Men are more prone to hair loss than women because of the effects of the hormone testosterone. And most of the medical treatments for baldness are geared toward the male pattern baldness. However, there are also women who suffer from hair loss and this condition is causing much more distress and loss of self-confidence to women than in men. There are several causes for hair loss in women foremost of which is the inherited female pattern balding. Other causes include medical conditions and hormonal imbalances such as low thyroid and high testosterone levels as well as low iron levels, pregnancy and extreme dieting.
Surgical procedures that are used extensively and almost exclusively for male pattern baldness can be risky when it comes to hair restoration for women. Hair loss patterns in women is much different compared to those in men because in women alopecia, there is a general thinning of the hair in the whole head area where hair grows, which includes the back and side parts. In men, these parts are the source of donor dominant hairs which continue to grow despite being transplanted or grafted to a bald spot. In women, this is not necessarily the case so that the transplanted hairs could fall off after some time. However, it is very much possible to surgically achieve hair restoration for women nowadays because of advances in medical procedures and techniques. A qualified and a very highly skilled surgeon with years of experience should make this procedure in women. Hairline augmentation is also not much of a problem for women because they almost always retain their hairline as baldness in women usually affects the back and top parts of the head only. Usually, the hair transplant surgical procedure used in men called follicle unit transplant is also used in women but with certain procedural modifications because of these distinct hair loss characteristics in women.
Topical hair loss treatments such as Minoxidil can also be used for women but in strengths milder than those recommended for men. A topical hair restoration formula with only 2% Minoxidil is so far the only FDA-approved hair restoration for women, having been clinically tested with positive effects.