If you've noticed your part getting wider, your ponytail feeling thinner, or more strands than usual left on your pillow, you're not imagining it — and you're far from alone. Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most common cause of hair thinning in women, yet it's still one of the most under-diagnosed and under-treated conditions I see in clinic. As a dermatologist, I want women to understand that FPHL is a real, recognised medical condition — not just "getting older" — and that the earlier it's identified, the more we can do about it.
Female pattern hair loss is a genetically driven, progressive form of hair thinning that affects the top and crown of the scalp. Unlike male pattern baldness, FPHL rarely causes complete baldness — instead, it shows up as diffuse thinning and a widening centre part, with the frontal hairline typically staying intact. It's also known as female androgenetic alopecia, though — importantly — many women with FPHL have entirely normal hormone levels, which tells us the condition involves more than androgens alone.
FPHL is common: estimates suggest it affects roughly 1 in 5 women, with prevalence rising after menopause. It can start any time from the late teens onward, but most women first notice it in their 30s to 50s.
FPHL happens when genetically susceptible hair follicles gradually miniaturise — the growth (anagen) phase of the hair cycle shortens from years down to months, and more hairs sit in the shedding (telogen) phase at any one time. Over time, follicles produce finer, shorter, less pigmented hairs, and some stop producing visible hair altogether.
Several factors contribute:
It's also worth noting that other conditions can cause or contribute to diffuse hair thinning in women — iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and telogen effluvium (a stress- or illness-related shedding) are common contributors or mimics, which is exactly why proper diagnosis matters