How Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Stop And Reverse Hair Loss
Hair thinning is one of the most natural things that happens to the body. In a regular day, you lose 50 to 100 older hairs that are constantly being replaced by new hair. There are about 100,000 hairs growing out of your scalp at any given time.
But as you age, hair that is lost does not always get replaced by new hair growth.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, nearly half of all male and female Americans will begin showing signs of baldness by age 40.
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.
Hair Thinning/loss From Hormone Therapy Drug Letrozole
I have been on Letrozole for nearly a month and my hair is changing and thinning badly, which I find distressing. The worst thing is that I could be on this drug for 5-10 yrs . Was trying to mentally prepare for the chemotherapy and the side effects and thinking , look on bright side , after the chemotherapy my hair will grow back.
Has anybody got experience of the side effect of this drug and advice.
Hi Maria,
I was put on the hormone drug Zoladex for my prostate cancer and had more side effects from this than I ever did from the radiotherapy. Hot flushes being the most common. I used to have a contest with my wife and I was way in front both for the amount and for the severity. I also suffered mood swings where if I heard bad or even good news, I would end up with tears running down my face and I had no control over it which I found very embarassing. I also put on weight which I have not managed to lose even though I finnised treatment about four years ago.
So I do understand what your going through. Wishing you all the best, Brian.
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Why Does Hair Fall Out
The hair on your head goes through a life cycle that involves growth, resting, and shedding. Its common for people to lose around 100 hairs a day.
If you experience more sudden loss, loss in patches, or overall thinning, you may want to see your doctor.
Some shedding is temporary and may respond well to changes in diet, certain treatments, or lifestyle changes. Other loss may be more permanent or not stop until an underlying condition is treated.
Female Hair Loss : Why It Happens And How To Treat It
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Noticed your hair falling out? Whether youve spotted more hairs than normal on your pillow, in the shower drain catch or on your clothing, its easy to panic when you notice your hair thinning at a faster pace than normal.
Female pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss women experience.
Hair loss in women can occur for a variety of hair types and reasons. Sometimes, its triggered by changes in your hormone levels and a genetic sensitivity to certain hormones. In other cases, factors such as stress, thyroid issues , weight loss and even environmental factors can all have an effect on your hairline.
As a woman, dealing with hair loss can be difficult. Luckily, its almost always treatable using a range of safe, effective medications. Weve covered these treatment options, as well as the key reasons for female hair loss, below.
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Women Suffer From Hair Loss Too
young woman worried about hair loss
But its not just men who suffer from hair loss women can experience it too. For women, an underactive thyroid can be one of the factors contributing to hair loss, but in most cases, for both men and women, androgenic alopecia occurs because of a genetically determined shortening of anagen, a hairs growing phase, and a lengthening of the time between the shedding of a hair and the start of a new anagen phase.
About one-third of women experience hair loss at some time in their lives already struggling with hot flashes, as many as two-thirds suffer hair thinning and bald spots. Hair loss often has a greater impact on menopausal women than it does on men, because society is more accepting of men with thinning hair. A womans emotional wellbeing and quality of life can be severely affected due to alopecia.
Hair loss in women can be due to a hormonal imbalance called hypothyroidism, when the thyroids production of body-regulating hormones decreases, and which can be addressed with the application of suitable bioidentical hormones to replace the thyroid hormone that your body is no longer producing or is producing in diminished quantities.
- Feeling cold when other people do no
- Constipation
- More than usual menstrual bleeding
- High LDL or bad cholesterol, which can raise your risk for heart disease
You’ve Recently Had Surgery
“Any imbalance in the body can trigger diffuse hair loss,” James says, including undergoing an operation. “Surgery can bring on diffuse hair loss, should only last for three months, then correct itself.” Not only can the stress of surgery trigger hair loss, but anesthesia, postoperative medications, and increased metabolic needs of nutrients like protein, zinc, and biotin post-surgery can contribute to this, says board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D.
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Hormone Healing Tip : Beauty Sleep
Poor sleep quality leads to a number of health issues, whether its stress, skin issues, energy levels or a poor immune system.
Did you know that your sleep cycle affects your hairs overall health? A good and restorative nights sleep is required for the protein synthesis of the hair and the release of enzymes and growth hormones that are necessary for overall hair health.
The way that sleep affects your bodys natural hormones is probably the most important part of preventing hair loss. Your body produces a hormone called melatonin. This hormone helps your body regulate your sleep cycle, and it has been shown to increase hair growth. If your body decreases in its melatonin levels, its possible that this could result in hair loss.
Sleep deprivation, which is so common as our female hormones decline, can eventually lead to stress, and stress has been known to result in telogen effluvium hair loss. This is when stress pushes the hair follicle into a premature resting state, which is then followed by a premature shedding phase.
I formulated GLOW PM to help with perimenopause and menopause sleep disruption and support healthy hair growth. GLOW PM contains a blend of melatonin, GABA, 5-HTP and gentle calming herbs to help melt away stress, calm the body and mind, and allow for restful sleep, night after night. And as a result, that bed-head will be fuller and thicker!
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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How To Hide Thinning Hair After Menopause
If hair continues to thin after menopause and natural treatments have been ineffective, there are things that can help camouflage this issue. Some hair stylists will suggest shortening the length of hair. This adds volume and reduces the weight of hair. It can also help hide problem spots.
Some more permanent but also costly options include topical hair growth products, hair extensions, wigs, surgical hair transplants, and low-level laser scalp treatments.
Hair Care Tip #1: Trim Your Split Ends
As much as you care for your hair and keep it healthy by following various hair tips, sometimes split ends are just inevitable. Rather than trying to seal them up, book an appointment with your hairdresser and get them snipped off. Hair is already dead, so when it splits, the AAD recommends trimming them at the first sign.
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Clinical Evaluation Talk To Your Doctor
A laboratory workup for hair loss is commonly performed. Additional questions that you may be asked to help narrow down differential diagnosis are :
- When did the hair loss start? A sudden onset of hair loss may be suggestive of a disruption of the hair cycle.
- Where is the hair loss most prominent? Hair loss can be patchy, diffuse or patterned. Diffuse shedding may indicate disruption of the hair cycle, while patterned thinning could be attributed to hormonal dysregulation.
- What is the normal hair care routine? Certain hair care practices can have a tremendous impact on the loss of hair health.
With proper evaluation and appropriate testing for hormonal imbalances or nutritional deficiencies, help is on the way!
Dht And Male Hair Loss Explained
If youve noticed your hair starting to thin or recede, its easy to stress over whats causing it to happen. Is it stress? A bad diet? Unlucky genetics? Or is it a lifestyle factor you can fix through a change in behavior?
The reality is that hair loss in men is primarily caused by dihydrotestosterone , a male steroid hormone that binds to receptors in your scalp and — in genetically susceptible men — is responsible for hair loss.
DHT can seem complicated, but its role in hair loss is fairly easy to understand once you have a basic knowledge of how your body produces DHT and the effect DHT hormone has on hair follicles.
In this guide, well explain what DHT is, how its produced by your body, and the options that are available regarding how to reduce DHT and limiting its negative effects on your hairline.
But first, lets answer the question: what is DHT?
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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.
Will Estrogen Help My Hair Grow Back
Estrogen counteracts the effects of DHT, so it makes sense that restoring your estrogen levels would impact female pattern hair loss. The hormones effect on hair growth can be seen during pregnancy, a period of heightened estrogen production, and, often, temporarily thicker hair.
After menopause, women have the option to replace their depleted estrogen through hormone replacement therapy . This is a synthetic form of the hormone delivered via a gel, cream, skin patch or oral supplement.
HRT reverses hormonal hair loss for some women, but it may make the problem worse in others. Additionally, HRT has potential side effects like an increased cancer risk, osteoporosis and endometriosis. Talk to your doctor to discuss whether the benefits of HRT would outweigh the risks for you.
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Hair Care Tip #: Give Strands A Break From Ponytails
Ponytails are a classic for a reason. Come on, just think about how convenient it is to be able to sweep all of your hair off your face. Still, that doesnt mean theyre right for 100% of the time. Pulling your hair up every day can put unnecessary strain on your locks. Try wearing your hair down more often, rocking lower and looser ponytails, and using softer hair ties that wont pinch.
What Are The Common Causes Of Hair Loss In Women
What causes hair loss?
- Hair style: Your style of hair can cause hair loss when your hair is arranged in ways that pull on your roots, like tight ponytails, braids, or corn rows. This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. If hair follicles are damaged, the loss can be permanent.
- Vitamin deficiency.
- Over processed scalp hair .
What causes anagen effluvium hair loss?
- Toxic substances, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some medications. These cause sudden hair loss that can occur anywhere on your body. It happens to hair in the growth stage. Sometimes, this type of hair loss can be permanent if your hair follicles are damaged.
What causes telogen effluvium hair loss?
- Extreme physical stress or shock to your body: This causes temporary hair loss. This category includes events like losing a lot of weight, surgery, anemia, illness and having a baby.
- Extreme emotional stress: mental illness, the death of a loved one, etc.
- An abnormal thyroid.
- Medications and supplements: blood pressure medicines, gout medicines and high doses of Vitamin A.
- Hormone changes caused by pregnancy, menopause or birth control pills.
What causes FPHL ?
- Genes: Your familys genes can cause thinning of hair along the top of your head.
- Aging: Hormone changes as you age can cause balding.
- Menopause: This type of hair loss often gets worse when estrogen is lost during menopause.
There are also some conditions that affect hair loss:
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