| Everyone's hair thins out to a degree as we age. | | | | Minoxidil is the only drug approved by the Food |
| We're aging, and so is our hair. The number one | | | | and Drug Administration as a treatment for |
| complaint from second act women, after sagging | | | | female-pattern hair loss. Finasteride, a prescription |
| skin, is thinning hair. | | | | pill that functions by moderating testosterone |
| More than 20 million women in the United States | | | | levels, seems to work only in men. It is not safe |
| alone suffer from some form of "female pattern | | | | for women. |
| baldness." Consequently, a big question in my chair | | | | Hair restoration surgery is another option for |
| is, "How can I make my hair appear fuller?" It's | | | | women, although it works best if you happen to |
| likely, if you want volume (or height), you are | | | | be thinning out primarily on top, as men do. A |
| going to have to lift your arms above your | | | | surgeon removes hair from a denser area on |
| shoulders and spend sometime creating it. Some | | | | your head and transplants the follicles individually |
| time is not an hour. Some time is 15 to 20 | | | | to wherever you need them most. Surgical |
| minutes. When hair starts to thin, we often | | | | treatment has progressed dramatically over the |
| cannot rely on a good haircut alone. Hairdressers | | | | past 10 years, and now the most advanced |
| can't just cut "height" in to your hair. To make | | | | surgical technique is follicular unit transplantation, |
| thinning hair look thicker it takes us both working | | | | which consists of replacing lost hair with |
| together. | | | | microscopically obtained, tiny, natural-looking units |
| The most common cause of thinning hair in | | | | of only one to three hairs each. It is so natural |
| women is hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic | | | | that, when done properly, even delicate areas |
| alopecia. In fact, 95 percent of all hair thinning in | | | | such as eyebrows and eyelashes can be |
| women can be put down to hereditary hair loss. | | | | recreated. You can expect to pay between |
| Few women have heard about this condition and | | | | $4,000 and $30,000 over time. |
| even fewer realize that this may be the cause of | | | | Finally, cosmetic enhancement is the use of |
| their hair loss. | | | | products such as thickener, concealer, and |
| The word 'alopecia' is used to describe types of | | | | techniques that create the illusion that your hair is |
| significant hair loss. Androgenetic alopecia describes | | | | thicker than it actually is. As you read further you |
| hair loss that is caused by androgens, which are | | | | will discover the most effective cosmetic |
| hormones present in everyone, man or woman. | | | | treatments available today. |
| Hormone changes affect many things, including | | | | Need volume? Here is what works.o |
| hereditary hair loss. Specifically, it is your genetic | | | | Back-combing: No, it doesn't damage your hair. No, |
| sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone that | | | | it won't look like a beehive if you do it right. Learn |
| is the key. The testosterone is converted to a | | | | how. It will always and forever give you control |
| more potent hormone called dihydrotestosterone, | | | | over that split in the crown.o Styling products like |
| which causes sensitive hairs and follicles to | | | | mousse are often best applied just to the scalp |
| become smaller. | | | | and root area.o Blow dry your hair in every |
| Why Hair Thins Out | | | | direction with tension (pulling hair strongly away |
| Normally, each of your hairs grows for two to | | | | from the scalp with a brush or your fingers) with |
| seven years, takes a three-month "rest," and | | | | heat at the scalp, and voila, Volume! Bending |
| then falls out to make room for new hair. But if | | | | "upside down" will help, but only if you also use |
| you have a genetic predisposition to thinning locks, | | | | tension with a brush or your fingers so the hair |
| your hair follicles may become more sensitive to | | | | dries pulled 90 degrees from the scalp.o |
| the male hormone testosterone sometime in your | | | | Volumizing products do temporarily plump the hair |
| twenties or thirties, or even in your teens. (It's | | | | shaft. You get more volume. More tangles, but |
| not that you produce more testosterone than | | | | more volume. They can also weigh certain fine |
| other women; the hormone just affects you | | | | hair types down.o Velcro rollers: On dry hair: set, |
| differently.) Over time, your follicles shrink and can | | | | spray with hairspray, heat with the blow dryer, |
| produce only finer, shorter, weaker hairs, or none | | | | allow to cool. Poof! Volume. Back comb for more.o |
| at all. In some women, the process accelerates at | | | | Curlers: Rollers, magnetic rollers, rags, bendies, |
| menopause, when natural estrogen levels decline. | | | | anything you wrap wet hair around and allow to |
| This is why you may notice short hairs that | | | | form to that shape will add volume through wave |
| never seem to grow, particularly around the | | | | or curl.o Hot rollers: Always make sure the ends |
| hairline and center part. You know the "little | | | | are neatly wrapped to avoid "fish hooks."o Curling |
| fuzzies" that you see at the top of your head. A | | | | iron: Start at the base of the hair, over direct up |
| reason why adding layers and texture helps | | | | and away from the direction your are rolling for |
| create the illusion that those fuzzies are supposed | | | | lift at the scalp, roll then up and close the clamp |
| to be there, rather than oddly shorter than the | | | | slightly to click the hair through, heat, release, |
| rest of the hair. | | | | allow to cool before styling.o Round Brush utilizes |
| What Can Be Done for Thinning Hair? | | | | the same concept as Velcro rollers. The more |
| The three common methods for treating hair loss | | | | you heat and lift the hair at the scalp and allow to |
| are medical, surgical, and cosmetic. Medically, the | | | | cool before removing the brush, the more volume |
| topical drug minoxidil is used to stop hair follicles | | | | created. |
| from shrinking in about 60 percent of the women | | | | Creating Illusion Through Shadow |
| who try rubbing it into their scalps twice a day. | | | | One of the simplest but least used techniques for |
| About two-thirds of those women will also see | | | | creating the illusion you have thicker hair is to fill in |
| some regrowth within eight months, although the | | | | the hairline or scalp area with scalp shader. Like |
| new hair is usually much finer than the old. | | | | brows with brow color and lashes with liner, your |
| Medical therapy is more effective at stopping the | | | | hair will look thicker when you conceal the scalp |
| progression of hair loss than regrowing already | | | | with color that matches your hair. |
| lost hair, but a lucky percentage of patients may | | | | There are several scalp shaders on the market. |
| see some significant regrowth. Minoxidil is available | | | | My favorite is a product called Dermatch. Simply |
| without a prescription, but you must use it | | | | apply the shadow-like powder to thinning areas |
| continually for the rest of your life to maintain | | | | and voila - the illusion of thicker hair. This is |
| any new hair growth. Hair loss will begin again | | | | particularly effective at hairline, temples, hair part, |
| within a few months after minoxidil treatment is | | | | and that nasty split in the crown. Also great for |
| stopped. Some women find that the solution | | | | men. |
| causes itching or headaches. | | | | |