Women’s hair loss treatments

Female pattern baldness (the type of hair loss that we can treat here at Online Doctor) is a type of hair loss that's inherited. Typically, it starts with thinning hair over the crown of the head and the front of the scalp and a widening of your centre parting.  

This kind of women’s hair loss is down to your genetics, some people will have it and some people won’t – just like male pattern baldness.  

For female pattern baldness, there is one main 'over the counter' option – minoxidil, the main ingredient in a treatment called Regaine. Regaine foam for women has been proven to treat hair loss in 3/5 women. And the scalp solution for women has been found to work for 8/10 women.  

Minoxidil is thought to work by increasing the blood flow and supply of nutrients to the hair follicles. This helps to: 

• Slow down/stop hair follicles shrinking 
• Encourage the follicles to move into the growth phase of the hair cycle 
• Extend the period of time the follicles are in the growing phase 

Everybody’s hair loss is different, so some people might start to see improvements quicker than others. According to Regaine research: 

• Women using the foam can see results in as little as 12 weeks 
• Women using the solution can see regrowth in 32 weeks 

Like with all treatments, there is a chance this won’t work for you. If you stop using the treatment, your hair loss is likely to come back. So, you’ll need to keep using it if you want to see the benefits.  

Regaine for women treats hereditary hair loss. But there other types of hair loss that women experience. These include: 

• Alopecia areata – this causes patches of total hair loss, often with normal hair around. It’s thought to be related to the immune system, but can be triggered by stress.  
• Telogen effluvium – this is when the hair growth cycle is disrupted, this could be due to stress, illness or a vitamin deficiency. This type of hair loss isn’t usually patchy.  
• Traction alopecia – this is caused by damage or strain to the hair follicle, for example if you wear tight braids of hair extensions for a long period of time.  

If you’re not sure about using a medicated treatment, there are some other things you can try for your hair loss. These include:

• Wigs 
• Makeup/camouflage  
• Hair transplants 

You can order Regaine for women in both a foam and solution form from our hair loss clinic. Simply click on the treatment you’d like and go through to check out.