Female pattern hair loss needs a different approach to the male protocols that dominate the conversation.
Female pattern hair loss looks and behaves differently from male pattern hair loss. The common pattern is gradual thinning across the central scalp rather than receding at the temples. The cause is often multifactorial, hormonal, nutritional, and genetic combined. The protocol is different.
The first step is diagnostic. We trichoscope the scalp to confirm the pattern and rule out other causes (telogen effluvium, scarring alopecias, autoimmune patterns). We run a blood panel that includes ferritin, full thyroid function, vitamin D, B12, and where appropriate, androgens, prolactin, and sex hormone binding globulin.
Why ferritin matters. Iron stores below 70 ng/mL are strongly associated with female hair shedding. Replacing iron when stores are low is one of the most reliably effective interventions, and it is often missed because routine blood work flags only frank anaemia, not low ferritin.
Why thyroid matters. Subclinical hypothyroidism causes diffuse hair thinning that does not respond to topical or in-clinic protocols until the thyroid is addressed.
Once underlying causes are screened and managed, the in-clinic protocol begins. We typically run a course of PRP scalp injections, four to six sessions, four weeks apart, alongside topical minoxidil (which works well in women, often better than in men). Exosome therapy may be added for clients at a more advanced stage or those who have plateaued on PRP.
Hormonal modulators (spironolactone, in particular) are sometimes part of the conversation but are managed in collaboration with the client's general practitioner or endocrinologist. We do not start hormonal medications independently.
The protocol takes patience. Hair grows about 1 cm per month. Visible regrowth takes four to six months. We photograph at baseline and at three-month intervals so the small daily changes accumulate visibly.
For most women, a sustained six to twelve month protocol delivers measurable improvement. Maintaining the result requires ongoing care, not a one-off treatment.