Hair Loss in Women

The main cause for hair loss in women is androgen mediated. There are some new entities described in the literature which may not be amenable to hair transplantation.

A full diagnostic evaluation is important prior to any procedure. It is important to order a full hormonal panel with a detailed thyroid evaluation. A recently recognized cause of female androgenic alopecia and polycystic ovarian syndrome is the “non-classical 21 hydroxylase deficiency”. Women with this syndrome experience: cystic acne, hirsutism, hair loss, obesity, decreased fertility and polycystic ovaries. These types of gene mutations are expected in 1:100 people in New York City because of their predominance in certain ethnic groups.

This rather common autosomal recessive disorder can present at any age and sometimes is asymptomatic. Patients presenting with hair loss as a result of this deficiency can be treated with anti-androgens.

At Park Avenue Medical Spa all patients who are considering Neograft Hair Transplant are thoroughly evaluated. If we detect any cause for alopecia other than the common female pattern hair loss we will order a full hormonal evaluation followed by a referral to an endocrinologist if indicated.