Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Referral Center

January 2016 in “ International Journal of Trichology ”

Tee Wei Siah, Llorenia Muir-Green, Jerry Shapiro

female pattern hair loss FPHL androgenetic alopecia telogen effluvium hypothyroidism hypertension Vitamin D ferritin zinc female pattern baldness androgenic alopecia TE

TLDR Many women with hair loss also have thyroid issues, high blood pressure, and low Vitamin D.

The retrospective study analyzed 210 female patients with female pattern hair loss (FPHL) at a tertiary referral center, revealing that 85% had a family history of androgenetic alopecia. Common concurrent conditions included hypothyroidism, hypertension, and telogen effluvium (TE). Only 38% had normal Vitamin D levels, while 71% had ferritin levels above 30 μg/L, and 85% had normal zinc levels. The study concluded that TE, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and low serum Vitamin D were prevalent among the patients, highlighting the need for better treatment options and patient management strategies.

View this study on doi.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

21 / 21 results

research BMI and Levels of Zinc, Copper in Hair, Serum, and Urine of Turkish Male Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia

37 citations, March 2014 in “Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology”

Lower hair zinc and copper levels found in Turkish males with hair loss; higher BMI linked to less hair zinc.

Prevalence of Androgenic Alopecia in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Characterization of Associated Clinical and Biochemical Features

research Prevalence of Androgenic Alopecia in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Characterization of Associated Clinical and Biochemical Features

48 citations, February 2014 in “Fertility and Sterility”

Women with PCOS often have hair loss, which is linked to acne or excess body hair but not to worse hormone or metabolic issues.

research Investigation of Four Novel Male Androgenetic Alopecia Susceptibility Loci: No Association with Female Pattern Hair Loss

21 citations, December 2013 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”

No link found between new male baldness genes and female hair loss.

research Association of Androgenetic Alopecia With Mortality From Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Disease

49 citations, May 2013 in “JAMA Dermatology”

Hair loss links to higher death risk from diabetes and heart disease; not a direct cause, but a marker for risk factors.

research Analysis of Serum Zinc and Copper Concentrations in Hair Loss

73 citations, January 2013 in “Annals of Dermatology”

People with hair loss, especially those with certain types, have lower zinc levels, and zinc supplements might help.

research Serum Ferritin and Vitamin D in Female Hair Loss: Do They Play a Role?

62 citations, January 2013 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology”

Low iron and vitamin D levels are linked to hair loss in women.

research Hair Loss in Women: Medical and Cosmetic Approaches to Increase Scalp Hair Fullness

75 citations, December 2011 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Female pattern hair loss can be treated with medications, surgery, and cosmetic products, considering its psychological impact.

research Evidence-Based Guideline for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia in Women and Men

198 citations, October 2011 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft”

Use minoxidil for hair loss; finasteride and dutasteride for men, dutasteride for women.

research Iron Deficiency in Female Pattern Hair Loss, Chronic Telogen Effluvium, and Control Groups

72 citations, October 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Iron deficiency common in women, not always linked to hair loss; more research needed.

research Androgenetic Alopecia and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Men and Women: A Comparative Study

110 citations, September 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Hair loss linked to higher heart disease risk in both men and women.

research Understanding and Management of Female Pattern Alopecia

30 citations, November 2008 in “Facial Plastic Surgery”

The conclusion is that the best approach for treating Female Pattern Hair Loss is a combination of different treatments.

research Low Iron Stores: A Risk Factor for Excessive Hair Loss in Non-Menopausal Women

28 citations, October 2007 in “PubMed”

Low iron levels are linked to more hair loss in non-menopausal women.

research Treatment of Female Pattern Hair Loss with a Combination of Spironolactone and Minoxidil

21 citations, January 2007 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

Spironolactone and minoxidil together effectively treat female pattern hair loss.

research Prevalence of Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss in Maryborough

193 citations, August 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

Hair loss common in Australia; men affected earlier, more often than Asians; women less concerned.

research Androgenetic Alopecia in Children: Report of 20 Cases

72 citations, March 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

AGA can occur in children with family history; early diagnosis and treatment important.

research Prevalence of Polycystic Ovaries in Women with Androgenic Alopecia

84 citations, November 2003 in “European journal of endocrinology”

Women with androgenic alopecia are more likely to have polycystic ovaries and higher androgen levels, which may indicate PCOS.

research Decreased Serum Ferritin Is Associated With Alopecia in Women

163 citations, November 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Low iron levels may be linked to some types of hair loss in women.

research There Is No Clear Association Between Low Serum Ferritin And Chronic Diffuse Telogen Hair Loss

83 citations, November 2002 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Low iron levels are not directly linked to chronic hair loss and iron supplements may not help.

research Comparative Efficacy of Various Treatment Regimens for Androgenetic Alopecia in Men

80 citations, August 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology”

Best hair growth results from combining finasteride and minoxidil.

research Female Pattern Hair Loss

226 citations, September 2001 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Hair loss in women is genetic, diagnosed by examination and biopsy, and treated with minoxidil, finasteride, or transplantation.

The Importance of Adequate Serum Ferritin Levels During Oral Cyproterone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol Treatment of Diffuse Androgen-Dependent Alopecia in Women

research The Importance of Adequate Serum Ferritin Levels During Oral Cyproterone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol Treatment of Diffuse Androgen-Dependent Alopecia in Women

83 citations, April 1992 in “Clinical Endocrinology”

Having enough iron improves the effectiveness of a specific hair loss treatment in women.

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 1000+ results

community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago

In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.

community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

in Research 692 upvotes 3 months ago

Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

community Diagnosed with female pattern hair loss as a male with recent aggressive loss. Preemptively mourning the only part of myself I’ve ever come close to loving. Lost all motivation to do anything with my life.

in Progress Pictures 271 upvotes 1 year ago

The conclusion of the conversation is that the user should consider using treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil, and RU58841 to potentially reverse their hair loss. Other suggestions include using hair loss concealers and maintaining a healthy diet.

community Got my DHT levels checked. 38 year old female. Still losing hair.

in Female 10 upvotes 6 months ago

A 38-year-old female is experiencing hair loss despite having almost undetectable DHT levels after using dutasteride. Suggestions include checking for PCOS, thyroid issues, adjusting diet, considering the impact of birth control, and trying treatments like tretinoin, redensyl, retinol, and minoxidil with derma stamping.

community One+ year 1mg Fin, Ketoconazole, and 3.75 Oral Min. I have DUPA. Switched from Topical to Oral Min.

in Progress Pictures 142 upvotes 2 years ago

A user's experience with hair loss treatments such as finasteride, ketoconazole, and oral minoxidil that have not yielded any results; other users suggest shaving the head or getting a wig, while others offer additional advice such as seeing a dermatologist, checking thyroid levels, switching to dutasteride and adding needling, and trying stemoxydine.

community what i have done since i have hair loss issues.. i just got new hair.. ts funny because so many people dont know my hair is always a wig… i just want to point out the difference in cheap amazon wigs and getting one worth $ . i always feel so beautiful.

in Female 4 years ago

Hair loss treatments for female pattern baldness, with the user focusing on wigs as an effective solution; they also discussed the difference between cheap and real wigs, and the importance of returning to confidence and self-esteem when tackling alopecia.

Related Research

1 / 1 results

research Analysis of Familial History in Chinese Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia

January 2015 in “Journal of Clinical Dermatology”