What is female pattern hair loss?

Female pattern hair loss (FPHL), also known as female androgenetic alopecia, is the most common cause of hair loss in women, according to the British Association of Dermatologists. It's caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors: hairs produced by the affected follicles become progressively thinner, shorter and lighter until the follicles eventually stop producing hair. It isn't usually linked to any scalp symptoms, though some women report itching.

How is female pattern hair loss different from male pattern baldness?

The pattern itself is different. Male pattern hair loss usually shows up as a receding frontal hairline plus loss from the top of the head, with the sides and back spared. Female pattern hair loss is diffuse thinning mainly over the top of the scalp — the middle parting becomes more visible and widened — while the hairline at the front usually stays where it is. Onset is typically later for women too, most often in the 50s or 60s, though it can begin earlier, in the 30s or 40s.

Does a hair system work for diffuse thinning, not just a receding hairline?

Yes. A hair system doesn't need a defined bald patch or a specific hairline shape to work with — it's a full base, hand-knotted with real human hair and bonded across the scalp, blended into your own hair at the sides and back. That makes it well suited to diffuse thinning across the crown and widened parting, which is how female pattern hair loss typically presents, not just to a receding male hairline.

Can I keep using minoxidil if I get a hair system?

That's a question for your GP or pharmacist rather than for us, since it depends on your own health picture — we aren't doctors. What we can say is that a hair system and a medication route aren't mutually exclusive in principle; a system gives you a full result immediately, while medication (where a GP considers it appropriate) works, if it works, over months. Raise it directly with whoever prescribes it.

Is a hair system priced differently for women?

No. All three of our systems — Signature Silk, Executive Lace and Platinum Hybrid — are £495 flat, with £50 added only if longer hair is required, regardless of whether the client is a man or a woman. Maintenance is around £60 every four to six weeks, and a monthly plan is available from £300 to start, then £85 a month. There is no separate women's pricing tier.

For Women15 September 20269 min read

Hair systems for women

Female hair loss is real, common, and far less talked about than the male version — including on our own site, until now. Here's what female pattern hair loss actually is, how it differs from the pattern most hair-loss content assumes, and exactly how fitting works when you come through our door: the same process, the same flat pricing, no separate tier.

By Gaz Atwal, Founder · Hair Aesthetics Club, Wolverhampton

Walk through most hair-loss content online and the assumption is baked in from the first sentence: the reader is a man. It isn't malicious — it's just where most of the research, the marketing and the case studies have historically pointed, and our own journal has leaned the same way until now. Female pattern hair loss is common, well documented by dermatologists, and treated no differently at a fitting here. This covers the part that's usually missing: what's actually happening, how it differs from the pattern most content assumes, and how the process works for women specifically.

What female pattern hair loss actually is

Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) — also called female androgenetic alopecia — is, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, the most common type of hair loss in women, and severity varies widely. It's caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors: the hairs produced by affected follicles become progressively smaller in diameter, shorter and lighter in colour, until eventually the follicles shrink completely and stop producing hair. It's believed to be inherited from either or both parents.

Onset tends to come later than the male pattern — usually in the 50s or 60s, though the BAD notes it can occasionally start earlier, in the 30s or 40s. It isn't usually associated with scalp symptoms, though some women report itching. Diagnosis is generally based on the history of gradual thinning or increased shedding at the crown, the pattern of loss, and any family history; the skin on the scalp itself looks normal, and a biopsy is occasionally used to confirm it where the picture isn't clear.

How it's different from male pattern hair loss

The shape of the loss itself is the key practical difference. The BAD's male pattern hair loss leaflet describes the usual pattern in men as a receding frontal hairline plus loss of hair from the top of the head, with the hair at the sides and back spared. The female pattern is different in shape, not just degree: diffuse thinning mainly over the top of the scalp, where the midline part becomes more visible and widened — while the hairline at the very front of the scalp usually stays where it is.

For most women, there's no receding edge to build a hairline around — it's density loss across the crown while the front perimeter still has hair. That changes what a good result actually needs to solve.

What can cause or trigger it

FPHL can accompany conditions where androgen (hormone) levels are elevated, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) — acne, increased facial hair, irregular periods and infertility are all signs of PCOS worth mentioning to a GP alongside any hair changes, per the BAD's own guidance.

It's also worth being clear that not all hair thinning in women is pattern hair loss. The NHS lists several other, usually temporary, triggers separately from pattern baldness — including illness, stress, weight loss and iron deficiency — which tends to grow back once the underlying cause resolves. That's exactly why seeing a GP first, rather than assuming any thinning is pattern loss, is the right starting point if you're not sure what's causing yours.

What a GP is likely to offer — and where that leaves you

The NHS is specific on this point: minoxidil can be used to treat female pattern baldness, but women should not use finasteride. The BAD adds detail — only the 2% minoxidil strength is licensed for women in the UK; a 5% solution is sometimes used under a healthcare professional's advice but isn't available on NHS prescription and is expensive either way. It needs to be applied daily for at least six months before any benefit may be noticed, and any benefit is only maintained for as long as it's used; it should also be avoided if you're planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding. Some wigs are available on the NHS, though you may have to pay unless you qualify for financial help.

None of that is a reason to rule medication out — that's a conversation for a GP or pharmacist, not for us. But it's worth knowing plainly what a hair system offers that none of the above does: a full look of hair the same day, working with diffuse thinning rather than needing a defined bald patch or edge to build around, without a months-long wait to find out whether it's worked.

How fitting actually works for women at Hair Aesthetics Club

As we say elsewhere on the site: a significant proportion of our clients are women, and the fitting process and system options are identical to the men's. There's no separate consultation format and no different product line — see our full explanation of what a hair system is for how the base, the hair and the bonding actually work.

Because female pattern loss is usually diffuse rather than marginal, a full base blended into your own hair at the sides and back gives even, natural density across the crown and parting, rather than needing a hard edge to disguise. The same three bases apply — Signature Silk, Executive Lace and Platinum Hybrid — all £495 flat, with £50 added only if longer hair is required. There's no separate women's pricing tier. Maintenance is around £60 every four to six weeks, and a monthly plan is available from £300 to start, then £85 a month if you'd rather spread the cost. Length and colour, including grey blending, are matched at your consultation the same way for every client.

Not sure a hair system is the right first step versus other options? Our two-minute quiz is a lower-commitment way to get a steer before booking anything, and our full hair systems overview covers what to expect from the process end to end.

In short

Female pattern hair loss is the most common cause of hair loss in women, caused by genetic and hormonal factors.
It shows up differently to the male pattern: diffuse thinning across the crown and a widened parting, with the hairline usually intact — not a receding hairline.
Onset is typically later than in men (50s–60s) but can start earlier, in the 30s or 40s.
Minoxidil (2% strength) is the only medication licensed for women in the UK; the NHS advises women should not use finasteride.
At Hair Aesthetics Club, fitting is identical to the men's process — the same three bases, the same flat £495, the same maintenance schedule.

References

British Association of Dermatologists — Female Pattern Hair Loss · bad.org.uk/pils/hair-loss-female-pattern-androgenetic-alopecia
British Association of Dermatologists — Male Pattern Hair Loss · bad.org.uk/pils/hair-loss-male-pattern-androgenetic-alopecia
NHS — Hair loss · nhs.uk/conditions/hair-loss/

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