Women’s hair loss

Hair loss in women is often female pattern hair loss, a widening parting with the frontal hairline kept. It can also be a shed after pregnancy, illness or low iron. The NHS says minoxidil can be used for female pattern baldness, and that women should not use finasteride.

See a GP if hair loss is sudden, patchy, or comes with illness, a rash, or other symptoms. The NHS asks for that conversation before a private clinic.

Women are not a smaller version of male pattern baldness. The part line, the timing after a pregnancy, and the blood tests are different often enough that they need their own front door.

What should you rule in first?

Read hair loss in women for the causes, then the page that matches the timing: postpartum, menopause, or iron deficiency. Patchy loss is alopecia areata, in women and men.

Minoxidil is the topical medicine the NHS names. Finasteride is not for women. Spironolactone is discussed in clinics, but the NHS page on PCOS mentions it for excess facial and body hair, not as a routine scalp prescription. That distinction is on the medical treatments hub.

Rosemary oil has one small trial, written up with the other home remedies. A red light hat is a different kind of thing, a device you wear, and the comparison is where those hats are set side by side.

Start here

• Hair loss in women: the causes Female pattern hair loss, shedding, iron, thyroid, PCOS and postpartum change. What UK sources actually say.
• Postpartum hair loss Shedding after pregnancy is a form of telogen effluvium. UK guidance describes the mechanism without a made-up recovery month.
• Menopause and hair loss Menopause is a hormone change, usually between 45 and 55. Hair loss at that age may be female pattern loss, and a GP should separate the two.
• Iron deficiency and hair loss Hair loss can be a symptom of iron deficiency anaemia. The NHS treats proven deficiency with iron tablets and food, not with a guessed ferritin number.
• Alopecia areata Alopecia areata is patchy, non-scarring hair loss. Mild patches may regrow. Severe disease has a NICE decision on ritlecitinib.
• Does minoxidil work? Minoxidil is an NHS treatment for pattern hair loss. It does not work for everyone, and it only works while you keep using it.
• GP, trichologist or dermatologist Start with a GP. A dermatologist is a specialist doctor. A trichologist is not a doctor unless they are also a doctor.
• Rosemary oil for hair growth One six-month trial found rosemary oil and minoxidil 2% both increased hair count, with no difference between them. That is the evidence.

Common questions

What causes hair loss in women?

Common explanations include female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium after stress or illness, postpartum shedding, iron deficiency, thyroid disease and PCOS. A GP can tell which fits.

Can women use minoxidil?

The NHS says minoxidil can be used to treat female pattern baldness. It does not work for everyone, and it only works while you use it.

Should women take finasteride?

No. The NHS says women should not use finasteride.

Related questions

• When is hair loss not just genetic?
• Can my GP prescribe hair-loss treatment?
• What is the best hair supplement in the UK?

Sources

1. NHS: Hair loss
2. NICE CKS: Female pattern hair loss
3. NHS: Iron deficiency anaemia

Keep reading

• Causes and conditions Male and female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, postpartum shedding, menopause, thyroid, iron and dandruff.
• Medical treatments Finasteride, dutasteride, oral minoxidil, spironolactone, PRP and hair transplants, plus who does what in the NHS.
• Supplements and hair growth UK advice on biotin, iron, vitamin D, zinc, collagen and branded hair supplements, without invented scores.