Treating Hair Loss in Women

Hair loss is one of the most overwhelming, sad, frustrating, and stress-inducing things 
you can deal with, especially as a woman. This is one of those things you never think 
will happen to you, and when it does, you are surprised by the toll it has taken on your 
mental health. 

For women, hair becomes a part of who you are, what you represent, and your identity. 
Hair loss is often frustrating because you don’t know what is causing it or how to stop it. 
What Causes Hair Loss in Women?

Before you look at the different hair loss remedies and re-growth methods, you need to 
consider why you started to lose your hair. In many cases, resolving the cause is what 
is going to help stop the excessive hair shedding and breakage, and start allowing new 
hair growth to emerge.

Some common causes of hair loss in women include:

Medical conditions – A lot of times, your doctor can help with your hair loss by running 
a series of tests. Medical conditions like hormonal imbalances, PCOS, thyroid 
conditions, and autoimmune conditions can lead to hair loss. Getting bloodwork done 
can help you determine if you might have one of these conditions.

Stress – Emotional and physical stress can both play a big role in your hair health. You 
might notice that you are playing or pulling your hair more than usual, or you just shed a 
lot more in the shower. Emotional stress from big changes like losing a job, moving, or 
getting a divorce can cause hair loss. The same can be said of major physical changes, 
like having a surgical procedure or trauma.

Nutrient deficiencies – Some people experience more hair loss and breakage from not 
getting enough vitamins and minerals in their diet. Some nutrients you should check 
include iron, zinc, protein, vitamins A and K, vitamin E, and vitamin B.

Unhealthy hair – In other people, the hair loss is caused by how you treat your hair. 
Perhaps you need a protein treatment, you are coloring your hair too much or using a 
lot of products with chemicals that your scalp or hair doesn’t agree with.

As you can see, there are a wide range of causes for hair loss in women. Luckily, it is a 
short-term issue in many cases. Here are some ways you can treat hair loss.

1. Diagnosing Medical Conditions

As you know, medical conditions and overall health can have a large impact on your 
hair, including hair loss and the lack of new hair growth. Everyone sheds up to 100 or 
more hairs a day, but you don’t often notice it as being a problem because you 
constantly have new hair growth. However, if you have a condition that is keeping you 
from growing new hair, that might be when you start to notice the thinning.

The first thing you should do is find out if you have any medical conditions that might be 
contributing to the hair loss. Here are some of the more common ones and how to 
diagnose them:

Thyroid and Autoimmune Conditions

Among the different conditions that can cause hair loss, thyroid and autoimmune 
conditions are among the most common. Hypothyroidism frequently causes hair loss 
and thinning, which may start gradual at first unless you get it treated properly. 
Autoimmune conditions can also cause inflammation of the body and scalp, which 
prevents new hair growth.

Simple blood tests can be performed to look for these medical conditions, as well as 
others found at the same time, like nutrient deficiencies and anemia. In both cases, 
medications and supplements can help greatly to treat the condition, which should also 
help you re-grow your lost hair.

Hormonal Imbalances

You may also have hormonal issues related to your cycle, reproductive conditions, and 
many other issues.  A hormonal imbalance can lead to hair loss without proper 
treatment. These don’t have a lot of symptoms, so it is good to ask your doctor to check 
your hormones if you start losing your hair and can’t find another cause for it. 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that causes cysts to appear in 
your ovaries. You might have already suspected you have PCOS by unexplained weight 
gain, mood swings, new hair growth on the face, and hair loss on the head. The 
hormonal check will also look for this condition, which can be treated with a few different 
methods.


2. Nutritional Deficiencies

The next way to treat your hair loss is to look at what you eat and what types of 
nutritional deficiencies you might be suffering from. This is another very common cause 
of hair loss and general lack of proper hair health. 

Tip: One way to see if your nutrition might be the cause of your hair loss is to look at the 
health of your nails. Both your hair and nails rely on protein and other similar nutrients, 
so if your nails are dry and cracking, your hair loss might also be from a nutrient 
deficiency.

Common Nutritional Deficiencies

There are quite a few deficiencies that can be related to hair loss, but here are some of 
the most common ones to be aware of:

Protein 
Iron 
Zinc 
B vitamins 
Vitamin D 
Vitamin A 
Vitamin K

If you don’t think you get enough of some of these vitamins, you might experience hair 
loss, general illness, fatigue, and many other issues. Your doctor can run bloodwork to 
determine which, if any, of these deficiencies you currently have.

Some of them are also related to other conditions, like anemia. If you have been told 
you are anemic or borderline anemic, you probably have very low iron, which can also 
lead to hair loss. If you have been on a crash diet, you might be too low on protein, 
which can also severely affect your hair health.

Supplements or Food?

Once you have figured out which vitamins or minerals you need to increase in your diet, 
you will need to decide how to do this. The two main options are to take a supplement 
or choose food options for the nutrients. Here are some things to consider when making 
your choice:

Do you have severe food restrictions? – Some people on crash diets or with food 
restrictions due to allergies need to take the supplement. This is because it is very 
difficult getting the right nutrients from your diet, whether you have severe acid reflux 
and can’t have any citrus fruits for vitamin C, or you don’t like meat and therefore your 
protein is a little lower than it should be.

How likely are you to take supplements? – On the other hand, some people find it 
easier to adjust their diet instead of remembering to take pills each day. Really think 
about your own habits and what would be easier for you to stick to.

How much of the nutrient do you need from food? – Lastly, consider how much food 
you would need for the nutrient deficiency in order to get your minimum amount. It is 
great to know you need more vitamin D, but you can’t eat dairy and don’t get outside 
much, so obviously taking a supplement in this case is the better option.

Eating a Balanced Diet

In many cases, you don’t need to see a doctor for a confirmation of your deficiencies. 
As long as you start eating a balanced diet with whole, fresh foods, you should be 
getting all the nutrients you need. Just try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and 
veggies, lean protein, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats, and that should provide all you 
need. 

3. Lifestyle Changes

Once you have determined whether or not you have a medical condition related to your 
hair loss and understand more about nutrition and how it can affect your hair, the next 
thing to work on is your daily lifestyle. There are many things in your daily life that could 
positively or negatively effect your hair growth and how much it sheds.

Here are some things to think about when you want to reduce hair loss and start 
growing some of it back.

Reduce Your Stress Levels

It can be a little frustrating when your doctor assumes everything wrong with you is from 
stress, but the reason they often ask about your stress levels is because it affects 
people so much. Both mentally and physically, so it’s not just your emotions and mental 
state, but you can get physically ill from stress and yes, lose your hair.

If you have been under a lot of stress lately, the best thing you can do is to start finding 
stress relief methods. What you choose to do to relieve your own stress will depend 
largely on where your stress is coming from, but here are some ideas to help get you 
started:

Consider who is causing your stress – While you can’t get rid of every stressful 
person in your life, there are some ways to either decrease your time with them, or let 
them know what they are doing. Some people just mean to vent and don’t realize it is 
affecting other people. Don’t be afraid to confront someone, whether it is a friend, 
relative, or co-worker.

Try a relaxing nighttime routine – Even if you can’t reduce stress during the day, such 
as from work or school, you can at least give your time to relax and unwind when you 
get home. Make it a habit to have a nighttime routine meant to relax your body and 
mind, such as taking a hot bath, using a diffuser with essential oils, reading a book, or 
just having quiet time with your family.

Get up a little earlier in the morning – If you find that you are stressed when you get 
to work in the morning because you are constantly rushing, you need to give yourself a 
little more time. Try setting your alarm an hour earlier than needed just so you have that 
extra time to get up and get ready, without causing even more stress and anxiety before 
your day has even started.

Get support and help when you need it – Your stress may come from something you 
can’t handle on your own. This is when it is okay to ask for help. This can be help with a 
sick relative, financial help, or talking to your supervisor about intense work stress.
Find a hobby or fun activity – Another way to relieve stress is simply to find an activity 
that will take your mind off it for a while. It can be as simple as reading a book, using an 
adult coloring book, or picking any of your favorite hobbies.

Develop Healthier Lifestyle Habits

You have already learned about changing your diet and eating more balanced meals in 
order to prevent nutrient deficiency. Not only is this a good idea, but there are some 
other ways to have healthy lifestyle habits. 

Here are some habits to start introducing into your life each day:

Drink plenty of water 
Focus on nutrition with every meal and snack 
Get enough sleep 
Reduce your stress 
Get regular exercise 
Stop smoking and drinking

4. Taking Care of Your Hair and Scalp

Now let’s talk about taking care of your scalp and your hair, both of which are vital if you 
want to treat your hair loss. One way hair loss in women is different from men is that it is 
less likely genetic, and more commonly related to the condition of your hair or scalp. 
Men can also have hair loss from these reasons, but it is slightly less common. If you 
don’t think you have a condition that is genetic, such as female pattern baldness, then 
these care tips might be useful to you.

Treat Your Dandruff

To start with, treat any scalp conditions you have, such as dry and itchy scalp, or 
dandruff. Dandruff might just be from the dry scalp, but it can also be from conditions 
like psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. When you have these conditions, they tend to 
increase hair shedding and breakage from all the itching and buildup, so you should 
treat them as soon as possible.

You can start with anti-dandruff shampoos that contain zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole, 
which are both antifungal ingredients to help get rid of the bacteria causing the buildup. 
There are natural shampoos with these ingredients if you want something a little less 
harsh. 

For some people, they see good results with tea tree oil on the scalp as well, but you 
might still need a clarifying shampoo on a routine basis to get rid of the buildup and 
dandruff.

Try a Coconut Oil Scalp Massage

Coconut oil and scalp massages really go hand-in-hand to improving your scalp and 
hair condition. The scalp massage helps with hair loss by increasing blood flow to your 
hair follicles, while the coconut oil can be nourishing for your scalp and condition your 
hair at the same time. You do want to rinse the oil out after the massage though, as it 
can cause more buildup and irritation on your scalp if left in.

Get Rid of the Heat Appliances

This may not be what you want to hear, but if you think your hair is damaged, that could 
be the reason you have more breakage and hair fall. You should consider at least 
reducing how much heat is applied to your hair, such as by letting your hair air dry 
instead of using a blow dryer, and styling it on some days without using a straightener 
or curly iron.

Use Essential Oils on Your Scalp

In addition to coconut oil, other oils can help dramatically with your scalp and hair loss, 
including essential oils. These of course need to be diluted since they are too potent for 
direct skin contact. You can dilute them with olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, or jojoba 
oil. Some essential oils that are great are:

Rosemary 
Chamomile 
Lavender 
Clary sage

Remember to be good to your scalp and always use gentle hair products, and you will 
be helping to reduce how much hair is falling out.

5. Standard Hair Loss Treatments

If you have a condition that is causing hair loss and it is not related to lifestyle choices or 
nutrient deficiencies, then you might need to try some standard hair loss treatments. 
These can be used alone or in combination with some of the natural remedies 
discussed here. 

Take a look at the more standard options for treating your hair loss:

Use Minoxidil
This is probably the most common treatment people use when they are experiencing 
hair loss. It is not going to slow down the shedding, but it will help you to re-grow some 
of the hair loss in many cases. Keep in mind that minoxidil (under Rogaine and other 
brands) takes several months to start making a difference, so you need to be 
consistent. 
It is also worth noting that this topical medication needs to be used even after you start 
seeing hair grow in. If you stop use, the hair might fall back out.
Try Laser Treatments
Another option to help re-grow patches of lost hair on your head is to use laser 
treatments. The laser treatments currently being used by dermatologists and 
trichologists help to lower inflammation in your hair follicles that is keeping you from 
generating new hair growth. This is another treatment that may take some time before 
you notice a difference.
Block DHT
Lastly, your hair loss might be from a hormone called DHT, which stands for 
Dihydrotestosterone. This hormone might cause some of your hair to fall out due to 
lowering the blood flow to your follicles. You will need a way to block DHT on your 
scalp, such as with a special shampoo.

