Hair Loss and Menopause
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Like fine wines and classic automobiles, we all want to age gracefully and get ‘better’ with age. Unfortunately, humans usually don’t. Men travel through mid-life crises and women have to endure the unpleasantness of menopause. There are many places to turn for more information on the topic of menopause, but we wanted to cover the effects of menopause associated with hair loss.
One of the most common causes of hair loss in menopausal women is low thyroid function. This is not the only cause during this change in a woman’s physiology that can cause hair loss. Many fluctuations of the female body can cause hair loss at any period in life, but many more present themselves during the menopausal process. Some are: fluctuations in hormone levels, higher levels of testosterone, increased physical or mental stress, some types of medication, scalp/dermatological complications and/or heredity.
As the female body changes during the process of menopause, levels of the female hormone progesterone fall as the body’s ability to ovulate ends. In response, the body responds by increasing its production of the adrenal cortical steroid, androstenedione. Androstenedione has some androgenic (male-like) properties, as discussed in our other sections, one of these properties being male pattern hair loss. In some women, post menopause, hair does return but many may see a slower hair regrowth cycle. Worse yet, some hair lost during and after menopause may not return.
When progesterone levels are raised by natural progesterone supplements, the androstenedione level will gradually fall, and your normal hair growth will eventually resume. Since hair growth is a slow process, it may take four to six months for the effects to become apparent. This can be corrected by using naturally compounded hormones.
Aside from this reason for hair loss, it is also important to not the time and amount of hair loss. When anyone experiences a sudden increase in hair loss there may be factors contributing to the loss. As mentioned, one reason may be the menopause process. For women going through the process of menopause, hair loss is common but not the end of a full head of hair.
Hair transplants offer a realistic and practical solution to hair loss. Although there are other alternatives to surgical treatment for hair loss such as hormone replacement, there are fewer results and longer time requirements for positive results. Understanding the reasons for your hair loss becomes a big factor in determining which course to take. The goal in either however, is to restore your self-image, self-confidence and self-worth. For a woman in transition, hair transplants offer an effective way to restore hair lost due to menopause.
