Top 7 health risks leading to women's hair loss

1. Menopause

Hair thinning is a common complaint of women undergoing menopause. The condition coincides with a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone, the female sex hormones.

2. Post-Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman's hair grows faster and feels more luxurious thanks to increases in hormones which keep a higher than normal number follicles in a growth phase. However, after giving birth, the sudden drop in hormones often causes shedding and thinning as the ratio of growing/resting follicles returns to normal.

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3. Stress

Severe emotional stress and trauma can also take a toll on the body, often leading to excessive shedding and thinning that can last for weeks.

4. Crash Dieting

Unhealthy dieting and/or rapid weight loss may cause hair follicles to go into "shock," resulting in increased shedding and a loss of volume that may last for months - or, in some cases, indefinitely - even after a healthy diet is resumed.

5. Traction Alopecia

Over time, certain hairstyles (e.g. tight braiding) and hair extensions can traumatize follicles and lead to permanent bald spots in the scalp, a condition known as "traction alopecia."

6. Trichotillomania

Compulsive hair-pulling, or trichotillomania, can also lead to permanent bald spots in the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes.

7. Plastic Surgery

Browlifts and facelifts can alter the appearance of the frontal hairline and may lead to both decreased hair density and scarring in those areas.