Q Is there anything that can be done to help women who are losing their hair? I’m in my forties and am a bit thin on top.

A The first step is to find a reversible cause for your hair loss. Iron deficiency and thyroid problems could be to blame. Telogen effluvium — where large numbers of hairs suddenly shift into the shedding phase — is another cause of thinning. Stress and severe illness can trigger this, but having a baby is the most common example.

Falling hormone levels after the birth mean that all the hairs that would have been shed during the previous nine months fall out at the same time. Fortunately, it is only temporary.

However, your loss is most likely to be due to androgenetic alopecia — an inherited hormone-related form of hair loss. Although widely known as male pattern baldness, the condition is also common in women, in whom it tends to cause a generalised thinning over the whole scalp, with as many as one woman in three in their thirties, forties and fifties affected to some degree.

There are possible treatments such as the anti-androgen cyproterone acetate and the lotion Regaine, which is available without prescription. Around half of all Regaine users can expect to see some improvement, but any extra hair growth tends to disappear if treatment is stopped.

drmark@ thetimes.co.uk