You aren’t alone.

More and more, hair loss is becoming a common complaint for women and the statistics are startling. About 13 percent of all women experience thinning hair before starting menopause and after, this figure can jump as high as 37 percent. In total, an estimated 25 million American women suffer significant hair loss during their lifetime, bringing with it emotional distress and a growing need for treatment options. Luckily, products specifically designed for women to treat hair loss are flooding the market.

Contributing factors.

The good news is that most of the excess hair loss women are experiencing isn’t genetic; rather, women suffer thinning hair primarily due to environmental factors such as stress, hormonal imbalances or chemical damage (such as from hair dye or permanent wave solutions). Other factors that can cause trauma to the hair can include medications, severe infections and poor blood circulation.

The mechanisms at work.

Normal, healthy hair has three growth cycles: growth or anagen phase, transitional or catagen phase and resting or telogen phase. According to eMedicine.com, up to 85-90% of hair on the scalp is normally in a growth phase, 10-14% in a resting phase (when hair typically sheds) and just 1-2% in a catagen phase, a growth pattern which helps ensure that the scalp is always covered by a healthy mane. When the hair follicle suffers trauma or damage, however, this cycle can be disrupted. Damaged hair follicles may fail to produce new hair shafts or start producing them at a greatly reduced rate, leaving the hair appearing thinner or less full. Also, when more hair follicles are in the resting phase, the thick crown of hair that once graced your shoulders may seem thinner.

Treatment:

Regardless of what caused an interruption to the normal hair growth cycle, once the trauma is alleviated, the excess hair loss should stop and healthy re-growth begin. But be patient: hair on the scalp can take as long as 4 years to complete an entire growth cycle. In the meantime, focus on supporting overall scalp health and strengthening hair follicles with treatments designed specifically to jump-start hair growth.

Product Picks:

Bolster hair follicle health in the shower with shampoos and conditioners designed for hair growth. DS Laboratories Revita Hair Growth Stimulating Shampoo features anti-oxidants and copper peptides to nurture existing hair as well as encourage new growth.

Finally, to strengthen weak strands from the inside out, consider adding a supplement to your diet that contains essential ingredients like Biotin, Silica and L-Cysteine to give the hair a boost. Elon Matrix 5000 Complete for Hair incorporates minerals noted to encourage hair growth with a daily multi-vitamin.

See also:

10 Simple Secrets to Healthy Hair

The Route to Younger Hair