Hair loss after menopause

Hair loss or thinning is, sadly, a common problem for many women following menopause. Hair loss after menopause can affect a woman´s confidence and leave her feeling helpless and anxious. But there are ways to deal with hair loss after menopause so that it doesn´t become an over-bearing factor in your life. Below you can find important information about why hair loss after menopause occurs and how you can manage hair loss after menopause successfully.

What is hair loss after menopause?

Hair loss after menopause, also known as alopecia, means that a woman is losing more hair than usual. A typical hair grows approximately 1/4 of inch per month, and continues growing for up to 6 years before it falls out and is replaced with another hair. Hair loss after menopause occurs when the amount of hair falling out is more than the amount being produced.

Not many people are aware of this fact but all women will experience some degree of hair loss or thinning at some point during their life, and two-thirds of women will be affected by severe hair loss after menopause, or hair thinning. However, the good news is that hair loss after menopause does not usually result in complete baldness. Instead, most women suffer hair thinning, which is a loss of hair density that causes patchy areas in the scalp as opposed to total hair loss after menopause.

Uncontrolled and excessive hair loss after menopause can be very hard to deal with given the profound physical changes a woman has already experienced during menopause. Thus, understanding why hair loss after menopause occurs will help women to feel more in control of the situation they face. Please keep reading to learn about the different causes of hair loss after menopause.

What causes hair loss after menopause?

The causes of hair loss after menopause are often personal and depend on a complicated set of factors. Though, the triggers of hair loss after menopause can generally be divided into two areas; psychological and physical.

Psychological causes for hair loss after menopause: • Anxiety • Stress • Over-exertion • Fatigue

Physical causes for hair loss after menopause: • Hormonal imbalance

Physical causes of hair loss after menopause, namely hormonal imbalance, are most common. Testosterone is the main hair-producing hormone in your body but a hormone deriving from testosterone counteracts its hair-producing activity. The DHT hormone (derived from testosterone) is the one in charge of disrupting hair production in certain areas of the body, especially the head. However, although DHT is produced with testosterone, it is controlled by estrogen.

So, when women are younger, estrogen and testosterone hormones are balanced, and so DHT is controlled. But as women approach menopause, estrogen levels fluctuate leaving DHT production unrestrained which results in hair loss after menopause.

Three approaches for treating hair loss after menopause?
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating hair loss after 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 after menopause and go on to the next level only if it is necessary. Click on treatments for hair loss after menopause to learn all about these three excellent approaches.