Females have two prime hormones: Progesterone and Oestrogen. Oestrogens are really a group name for three female hormones: Estrodoil, Estrial and Estrone. Progesterone refers to a single
hormone and not a group.
To understand female hair loss it helps to have an understanding of the female menstrual cycle as this is interrelated to her hormonal balance. In a normal
menstrual cycle every 26 to 28 days the ovaries,
which contain a woman'seggs, start to get some eggs ready to be fertilised. After 10 to 12 days , one egg is moved to the outer surface of the ovary and the follicle bursts which releases the egg into the fallopian tube for its journey to the uterus.
The follicle then becomes known as the corpus luteum. When the egg is ripening in the ovary the uterus is preparing itself for the possibility of a growing foetus.
Part of this preparation involves the uterine lining becoming
thicker and engorged with blood that will nourish the growing embryo. If a fertilised egg is not implanted in the uterus, it sheds its lining resulting in menstruation. The cycle then begins again. Oestrogen is the dominant hormone during the first
seven or so days of the cycle, with its level peaking at around day twelve.
At this point progesterone which is being produced by the now empty follicle called the corpus luteum, becomes the dominant hormone. If pregnancy does
not occur within 10 to 12 days both oestrogen and progesterone levels fall abruptly, triggering menstruation. After menopause, the eggs are no longer released and menstruation ceases, with a resultant reduction in oestrogen and progesterone levels.
Female hormones are precursors to other hormones and the body therefore finds another route for production.
This route results in the production of a hormone which is similar in structure to
the male hormone testosterone and can, in fact, be converted into the male hormone. The hormonal shift put simply results in a slight masculinisation with hair loss in a male pattern (receding temples) and also a general thinning. Often younger women go through periods of time where they do not release an egg but still have menstrual periods. The hormones are therefore imbalanced in this set of circumstances and hair loss is common.
Males do produce a small amount of the female hormones and some work has been done on giving female hormones to men in an attempt to halt their hair loss. This route has not proved too popular to date as the hormones produce feminizing
effects.