Hair loss in females is either transient or permanent. The permanent hair loss is known as alopecia. It can happen in any part of the body, but it is more visible in the scalp. Alopecia does not means that a person is ill, but it is a means of embarrassment.

Causes: Aging, hormones and genetics are the three factors that determine alopecia.

Alopecia areata causes patchy hair loss. It is an auto immune skin disease that causes bald patches on the scalp. It starts with small, circular, smooth, bald patches which sometimes results in complete hair loss.

Female pattern baldness: As a result of menopause, generalized hair loss is general in aged women. After menopause, aged women notice that the head hair is thinner in comparison to the facial hair. Generally, the hair loss degree in women is not very extensive to that of the males. Over sensitivity to the hormone testosterone is the main cause of alopecia in females. This generates a characteristic pattern of the hair loss. Women who have aged females in the family who are experiencing hair thinning are more likely to be a subject of androgenetic alopecia themselves.

Treatment options: Any women who are thinking about undergoing a treatment for alopecia should go for a treatment option that is approved by the established medical community only. Consult a good dermatologist who can diagnose alopecia areata by the appearance of the patches on the scalp.

A medication approved by the United States food and drug administration for the treatment of baldness patterns in the females is Minoxidil. This medication is used on the scalp only. Minoxidil has shown a minimum improvements in about 50% of women and temperate improvement in about 13% of the women. This medication is required to be applied two times a day. The progress of the treatment will stop if the patient stops its use.

Corticosteroids: These are injected in the bald patches. They may be effective in promoting re-growth. Get a skin biopsy if you have scarring patches on your head. The biopsy will help in diagnosing the cause. Topical corticosteroids or antifungal drugs can be used for treating the scarred areas. But if the damage is quite a lot and it has affected the follicles of the hair, then new hair growth is impossible.

Hair weaving, hairpieces, or change of hairstyle: All these hide the hair loss and improve the appearance. This is a less expensive and safe way of treating pattern baldness in the females. However, surgical stitching of the hair piece to the scalp is not advised as it can result in infection, scars and abscess of the scalp.

Remember never to use shampoos or pills that promise a miracle cure of the hair loss.