How A Simple At-Home Test Can Help Combat Hair Loss In Women

While a bald head on a woman can be super chic, not all women feel confident enough to rock that look. So when most start to see a bald spot or feel their hair thinning, the first reaction is to panic. Women don't talk about hair loss much, but it is actually more common than you may think. According to Mayo Clinic, 55% of women will have some type of hair loss by the time they reach 70 years old. Fortunately, per GoodRx, if you do start to feel your hair thinning, don't panic. Most types of hair loss are treatable and can even be reversed.

If you are younger, the loss of hair is usually traced back to an underlying cause that can be reversed when treated. If you have been under intense stress or have had recent hormonal changes, your hair may start to thin or fall out. For middle-aged women, hair loss is often caused by menopause, genetics, or even keeping your ponytail too tight. Older women can blame aging, medications they take, and health problems that often come with age. With all of these, they are solutions and one of the most common ones is a drug called minoxidil.

If you are experiencing female pattern baldness — which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a common condition that is inherited and characterized by the thinning of hair — you can expect to hear about minoxidil when searching for a treatment. Minoxidil is a drug that is commonly prescribed to those experiencing this type of hair loss, per Healthline. Unfortunately, only about half the people who take this drug will see results — but it gets worse. In order to determine whether or not the drug works for you, you have to wait about six to nine months, not to mention the cost.

To avoid wasting patients' time and money, Dr. Andy Goren, the chief medical officer of Daniel Alain Labs, created an easy at-home test that will help determine whether or not minoxidil will work. To use the test, the patient will need to pluck out six of their own hairs and send them back to the lab (via Healthline). Once there, the lab techs will test the hair follicles and in about a week or two, you will get your results.  The test costs $139 and can be used for women and men. If it turns out that the drug will not work for you, don't fret: there are other treatments available.