As cases of hair loss in young women increase, interest in its causes and treatments is growing. In fact, according to data released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 4 out of 10 patients who visited medical institutions for hair loss treatment were women. In particular, many young women experience hair loss at an early age due to excessive stress and irregular lifestyle habits.
Female hair loss has the clinical characteristic that the hair on the crown area becomes thinner and decreases in number. It occurs mainly around the part line, and a characteristic feature is that in the early stages, thin and weak downy hair grows while the number of inner hairs gradually decreases.
One risk factor that promotes female hair loss is a decrease in the secretion of the female hormone estrogen. Estrogen normally suppresses the function of the male hormone androgen, but when the hormonal balance in the body collapses for some reason, it promotes hair loss. In addition, nutritional imbalance from things like single-food diets, extreme stress, and drinking are also pointed to as causes of female hair loss. Frequent perms and dyeing are also cited as causes that worsen hair health.
Experts emphasize that among these, extreme weight loss is the factor with the most adverse effects. The matrix cells located in the hair follicle grow 1 to 3 hair roots, and during this process, key minerals, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamin B, and so on are needed. If the diet is excessively restricted, the function of the hair follicle may decline due to nutritional imbalance. As a result, the hair becomes thinner and even the hair generation cycle shortens, leading to hair loss.
Also, when suffering from stress, a state of sympathetic nervous excitement persists, the balance of the autonomic nervous system collapses, and furthermore it promotes contraction of the scalp muscles and blood vessels. In addition, as the stress hormone cortisol is secreted, the supply of nutrients to the scalp and blood circulation become difficult, which can reduce hair root growth.
Pregnancy and childbirth are also issues that drive hair loss in young women. This is called postpartum hair loss, and it is usually characterized by a symptom in which 30 to 40% of the total hair falls out during the 3 to 6 months after childbirth. After 6 months the hair loss gradually stops, and as one year passes the normal state is restored, but in rare cases the hair loss symptom persists even after one year has passed. This is because, as the level of the female hormone estrogen drops sharply after childbirth, the postpartum telogen hair loss symptom occurs over a long period.
For women who are sensitive about appearance, the psychological shock from hair loss inevitably comes very large, and if the hair loss symptom persists, it becomes difficult to lead a normal daily life due to avoidance of social contact, depression, and so on. Furthermore, feeling ashamed of the very reality of experiencing hair loss, some seek out unverified folk remedies. Since this can be a cause of side effects that conversely promote hair loss, it is advisable to visit a dermatology clinic to receive a thorough diagnosis and tailored treatment.
If the hair loss is not severe, improvement can be expected with medication and laser treatment, and so on. However, if the condition has somewhat worsened, a thread lifting procedure using the polylactic acid (PLLA) component can be considered. The principle is to inject threads made of 100% PLLA into the scalp to improve female-pattern hair loss.
Yoo Hwa-jung, Director of Modi Hair Plant Clinic, said, "PLLA treatment is a method of directly injecting 100% PLLA threads into the scalp to locally produce a care effect," and "It is characterized by minimizing concerns about systemic side effects, having a long maintenance period, and the treatment effect lasting for 1 to 2 years."
She added, "Above all, the PLLA procedure works on the principle of promoting micro blood circulation in the scalp to give vitality to the hair follicles, and since it takes about 1 to 2 years to fully break down, it can somewhat reduce the inconvenience of repeat procedures."
Source: Segye Biz │ Published 2021.02.15