Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Female pattern baldness

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Alopecia in women; Baldness - female; Hair loss in women; Androgenetic alopecia in women


Symptoms

Hair thinning is different from that of male pattern baldness. In female pattern baldness:

  • Hair thins mainly on the top and crown of the scalp. It usually starts with a widening through the center hair part.
  • The front hairline remains
  • The hair loss rarely progresses to total or near total baldness, as it may in men

Itching or skin sores on the scalp are generally NOT seen.


Signs and tests

Female pattern baldness is usually diagnosed based on:

  • Ruling out other causes of hair loss
  • The appearance and pattern of hair loss
  • Your medical history

The doctor will examine you for other signs of too much male hormone (androgen), such as:

  • Abnormal new hair growth, such as on the face or between the belly button and pubic area.
  • Changes in menstrual periods and enlargement of the clitoris
  • New acne

A skin biopsy or other procedures or blood tests may be used to diagnose skin disorders that cause hair loss.

Analyzing the hair itself does not accurately diagnose nutritional or similar causes of hair loss, although it may reveal substances such as arsenic or lead.


Review Date: 03/10/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; and Roy Colven, MD, Dermatologist, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)