How To Treat Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) Naturally

Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) is more common than you may realize, affecting more than 55% of all women. Because FPHL can be caused by high androgen levels (testosterone and DHEA), women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and other hormone imbalances who also have high androgen levels often experience hair thinning.

Hair loss in women can cause significant psychological distress and feelings of social isolation. There is social acceptance and understanding of this phenomenon in men, but not with women. If you suffer from this condition, you may feel unattractive, depressed, or have low self-esteem.

In conventional medicine, most cases of FPHL respond better to early intervention – because treatment prevents further hair loss rather than stimulating new hair growth. Because the underlying cause of FPHL is not known in most cases, you need to continue standard pharmaceutical (drug) treatment indefinitely to prevent further loss. However, if you identify the underlying cause of your hair loss, treatment can be far more successful, and you may be able to stop medications.

Conventional Treatment Options For Female Pattern Hair Loss

Conventional therapy uses medications that reduce the effect of androgen hormones on your hair follicles. This strategy has limited success for several reasons. First, if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or thinking of getting pregnant you must avoid these medications as they can result in birth defects. Secondly, as soon as you stop your medication, your hair loss will immediately return. Third, there is no safety data for long-term use of these medications. These are the common ones:

• Finasteride is meant to reduce prostate growth in older men, but it’s used off label for hair loss in women. There have been case reports of women using Finasteride at doses between 1.25 to 5 mg daily with some success, but large scale studies are needed. Side effects include breast tenderness and reduced libido.
• Cyproterone acetate blocks androgen receptors and can reduce hair thinning in women who use it with the oral contraceptive “Diane 35.” It is not available in the United States. Side effects include irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, depression and loss of libido.
• Spironolactone is another androgen receptor-blocker. It occupies the receptors on your hair follicles to prevent hair follicle shrinkage. Side effects include frequent periods and abnormal bleeding. It has a varied side effect profile because it also acts as a diuretic and can impact your blood pressure and electrolyte levels
• Minoxidil (Rogaine) is the only non-androgen dependent medication that comes in a topical solution to directly apply to your scalp. It is thought to increase your hair’s growth phase. This part of your hair growth cycle may last for 2 to 7 years. 2% and 5% options are used for hair regrowth, however, only 2% is approved for women. Once treatment is stopped, hair loss will resume.
• Birth control pills work by increasing certain binding proteins in your liver that can take androgens out of circulation. It takes about 4 to 6 months to slow hair loss. It is important to note that large amounts of hair loss may occur when you stop birth control pills.

There isn’t “one” hormone imbalance or PCOS diet, or “one” treatment strategy – we must understand the underlying cause(s) in order to figure out what lifestyle, nutrition and supplement support strategies will work best for you. Hair loss from hormone imbalances and PCOS can be caused by five factors. Each lead to excess androgen hormone production:

Action Steps:

• Remove any food that causes any kind of reaction. This can be digestive (bloating, reflux, constipation, abdominal pain), systemic (headaches, runny nose, fatigue, brain fog, sleepiness) or allergic (throat tickle, sneezing, rashes).
• Clean up your toxic exposures with organic food. Start with the dirty dozen list from the Environmental Working Group and swap out the 12 top pesticide coated fruits and vegetables with organic versions.
• Address chronic physical complaints by working with a knowledgeable Functional Medicine provider.
• Our program addresses causes of inflammation, and is a cost-effective step-by-step approach to healing inflammation, hormone imbalances and PCOS.

Action Steps:

• Identify the stressors in your life, both external and internal, and address these stressors with the help of a health coach or therapist.
• Create some calm with meditation, even if only 5 minutes a day.
• Measure your adrenal stress hormone function and work with a practitioner to restore adrenal balance.

Action Steps:

• Include more nutrient dense food in your diet – colorful and varied vegetables and fruits, grass-fed organic beef and chicken, wild low-mercury fish, and healthy oil, fats, nuts, and seeds increase the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily base.
• Do nutrient testing to identify deficiencies and correct them.
• Work on gut-healing programs to improve absorption of the nutrients you are eating.
• Address nutrient dense eating, key nutrients to supplement, digestive health, including building beneficial gut bacteria.

Action Steps:

• Do comprehensive lab tests to figure out your degree of insulin resistance. Work with a practitioner for testing and holistic treatment.
• Ditch the sugar, artificial sweeteners, and “natural” sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar, molasses, stevia, etc. Get rid of processed foods that contain one or more of these ingredients, as well as processed flour (wheat or other) products that are immediately convert into sugar.
• Include adequate healthy fats and protein in each meal, and get rid of excessive starchy carbs and grains. Aim for 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day to slow the entry of sugar into your bloodstream. Studies show that increased fiber intake improves weight loss and reduces sugar intolerance.

Action Step:

• Absolutely start with comprehensive thyroid function testing