Male pattern baldness is something that is expected – it’s often an inevitable part of life for men, and hair transplants and other hair loss treatments are thus sometimes marketed towards men. But what about female hair loss? Despite the fact that female pattern baldness affects many women worldwide, it is talked about much less than male pattern baldness. Of course, female hair loss isn’t just pattern baldness – there are many different causes. Women generally do more with their hair on a daily basis, like brushing and styling, which can sometimes contribute to accelerated hair loss. Female hair loss can also be caused by auto-immune diseases and genetics. It all depends – but the question is, why is male hair loss seen as more normal than female hair loss?
One reason why male hair loss is more widely accepted in today’s society may be that more men will experience hair loss in their lifetime. It is much rarer for women to experience female pattern baldness, than it is for male pattern baldness to take hold in a man’s scalp. Despite this, more women suffer from some sort of hair loss than you might think – perhaps there is a misconception because women often use wigs and extensions to cover up baldness, and are less inclined to talk about it. This might mean that you’ll be more likely to see a bald man walking around than a bald woman.
Another reason female hair loss might be seen as abnormal is the fact that women often suffer from hair loss later in their lifetime. Male pattern baldness can occur in a mans 20s, all the way up to old age, whereas women usually begin to see effects in their 50s. Seeing younger women about and about that are suffering with hair loss is quite rare.
Female hair loss is less likely to occur due to the lower amounts of DHT in women’s bodies. Pattern baldness is caused by this hormone, which attacks the hair follicles and prevents them from growing healthy hair. Men generally have more of the hormone, which can result in male pattern baldness when untreated. This may be another reason why female hair loss is seen as abnormal – since women have less DHT, we don’t necessarily see female hair loss as a looming problem. Female hair loss is more likely caused by pressure to the hair, instead of hormonal issues.
