Hormonal Changes and Hair Thinning: Navigating Menopausal Hair Loss

In the midst of experiencing menopause’s wide range of symptoms and side effects, hair thinning is another challenge many women find themselves facing during this season of life. With menopause’s hormonal fluctuations leading to hair thinning, breaking, and hair loss, understanding how you can reduce the impact of menopause on your hair’s health and longevity is a great way to arm yourself for what’s ahead.

 

Why can hair thinning happen during menopause?

So why, exactly, can hair thinning or hair loss occur during menopause?

It’s all to do with oestrogen. Oestrogen directly promotes increased hair growth on the scalp, and also plays the crucial role of converting testosterone levels in female bodies into oestrogen. Since testosterone can encourage hair growth on the body, but not on the scalp, this means oestrogen is doubly effective in supporting healthy and ongoing hair growth. 

Progesterone also lends a helping hand to protecting our hair, reducing how much testosterone the body produces. When both oestrogen and progesterone decrease in production during menopause, there’s consequences for our hair’s health and growth potential.

This doesn’t have the exact same impact from woman to woman. Instead, as with so many aspects of menopause, this hormone-related impact can be more extreme for some than for others. 

 

Symptoms of menopause-related hair loss

For menopausal women experiencing hair loss, it’s easy to assume that the underlying cause is menopause itself. However, it’s important to assess whether or not hair loss could be pointing to a different root cause, such as a nutrient deficiency, thyroid disorder, or autoimmune condition. Blood tests can identify whether there’s an underlying factor or condition fuelling hair loss that’s not related to menopause. 

One of the clear signs that hair loss is directly connected to menopause has to do with speed: the faster hair loss occurs, the more likely it’s related to fluctuating hormonal productions. When hair loss is related to menopause, it tends to strike hard and fast. 

Menopause-related hair loss signs to look out for include:

• A general reduction in hair volume all over
• Changes in hair texture (such as hair that’s becoming finer or more brittle)
• More shedding, especially when washing or brushing hair
• Increased scalp visibility 
• Slower hair growth 

 

Are you experiencing menopause-related hair loss, and you’re not sure what to do next? Reach out to our expert team to learn more about the treatment pathways available to you.

 

How can menopause-related hair loss impact us emotionally?

Hair thinning may be easy to dismiss compared to some of menopause’s more overt symptoms, but for many women, this experience can have unwelcome negative emotional consequences. 

Hair can be an integral part of many womens’ identities, and with its loss, so, too, can come a sense of loss of self. ‘The term “bad hair day” is evidence of the psychological importance of hair,’ writes Lakshyajit Dhami in Psychology of Hair Loss Patients and Importance of Counseling. ‘A patient with hair loss goes through multiple feelings and emotions due to personal and social pressure. Hair loss may cause psychological stress out of proportion to the problem.’ 

If you’re experiencing anxiety, stress, or even a sense of loss and grief due to menopause-related hair thinning, you’re not alone. It’s important to give yourself the gift of validation, recognising that these emotions are real, and that it’s normal to feel them in response to significant menopause-related changes. 

 

Treatments and prevention strategies for hair loss

If you’re experiencing hair loss and believe it’s menopause-related, not all hope is lost for the head of hair you’ve enjoyed over past decades. By taking decisive action, you can support your hair’s growth, reducing the impact of menopause on hair loss and hair thinning as much as possible. 

First, it’s important to discuss your experience with your healthcare team. As with every aspect of menopause care, an expert team dedicated to supporting you through menopause’s twists and turns is a crucial part of navigating any symptoms that arise. Keep notes of what you’re experiencing with your hair so that you can share this data with your care team.

Next, it’s time to consider how your diet is helping, or hindering, your hair’s longevity. Essential nutrients such as iron and zinc, as well as vitamins A, C, and D, can all help keep your hair as strong and healthy as possible. If you’re low in any of these areas, look at how switching out certain foods for vitamin-rich options or incorporating supplements into your diet can help fill these gaps.

Of course, treating your hair as kindly and gently as possible is also key during this season of life. That means paying close attention to the ingredients in your shampoos and conditioners, putting down the heat styling tools whenever possible, and brushing your hair gently, limiting the tension you’re placing on it. 

 

Hormone replacement therapy for menopause-related hair loss

At the Australian Menopause Centre, we have over two decades of experience in supporting Australian women to live at their healthiest and best throughout their menopause years. Developments in body-identical hormone treatments have been supported by our doctors since 2003, empowering best-practice menopause treatment that’s not only patient-centred, but is designed around the unique needs of each of our patients and their specific menopause concerns.

Hair thinning and hair loss related to menopause can, for some women, be treated through appropriate body-identical hormone treatments, with hormone replacement therapy working to offset the impact of reduced hormone production throughout the body. Not only can this be an effective form of treatment to prevent further hair damage, but this treatment pathway can also provide relief from menopause symptoms, or reductions in the severity of how these symptoms manifest. 

 

Conclusion

While menopausal hair loss can take its toll on women in the midst of it, help is available. Find the support you need to navigate hair thinning and loss during menopause with the compassionate, expert team at the Australian Menopause Centre. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you through every twist and turn menopause brings your way.