Before undergoing any sort of treatment for hair loss, it is important to first consult your GP. Hair loss may have any number of different causes and it is vital that you are properly diagnosed as this will give you the best chance of getting the right treatment. Consultant dermatologists are experts in this field and you are likely to be referred to one by your GP.

Minoxidil is a form of medication that is often used to treat hair loss. Originally produced as a a treatment for those with high blood pressure, it was found that it also promoted hair growth.

Minoxidil is not effective in all patients and hair regrowth is only seen in a small percentage of those whose hair has already been lost. However, it does significantly slow the rate of hair loss and this is true in around 80 per cent of cases, with many even reporting that it stopped hair loss altogether.

Application
Supplied in lotion form, Minoxidil should be applied to the scalp twice a day. Very few side effects have been observed beyond occasional skin reactions in those who are allergic. A five per cent solution is recommended for men and a two per cent one for women.

For women suffering from problems with hair loss, the first place you will always need to turn is your GP. It is very important to get a formal and accurate diagnosis, as each condition is likely to have different methods of treatment even if the symptoms are the same.

Many women then consider hair replacement and hair loss treatment options offered at a few specialist clinics. These offer a different service from your doctor, as they focus on helping you manage your condition rather than providing a medical cure.

This said, it is very important to find the right clinic for you. Female hair loss is an extremely sensitive subject, as it can have a debilitating effect on the sufferers’ confidence, self-esteem and even their personal relationships.

Therefore, you ideally need to seek out a clinic specialising in the particulars of female hair loss, one which offers you the sort of realistic hair loss management options you were looking for, but in a reassuring and supportive environment.

In this sort of clinic, you will have the comfort of knowing that other women being treated are experiencing the same emotions, fears and concerns as you. Also important is clinic staff who understand what you are going through and are able to help you find a personally tailored solution.

The beauty pageant culture is huge in America, with thousands of young women competing every year to win be crowned their state’s beauty queen.

What you wouldn’t expect to see at these sort of competitions is a young woman who is completely bald, especially one who manages to win a state-wide competition. Breaking down all barriers when it comes to our modern perceptions of beauty, however, is 21-year-old Kayla Martell, who was recently crowned Miss Delaware.

Kayla has alopecia areata, an auto-immune condition where the immune system attacks the hair follicles and the hair falls out in patches. It does regrow in some sufferers after a year or so, but Kayla lost her hair as a teenager and it has not yet grown back.

Despite her condition, Kayla has competed in the Miss Delaware beauty pageant four times. She competed without her wig on three of the four occasions. After winning the competition thanks to her striking looks and inspiring attitude, Kayla is now on a mission to send other alopecia sufferers the message that “bald is beautiful”.

Speaking on US TV about removing her wig after the competition, Kayla said:

“I knew that I had to be on Miss America’s stage, and I had to get there somehow. I think I can be a better Miss Delaware and a better Miss America by taking the wig off.”

As with any medical condition, it is important to obtain an accurate diagnosis for hair loss before you can start any treatment. This is especially important with hair loss related conditions as the symptoms are often remarkably similar and the defining characteristics of a particular condition can be hard to spot.

For example, a child displaying symptoms of hair loss could have one of a number of different conditions. Alopecia areata is patchy hair loss where the skin remaining is perfectly smooth and without lesions, whereas Tinea Capitis (ringworm of the scalp) will cause bald patches where the skin may display scaling.

Both of these conditions cause hair loss, but the treatment for each is very different. There is no definitive cure for alopecia areata – although the hair is likely to grow back within a year or so if the patient is a child – whereas Tinea Capitis requires anti-fungal medicine to be ingested for effective treatment.

In adults, the causes and treatments for each type of hair loss can also be very different, so it is important to consult a GP for a proper diagnosis. Only then can you seek help from a hair loss treatment specialist for your particular condition.

Due to the numerous celebrity sufferers who have spoken out about their own personal battles with hair loss in the last few years, most people are familiar with alopecia areata as a common cause of female hair loss.

Alongside alopecia, there are many other potential causes and triggers for hair loss in women. If you are suffering from hair loss and believe any of the following causes may be to blame, consult your doctor to get a formal diagnosis.

Female hair loss may be caused by:

• Trichotillomania – This is otherwise known as compulsive hair pulling, where the sufferer has the overwhelming urge to pull out their own body hair, usually on the head.

• Telogen effluvium – This is the shedding or thinning of hair in response to emotional or physical trauma or excessive stress. It is where the growth cycle of the hair is interrupted. Telogen effluvium can be triggered by anything from childbirth (fairly common) and eating disorders to chronic illnesses, emotional disorders and major surgery.

• Androgenic alopecia – This is also known as female-pattern baldness, where the hair thins all over the head rather than recedes from the front. This is believed to be caused by an androgen hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

• Thyroid problems

• Anaemia

• Response to medication

Although men suffer from similar conditions, there is often more of a stigma surrounding hair loss in women. As such, female hair loss can be much more devastating and disruptive to the life of the sufferer, damaging their self-esteem and body confidence.

This is because in today’s image-conscious society, hair is commonly associated with beauty, femininity and sexuality. Losing it can make you feel as if these things are taken away.

So, how do sufferers of female hair loss cope? There are many temporary and more permanent solutions out there, specially developed to help you manage your condition. For example:

• Cosmetics, hats and human hair wigs – Many women are comfortable without these things when at home, but they prefer to wear human hair wigs and headbands when out in public. They serve as temporary confidence boosters, helping you to get on with your life whilst you look for a more long-term solution.

• Hair loss treatments – There are many new treatments available for women suffering from hair loss, including hair replacement techniques such as Medi Connections (for minor cases of alopecia or thinning hair) or the Intralace System (for larger areas of hair loss).