Going through menopause can be challenging enough, but some women face an even more devastating problem - thinning hair. This is more common that most people realize, since around 30 million women in the US face hair loss during or after menopause.
Estrogen and Hair Loss
A hormonal imbalance is the most common reason for female hair loss or thinning hair in women. Estrogen is the female hormone women depend on to keep hair growing on their heads. Anything that affects estrogen levels will affect how well your hair grows.
Pregnancy and childbirth definitely affect a woman's hormones, and it's pretty common for women who have just had a baby to experience a certain amount of hair loss. This problem usually reverses itself within a couple of months as estrogen levels in the body return to pre-pregnancy levels.
However, estrogen levels drop as a woman gets older. This is a normal occurence, but it can lead to thinning hair in women. Why would lower estrogen levels lead to female hair loss?
All women have the male hormone testosterone in their bodies. This hormone encourages hair growth, but there is another hormone that is derived from testosterone. This hormone, called DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, keeps hair from growing on certain parts of your body, including your head.
In a younger woman, estrogen and DHT levels are pretty much in balance. But as a woman ages, and her estrogen levels drop, her DHT levels get out of balance, which can lead to excessive hair loss and thinning hair.
What Can A Woman Do About Hormonal Hair Loss?
Many women in the US who struggle with menopausal symptoms, including thinning hair, have opted for hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. But HRT has many side effects, including an increased risk of cancer. A study was started in 1991 by the National Institute of Health to determine benefits and risks of HRT. This study was cancelled in 2002, after it was found that HRT increased a woman's chances of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Heart disease, blood clots, and strokes were found to be other side effects of HRT.
A more low-key approach is to make a few changes in your diet. Try eating more foods that contain estrogen, including rice, potatoes, wheat, yams, apples, alfalfa, and soy products. Regular exercise will help you to feel better too, along with reducing your stress levels.
Herbs can be helpful in keeping your hormones balanced. There are two types of herbs used for menopausal problems - phytoestrogenic herbs and non-estrogenic herbs.
"Phyto" means "plants", and "estrogenic" refers to estrogen. So a phytoestrogenic herb contains estrogenic compounds that are made by the plant. You would think using herbs like black cohosh, gingko, red clover, ginseng, and dong quai, that contain estrogen, would be helpful, but this isn't always true.
Dosing yourself with estrogenic herbs encourages your body to become dependent on outside sources, instead of producing estrogen on its own. This will lead to a further imbalance in your hormone levels, and possibly even more hair loss.
A better plan is to use non-estrogenic herbs. Macafem is one that is becoming more well-known. This herb encourages your body to produce its own hormones by stimulating the endocrine glands. As your estrogen levels rise naturally, your problems with menopause and hair loss may become a thing of the past.
Reference:
34 Menopause Symptoms - Hair Loss
