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At What Age Does Hair Thinning Begin for Women?

If you are a healthy young woman, you should not be experiencing thinning hair or hair loss. If you are a peri-menopausal or menopausal woman, albeit healthy, you may experience both due to hormonal imbalances. However, thinning hair can occur at any age due to a variety of factors. If none of these factors occur in your life, then it is possible that you may go to your grave with a full head of hair, albeit white hair, although it is more likely that you will experience some hair thinning at some point during or after menopause.

  1. Reasons Why ...

    • Marcy Holmes, NP, Certified Menopause Clinician explains that hair can start thinning, and you may even lose it, if you have a thyroid disorder or immune system irregularities. Genetics also plays a part. If your mother has thin hair, it is very likely that you will do. If you are an emotional and physical wreck, existing on a lousy diet, not coping well with the stress in your life, over-eating, drinking too much, not getting enough sleep, this is going to wreak havoc on your hair and its health.

    Additional Factors

    • Radiation and chemotherapy can cause hair thinning and loss, as can some hair products if these products are too harsh for your hair and if you are allergic to the contents. Medications, too much blood loss, surgery, which is traumatic, and underlying diseases can also cause hair to thin.

    Telogen Effluvium

    • When you brush or comb your hair, are you noticing that lots of strands are coming out of your head? You would be experiencing telogen effluvium, which seems to crop up out of nowhere and results in uncharacteristic loss of hair. When telogen effluvium occurs, more than the average number of hair follicles have entered into the resting stage.

    Dieting, Illness

    • If you are dieting to the extreme, don't expect your hair to stay healthy. Dieting will take its toll. Individuals who have endocrine related illnesses or hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid) can end up with thin hair.

    Medications, Supplements

    • If you are taking certain medications, including blood thinners (anti-coagulants), anti-convulsants; antithyroid medication or hormone therapy, this can cause your hair to thin and fall out. If you have a vitamin deficiency, according to Hair-Problems/Reasons-for-Hair-Loss, this will show up in your hair. It will become thin and lackluster. Take a daily supplement that is rich in the B vitamins. Biotin is a B vitamin particularly beneficial to hair.

    Hormones

    • Hair thinning and hair loss sometimes occur three months after you have given birth due to a change in your hormonal state. If you are taking a hormone based contraceptive this may cause your hair to thin or fall out. Hormones have a great impact on our hair's health and its ability to stay on our heads. Once your hormones are back in balance, your hair should be restored to its formal healthy state.

    See Your Doctor

    • If your hair has become noticeably thin and is falling out, it's time to see the doctor. This is not normal, aside from the somewhat predictable hair-thinning that occurs when a woman is past middle age. Your hair's condition may be telling you that there is an underlying medical condition that you need to address.

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