What Causes Hair Loss In Women? — Female Hair Loss Explained 

Female pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in women, affecting up to 40% by age 50. It typically shows up as diffuse thinning on the crown or widening of the part line, not a receding hairline like in men. 

But it’s not the only cause. Stress, hormones, medical conditions, and even tight hairstyles can all trigger hair loss. If you’re worried about thinning hair, this article will explain the possible causes of your female hair loss and proven treatments to manage, stop, or even restore hair growth and your thinning zones. 

Why Am I Losing So Much Hair? 

It’s normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. But if you’re seeing more hair than usual in the shower, on your pillow, or in your brush, and it’s been happening for weeks, it’s time to take a closer look. The most common cause is female pattern baldness, aka androgenetic alopecia, and usually gradual. But excessive shedding can also be triggered by stress, hormones, medical conditions, and hairstyling practices. 

Causes of Hair Loss in Womens

Female Pattern Baldness

Female pattern baldness is the most common type of hair loss in women. It’s genetic and usually starts with a gradual thinning at the crown or a widening part. Unlike men, women don’t typically go bald, but may lose volume and density over time. 

This type of hair loss is linked to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT, a byproduct of testosterone. In women with a genetic sensitivity, DHT causes hair follicles to shrink, producing shorter, finer hairs over time until growth slows or stops.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is also one of the most common causes of sudden hair thinning in women. It happens when a large number of hair follicles shift from the growth phase (anagen) into the shedding phase (telogen) all at once.

This usually shows up as diffuse thinning—not patches—and can result in noticeable hair fall when brushing or washing your hair.

Triggers include:

• Physical or emotional stress
• Illness, surgery, or high fever
• Postpartum hormone shifts
• Crash diets or rapid weight loss
• Certain medications, including antidepressants, beta blockers, retinoids, birth control pills, and chemotherapy

This type of hair loss is usually temporary. Once the trigger is resolved, hair growth often returns to normal within 3 to 6 months.

Traction Alopecia

Wearing tight ponytails or braids every day? That could be why you’re losing hair. Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by repeated pulling or tension on the hair. It’s most common along the hairline and temples, where the tension is greatest. Styles like tight buns, braids, weaves, and extensions are frequent culprits.

Early signs include redness, bumps, or a thinning hairline. If caught early, the damage is reversible. But if the pulling continues, it can lead to permanent follicle damage. To prevent irreversible damage, switch to gentler styles and give your hair a break now and then. 

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where the body mistakenly attacks hair follicles, causing hair to fall out in small, round patches. It can affect the scalp, eyebrows, lashes, or other parts of the body. It often starts suddenly and may come and go. In some cases, it progresses to total scalp or full body hair loss.

The cause isn’t fully understood, but it’s linked to genetics, stress, and other autoimmune disorders. While there’s no cure, treatments like corticosteroid injections, topical immunotherapy, or minoxidil may help stimulate regrowth.

Vitamin Deficiency

Nutrient deficiencies are a common and often overlooked cause of hair loss in women. When your body lacks the essential vitamins and minerals, hair growth slows or stops altogether. The most common nutrient deficiencies in women that are important for hair growth include: 

• Iron
• Vitamin D
• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Zinc
• Protein 

While supplements can be helpful, only take hair growth supplements if a deficiency is confirmed by a blood test.

Scarring Alopecia 

Scarring alopecia, or cicatricial alopecia, is a less common but serious form of hair loss. It occurs when inflammation destroys hair follicles and replaces them with scar tissue, making the hair loss permanent. This type of hair loss is often linked to autoimmune disorders, chronic scalp conditions, or infections. Signs include redness, scaling, burning, pain, or noticeable scalp changes in areas of thinning.

Hair Loss Treatments for Women 

There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment for hair loss, but there are clinically-proven treatments that work. Some are over-the-counter, others require a prescription or an in-office procedure.

Topicals 

• Minoxidil: This is the only FDA-approved topical for female pattern hair loss. It’s available over the counter in 2% and 5% formulas. For better results, ZMIN is a prescription-strength topical that combines minoxidil with retinoic acid to boost absorption and ingredients that target inflammation, oxidation, and hormone-related hair loss. It’s a stronger, more effective formula than just regular minoxidil for both men and women.
• Z-Factors: This innovative treatment is a topical growth serum that combines powerful growth factors, peptides, and botanical extracts to support scalp health and hair regrowth. It’s often used alongside other treatments to enhance results. Unlike PRP, Z-Factors does not require drawing blood and injecting the scalp, so there’s no risk of inflammation. It’s a safer alternative to PRP. 

Oral Medication

Dutasteride and finasteride are oral medications that block the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that contributes to hair loss. Dutasteride is generally considered more effective than finasteride because it blocks both types of 5-alpha reductase enzymes, which are responsible for converting testosterone to DHT, while finasteride only blocks one type.  These medications are more commonly prescribed for men and only in special instances to women who are postmenopausal due the risk of serious birth defects in women who may become pregnant, are in their childbearing years, or who may be breastfeeding. 

A better medication option for women is oral minoxidil which improves blood flow to the scalp bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, supporting and promoting hair regrowth.

Finasteride is one of the most effective prescription treatments for male pattern baldness. It works by blocking 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. By reducing DHT levels, finasteride stops furt

Low-Level Laser Therapy

Laser hair therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses red light to stimulate blood flow and cellular activity in the scalp. This boosts oxygen and nutrients to the follicles, helping extend the hair growth phase and reduce shedding. It’s safe, painless, and cleared by the FDA for treating hair loss in both men and women.

For convenient, on-the-go treatment, the Z Cap offers clinical-strength laser therapy in a lightweight, wearable design. It delivers consistent, hands-free therapy in just minutes a day for at-home use or while multitasking. Laser therapy works best when used consistently and can be combined with other treatments like topicals or oral medications.

Hair Transplant

If you’ve tried medical treatments and your hair still isn’t growing back, it may be time to consider a hair transplant. It’s a good option if your hair loss is stable and you have enough donor hair at the back or sides of your scalp.

• MDEE(Microscopically Dissected Elliptical Excision): MDEE, formerly FUT, requires removing a thin, elliptical-shaped, strip of scalp from the back of your head which is slivered and dissected into individual follicular units by our highly-skilled Medical Tech Team.  These follicular units are placed at the proper angle and orientation into the recipient sites created by your surgeon in your balding and thinning areas. The MDEE procedure allows for a high number of grafts to be harvested in one surgical session, but it does leave a thin linear scar. But with expert surgical techniques, MDEE or FUT scars can be invisible to the untrained eye. 
• FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction): FUE is a minimally invasive hair transplant technique, but it does require that you shave the entire back and sides of your head. Your surgeon removes individual hair follicles one-at-a-time from the shaved-short or clipped donor zone. Next your surgeon creates the recipient sites in your thinning areas followed by the Medical Tech Team implanting the follicular units into those recipient sites.  There are no stitches, and the tiny extraction sites heal on their own leaving pinpoint scars. While FUE is a popular choice for hair transplant procedures, it is rarely recommended for women who often are uncomfortable shaving the back and sides of their head.  More importantly, the FUE harvest across the whole donor zone thins out the hair on the back and sides of the head which works for very short hair styles, but not necessarily for women who want to maintain as much fullness as possible on the back of their head. This is better achieved with an MDEE procedure. 

Both FUE and MDEE/strip FUT provide natural, permanent results when performed by an experienced, board-certified hair transplant surgeon.

Talk to a Hair Loss Doctor Near You.

Is thinning hair bothering you? Not sure what’s causing it? Get real answers and real results. For over 20 years, Ziering Medical has been the #1 choice for hair restoration in Beverly Hills with additional clinics in NYC and Greenwich, CT. 

Call us or visit a Ziering Medical clinic near you to book a consultation. We serve patients all over the greater Tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as the greater Southern California area from Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to Newport Beach and San Diego.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can low iron cause hair loss in women?

Yes. Low iron, especially ferritin, can lead to telogen effluvium, a type of diffuse hair shedding. It’s one of the most common nutritional causes of hair loss in women.

Does PCOS cause hair loss?

Yes. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can increase androgen levels, which may lead to thinning hair on the scalp and excess hair growth elsewhere on the body.

Can female hair loss be stopped?

In many cases, yes, especially if the cause is identified early. Treatments like minoxidil, laser therapy, or hair transplant can slow or reverse hair loss. 

How do I book a consultation? 

You can book a consultation with Ziering Medical by requesting a consultation or calling (866) 254-1953. We offer both in-person and virtual consultations in all our clinics. However, we provide virtual consultations exclusively to patients in Miami, West Palm Beach, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington DC, Salt Lake City, Raleigh, Charlotte, and San Jose.