Hair Loss During Menopause

The first time it happens, you will be in for quite a start. Your head is under the faucet, you are washing your hair, running your fingers through the wet strands, when you come out with nearly a handful of hair. What in the world? If you are a woman of a certain age, this may be one of the first signs that you are in peri-menopause and well on your way to full menopause.

The Hormone Rumba

• Most women don't realize what our hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and even testosterone, a male hormone that we also possess, do for us until the hormones stop doing it. That's when we find out. Hormones are in flux during the period (that can last for years) leading up to menopause. Estrogen may skyrocket and then plummet; progesterone can take a nosedive when we stop ovulating (although we may still be menstruating), and testosterone, which is an androgen, can become too prominent. All of these combined factors can make menopausal women lose their hair.

Sex Hormones and Thyroid Hormones

• It appears, according to Womenshealth.org, that there is an intricate and complex connection and interaction between the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) and thyroid hormones, so if both groups of hormones are off-kilter, this can lead to hair-loss problems. As luck would have it, many menopausal women experience thyroid problems, which can run the gamut from overly active (hyperthyroidism) to under-active (hypothyroidism).

Deficiencies

• When a woman's body is lush with estrogen, she will have healthy, radiant hair and skin and her reproductive system will be functioning optimally. When estrogen diminishes, a woman is no longer reaping the benefits of this hormone. In addition, inadequate levels of estrogen make it impossible for estrogen to keep the male hormone testosterone in its place. Add to that the disappearance of progesterone, which isn't produced if ovulation does not occur, and the body is ripe for problems, according to Power-surge.com. When a progesterone deficiency occurs, as it often does during peri-menopause and menopause, the male hormone androstenedione becomes too prominent. This can cause hair loss in menopausal women.

Description

• If a woman experiences hair loss, it will probably manifest itself in an overall and even thinning pattern of hair shedding, which is different from what men experience. Men sustain hair loss (balding) primarily at the crown of the head and will have a receding hairline. However, women can experience loss of hair around the front hairline. When this occurs, it is referred to as female pattern hair loss. This can be hereditary and it may also be aggravated by hormonal imbalances.

Solutions

• Some women opt to use minoxidil (Rogaine) to remedy hair loss. According to Womenshealth.org, the drug Propecia is a possible answer for hair loss among menopausal women. It works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which is a related male hormone that shrinks hair follicles, causing hair loss. This drug should never be taken by pregnant women because it can cause birth defects in male fetuses.

Other Options

• Another approach is to take herbs such as maca that have estrogenic effects on the body but do not contain actual estrogens. Black cohosh, another herb, does contain estrogen compounds. If a woman's estrogen levels can be boosted, this should help her combat her hair loss problem.
  Women have found relief from menopausal symptoms in general when using these herbs.
  Consider taking the vitamin biotin, which is reportedly very good for hair health and growth. Taking a daily vitamin supplement that consists of all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients will be beneficial to you, particularly during this period of your life, which can be stressful.

Seek Advice

• Discuss your hair-loss problems with your physician and see what she recommends.