Diffuse Hair Loss in Women

In 1978, a study was conducted on diffuse hair loss in women, characterized by thinning of scalp hair and receding frontal and temporal hairlines. The study involved 129 women, most of whom experienced telogen effluvium between the ages of 20 and 60. The hair loss was attributed to various factors including hereditary, hormonal or systemic disorders, drugs, nutritional deficits, neoplasms, physical and chemical trauma, and psychological disorders. It was found that 30% of the women had concurrent systemic disorders or precipitating causes. The study emphasized the importance of a comprehensive hair loss evaluation and identification of the etiologic factors or disease states that may trigger or worsen an existing condition such as androgenic alopecia.