Surprisingly, both men and women contend with hair loss. Actually, hair loss among women is more common than most people think, but it is mentioned less often because there are stigmas associated with women losing hair. Hair loss occurs in women for a variety of reasons, such as hormonal fluctuations, increased stress or as a side effect of certain medications.

A woman's body is regulated by hormones in many ways, including control of everything from your body temperature to your monthly cycles. If these hormone levels become unbalanced, hair loss can take place. For example, if estrogen and testosterone get out of sync, the hair can start to thin or even fall out. Fluctuations in hormone levels are the reason why women notice hair loss during events such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Oftentimes if this is the reason for hair loss, a doctor can determine which hormones are responsible for the hair loss and correct the problem. In particular, hormone replacement therapy is sometimes used during menopause, and women who have this treatment generally notice an immediate increase in their hair thickness.

Obviously if you are pregnant, you can't take hormones or medication to regulate your hormones, but you can comfort yourself in the fact that a few months after you deliver you system should be back to normal and as a result, you hair will return to normal as well. Teens that find puberty wreaks havoc with their hair often find that going on a low dose birth control pill helps their body to regulate the production and use of hormones. This option should always be discussed with a doctor who will help a teen decide if taking birth control is the right choice.

In women, a major reason for losing hair is stress. You should look for a means of lessening the tension you are experiencing if you think your hair is falling out because of it. Talking to a friend about your problems can be helpful. And women often discover that exercising is a terrific means of letting go rather than allowing their daily tensions to build up. Perhaps the right answer may even lie in a life change like finding a different place to live or another line of work that's not so stressful.

If you find yourself losing hair after beginning a new medication, schedule a visit with your doctor at once. It is quite likely that another medication can be used to treat your condition. Although hair loss is not a common side effect of medications, some drugs do have the potential to cause this to occur.