Patterned Androgenic Alopecia in Women
May 1988
in “
Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology
”
![Image of study](/images/research/48f6fc9e-0b11-4e24-91cb-2d6dbca56bb2/medium/12371.jpg)
TLDR "Male-pattern" hair loss is common in women, especially after menopause, and doesn't always mean there's a problem with hormone balance.
In 1988, a study involving 564 women discovered that patterned hair loss, typically associated with men, was more prevalent in women than previously believed, especially after menopause. The research showed that 13% of premenopausal women and 37% of postmenopausal women experienced frontal and frontoparietal hairline recession. The study concluded that "male-pattern" hair loss in women does not necessarily indicate abnormal androgen metabolism, as it is common in the general population, particularly among postmenopausal women. The researchers stressed the need to consider a woman's menopausal status when assessing the significance of patterned hair loss.