Alopecia among women

In women, incidence of alopecia is considerably lower than the incidence in men (approximately 10% at 60 year-old women). For women, most hair loss is genetic, although women have a higher incidence of hair loss caused by medical conditions.
In recent years, researchers have made numerous studies which reached the conclusion that the thickness and hair colour of women affect their social image, but no study has examined the way women with alopecia are viewed by other people.  In fact, many people probably ignore that this phenomenon exists among women,  partially because this manifests itself mainly in a diffuse thinning and consequently it can be attenuated by a woman’s haircut.
The general perception associates hair loss on women with advanced age, which in the double standard of our culture, that sees youth as the most important attribute of beauty, may incorrectly diminish the attraction felt for a woman. Because a woman’s hair thinning is a noticeable fact, with implications on a social level, it is not improbable that alopecia would diminish a woman’s attractiveness.  Unfortunately, neither graying nor hair loss in women promotes a positive perception of them, nor does it make women more “distinguished.”
Although this theory has not been studied, another factor that may occur is the association – at a social level - with the fact that the visible hair loss is the symptom of some terrible disease or the side effect of such a treatment.  Therefore, the fact that the “pattern” applied to a man with alopecia connected to a more normative “I expected that” state can not be transferred, from the point of view of the social expectations, to a woman having the same problem.

Table of Contents:
Alopecia among women
Hair loss and the image of the self
The Psychological Impact of Alopecia on Women