female hair loss

I was shocked to see a semi hair loss patch on the top of my head, what could cause this?  I do color my hair but have never had a problem. I am 73 years of age, work full time, and in good health.
Thanks for your advice,
Shirley Hutchens

[Dr Santos]

Hi Ma'am,

There are a number of things that can cause excessive hair loss. This could be related to the stress of an illness or surgery, hormonal problems, certain medications, infections or  as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

Women may also develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head. It would be best to have this evaluated further by your doctor.  You may be asked about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies and menopause. Complete medical history, physical examination and some blood tests or taking a small sample of cells to examine under a microscope of your scalp may be done to determine the cause. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause.

Take care and regards.