Male pattern balding is the most common form of balding. The lesser known, and less talked about, form of balding, or alopecia, happens in women. Most people do not realize that hair loss in women is actually relatively common.

True, it is more common in older women and is thus associated with aging, but much of that has to do with hormonal changes. In menopause, a woman stops ovulating. Ovulation causes the release of estrogen, the female hormone, into the body.

When menopause takes place, a woman not only produces less estrogen but actually produces more of the male hormone, testosterone. All women produce some testosterone, but after menopause the ratio of testosterone to estrogen increases significantly.

Many women will experience a deepening of the voice, courser facial hair, and hair loss following menopause. However, testosterone alone is not the culprit. In fact it is the combination of 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme, with testosterone that produces DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), the cause of 95% of hair loss in both men and women.

While genetics play a role in how much DHT a woman produces, there are a few other rarer causes for hair loss in women. Some skin diseases can cause scarring of the hair follicles, leading to permanent hair loss. Unusually tight hair styles like cornrows, ponytails, or braids can lead to temporary hair loss.

Nutrient deficiencies, chemotherapy, and beta blockers can all cause temporary hair loss as well. These forms of temporary hair loss will repair naturally, with the reversal of the causal factor. But the permanent hair loss resulting from DHT production can only be resolved with hair restoration.