Baldness and a receding hairline can become a major problem for many men. However, many people think that baldness is only a male problem. True or false? We asked Professor Antonio Costanzo, head of the Operational Unit of Dermatology of Humanitas and professor at Humanitas University.
“False. Despite the fact that baldness is immediately associated with male sex, the disease can also affect women – explains the expert. Female baldness, called androgenetic alopecia, is a genetic disease that manifests itself through thinning and shortening the length and therefore falling of hair. It can occur either before the age of 30 or after the age of 50 with the arrival of menopause. The most obvious sign is the increase in the width of the line in the center of the scalp. Although it is a genetic disease, there are environmental factors that accelerate the appearance of its effects: pollution, stress, cigarette smoke, poor nutrition, sudden weight loss, exposure to sunlight and tanning lamps, protein and vitamin D deficiency, as well as hormonal imbalances. In fact, female baldness occurs more frequently with the arrival of menopause, but also with the suspension of the contraceptive pill or during pregnancy, all periods in which the woman is subjected to hormonal disorders. On the other hand, plate, dyed and permanents may cause hair to fall from the stress of hair follicles but not cause baldness. Androgenetic alopecia does not always require specific therapies: in some cases it may disappear on its own. Instead, changing one’s diet can have a positive effect on stopping hair loss: whole grains (rich in biotin), legumes (vitamins of group B), spinach, parsley and carrots (vitamin E), broadleaf vegetables, berries, yellow and orange peeled fruit (containing antioxidants) are all foods that strengthen the hair “.
