FEMALE HAIR LOSS

The human body is completely covered by hair follicles except for the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, genitals and lips. Most follicles are tiny and many of the hairs they produce do not grow long enough to protrude from the pore. The only living part of the hair is the bulb, which is anchored to the base of the follicle. The follicle supplies oxygen and nutrients to the bulb, and lubricates the hair shaft with an oil substance called sebum. There are many causes of hair loss, but only those that damage the follicles can make the loss permanent.

There are many stories of women experiencing this incredibly devastating condition—it is hard enough for a man to lose his hair, but at least it is socially acceptable. For a woman losing her hair the experience can be one thousand times more difficult. The discomfort and social factors surrounding a woman who is losing her hair can make the experience more difficult than for a man, and the complete lack of information or resources for help on the topic only compounds the problem. Confusion, fear, and anxiety can set in and the feeling of helplessness is paramount.

Nearly 40% of women by the age of 60 experience some form of hair loss.

The most common causes of hair loss in women are hormonally related. Whether it be an overactive thyroid, or the after effects of menopause or pregnancy, there usually is a distinct reason why women lose their hair. The key is to find out what the reason is, and then to receive proper treatment. The most common reasons for hair loss in women are Alopecia Areata, Androgenetic Alopecia, Telogen Effluvium, and Loose Anagen Syndrome.

Alopecia Areata (hair loss/auto-immune)

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease which means the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells of the body, and in this case the hair bulb. Typically a small patch of hair drops out leaving only a few stubby hairs. In some cases the hair can grow back within weeks or months, but other people are left with persistent bald spots.

Androgenetic Alopecia (patterned hair loss in women)

Hair loss in women tends to produce thinning over the top of the scalp rather than a patch of baldness. Minor degrees of patterned hair loss occur in over 55 percent of women as they age, however only about 20 percent of women develop moderate or severe hair loss. Androgenetic Alopecia is commonly related to extreme stress, deficiency in vitamins and minerals, a diet low in protein, anemia, hypothyroidism, hormone disregulation, or the use of birth control pills.

Telogen Effluvium

Condition that causes shedding of hair over the entire scalp, can be chronic but also may be acute following a stressful event, physical or emotional, or severe blood loss.

Loose Anagen Syndrome

A condition that causes hair to shed before its normal cycle is completed.

In clinic 95% of all women we see and treat present with Androgenetic Alopecia (patterned hair loss) usually due to hormone disregulation and/or severe nutritional deficiencies caused by one or more of the following:

Use of Birth Control Pills
Pregnancy
Severe Long-Term Stress
Menopause
Severe Mineral and Vitamin Deficiency
Lack of Protein Intake
Anemia

Women struggling with this disorder have usually exhausted all of the traditional medical testing and treatment methods to no avail. Physicians these days seem to have less and less education on many conditions, being proactive on of your own health is imperative to getting good treatment.

With our testing abilities and knowledge and experience in this area we have been able to quite effectively treat hair loss in women through the use of bio-identical hormone therapy, nutritional supplementation, Chinese herbology, and homeopathy.

“Imagine taking a shower and holding what you know is an abnormal amount of hair in your hands after shampooing; brushing and looking, running your fingers through it and looking again. It had been 6 weeks since the day I noticed - 6 weeks of worry and I was freaked out. As a professional woman who is concerned about appearance, this was a distraction, to say the least. I tried the doctor and was patted on the head and told nothing was wrong. I tried the doctor again, asking for blood draws and tests. They complied but I could tell they thought I was overreacting. Their tests turned up nothing and I was told they could refer me to a hair loss clinic. I had visions of transplants, weaves, wigs and I didn't know what I was going to do next; and then my sister said she would call her alternative therapist and just ask her.”

“Sam explained the situation, and the first words out of Sabrina's mouth were, "It's hormonal." Exactly! She called and reassured me that I would not lose all my hair, that she could help and it would be all right. It wasn't necessarily what she said, but it was how she said it. She was confident, and I believed her. I think her confidence was as important to me as her diagnosis. My hair was falling out. Every day, every wash, every brush, every time I touched it seemed it would just be falling out. Mind you, I have a lot of hair, so not many people noticed. This actually made it harder on me, because my family, friends and the doctors just couldn't see it. But I know my hair, know how many twists of a pony-tail ring it takes to secure it (normally 2, but now it was 4) and in my mind I saw a 50 percent loss, based on the pony-tail alone. I could also see a difference in my hair line; I could tell when I washed it. It looked, well, it looked awful to me.”

“I'm in Texas, Sabrina is in Colorado. She wanted me to come out for an appointment, but I couldn't get out for weeks, and I thought by that time I'd be bald. But Sabrina sent stop-gap measures within 2 days. It didn't really matter if they helped or not - I felt better just doing something, and she sounded so certain. I started taking Chinese herbs and homeopathic medicine. The amount of hair on the brush, floor and shower started to decrease. The office visit went well. I'm very logical in how I receive and process information and Sabrina walked me through what she was going to do, how she would do it and explained her reasons for the conclusions she drew. I agreed. I started a regimen of drops, herbs and supplements. Not only did the hair loss stop, I felt better. I still feel better - mentally, physically and emotionally.”

“She listened to all my symptoms, asked me about not just my physical symptoms, but my life, lifestyle, habits, relationships, etc. She factored in all the information I gave her before drawing any conclusions. I felt she was authentic, genuine and compassionate. She followed up with phone calls to check my progress.”

“I have recommended her to family and friends and will continue to do so. In fact, I have consulted her again, myself, for a rash my medical doctor told me would eventually go away on it's own within six weeks to six months. With Sabrina's treatment, that time was more than cut in half.”

-Rebecca F., Texas-