Sudden hair loss in young women simply means that they are losing more hair than usual. Normally, a strand of hair grows approximately 1/4 of inch per month and continues growing for about six years. Then the hair falls out and another grows in its place.
Generally, hair loss or thinning is believed to affect men more than women, but nearly all young women will experience some degree of hair loss or thinning at some point during their life; and two-thirds of them will be severely affected. However, contrary to what happens to men, sudden hair loss in young women does not usually result in complete baldness. In fact, most women suffer hair thinning but never experience complete loss of hair. There are exceptions related to genetic disorders, illness or medications.
Uncontrolled and excessive loss of hair or hair thinning can have an alarming impact on a woman’s emotional well-being. Understanding the causes of hair loss helps determine the best treatments. Hair loss in young women is personal and emotional and can greatly diminish self-esteem.
Anxiety, emotional stress and fatigue can cause sudden hair loss in young women. And if gone unchecked, these factors can create emotionally instability and imbalances in the body, resulting in further hair loss. Usually these cases are temporary and the condition stops when the stress subsides
Hormonal imbalance is the main cause of sudden hair loss in young women. Testosterone is the key hair-producing hormone in the body and DHT, a hormone derived from testosterone, is responsible for producing hair on the body and head. However, even though DHT is produced by testosterone, it is actually controlled by another hormone: estrogen.
When women are healthy, levels of estrogen and testosterone hormones are balanced, so DHT is controlled. But when a woman suffers from a hormonal imbalance, estrogen levels fluctuate leaving DHT production uncontrolled. This can cause sudden hair loss in young women. For this reason, maintaining healthy estrogen hormone levels is vital in controlling this condition.
While illness, surgery and certain medications can also have an impact on hair loss in women, these causes tend to occur more in older women.
