Hair is so intrinsically linked with our identity, both for men and women. But for women, it’s also a sign of femininity, a way to express ourselves and a social standards. When it starts to fall out – whether because of hormonal fluctuations or genetic predispositions – it can be a really tough pill to swallow.

Whether you’re concerned about the amount of hair you find in your brush every morning or are at the stage where you are considering a hair transplant, read our article to find out more about hair loss, losing your confidence and what you can do to pick it all back up again.

The Causes Of Hair Loss

Depending on the severity of your hair loss, you may already know the cause. The most common type for women is hormonal changes, followed by stress. Hormonal changes can be because of contraception, pregnancy, menopause or anything that fuels or dramatically impacts the hormones in your body.

For most women, hormonal hair loss is repairable over time. Stress, the big monster on our backs, sometimes also comes with the added joy of losing your locks – which doesn’t help the situation. The only advice for stopping this kind of hair loss is to remove the source of stress or find a way to manage it. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done as this could involve major lifestyle changes or require a long-term process.

Environmental and conditioning things, like heat styling and over-pulling or certain grooming practices can cause hair to fall out. If you often use heat or pull the hair tight against the head or into a really tight style, you might have triggered traction alopecia.

The other cause of hair loss is female pattern baldness. Most people have heard of male pattern baldness but are unaware that it also occurs in women. This can be a receding hair line but is more likely to be a deepening in the parting and losing hair around the temples or on the crown.

The Impact On Your Mental Health & Self Confidence

Hair loss for everyone can be distressing. However, for women, it can be particularly distressing because, unlike other conditions, it cannot be hidden permanently. This means a lot of people become hyper alert and traumatised by their loss, worried that people will discover a bald spot. Anecdotal reports indicate that it can trigger OCD, anxiety, depression and other serious mental health concerns.

Dermatologists and hair loss specialists indicate that whilst hair loss, brought about by non-medically concerning triggers – is not life threatening, “it is life altering” because of the impact on confidence. Some women have refused to leave the house.

What You Can Do To Revive Yourself & Your Hair

Come To Terms – Your attitude to your hair is self-constructed and imposed by societal pressures and standards. Although you may believe them to be true, they are mouldable. You can choose something different. Hair loss can be a completely natural thing, especially because of hormonal changes after pregnancy or as you age. You can choose to cut and re-style your hair to reclaim your confidence and redefine your style and their beauty standards.

Consult Your Diet – Anaemics, low iron, low B12, those lacking protein – there are so many deficiencies that can cause radical hair loss. However, to fight hair loss, you might consider changing your diet to bolster health-hair vitamins and minerals to boost your growth. Although it might not help you regain lost hair, it could slow down the rate of loss.

Consult Your Doctor – Hair loss can be the first sign of an underlying issue, including those that occur in the pancreas, the thyroid and the liver. Don’t panic, you might just want to consult your doctor to make sure everything is okay. Once you know what you’re dealing with, your perspectives on hair loss may well change.

Consider A Hair Transplant – A Hair Transplant may seem like a dramatic commitment, but it is the only permanent solution to combat hair loss. It is suitable for the very vast majority of patients and you can have more control over how new hair can grow. Sophisticated procedures don’t even require you to shave your head any more, the recovery period is minimal and you’ll be back to looking – and feeling – more like your old self, in no time.