70 Year Old Woman Just Started Thinning

Hi Dr. Rassman,

I just found your web site an hour ago. I have a very specific question:

My hair has been thinning at the hairline (above the forehead and can see through to the scalp) Thinning last 2-3 years. The sides above my ears have thinned out also. I am 70 years old, still wear long hair (my previously feminine crowning “glory.”) I take estrogen–all appropriately prescribed by my gyne. Good homeostasis with estrogen!

Why is this happening? My late daddy was bald at age 30. Any genetic connection to me. Anything safe I can use to stop any progression. I notice people look up at my forehead hairline so I know they see the same thinning scalp which concerns me.

Yes, Dr. Rassman, it is just as important at age 70 to be beautiful as age 20. :-)

Won’t you respond to me?

I totally agree with you that “it is just as important at age 70 to be beautiful as age 20”.

Several question and answers are posted about female pattern baldness in the Female Hair Loss category of this site.

You need to be seen by a hair specialist for confirmation of the diagnosis and pattern of your baldness. Women with baldness need to be tested for some medical conditions that may cause hair loss; among those, thyroid disease, iron deficiency, hormonal and autoimmune diseases. Some of these conditions can be easily treated and the process of baldness may be reversed.

You need to know that women do not necessary follow the phenotype of baldness of their male ancestors. Unlike male pattern baldness, female hair loss is generally more diffuse with no preserved area of hair that could be used for transplant. That is why for a typical female pattern baldness, hair transplantation is rarely indicated. Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved medication that will treat hair loss in women, but first you must be sure that the hair loss is not medically induced.