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.
Emotional Stress And Your Hair
When you’re dealing with a life-altering event, like a divorce or break-up, bankruptcy or other financial problems, the loss of a home, or the death of a loved one, significant emotional stress can also disrupt the normal cycle of hair growth. Significant emotional stressors can cause temporary hair loss, but once stress is brought under control, normal hair growth is usually restored.
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:
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When To Seek Help
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.
The Solution: Treating Hair Loss In Women
If youre suffering from hair loss, chances are a hormonal imbalance is to blame. The state-of the-art tests used by BodyLogicMD affiliated physicians test your female hormones: estrogen, testosterone, thyroid hormones and cortisol to determine if your hair loss is hormonal or genetic. If a hormonal imbalance is the culprit, your highly trained bioidentical hormone doctor will prescribe bioidentical hormones made by a compounding pharmacy to help you bring your hormone levels back to optimal balance and effectively treat hormonal hair loss in women.
While you cannot fight your genes, you can fight the effects of aging and hormonal imbalance. BodyLogicMD expert physicians use bioidentical hormones to not only prevent further hair loss, but also to restore hair that youve already lost. Let us help you give your hair what it needs to grow strong and healthy and soon enough, youll start getting the compliments youve been missing!
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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.
How To Remove Unwanted Facial Hair
Depending on the cause of your facial hair growth, your hair removal options will vary. If your hair growth is due to a hormonal imbalance, Green says that testosterone-reducing oral medications like Spironolactone can help, as can oral contraceptives which also help regulate hormonal imbalance. And, whether your hair growth is the result of hormone imbalance or genetics, theres always the option to tweeze, bleach, wax, and laser it away if it bothers you.
The most effective method for treating unwanted hair growth is laser hair removal, Green says. Other methods of hair removal can be painful, time-consuming, costly, and messy. Conversely, laser hair removal like GentleLase and GentleYAG can target hair growth in a few sessions to permanently stop its growth, all without damaging skin in the process.
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Use The Herb Stinging Nettle
Stinging nettle is a herb which contains an inhibitor of DHT that can help minimize and stop hair loss due to hormonal imbalance. Nettle leaf also contains essential nutrients like Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Silica which are great for improving overall hair health. Simply brew a handful of raw or dry nettles as a tea and then drink it regularly or use it as a hair rinse after You shower.
Hormonal Hair Loss: Improvements With Topical Minoxidil
With hormonal hair loss, the hair follicles are not being attacked by the immune system so hormonal hair loss is not an autoimmune disorder.
According to the American Skin Association, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease where the hair follicles are damaged and often destroyed. âThere can also be short hairs that look as if they have broken off, called exclamation point hairs,â St. Surin-Lord says.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, topical minoxidil is the most common treatment for androgenic alopecia or hormonal hair loss as opposed to corticosteroids for non-hormonal hair loss treatment. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation and lower the immune response in alopecia areata.
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How Common Is Female Hair Loss
Just like male hair loss, female hair loss becomes more common with age. Studies show that only 12% of women between the ages of 20 and 29 show some degree of hair loss, from loss around the hairline or temples to diffuse, overall thinning.
On the other hand, women aged 80 and up have a more than 60% chance of experiencing some degree of hormonal hair loss. Because hormonal hair loss is partly caused by a genetic sensitivity to DHT, your risk of hair loss could be higher if your mother, siblings or other female relatives have hair loss.
If youre concerned about hair loss, its important to take action quickly. Because hair loss is gradual and affected by DHT, acting quickly allows you to minimize hair loss and maintain as much of your hair as possible.
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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Causes Of Hair Loss And Baldness
A variety of factors from illness to poor nutrition to hormonal imbalances to major stress can contribute to hair loss. If you’re experiencing thinning hair or baldness, you need to get to the root of the problem to determine the best treatment.
Hair loss whether baldness or noticeably thinning hair can occur for a number of different reasons. Sometimes hair loss is a side effect of a health problem that needs to be addressed and will remedy itself when the health problem is properly treated. When hair loss is due to a condition involving the hair itself, as in the case of alopecia, the hair loss can be permanent.
Hair Care Tip #: Your Scalp Needs Care Too
Think about it: Your scalp is skin too, and its actually an extension of your face. Just like the rest of your skin, your scalp also needs regular exfoliating. Unfortunately, regular buildup of oil, dead skin cells, and leftover product can leave your scalp overloaded and less than healthy. Once or twice a month, use the to give your scalp a good scrub.
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Can Hair Loss Due To Hormone Imbalance Be Reversed
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Androgenic alopecia and other forms of hair loss are caused by genetic factors, but not every type of baldness is caused by a persons DNA. Irregular hormone levels cause hair follicles to stop growing and fall out, and often, these hormone imbalances are treated with prescription medication. However, changes to your daily routine, like more sleep, dietary adjustments, and more frequent exercise can have a positive impact on your bodys hormone balance.
Men and women are both susceptible to losing hair when hormones levels are not right, and the good news is these conditions are usually reversible. Simple blood-tests are used to identify current levels of hormones throughout the body, and doctors are then able to determine which hormones are out of balance. Some of the most likely hormones to become imbalanced and cause premature hair loss are:
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Menopause And Hair Loss: Whats The Connection
When entering the years of menopausal transition, it is a good idea to check the bodys hormone levels. This can help explain symptoms such as hair loss.
When a person experiences hair loss and other symptoms of menopause, it is predominantly due to hormonal changes. With age, the ovaries begin to decrease the amount of sex hormones that are normally produced. As the body responds to the fluctuations in hormones, numerous physical changes occur. Menopausal hair loss is directly related to the decreased production of estrogen and progesterone.
As these hormone levels drop, hair may begin to grow more slowly and become thinner. Over time, the decrease in estrogen and progesterone causes an increase in the activity of male hormones that the body makes. Androgens cause the hair follicles on the head to shrink, which leads to hair loss. These are the same hormones that are responsible for increased facial hair growth in menopausal people.
Among other factors that contribute to hair loss are lack of nutrients, stress, and illness. A health care provider may suggest tests for basic blood count, thyroid function, or hormone levels to identify the cause of hair loss.
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Hair Follicles Cycle Between Rest And Growth
Before we jump into endocrine logistics, lets review some anatomical considerations. Hair changes can occur due to alterations of the hair fiber itself, the hair cycle, and/or the hair follicle the portion of hair beneath the surface of the skin. This human hair follicle is an intriguing structure! Hair follicles are incredibly productive, constantly undergoing cyclical rounds of rest , regeneration and degeneration , and they are unique in this ability to dynamically alternate between rest and active growth.
Whats Behind Hormonal Hair Loss
Symptoms are your bodys way of letting you know something isnt right and excessive hair loss is no exception. Remember, however, that some hair loss is normal, and your hormones naturally fluctuate particularly during different phases of your menstrual cycle. So for you, it may be typical that you lose more hair at particular times of the month or even in different seasons. Thats why its so important to pay attention, and know what your normal is. But what are some of the key hormones to look at if you are suddenly experiencing greater hair loss?
Thyroid
Your body knows when things arent right, and it will intuitively try to make up for imbalances caused by stress, poor nutrition or other issues. When your system detects fluctuating levels of thyroid hormone, it will channel its energy towards critical matters, like getting those levels under control. That means that processes like hair growth, which arent essential to survival, are left behind. Often, the thinning hair women experience as part of aging can be attributed to low thyroid levels.
Estrogen
Testosterone
This one may come as a surprise, since testosterone usually makes people think of men big, strong, hairy men. But when women have too much testosterone in their system, many undesired effects occur. The most common are changes to hair growth. When too much testosterone is at play, you might end up with hair where you dont want it and none where you do want it on your head!
Insulin
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Making Lifestyle Changes To Balance Hormones
Which Hormone Increases Hair Growth
Androgens, which include a reasonable amount of testosterone, are responsible for stimulating hair growth on the face, body, and head. Women also have adrenal glands, but the androgen produced is of a very small amount. It is important to understand that moth male and female hormones are responsible for hair growth.
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More Than A Bad Hair Day
For many women, our hair is something we control we cut it, style it and choose how to wear it. It is an expression of ourselves, our personality and our image. If we lose a lot of hair, we may feel less feminine, less in control and it can affect our self-esteem.
The average age of the menopause is around fifty and in the months or years leading up to this, some women notice a change in hair pattern. Very commonly, the volume and condition of the hair appears to worsen, with some women noticing that hair does not grow as much as previously. More hair seems to come out in the basin when washing and hair brushes soon fill up as loose hairs are brushed away. Some women will go on to experience a more profound hair loss, with thinning at the crown of the head, the sides or more general hair thinning all over the head. This is described as Female pattern hair loss . A complete loss of hair, as seen in men who sometimes go bald, is much rarer in women and is usually caused by a medical condition or by medical treatment such as chemotherapy.
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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Menopausal Hair Loss: Is It Reversible
Menopause is a time of extreme hormonal changes that typically occurs around the late 40s and early 50s. After menopause, many different physical symptoms can appear, including menopausal hair loss. These symptoms can also include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, insomnia, and vaginal dryness.
Many people want to know if hormonal hair loss can be reversed. The answer is yes! Fortunately, unlike genetic hair loss, most hair loss caused by hormonal imbalances is reversible.
Other Reasons For Hair Loss
When your locks fall out suddenly, instead of gradually thinning over time, itâs usually from something other than male pattern baldness. Other causes include:
- Diseases like anemia or a thyroid problem
- Radiation or chemotherapy treatments
- Medications, such as blood thinners, high doses of vitamin A, and steroids that some men take to help build muscle, called anabolic steroids
- Scalp infections
- Problems with your diet, like getting too little iron or too much vitamin A
- Stress
- Keeping hairstyles like tight ponytails, cornrows, or braids for many years
For most of these issues, your hair will grow back once you take care of whatâs causing it.
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Foods That Help With Hair Loss And New Hair Growth
If you’re unable to do a blood panel or simply want to get started now, don’t worrythere are a number of dietary changes that can make a big difference, with little in the way of negative side effects. Bhatia recommends making sure your diet is rich in food that falls into three categories: healthy fats, healthy proteins, and foods that balance what’s called chi in traditional Chinese medicine. For fats, she recommends ghee, coconut oil, nut butters, and avocadoadd them to your daily smoothie, cook with them, or make an avocado chocolate mousse for dessert.
In the healthy protein category, Bhatia recommends lean meats, beans, and lentils. To balance chi, Bhatia suggests bone broth, yams or sweet potatoes, and liver or organ meats.
Romm also recommends trying out a gluten-free diet. “Gluten can be a hidden cause of hormone imbalances and Hashimoto’s,” she explains, “so try going gluten-free for three months and see if this helps.” Beyond that, Romm suggests ensuring that you’re getting ample omega-3s and taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement with biotin, iron, and other nutrients you might be missing. If stress is an issue, she also advises considering a B-complex, magnesium, and adaptogen blend.