As cases of hair loss among young women increase, interest in its causes and treatment methods 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 hair on the crown area becomes thinner and decreases in number. It occurs mainly around the part line, and in the early stages, fine and weak vellus hairs appear while the number of hairs inside gradually decreases.
One risk factor that contributes to female hair loss is a decline in the secretion of the female hormone (estrogen). Estrogen suppresses the function of the male hormone androgen, but when the hormonal balance in the body breaks down for some reason, hair loss is encouraged. In addition, nutritional imbalance from single-food diets, extreme stress, and alcohol consumption are also cited as causes of female hair loss. Frequent perms and hair 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 effect. The matrix cells located in the hair follicle grow 1 to 3 hair roots, and this process requires key minerals, protein, essential fatty acids, and vitamin B. If dietary intake is excessively restricted, follicle function may decline due to nutritional imbalance. As a result, hair becomes thinner and even the hair growth cycle shortens, leading to hair loss.
Also, when suffering from stress, a state of sympathetic nerve excitation persists, disrupting the balance of the autonomic nervous system and further promoting contraction of the scalp muscles and blood vessels. In addition, as the stress hormone cortisol is secreted, nutrient supply 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. Known as postpartum hair loss, it is typically characterized by the shedding of 30 to 40% of all hair during the 3 to 6 months after childbirth. Hair loss gradually stops after 6 months and normal condition is recovered as one year passes, but in rare cases hair loss symptoms continue even after one year has passed. This is because estrogen, the female hormone, decreases sharply after childbirth, causing postpartum telogen hair loss symptoms to persist over the long term.
For women who are sensitive about their appearance, the psychological shock from hair loss is inevitably very great, and if hair loss symptoms persist, it becomes difficult to lead a normal daily life due to avoidance of social contact and depression. Moreover, some feel ashamed of the very fact that they are experiencing hair loss and resort to unverified folk remedies. Since this can become a cause of side effects that actually promote hair loss, it is advisable to visit a dermatology clinic to receive a precise diagnosis and customized treatment.
If hair loss is not severe, improvement can be expected through drug therapy and laser therapy. However, if the condition has worsened somewhat, a thread lifting procedure using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) can be considered. The principle is to inject threads made of 100% PLLA into the scalp to improve female pattern hair loss.
Director Yoo Hwa-jeong of Modi Hair Plant Clinic said, "PLLA treatment is a method of injecting 100% PLLA threads directly into the scalp to produce a localized care effect," adding, "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."
He continued, "Above all, the PLLA procedure works on the principle of promoting microcirculation in the scalp to give vitality to the hair follicles, and since it takes about 1 to 2 years to be completely broken down, it can somewhat relieve the inconvenience of repeat procedures."
Source: Segye Biz │ Published 2021.02.15