Eek! Hair loss in women: Top 7 risk factors revealed

Hair loss in women usually has a basis in heredity, just as it does in men. There's no way women can change their genes - not yet anyway. But a clever new study suggests there may be some things women can do to avoid the loss of their locks.

For the study, Dr. Bahman Guyuron, chairman of the department of plastic surgery at Case Western School of Medicine, looked for signs of hair loss in 42 sets of identical female twins (like the set shown here). Because twins share DNA, any differences in their hair health are presumably attributable to lifestyle factors.

Keep clicking to see the list of seven risk factors for hair loss in women as illustrated by the twins, along with additional photos of women before and after treatment for hair loss...

Stress, high hormone levels

In last place on Dr. Guyuron's list of risk factors for hair loss are psychological stress and hormone imbalances. Stress is known to flood the body with hormones, he says, including some that block the action of a follicle-protecting enzyme called 5-a reductase. And when testosterone forms and then breaks down in the body, it can release "breakdown products" that have been tied to thinning hair.

Too much money, sleep

Wealth and sleep seem to be even bigger risk factors for hair loss than stress and hormonal imbalances. Dr. Guyuron found that the wealthier twin of each pair tended to have greater hair loss. In addition, he found, twins who tend to get more sleep tend to lose more hair.

What explains these peculiar findings? Dr. Guyuron said wealth often goes hand in hand with stress. And women with lots of money may be more likely to spend more on hair products. Dr. Guyuron said spending more on hair products has been tied to hair loss in women - perhaps because they use more of the products, including some that might damage hair, or because they're using more hair products because they're already losing their hair and trying to compensate.

Divorce, high blood pressure

What do divorce and high blood pressure have in common? Both were tied to hair loss in Dr. Guyuron's study. Divorce can cause stress and hormone imbalances, he said. As for why untreated high blood pressure might cause hair loss, it could be that it interferes with the tiny blood vessels that supply blood to the scalp.

Smoking

Smoking is the #1 risk factor for hair loss in women, Dr. Guyuron found. He said the likely explanation for the link is that nicotine makes the skin oily, which might make healthy hair less likely.

The good news for women worried about  - or already experiencing - hair loss is that doctors have gotten pretty good at regrowing women's hair. Keep clicking to see some pictures - not from Dr. Guyuron's study - of women before treatment and after.

Before and after

Here's a 32-year-old woman before (left) and 12 months after hair transplant surgery. For the surgery, a doctor "harvests" hair from the back of the patient's scalp and surgically implants them where needed.

Before and after

Here's a 59-year-old woman with hereditary female pattern hair loss - before hair transplant surgery (left) and 12 months later.

Before and after

Here's a 38-year-old with hereditary female pattern hair loss before transplant surgery (left) and 12 months later.

Before and after

This 60-year-old woman has hereditary female pattern hair loss. At left, she is pictured before "low-level" laser therapy, and at right, six months later.