Starting from the distant past to the present day, hair has always been very important to female beauty and it has been the most distinct difference from men.  This is one of the reasons that women panic when they see that they are losing their hair. This fear is unfortunately greatly supported by the fact that statistically more and more women are losing their hair even at a younger age.

Hair loss in men and women differs in many ways. Male hair loss is mainly of androgen type while in females there can be a number of other causes.

Androgenetic alopecia or simply hereditary hair loss, is caused from the existence of male hormones that intervene and interrupt the conventional Hair Cycle. The male hormone testosterone is transformed by the existence of the so called 5 Alpha Redactuce enzyme, into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This hormone attacks the hair follicle and over time makes it thinner and shorter and gradually miniaturised.

Androgenetic alopecia can also be present in women, but it is not the most common cause of female hair loss. There are several other causes which can be hormonal imbalances, particularly after childbirth or the menopause, after-effects of a serious surgical procedure, emotional stress, sudden weight loss, hormonal treatments, polycystic ovaries, thyroid problems, medication side effects, emotional shock and anaemia.

In addition, women can have what is known as “traction alopecia”, which is the result of tight hairstyles like braiding over long periods of time. This constant traction weakens the follicle resulting in destroying it and gradually loosing the hair.  With this type of hair loss, hair is lost from the hairline backwards.

Female hair loss pattern is depicted by the Ludwing Scale. A common characteristic of the presence of androgenetic alopecia in females is that women mainly lose hair on the top part of the scalp and less on the sides, back and hairline.

Ludwing Hair loss Scale is illustrated below:

Stage 1  Stage 2  Stage 3

In order to treat female hair loss, we need to examine the causes. We have three main treatment routes:

a) Medical Trichology Treatment
b) Hair Transplant
c) Combination of the two

The best way to diagnose the female hair loss type is with a personal consultation. The diagnostic procedure sometimes will include a blood test, to determine whether hair loss is of androgenetic type or due to other hormonal imbalances or blood deficiencies.
The final diagnosis will determine the benefits of a medical trichology treatment regime and whether a hair transplant is a viable option for resolving the problem.

Hair Transplant is a simple routine operation, where naturally growing hair follicles are transferred from the donor area to the recipient area in order to achieve adequate coverage of the bald area and an aesthetically natural result. (We have explained the Hair Transplant Procedure in great detail in previous sections).

The following steps are taken before deciding to proceed with hair transplantation:

• Personal consultation to examine if you are a good candidate for hair transplantation.
• Examination of the donor area to determine the maximum number of follicular units that can be obtained.
• Examination of the  recipient area so to determine the final number of grafts needed to cover it
• Skin elasticity
• The cost of the procedure

When the decision is made:

• Explanation of pre operative instructions
• Medical history report
• Photographic record of recipient area for evaluating the result.
• The procedure itself, which is carried over a few hours
• Proceed with hair transplantation which will last for a few hours

It should be noted that male and female  hair transplantation has two basic differences:

Α)  Α)  In most female cases, follicular units are placed between existing hair which requires an extra amount of care from the medical team to avoid shocking the adjacent hair. To achieve that, the medical team must have the experience of working successfully with existing hair.

B) Hair loss in women is more diffused which means that hair is thinning more on the top part of the head and less at the sides and back. In men however, the hair is lost, in many cases, completely on the top of the head with no hair loss at the sides and back. Since the hair to be transplanted is taken from the back and sides, the donor area should have enough density so the harvesting process produces enough follicles to cover successfully the recipient area. This can be determined during the initial personal consultation or even by having clear photos of the donor and the recipient area.

HDC Hair Clinic specialises in female hair transplantation with very good results and understands how personal and emotional this decision is. We would only recommend this type of procedure to good female candidates.

This is a once in a lifetime decision and HDC wants to ensure you make the right one. We are here to offer correct and impartial information.

See below our hair transplant results in women:

BEFORE	AFTER

BEFORE	AFTER

BEFORE	AFTER

 Click on the images to see more photos