Hair Loss During Menopause
12 / 19 / 16

Hair Loss During Menopause

As we grow older, hair loss is a fairly normal and natural occurrence. That’s true whether you’re a man or a woman. While many men anticipate some hair loss, though, women don’t always expect it, despite the fact that it is fairly common. Indeed, women’s hair loss is especially likely when menopause begins—but what’s the cause of this, and what can women do to protect themselves against thinning hair?

The Cause of Menopausal Hair Loss

Hair loss can happen before, during, or after menopause—and it happens for the same reason that hair loss can happen during pregnancy: Namely, your body undergoes significant hormonal changes, and hormones play a key role in regulating the hair growth cycle.

Hair follicles are always engaged in a natural rhythm of growth and then rest; at any given time, about 10 percent of your follicles are in the rest stage, preparing for old hairs to be shed and new ones to grow. This is all perfectly normal and natural, but when that rhythm is disrupted, it can lead to thinning hair. The process is controlled by the hormones, but menopause can cause declining levels of female hormones and/or rising levels of male hormones—both of which can cause the growth stage of your hair cycle to be unproductive or the rest stage to last longer. The cumulative effect? Thinning hair and an increased rate of shedding.

The specific amount of menopausal hair loss is variable, and depends on a number of factors. One of the primary ones is genetic makeup. If you know that your mother or grandmother experienced significant hair loss during menopause, that heightens your own risk for irregular hair growth.

Women’s Hair Loss During Menopause: What to Expect

There is some good news here. Whether hair loss due to menopause is temporary as your hormones level out, or more advanced, a combination of our Head First trichological program and laser therapy will help. By treating any scalp issues and enhancing the blood flow and nutrients to the hair follicles, you’ll likely find that your thinning tapers off. In fact, many women will begin a new hair growth cycle in which their hair grows thicker, fuller, and holds color better!

This isn’t the case for every woman and there are ways to treat permanent hair loss—solutions for hair replacement that include wigs, toppers, or hair systems.

At LH Hair, we can help you determine the hair loss solution that’s right for you—and ultimately help you regain your style and your confidence. If you’re experiencing hair loss due to the onset of menopause, we invite you to come to our salon for a complimentary evaluation.