What Are the Causes of No Hair Growth on Female Legs?

Women spend much of their lives trying different techniques to get rid of leg hair. However, experiencing hair loss on the legs could be a sign of another health issue that could require medical care 1. While you naturally experience a thinning of hair as you age, losing hair quickly or in patches can indicate that you have another issue requiring consultation with your doctor.

Aging and Menopause

Leg hair loss in women can occur simply as a result of aging and the resulting hormonal fluctuations related to menopause 1. Hair can thin due to changes in testosterone and dry skin issues. Leg hair can also decrease in circumference, resulting in thinner, softer leg hair. Taking a good multivitamin can be beneficial in maintaining hair health during menopause.

Thyroid Disease

Causes of Pubic Hair Loss

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According to the Hair Loss Information's website, women can lose leg hair due to thyroid problems 13. Thyroid problems cause fluctuations in hormones, which can result in loss of body hair, including that of the legs 123. DHEA, and throxine are two hormones whose fluctuations can cause hair loss in the legs 12. Losing leg hair, eyebrow hair and underarm hair can be an indication that you suffer from low thyroid.

Rapid Weight Loss

Rapid weight loss, such as during an illness or after having a weight loss surgery, can cause hair loss on the head and other parts of the body, including a woman's legs 12. This can be a result of the trauma of surgery as well as the lowered nutrition that rapid weight loss can result in. Inadequate protein during weight loss can increase leg hair loss, so increasing protein in the diet can slow and stop the loss from occurring 1.

Medication

Medical Reasons for Eyebrow Loss

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Chemotherapy, radiation and other medical treatments can cause you to develop hair loss in the legs and other areas of the body 12. Any time a strong medication is needed to treat disease, it can affect skin and hair follicles. Typically, once the treatment is finished, hair will begin to grow back on a woman's legs, though it may be a different texture than it was before treatment.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a hair loss disease with an unknown cause. It is considered an autoimmune disease, but people who develop it are usually in good health otherwise. According to the Mayo Clinic, some scientists think that women may be genetically predisposed to develop this disease, usually after some type of trauma to the body occurs to trigger it 1. For example, a traumatic surgery, virus or something in the environment can spur the condition. If there is a history of female alopecia areata in the family, you are more likely to develop it. With this disease, your hair may grow back, but you may lose and regrow it numerous times.