Baldness is often considered a male problem but it also affects women. Women usually experience overall thinning of hair and may rarely experience bald patches but this doesn’t mean that baldness is completely unheard of in women.

In the case of women, baldness is restricted to the occurrence of small bald patches along with thinning of hair and there are many reasons why this could take place.  The following are the 7 most common causes of bald spots among women:

causes of bald spots among women

1. Androgenic Alopecia

This is an inherited condition which is mostly found in men and is also known as male pattern baldness. It also affects women and causes hair loss around the vertex and the temples.  It also causes thinning of hair in the case of women but in some cases, it leads to bald patches on the scalp as well.

2. Alopecia Areata

This is an autoimmune condition which causes baldness which is restricted to a defined area.  In some cases, it can also lead to complete baldness. The baldness caused by this condition is somewhat round in shape.

3. Fungal Infections

Another common cause of bald spots among women is the occurrence of fungal infections. Some fungus types of ringworms can lead to bald patches on the scalp. These bald patches usually appear scaly and red and may also be itchy.  This type of baldness can be treated with medication.

4. Thyroid Problems

A lot of women also suffer from bald spots or baldness due to thyroid problems as well. Thyroid problems such as hypo or hyperthyroidism are very common among women.  These can lead to low or high amounts of thyroid hormones in the body which in turn change the texture of hair, making it thin.  Hair also become dry and brittle and hence bald patches may begin to appear.

5. Scalp Psoriasis

This is another condition that is associated with baldness among females and is an immune system disorder. Due to this condition, a female may experience raised and scaly patches of red color that are covered with silver-white scales with dandruff like flaking.  People with this condition experience a lot of itching which in turn leads to scratching and thus results in hair loss.

6. Telogen Effluvium

This condition is associated with a high level of stress, trauma and shock. Due to this, the hair follicles tend to go into a resting state and the normal life cycle of hair is disrupted.  Some of the common factors that may lead to this condition include major surgical procedures, childbirth, chronic stress, severe infections, childbirth, crash diets and malnutrition etc.

7. Other Causes

There are many other reasons and causes of bald spots among women and some of them include systemic lupus eryhematosus, taking thyroid medications, excessive intake of vitamin A and undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer. In some cases, a female may also experience baldness due to use of birth control pills, pregnancy and polycystic ovarian syndrome.