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Why Men & Women Have Thinning Hair As They Age

How many older people do you see who possess full, abundant, extremely healthy-looking hair? Not many. Aging takes its toll on hair and that's a fact. If your hair is thinning, it may be due to your genetic make-up, although there are other factors that can contribute to thinning hair.

  1. Male Pattern Hair Loss

    • Aging men lose their hair, according to Bernsteinmedical.com, due to male pattern hair loss, medically known as androgenetic alopecia. DHT, dihydrotestosterone, does a number on scalp follicles, particularly on those that are genetically susceptible. Hair loss--baldness, is genetic. Most of the sensitive hair follicles are located on the crown of the scalp and on the front of the head. DHT causes hair loss because it abbreviates the growth phase of hair and makes the follicles smaller. Eventually, shorter and finer hairs are produced. Ultimately, none are produced. The same hormones that cause beard growth and acne (testosterone and its relative DHT) can also result in baldness

    Estrogen Deficiency

    • Estrogen, which is a hormone, is essential for a woman's health, including her skin, her hair and her reproductive system. When a woman enters peri-menopause, which eventually leads to menopause, her hormones, including estrogen, become erratic. Eventually estrogen levels decline and this will slow down hair growth. You may notice that your hair isn't as abundant as it once was. It has become thin and may fall out when you wash, or brush, it. If estrogen is dropping while testosterone levels are going up (see next section), this is going to cause hair thinning and hair loss in a menopausal woman. Increasing levels of testosterone, which is an androgen, can result in woman growing more hair on her face and body but it unfortunately doesn't have the same result on the hair on the head, according to Allhairlosstreatments.com

    Testosterone

    • Menopausehysterectomy.com explains that a woman can produce too much testosterone. This can happen during menopause or earlier in life. As a result, she may experience hair thinning and hair loss, although this type of hair loss is more generalized than that which men experience. When this happens, hair growth on other parts of the body increase in women who are converting DHT at a faster rate than they should be.

    Medications

    • As we get older, we are more likely to be taking medications for age-related health problems. Some of these medicines, including blood thinners, gout medicine, anti-depressants, anti-seizure drugs, and chemotherapy drugs, can damage the health of your hair. Hair is not going to grow as well and it may thin and even fall out because of these drugs

    Your Overall Health

    • If you are anemic (iron-poor blood), this can cause hair to thin and fall out. If you are not eating properly, your hair is not going to be healthy. Take a vitamin supplement that contains vitamin B complex, including B5, B12 and biotin. Also get adequate amounts of vitamin C, E and A into your diet. These vitamins are necessary for healthy hair. Essential fatty acids, zinc and magnesium are also needed in your diet to keep your hair from becoming thin and lackluster. Examine your diet and decide if it may be causing problems for your hair.

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