Are you noticing clumps of hair in your comb or brush? Is your hair clogging the shower or tub drain? Are there visible thinning areas on your head? These signs of hair loss may be alarming. But learning about the cause can help you address the problem. Could it be hormonal?
As a woman, you experience many hormonal changes throughout your life. So, it’s natural that you would wonder, “Can hormones cause hair loss in women?” The short answer is “Yes.” But you need more information to better understand how hormones may contribute to your thinning hair situation. The following data on hormonal hair loss in women can help.
Types of Hormonal Hair Loss
When a woman sheds more hair than usual, hormones are the most common reason. Experts named this type of hair loss androgenic alopecia or androgenetic female pattern hair loss.
Following are some of the life events and challenges that you may experience which carry the potential added pressure of hormonal hair loss.
Having a Baby
Pregnant women typically enjoy fuller, lusher hair during pregnancy. That’s because your progesterone levels rise dramatically while you’re carrying a baby. That enhanced progesterone production limits or stops the shedding phase.
But after delivery, the progesterone levels drop, and shedding reoccurs. That means you may notice hair loss and thinning hair about three to six months after delivery. Sometimes, a postpartum woman’s hormones don’t return to normal naturally, causing long-term hair loss.
Menopause
Your body undergoes many changes during menopause, including a decrease in estrogen and progesterone. Those hormonal deficits allow male androgen hormones levels to rise. The effect can be thinner hair from shrinking hair follicles, slower growing hair, and more shedding. Hormone replacement therapy can help. But other interventions may be necessary to address thinning hair from menopause.
Stress
Undergoing high-stress experiences increases the production of cortisol. This hormone is the culprit in telogen effluvium – a hair loss condition that replaces the hair follicle growing phase with the resting and then shedding phases. Noticeable hair loss is the result.
Impactful life events – pregnancy, dramatic weight loss, and surgery – can trigger the stress/cortisol cycle.
Hair Loss Hormones
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the typical “baddie” in hormonal hair loss. This hormone is a byproduct of testosterone. While women require far less testosterone than men, it’s still essential for them.
As discussed above, cortisol is another hormone that can lead to hair loss. Production of this stress-related hormone may accompany DHT production because of the stressful nature of menopause and other DHT-related events.
Reversing Hormonal Hair Loss
Fortunately, there are ways to counter the effects of hormonal deficits or over-production. Your doctor may prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to offset the hormone deficits caused by menopause. Birth control pills are another potential option for hormonal imbalances for postpartum moms.
Once you address the hormonal issue, you probably want to deal with the resulting hair loss. Regrowth is possible in some cases, but not all. If you’re struggling with hair loss, reach out to Genesis II and learn how we can help. To schedule a free consultation click here.
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