Myths about hair loss in women

It means you're not a proper women with two X chromosomes.
It's caused by washing your hair too often.
It's caused by too much brushing or combing.
Hair dyes and perms can cause permanent loss.
It may result from wearing hats and wigs.
Shaving your hair will make it regrow thicker.
Standing on your head will help it grow back.
It's a sign of an overactive brain.
There's a miracle cure out there waiting for you.

The pattern of hair loss is different to the typical receding hairline and crown loss in men. Instead, there's usually a general thinning of the hair with loss predominantly over the top and sides of the head. It usually gets worse with the menopause.
Another common cause of hair loss in women is a condition called alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two per cent of the population. In this, the hair follicles are attacked by white blood cells. The follicles then become very small and hair production slows down dramatically, so there may be no visible hair growth for months and years. After some time, hair may regrow as before, come back in patchy areas or not at all. The good news is that in every case the hair follicles remain alive and can be switched on again; the bad news is that we don't yet know how to do this.

The most common type of hair loss in women, accounting for over 95 per cent of cases, is androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother.
The cause of hair loss in this condition is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair until they eventually pack up completely.

Patterns of hair loss
The most common type of hair loss in women, accounting for over 95 per cent of cases, is androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. There's a large genetic predisposition, which may be inherited from the father or mother.
The cause of hair loss in this condition is a chemical called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which is made from androgens (male hormones that all men and women produce) by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. People with a lot of this enzyme make more DHT, which in excess can cause the hair follicles to make thinner and thinner hair until they eventually pack up completely.

Acne and spots

Although often though of as a teenage blight, acne can affect people of almost any age and is often aggravated by times of hormonal change.
Acne is not caused by:

• being dirty or not washing
• eating too many greasy foods
• eating too much chocolate

Acne can be linked to:

• hormone production in the body
• some types of bacteria often found on the skin
• some medicines

In nature, as for any living organism, the probable sole aim of the human body is to reach maturity and reproduce before it dies, in order for the species to continue. Girls are born with all the eggs they'll ever have; in fact, the number of viable eggs is constantly falling. However, it takes on average 12 years for the female human to develop to puberty and fertility.
It's not clear why it takes this long, although there's probably a critical weight - around seven and a half stone - at which menstruation is triggered, dependent on the other hormone systems functioning properly, including growth hormone.
The changes puberty brings are vast, prompted by rapidly increasing levels of many hormones including oestrogen, progesterone and androgens.