The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons, a non-profit of over 700 hair transplant doctors, is seeing a steady increase in the number of women undergoing hair restoration surgery. One such patient, Angela Roisten, battled hair loss most of her adult life. In Angela’s case, her hair loss was caused by pulling her hair into tight braids and weaves. The cause of hair loss in Angela’s case was twofold: Traction Alopecia and Female Pattern Hair Loss. Traction Alopecia is caused by friction, or a pulling tension on hairs. In most cases, if that stress is removed, hair grows back, but in some cases, where hair has been pulled tight or subject to friction for years, the follicles eventually die and are unable to produce more hair. Years of tight weaves and braids likely caused the condition in Angela’s case.

In addition to traction alopecia, Angela also suffered from a female pattern hair loss, a genetic condition. Like their male counterparts, some women will experience a generalized thinning of the hair as they get older. Women suffer the condition in varying degrees. In worst cases, women are left with a frontal fringe and very diffuse, see-through hair on the rest of the head. Unlike in men, the frontal hairline is not affected in women.

Minoxidil, the only hair loss drug approved for use in women, may result in a thickening of existing hairs, and in some cases grow hair, but for many women, Minoxidil does not stop hair loss.

Angela, like an increasing number of women, opted for a permanent solution to her hair loss: hair restoration surgery. She wasn’t willing to endure a lifetime of the inconvenience of wigs.

“Since we first started polling ISHRS members five years ago about trends in their practices, we found that the percent of hair restoration surgical patients worldwide who were female increased from 11.4 percent in 2004 to 13.8 percent in 2006 and 15.1 percent in 2008,” said Dr. Epstein. “Women simply do not want to be committed to wearing wigs and hair extensions, and baldness is not acceptable in women as it is in men.”

Source: PR-USA.net

Tags | female pattern hair loss, hair loss, hair loss in women, traction alopecia