Hair Loss during Menopause

Hair loss is a common and upsetting menopause symptom. This can become a serious blow to a woman's self esteem if not given the necessary attention. Understanding, and knowing the causes and factors of this symptom will help women manage it in more comfortable way. Please read the following article which provides useful and important information about woman hair loss during menopause.

What is Hair Loss during Menopause?

Hair loss during menopause affects over 30 million women in the United States

Women hair loss, also known as alopecia, means that a person is losing more hair than usually. Normally, each hair grows approximately 1/4 of inch per month, and continues growing during a maximum of 6 years. Then the hair falls and another grows in its place. Hair loss occurs when the amount of hair that falls outnumbers the one that are being produced. Generally hair loss is believed to be a men's issue only. However, all women experience some degree of hair loss or thinning at some point in their lifetime, and two-thirds of them will be severely affected. But, contrarily to what happens to men, hair loss in women typically does not result in complete baldness. In fact, most women suffer hair thinning, which is a loss of hair density (clear areas in the scalp) but not reaching a complete loss of hair.

Moreover, hair thinning is a loss of hair density which provokes clear areas in scalp. It means that this doesn't end in a total baldness, just makes some parts of the scalp visible. All women experience some degree of hair loss, and two-thirds of them will have a serious case. But, contrarily to what happens to men, hair loss in women typically does not result in complete baldness. In fact, most women suffer hair thinning, which usually makes them lose the hair of the top of the hair.

Uncontrolled and excessive loss of hair during menopause can significantly disturb woman's emotional life. We should know what hair loss or thinning involve to be aware on how to face it. The following articles give details about the different causes for loss of hair during menopause.

What causes Hair Loss during Menopause?

The causes of excessive hair loss during menopause are very individual and depend on a complicated set of factors, but it's generally divided into psychological and physical.

Psychological causes for hair loss during menopause: Anxiety, emotional stress, overwork and fatigue can cause hair loss or thinning. If these factors are not controlled, they could make you lose emotional stability. Therefore, these could unbalance your body functioning, producing alterations that will lead to hair loss or thinning. Usually these cases are temporary and hair loss or thinning stops when the stressful time ends.

Hair loss during menopause is mainly caused by hormonal imbalance

Physical causes for hair loss during menopause: Hormonal imbalance is the main cause for hair loss during menopause. As it's normally known, testosterone is the main hair producer hormone in your body. But one of its derivers has the opposite effect. DHT hormone (deriver from testosterone) is the one in charge of malfunctioning the hair production of certain areas (especially in the head). But, even though DHT is produced with testosterone, it is controlled by another hormone, estrogen.

So, when women are younger, estrogen and testosterone hormones are balanced, so DHT is controlled. But when women approach menopause, estrogen levels fluctuate leaving DHT production uncontrolled which ends on excessive hair loss or thinning. This is why maintaining healthy estrogen hormone balance is important to control hair loss during menopause.

What to do about Hair Loss during Menopause?

The most important thing to get the right treatment for hair loss durng menopause is to find out whether your problem is psychological or physical.

Psychological: Hair loss caused by anxiety, stress, overwork and fatigue should be treated by scheduling rest and spare time and integrating an exercise program in your life. Keep in mind that in most cases a combination of psychological and physical treatments is the most efficient option to manage hair loss during menopause.

Psychological causes for hair loss during menopause are not common.

Physical: Because hair loss during menopause is probably caused by imbalanced estrogen, maintaining healthy amounts of hormones in your body is the most important thing. Although there are several ways to manage hair loss or thinning, the best way is by combining therapies such as "lifestyle approaches" and alternative medicine. You can click on the link below to learn more about the treatments for hair loss during menopause that most suits you.

Hair loss during menopause can be controlled with alternative medicine.

Three approaches for treating hair loss during menopause?
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating women hair loss during menopause:
(1)lifestyle changes, (2)alternative approaches and (3)drugs and surgery. The safest way is to start with the least risky approach for hair loss during menopause and go on to the next level only if it is necessary. Click on treatments for hair loss during menopause to learn all about these three excellent approaches.