which they were approved. This is done based on a doctor's professional assessment. This is legally permitted. Finasteride and dutasteride were originally approved and prescribed for the treatment of prostate problems, but in low doses they also appear to be effective in preventing hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia, a so-called positive side effect. Finasteride and dutasteride affect the amount of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your blood. DHT is an important substance in the development of the male genitalia. This development starts in the womb and continues in men until the end of puberty. To prevent any risk (however small it may be!) of a genital abnormality in a male fetus, the prescription of finasteride and dutasteride is subject to strict rules.* The Intermedica clinic can prescribe finasteride or dutasteride to women under certain conditions. These conditions are: there is infertility (post-menopausal, sterilization) or finasteride or dutasteride is the only possible treatment in your situation (other treatments have proven to be ineffective or insufficiently effective) and you have been fully informed about the advantages and disadvantages of finasteride/dutasteride and you sign a statement about this (“informed consent”) and consultation has taken place with the pharmacy that supplies the medicine. It is solely the dermatologist who assesses and decides on each patient and circumstance. By the dermatologists of the Intermedica Clinic in 2013 in collaboration with internationally renowned trichologists conducted a retrospective study on the effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride when used by women with androgenetic alopecia. You can read the results of this research here or download it in PDF format below. PDF scientific publication: “The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia”. Ids H. Boersma, Arnold P. Oranje, Ramon Grimalt, Matilde Iorizzo, Bianca M. Piraccini, Emiel H. Verdonschot *The Lareb side effects center received ten reports of possible side effects of finasteride/dutasteride in women in the period between 2005 and 2014. Two of these reports concerned the use of finasteride during pregnancy. On this basis, pharmacies are advised not to supply finasteride and dutasteride to fertile women. You can find Lareb's full message here.
Are you worried about your hair?
We can help!
Do you notice that your hair is getting thinner? Are you losing more hair than normal? Has your hairline changed compared to the past? Are you concerned about the decline in quality of your hair and do you want to know what you can do?
Our dermatologists are experts in the field of hair problems.
During a consultation, a thorough diagnosis is made and the treatment options are discussed with you in detail, together with what you can expect. We understand that hair loss can have an emotional impact and our team of professionals are ready to support you and provide the best possible solutions.
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