Nobody completely understands why female hair loss takes place. It is however known to be caused by an interruption in the normal hair cycle. For some reason the hair follicles go dormant. Another name for this dormancy is telogen effluvium. The main cause is assumed by doctors to be stress. The female hair loss that comes from stress is called stress alopecia. It can take about three months for the stress that the person has experienced to impact the hair follicles and cause the hair loss. This is why it seems like all of the hair never falls out all at once.
The types of shocks to the hair growth cycle that are known to cause female hair loss are a sudden hormone change, the delivery of a baby, hormone replacement therapy, a very high people, severe dieting, surgery, a psychological shock (such as a death in the family, an underactive or overactive thyroid, lupus, diabetes and chemotherapy. Just having a general aneasthesia for a very mild procedure can cause it.
Certain medications can also cause female hair loss including Vitamin A Retinoid medications, blood pressure medication, birth control pills, anti-depressants and ibuprofen. Female hair loss is also pronounced in women who smoke and women who abuse recreational drugs. This is because both tobacco and marijuana are grown with chemical fertilizers and radioaticte phosphate fertilizers. Also it si just a common side effect of many feel good medications including anti-depressants. If you want a healthy thick lush head of hair try staying off all drugs.
Severe burns, radiation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also known causes of female hair loss. Basically any physical trauma can cause it and the resulting hair loss can be permanent or it can be just for one cycle of hair growth. Usually the latter case is more likely. It is very rarely that someone's hair just falls out and never grows back. However it has been known to happen. When it falls out for no reason and never grows back it is called idiopathic permanent hair loss.
When the female hair loss is caused by stress the loss is usually evident all over the scalp and hair loss on other parts of the body, such as the pubic area, can also occur. If the hair is patchy then the female hair loss is likely not caused by stress but instead by an autoimmune disease. This is a disorder in which antibodies attack the hair follicles and hair falls out in small, coin shaped patches. In some women, this can progress to total loss of hair on the head. However the coin shaped patches are actually good news as it means the hair can grow back.
There is no real treatment for female hair loss available although iron supplements are occasionally given to encourage blood circulation to the scalp. However this is not an instantaneous solution of any type. Mostly the hair cycle interruption corrects itself and new hair grows in about three months after the initial hair loss.