Hair loss in women: five causes to rule out before considering injections

Why diagnosis starts with blood tests

Shedding is a symptom, not a diagnosis. A woman losing hair because of iron deficiency needs something entirely different from one losing it to a thyroid disorder or a genetic pattern.

When injection sessions are given without identifying the cause, hair may improve temporarily from local stimulation, then shedding returns because the underlying problem was never addressed.

Iron and iron stores

The most common cause in women of reproductive age. Importantly, the test needed is not haemoglobin alone but ferritin, because stores run down long before anaemia appears.

Many women are reassured by a standard blood count while their iron stores are genuinely low, and shedding continues with no clear explanation.

The thyroid

An underactive or overactive thyroid affects the hair growth cycle. Shedding here is usually diffuse across the whole scalp, and may come with changes in weight, energy or skin dryness.

The good news is that this type responds well once thyroid function is controlled, and may need no topical intervention at all.

Hormonal disorders and PCOS

Male-pattern shedding in a woman, with thinning at the front and a widening parting, alongside irregular periods, acne or hirsutism, warrants hormonal assessment.

Treating hair loss here is part of treating the wider condition, and does not succeed in isolation from it.

Postpartum and physical stress

Telogen effluvium follows a shock to the body: childbirth, surgery, a severe diet or serious illness. It typically begins two to three months after the event rather than immediately, which confuses many women.

This type is temporary by nature and recovers on its own over months, with intervention being supportive rather than curative. Knowing this saves a patient considerable worry and sessions she does not need.

The genetic pattern

Here treatment is long term, aimed at slowing progression and improving density rather than stopping genetics. Response is far better in earlier stages, which is why delay in seeking assessment costs results.

In this case specifically, injections and medical therapy have a clear role, provided diagnosis has first ruled out the other causes.

This article relates to hair loss treatment & injections at My Clinic. For an assessment, book an appointment or message us on WhatsApp.