Female Losing hair SLOWLY

I have been noticing over the past 8 years that my hair is slowly disappearing.  I had really thick hair and it is now about 75% less than what I had 8 years ago.  I am wondering if it is Alopecia, or not.  I have heard that with alopecia the hair comes out in large chunks.
My mom always had really fine thin hair and lost most if it when she was in her 20s.  The thing is, when she was pregnant her hair reversed and became thicker and fuller.  Is that typical of alopecia or could it be hormonal?
I am currently pregnant and have noticed my hair getting thinner than ever.  The opposite of what happened to her
Both her mother and grandmother had normal hair well into their 80s.
Could it be hereditary?

Thanks.

[Dr_Aparna]

Hi,
The most common type of hair loss seen in women is androgenetic alopecia, also known as female pattern alopecia or baldness. The female pattern baldness is seen as hair thinning predominantly over the tope and sides of the head. Androgenetic alopecia in women is most commonly seen after menopause, although it may begin as early as puberty.

Surgeries, severe illnesses and emotional stress can cause hair loss.Female Pattern Baldness (FPB) is often seen during hormonal changes. These include the use of birth control pills, following childbirth, or during or after the time of menopause.

Apart from stress, improper diet as well as over-treatment of the hair can cause loss of hair.there are things that might contribute to hair loss such as anemia, low blood count, and thyroid abnormalities.


During pregnancy the hair does become fuller and thicker because of the effects of the female hormones, especially oestrogen which is present at higher levels than normal.
In your case if the balding is apparent even dyring pregnancy it is probably because you have already lost a fair amount during the preceding 8 years.
When women have very diffuse thinning over much of their scalp they are generally not good candidates for hair restoration surgery.

If all medical conditions are ruled out and dietary insufficieny corrected and the condition is not reversed then it it definitely due to genetic. You can opt for camouflage techniques.
You would do well to visit a trichologist first and ascertain the cause so that the appropriate treatment can begin.

ref:http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/content/causes/female-hair-loss.asp