Hair thinning in women: what to rule out before you treat it
Women's hair loss is more often reversible at source than men's, and that makes the order of investigation matter enormously.
The instinct when hair starts thinning is to find a treatment quickly. For women that instinct is often wrong — not because treatment does not work, but because a meaningful proportion of female hair loss has an underlying cause that is treatable at source, and no scalp treatment will outperform fixing it.
Spend a month investigating before you spend money treating.
The pattern tells you a lot
Diffuse thinning across the whole scalp
More hair in the brush, a ponytail that has thinned, a scalp becoming visible in bright light — but no distinct pattern. This suggests telogen effluvium: a large proportion of hairs pushed into the shedding phase simultaneously.
The trigger is usually three months before the shedding started. Childbirth, illness, surgery, significant weight loss, a severe stressor, or starting or stopping a medication. Look backwards three months, not at the week the shedding began.
The good news: telogen effluvium is usually self-limiting and recovers once the trigger has passed. The bad news: recovery takes six to twelve months and looks like nothing is happening for most of it.
Widening at the parting, thinning at the crown
The parting broadens while the front hairline holds. This is female pattern hair loss — the same mechanism as male pattern loss, expressed differently. It is progressive rather than self-limiting, which is why acting early genuinely matters.
Thinning at the temples or along the hairline
Often traction — the cumulative effect of tight ponytails, braids, extensions or weaves over years. Reversible early, permanent if left long enough. If this is the pattern, the tension has to change or nothing else will help.
Patches with smooth, empty skin
Distinct round patches suggest alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition. This needs a GP or dermatologist, not an aesthetic clinic.
The bloods worth having
Ask your GP for these before starting any treatment. All are common, all are treatable, and all cause hair loss.
| Test | Why |
|---|---|
| Ferritin | Iron stores. Hair is sensitive to low ferritin well before anaemia shows on a full blood count. |
| Full blood count | Anaemia and general picture. |
| Thyroid function | Both under- and overactive thyroid cause hair loss, and both are common in women. |
| Vitamin D | Widespread deficiency in the UK, associated with hair loss. |
| Vitamin B12 | Particularly relevant on a plant-based diet. |
Where treatment fits
Once causes are ruled out or being addressed, PRP is a reasonable addition. It has the strongest evidence of the aesthetic options, uses your own blood, and suits female pattern loss caught reasonably early.
| Single | Course of 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| PRP Hair Restoration | £160 | £420 |
| Exosomes Hair & Scalp | £250 | £640 |
| Biotin Injection | £50 | — |
| Vitamin D Injection | £50 | — |
Three sessions, two to four weeks apart, then maintenance every four to six months. Nothing visible for three months. Take photographs at the start.
After childbirth specifically
Post-partum shedding typically begins three to four months after delivery and can be dramatic. It is the classic telogen effluvium: oestrogen kept hairs in the growth phase throughout pregnancy, and the drop after delivery releases them all at once.
It is almost always self-limiting and recovers by nine to twelve months. Treating it aggressively at month four is usually unnecessary. What is worth doing is checking ferritin — pregnancy and delivery deplete iron stores, and low ferritin turns a self-limiting shed into a prolonged one.
If you are breastfeeding, tell any practitioner before booking. It affects what is appropriate.
The order that makes sense
- Identify the pattern.
- Look back three months for a trigger.
- Get the bloods done.
- Correct anything the bloods show, and give it three months.
- Change anything mechanical — tension, heat, chemical processing.
- Then, if thinning continues, consider PRP.
Skipping to step six is the expensive route, and it is the one most clinics are happy to sell.
Common questions
What blood tests should I have for hair loss?
Ferritin, full blood count, thyroid function, vitamin D and vitamin B12. All are common deficiencies, all cause hair loss, and all are treatable at source. Low ferritin is the most frequent finding.
How long does post-partum hair loss last?
Shedding typically starts three to four months after delivery and resolves by nine to twelve months. It is usually self-limiting. Checking ferritin is worthwhile, as depleted iron stores can prolong it.
Does PRP work for female hair loss?
It has the strongest evidence of the aesthetic options and suits female pattern loss caught reasonably early. It works on follicles that are still alive but underperforming, so timing matters. Rule out treatable causes first.
Why is my parting getting wider?
A widening parting with an intact front hairline is the typical pattern of female pattern hair loss. Unlike telogen effluvium it is progressive rather than self-limiting, so acting early matters.
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