Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Hair Loss
A2020 studypublished in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences reveals thatboth the hair cycle and hair follicle structure are highly affected by hormone levels.
Can hormone imbalance cause hair loss?
Definitely.
In fact, an imbalance of hormones is the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women.
And in both sexes, the incidence of hair loss increases with age.
If you are concerned about current or future hair loss,Nutrition Response Testingat HealthierU can identify any hormonal imbalance you may have and determine the exact lifestyle and dietary changes you need to make to restore your hair growth.
Hair Loss Is Often Caused By Genetics
Its important for women to realize that a lot of why they may experience hair loss is influenced by genetics and the aging process, says Bruce. A genetic cause doesnt mean that its necessarily something youve inherited directly from your mom or dad, she adds.
There are multiple different genes related to hair loss, and this is a very complex interplay of many genes. You shouldnt assume youve done anything to cause your hair loss, especially if you are otherwise healthy, says Bruce.
Different Types Of Alopecia
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss, and there are two main types: alopecia areata and androgenic alopecia. Alopecia may cause hair loss only on the scalp or all over the body. It may result in thinning hair, patches of hair loss, some balding, or total baldness, and it may be permanent or temporary. There are numerous causes, including genetics. Talk to your doctor about possible treatments.
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How Common Is It
Female hair loss is a common condition, especially in the years surrounding menopause. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is estimated that over 50% of women experience hair loss. Age, diet, ethnicity, and genetic factors all influence your chances of experiencing hair loss throughout your life, including during and after menopause.
Does Hair Grow Back After Hormonal Imbalance
Women usually experience hair loss and hair thinning after child birth or during their menopausal stage. Men may also experience hair loss with advancing age due to the changes or imbalances in the hormones.
It is important to note that hair loss and hair thinning due to hormonal imbalances and changes is temporary. However, it is not easy to foresee when your hair will start to grow back.
The good news about hair loss due to hormonal imbalance is that you may reverse the adverse effect by treating the hormonal imbalance. In most of the cases, thinning hair and hair loss is an after-effect of another underlying health condition. When the underlying condition is diagnosed and treated accordingly, you will notice your hair growing back naturally.
Important Note:
The causes of hair loss in women should be always diagnosed and treated on an individual level. Health issues arising due to hormonal imbalance such as lower levels of sex hormones, estrogen dominance, or PCOS can be corrected by tweaking your lifestyle and diet.
A knowledgeable physician or ayurvedic practitioner may suggest tests to evaluate your hormone levels and provide a personalized treatment plan.
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Does Hair Loss From Menopause Grow Back
Hair loss caused by menopause may not be reversible due to the structural changes in the hair follicle caused by hormonal changes.
However, a person may wish to look into treatments for menopause-induced hair loss. These include lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and reducing stress, and using certain hair loss medications.
Hormone Replacement Therapy For Thinning Hair
May 18th, 2017
Hormone replacement therapy involves taking female hormones, usually estrogen and progesterone to balance out hormone levels. Theyre usually in the form of pills, creams, or patches. Its rare to prescribe HRT as a remedy for hair thinning alone. Its sometimes prescribed at menopause in order to balance hormone levels. Menopause can bring hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, and mood swings .
HRT is also an option for treatment prevent osteoporosis, which causes bones to be thinner and therefore weaker.
But there are many times in a womens life that their hormone levels will be imbalanced, such as during and after pregnancy. While pregnant, women often find that their hair is fuller and thicker. This is because of the abundance of female hormones in their system. The result is that more of their hair is in the anagen or growing phase.
After childbirth hormone levels drop and hair goes into the telogen, or resting phase, where it isnt growing anymore. Later, new hair will push out the old hair and replace it.
So, if your hair loss is due to hormone imbalance, your doctor may recommend this as an option for you, but its not without side effects.
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Signs Or Symptoms Of A Hormonal Imbalance
Your hormones play an integral role in your overall health. As a result, theres a broad range of signs or symptoms that could signal a hormonal imbalance. Your signs or symptoms will depend on which hormones or glands arent working properly.
Common hormonal conditions affecting both men and women could cause any of the following signs or symptoms:
You should consult your doctor if:
- You are losing hair in an unusual pattern
- You are losing hair rapidly or at an early age
- You have any pain or itching with the hair loss
- The skin on your scalp under the involved area is red, scaly, or otherwise abnormal
- You have acne, facial hair, or an abnormal menstrual cycle
- You have additional symptoms which concern you.
Whats Hair Loss In Women
Hair loss in women is just that when a woman experiences unexpected, heavy loss of hair. Generally, humans shed between 50 and 100 single hairs per day. Hair shedding is part of a natural balance some hairs fall out while others grow in. When the balance is interrupted when hair falls out and less hair grows in hair loss happens. Hair loss is different than hair shedding. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia.
Hair grows on almost all of your skin surfaces not the palms of your hands, soles of your feet, lips or eyelids. Light, fine, short hair is called vellus hair. Terminal/androgenic hair is thicker, darker and longer.
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When To Consult A Doctor
Since so many factors could be at play, she recommends making an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist to go over your concerns. Though, you can also make an appointment with an OB/GYN, as theyre specialized in disorders like PCOS, which could be at play.
Either way, if you are concerned about any excessive hair growth, its important to raise questions on the matter to your doctor of choice. That way, youll be able to approach your hair growth with medical expertise and its possible that you may even be able to rule out disorders that need medical management.
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Coping With Hair Loss
While losing hair at a young age may be concerning, hair loss is a reality for many people as they age. One study posted to the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology noted that up to 75% of females would experience hair loss from androgenetic alopecia by the time they are 65 years old.
While many females look for ways to treat hair loss while they are young, at some point, most people accept hair loss as a natural part of the aging process.
Some people may choose to wear head garments or wigs as a workaround to hair loss. Others work with their aging hair by wearing a shorter haircut that may make thin hair less apparent.
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What Shampoo Should I Use For Thinning Hair
Because thinning hair can happen for a number of different reasons, you might have to go through a trial-and-error period to find the shampoo that works best for you.
Some shampoos are aimed at reducing hair loss, while others aim to thicken existing hair.
Prescription-strength shampoo for thinning hair is also an option that you can speak with your doctor about.
What Is Hormonal Hair Loss
For many women, hair is intimately tied to confidence and self-esteem. Styling your hair before a night out or a special event is a must for most of us, and having healthy tresses is often perceived as a sign of youth and vitality. However, the female body has a complex system of hormones that fluctuate and change all the time. It may be that there are certain times of the month when hair is glossier, then suddenly hair appears dry and frizzy.
Every stage of a womans life presents different hormonal issues that the body has to manage. There are times when it can do this more successfully than others, other times hormone imbalances can lead to hair loss or hair shedding if they are out of balance.
The common side effects we may notice from hormonal imbalances are:
- Thinning, dry or brittle hair
- Bald spots in some areas
- Issues with sleeping well.
The menstrual cycle can influence hair health however it is normal to shed around 50-100 hairs per day. If you are losing more than that, there may be a hormonal imbalance you should consider addressing to improve hair health. Pre-menstrual tension or the more severe condition Endometriosis can both play havoc with hormone levels.
For more information read our latest articles on pregnancy related hair loss or how to tackle hair loss through menopause.
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What Are The Types Of Hair Loss
There are three: anagen effluvium, telogen effluvium and FPHL.
- Anagen effluvium: This is caused by medications that poison a growing hair follicle .
- Telogen effluvium: This is caused by an increased number of hair follicles reaching the telogen phase, which is the stage where hair falls out.
- Androgenetic alopecia/female pattern alopecia/female pattern hair loss /baldness: This type is the most common. Hair thins over the top of the head and on the sides.
Can Hormones Cause Hair Loss
Medically reviewed on February 15, 2022 by Jordan Stachel, M.S., RDN, CPT. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.
While hair loss is more common among men, women can also lose their hair for various reasons. About 50 percent of women experience some form of noticeable hair loss . The most prominent is female pattern hair loss, affecting approximately one-third of women in the U.S. Like male pattern baldness, female pattern hair loss is typically caused by a hormonal imbalance. Learn more about what causes hair loss in women and try our available hormone test to see where your hormone levels are.
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How To Treat Female Hair Loss
Whether your hair loss is caused by hormones or a factor such as diet, stress or weight loss, it is treatable.
The first step in treating hair loss is determining why its happening. If your hair looks and feels thinner than normal, the best approach is to talk to your healthcare provider about it. Your healthcare provider will be able to look at your hair and, based on your symptoms and health history, provide a diagnosis.
If your hair loss is hormonal, the most effective treatment options include spironolactone, saw palmetto and minoxidil. Weve listed these hair loss treatments below:
How Can Hair Loss Be Treated
Youve heard the ads and infomercials touting the latest scheme for regrowing hair and ending thinning. Heres the reality. Lets walk through the available options.
- Minoxidil Minoxidil is the only over-the-counter medication for hair loss approved by the FDA for use by both men and women. It wont return hair to areas it has left, but it will slow hair loss. Brand names are Rogaine and Theroxidil. These products, and the generic form, work for about two thirds of men and women. They are most effective when the patient is under age 40 and has just begun to lose his or her hair.
- A Prescription strength pill is also available but it is used for blood pressure.
- Finasteride Finasteride is a prescription oral tablet used to treat male pattern hair loss. Brand name is Propecia. Also prescribed to treat an enlarged prostate, finasteride works by decreasing the amount of the hormone dihydrotestosterone in your body. DHT normally causes the prostate gland to grow larger, but the decrease also leads to increased hair growth and decreased hair loss. Finasteride doesnt affect hair growth on other parts of the body.
- Anti-Androgen Therapy Androgens include testosterone and other male hormones. These can accelerate hair loss in women. Some women who dont respond to minoxidil may benefit from the addition of the anti-androgen drug spironolactone for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, commonly known as female pattern hair loss.
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Hair Loss Due To Hormones: Will It Grow Back
Hair loss due to hormones is a reality for many people after menopause as well as during pregnancy. But will it grow back? The answer is yes, but there are also things that can help the body along.
Wash hair regularly with a mild shampoo. Treat hair gently. Dont comb or brush hair when its wet. Using the fingers to detangle is a gentler option. Putting hair up in a tight bun or ponytail can cause added stress on the hair and its follicles.
Finally, try to limit the use of hair dryers or irons on hair, as they can dry and damage it.
Here are five tips to prevent hair loss during the menopausal transition and after menopause:
How Will A Healthcare Provider Diagnose Hair Loss In Women What Tests Are Done
The tests performed to diagnose hair loss in women can be simple or complicated:
- Gently pulling on your hair to see how many hairs come out.
- Blood tests. These check for vitamin and mineral levels and hormone levels .
- Scalp examination under a microscope and trichoscopy.
- Scalp biopsy to remove and examine a very small piece of scalp skin.
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Hair Transplantation May Be An Option For Some Women With Hair Loss
Women who are more distressed by their hair loss or have more significant hair loss may consider hair transplantation, says Bruce. This is an expensive and somewhat invasive procedure. Youre taking hair from a donor site, typically at the back of the scalp, and then redistributing those hair follicles to areas where the hair is thinner, she says.
A Hair Transplant Patient Tells Her Story
For early stage hair loss, noninvasive treatments include platelet rich plasma , topical minoxidil , and low-level laser light therapy. Laser is painless, the least expensive treatment over time, and it can be done at home. said Bauman.
Hair grows by about half an inch a month, and changes can be measured in 90 days. We measure the different areas of the scalp to see which areas are responding. If they are not responding, we can modify the treatment regimen to accommodate for that, said Bauman.
However, If you have a density problem, meaning the numbers of hairs have been depleted, we need to do some degree of transplantation, he added.
Andrea W., one of Dr. Baumans patients, was willing to share her story about receiving a hair transplant, but asked that her last name not be published.
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Is Your Hair Loss Caused By Hormone Imbalance
Anyone whos experienced hair loss can tell you that its a problem thats much more than skin deep. Whats not always clear though, is that theres an underlying cause for changes in your hairwhether its thinning, dry & brittle, or falling out.
Hormone imbalance is one of the most common problems that causes hair loss and once you get to the bottom of the hormone imbalance, you can often completely reverse your hair loss and regrow a healthy, bountiful head of hair.
Hair Loss Treatments For Women
There are many treatment options for hair loss caused by female pattern baldness and other types of alopecia, so talk with your doctor to find the option that is best for you. Treatments can include topical medications, such as Rogaine. Other options include light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants. You may need to use one or a combination of treatments for months or years to see the full results.
Hair loss caused by hormonal changes, like pregnancy or menopause, or stress may not require any treatment. Instead, the loss will likely stop on its own after the body adjusts.
Nutrient deficiencies can usually be addressed through changes in diet, the use of supplements, and the guidance of a doctor or registered dietitian. The guidance of a doctor is necessary if the deficiency is caused by an underlying medical condition.
Any medical conditions that lead to hair loss should be treated directly to address the full condition, not just its symptoms.
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Are There Complications/side Effects Of Treatment
Minoxidil may irritate your scalp and cause dryness, scaling, itching and/or redness. See your dermatologist if this happens.
With Minoxidil you might also see hair growing in other places other than your scalp . Wash your face after you apply Minoxidil and make sure you avoid other areas when you apply it.