Is Hair Loss in Women Normal?

Nearly two thirds of women experience hair loss at some point in their lives -- information that's small comfort when it's your mane that's falling out in clumps or you discover barren patches of fuzz on your pate. "From genetic to hormonal to thyroid to anemia, there are so many reasons for hair loss, you'll need a doctor to help pinpoint them," says Laura Corio, M.D., author of The Change before the Change (Bantam Books, 2000). Corio recommends your first appointment be with a dermatologist as many common reasons for hair loss are related to skin conditions or even something as simple as overzealous blow drying. You may be referred on to another specialist such as an endocrinologist who will check for hormonal imbalances and thyroid conditions especially common for women in their perimenopausal and menopausal years. The good news: Much non-age related hair loss in women is temporary.