When a man begins to lose his hair, it is the cause of jokes amongst friends as well as an increase in hat purchases. As embarrassing as it may be for an individual, male hair loss is a very socially accepted condition. When a woman starts to notice thinning hair, it is another matter entirely. There are no sitcom jokes about a balding woman character, there are no bumper stickers aimed at females with hair loss, and there are no commercials telling women that there are options and that you're not alone. Our culture is simply silent on the subject.

The fact is, however, that there are over 30 million women with thinning hair. That's one out of every five females. But none of them are prepared for it. It comes as a complete shock due to the lack of information on the subject.

Female hair loss, like its male counterpart, is largely caused by genetics. If there is a history of hair loss in your mother, grandmothers, and aunts you may be susceptible to hair loss yourself. Other causes include heavy stress and illness as well as diets and medication.

If you're a woman in the 20% suffering from hair loss, the first thing to do is stop panicking. Stop stressing out. It only makes it worse. Your hair doesn't own you. Don't let it. Your friends will still be your friends. You won't lose your job. And the men who date you will actually be interested in you and not just your appearance.

So you're working on your attitude. You're learning to live with it. But that doesn't mean you have to just accept it. There are options out there to help you fight back.

Rogaine is the most popular treatment for balding men. There is also a Rogaine available for women. It'll cost you under $50 a month and has been clinically proven to help reduce hair loss. If you stick with it you just might see your hair loss slow down and, in some cases, even revert.

Propecia is another medication that is FDA approved to treat hair loss. It requires a prescription, however, so make an appointment with your doctor soon.

You can also look into wigs as a way to hide your thinning hair. Obviously this doesn't fix the problem, but it will make your life much more bearable. A good wig can be expensive, so it is up to you to decide how important it is.

By far the most important thing to remember, however, is that you are as beautiful as you ever were. In a culture that forces women to fit a mold, you may feel outcast. Don't let it change your life. You will find true people who will support you. You will find a man who will see past your thinning hair. Don't lose hope. And remember there are 30 million other women going through the same thing!

Ian Byrd hosts a website dedicated to balding treatments, with articles specializing in female hair loss.

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• What is the Cause Hair Loss?


• My Experience With Rogaine


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