Hair loss is a genetic/hormonal process that can affect both men and women. Hormones that bind to hair follicles can cause an imbalance in the biological processes that cause hair growth. Eventually, excess hormonal action on the follicle causes hair to stop growing and the follicle dies.
Hormones govern the growth of hair. In men, the male hormone, testosterone, governs beard, body hair and hair in the armpits. In women, estrogen, the female hormone generally prevents hair growth on the chin and encourages it to grow on the head. Occasionally, women develop signs of hair loss or baldness when estrogen levels drop.
This patterned form of hair loss is called androgenetic alopecia. This term means hair loss caused by sensitivity to male hormones which exist in both men and women. DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is one of the main enemies in the war on hair loss in women.
DHT is a potent form of testosterone and acts on hair follicles via androgen receptors. DHT has a disastrous effect on the scalp hair follicles so they begin to shut down and the hair eventually falls out. DHT can also cause the hair follicles to produce sebum. Sebum is a fatty substance secreted from the sebaceous glands most of which open into hair follicles.
DHT is the natural metabolite which is produced due to action of two enzymes 5 alpha reductase type I and II. The number and distribution of androgen receptors in the hair follicles, the enzymes 5 alpha reductase type I and II, and the local concentrations of dihyrotestosterone around hair follicles are the factors which are responsible for male androgenetic alopecia It is presumed that in women there are additional factors which come into play such as the concentration of Cytochrome P-450-aromatase near hair follicles as well as the distribution of androgen receptor proteins. The cytochrome enzyme metabolizes androgens to estrogens, and modifies the ratio of androgens to estrogens by having a protective role by antagonizing the effects of androgens.
Differing concentrations of androgen metabolizing enzymes and androgen receptors have been identified in hair follicles from women compared to men. The concentration of Cytochrome P-450-aromatase is six times higher in women's frontal hair follicles compared to men's frontal hair follicles. Women also have around 3 times less alpha-5-reductase type I or type II enzyme in their frontal hair follicles compared to men. Conversely, androgen receptor content in frontal hair conversely, androgen receptor content in frontal hair follicles from men are 40% higher than for hair follicles from women. These differences between men and women most likely account for the overt clinical differences for women pattern balding.
Many women in their 40s now take hormone replacement therapy as an option to treat pattern baldness. Besides the hormone replacement therapy there are there are many herbal nutrition supplements
(http://www.hairlosssupplements.com/hair-care-herbal-supplements/herbal-nutrition-index.shtml) which can be used as alternatives for hormone replacement therapy not only to restore the hair growth but also for many other ailments. Most of these herbal supplements are used in natural hair growth products. Prevention is better than the cure and using these herbal supplements can stop the further hair loss.
