MICHAEL REED, MD: The orthodox view, meaning the
correct thinking view at the present time, is that women lose their hair,
most of them, for the same reason that men do -- from genetics. It's
called female pattern -- as opposed to male pattern -- androgenetic alopecia,
which means hair loss caused by a sensitivity to male type hormones, which
men and women both have. It's just that women have lower levels and
have an effect later than men. They're more protected by their estrogen
for a period of time, but it's for the same reason. It's just that
they have it happen later, it goes more slowly, and the pattern is such
that it's easier to cover it up than it is for men.
If I lose half my hair and it's on the top of my head,
I'm going to be bald. If I lose half my hair and I'm a woman, it's
diffused all over my head, it's just going to be thin hair or see-through
hair.
DAVID R. MARKS, MD: Are there some myths that women
have about what could cause their hair loss? Washing their hair too
vigorously?
NEIL SADICK, MD: People commonly feel that way when
they begin losing their hair on a genetic basis. They feel that anything
they do will cause the hair to accelerate, such as emotional trauma, washing
their hair too often, poor diets, but those truly are myths. I mean,
there is a new enzyme called aromatase that's felt to play a role in female
pattern hair loss. 5 alpha reductase is felt to be the major enzyme
in men. The pattern tends to be more diffuse, as has been mentioned,
in women, but it truly is a great trauma, and we need to educate women
more about hair loss, because there are some excellent treatments for them.
