Consider Changing Your Hair Style
There are certain styles and cuts that are especially flattering for women with thinning hair.
Cuts: Long hair can weigh down fine hair. Stylists recommend that women with thinning hair get frequent trims and that they add layers for volume. One especially flattering cut to try is a choppy bob another is a pixie. Uneven bangs can create depth and texture.
Color: Lowlights and highlights can add depth and dimension, which can make hair look more full. Lighter hair can make a visible part and scalp look less pronounced.
Styles: If you always part your hair on the right, try parting it on the left for added volume. A jagged part can hide a visible scalp, and can also make the top layers stick up, as if youve teased your hair. Blow drying creates volume as well. Loose waves, created with a diffuser and sea salt spray, can make hair appear thick and bouncy. So can curling your hair. A half-pony with the bottom half curled or left straight, and the top pulled up high, adds fullness and height. African-American women with thinning hair may want to try side bangs, twist outs, and updos with cascading hair and bangs, using the hair you have to cover the thinning spots.
Or You Might Find That Youre Not As Interested In Sex And Be Totally Fine With That
A lot of my patients who are many years past menopause report that their lives have changed in that way: The emphasis on and impact of sexual intercourse arent what they were before, says Pizarro. When talking through potential treatment options, many of his patients decide its not a big enough deal for them to pursue a medical solution to lowered libido. Its just not something that concerns them. Their life has transitioned to a point where theyre more focused on spending time with their partner or traveling, he explains.
Your Libido Might Dip Thanks To Menopause
Its not universal, but some people with menopause report decreased libido, says Dr. Pizarro. Issue is, it’s tough for doctors to figure out how to combat a lowered sex drivethe cause isnt exactly easy to pinpoint. For decades, weve blamed loss of libido on a womans ovaries or hormones, says Libido is such a complicated thing that goes way beyond issues of the ovaries, uterus, and hormones, says Dr. Pizarro.
Beyond whatever mysterious physiological changes might affect someones libido at this life stage, adjusting to menopause’s physical changes might play a role. Adequate exercise helps make sure your blood is flowing properly, which is an essential part of getting wet during sex.
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Itisdefinitely True That Sex After Menopause Can Be Painful At Least For Some Time
The most prominent change I hear about from my patients is that sometimes sex can become painful after menopause, board-certified ob/gyn Antonio Pizarro, M.D., tells SELF. Most of the time, this is related to a loss of estrogen. That can cause what’s known as vaginal atrophy or genitourinary syndrome of menopause, in which the vaginal tissue becomes thinner and more delicate, Dr. Pizarro explains. Issues like pain, vaginal dryness, and urinary problems can crop up as a result of vaginal atrophy. Around half of postmenopausal people experience these symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Doctors mainly treat vaginal atrophy with some form of estrogen supplementation, but there can be drawbacks. Pizarro notes that theres a small risk the amped up estrogen can contribute to uterine cancer unless a woman pairs it with the synthetic hormone progestin. But combining the two may then increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer, according to The American Cancer Society, which has a comprehensive breakdown of the benefits and drawbacks of using hormones to deal with menopause symptoms.
What You Need To Know About Hair Loss During Menopause
The various symptoms of perimenopause and menopause affect each woman differently. Along with hot flashes, mood changes, and sleep problems, some women experience thinning hair. Hair loss during menopause is not a sign that something is medically wrong, but it can be startling to many women. Lets look at why menopausal hair loss happens and what can be done to treat it.
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Why Does It Happen
FPHL is very common and increases with age and varies across ethnic groups. Although it can happen at any age, the condition occurs most commonly following the menopause. This does not mean that hormones alone are to blame, although oestrogen may have a protective role, helping to keep hair in the growing phase. Age itself is a factor and whilst women can take care of their hair cosmetically, it is one aspect of the ageing process we cannot always control. Genetics are important too and you may notice a family link with both male and female hair loss. Occasionally times of acute stress on the body will influence hair growth, eg illness, emotional stresses and crash dieting. Some medications may have an influence too.
How To Encourage Hair Growth
If you have suffered with hair thinning or hair loss due to the menopause or the ageing process there are many ways to encourage new hair growth:
- Have a scalp massage treatment to stimulat blood flow and encourage growth
- Increase proteins and vitamins in your daily diet
- Take supplements to encourage hair growth
- Continue to avoid pressure on the scalp from braiding
- Use hot oil treatments and deep conditioning treatments to improve the quality of your hairs condition
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Is Menopausal Hair Loss Reversible
One of the most common questions about menopausal hair loss is whether or not the hair thats lost before and during menopause will grow back.
Just like hair loss from male pattern baldness, the female pattern hair loss that often develops in menopause is generally permanent.
This is because DHT physically changes the structure of your hair follicles.
Once a hair follicle is miniaturized, its less capable of producing the thick, pigmented “terminal” hairs that account for the vast majority of hairs on your scalp.
However, this doesnt mean that you should panic if youve recently started to notice hair loss as you enter menopause.
Hair Transplantation May Be An Option For Some Women With Hair Loss
Women who are more distressed by their hair loss or have more significant hair loss may consider hair transplantation, says Bruce. This is an expensive and somewhat invasive procedure. Youre taking hair from a donor site, typically at the back of the scalp, and then redistributing those hair follicles to areas where the hair is thinner, she says.
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Caring For Your Hair And Skin In Menopause
My hair, nails and skin look amazing since menopause started, said no perimenopausal or postmenopausal woman EVER! BUT that does not mean all hope is lost. On the contrary, there is a lot of easy and effective actions to take.
In general, skin and hair appearance are a reflection of what our body is trying to tell us. We are what we eatso lets start with the nitty gritty about diet and nutrients:
TAKE HOME POINT: for most women- a daily multivitamin is really all you need.
Menopause Can Have Mental And Emotional Effects Too
Most people dont like their period, but when it goes away you feel your age, Dr. Rowen tells SELF. For some people, the idea of losing their period can be psychologically distressing.And as we mentioned, your hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, change during menopause. And this change may cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Lower estrogen can also trigger hot flashes that make it difficult to sleep, leading to mood swings and anxiety. Coupled with any emotional distress from losing your period, and you understandably may not be in the mood to have sex. If you feel down for more than two weeks, you may be depressed and want to speak with a therapist, the Cleveland Clinic recommends. However, finding a therapist can be a long, and often stressful, process. . Generally, you will want to start by asking your insurance company for a list of providers. If you dont have insurance, websites like Open Path include therapists who offer reduced-fee sessions.
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Treatments For Menopausal Hair Loss
While menopausal hair loss isnt reversible, it is treatable.
From medication to surgery or even some over-the-counter hair care products, a variety of options are available that can treat this form of hair loss and help you to maintain your hair in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
If you act quickly and treat your hair loss in its early stages, some of these treatments may even stimulate regrowth in areas of your scalp with noticeable hair thinning.
New Pill Treats Vva Without Raising Breast Cancer Risk
Ospemifene , a non-hormonal oral medication manufactured by Shionogi, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 to treat VVA.
Moore said Osphenas packaging warns that the drug may increase the risk for cancer of the lining of the uterus, called endometrial cancer. Other side effects include increased risk of stroke, blood clots, hot flashes, muscle spasms, vaginal discharge, and increased sweating.
Those things are also side effects of menopause, Moore said. Women have to talk to their doctor about what is right for them. Thats the same situation with estrogen or any other prescription medication. With a prescription medication we always weigh the risks and the benefits.
Moore said Osphena or supplemental estrogen can actually make the cells of the vagina healthier and more robust.
I want to be very careful not to imply this can restore you to where you were when you were 25, Moore cautioned, but it can help improve the functioning of your vaginal mucosa. Osphena and estrogen act the same way in that regard. Osphena acts like an estrogen in some tissues of the body, and not like an estrogen in other tissues of the body.
Estrogens, a category of medicine that includes patches, cremes, and gels, can treat the underlying cause of VVA. However, there is concern about giving women supplemental estrogen because it has been linked to the growth of certain cancers.
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Midlife Hormonal Changes May Contribute To Thinning Hair
Hair loss might also be related to a shift in hormones, says Faubion. Androgens, a group of hormones that include testosterone and androstenedione, dont increase during the menopause transition, but the ratio between estrogen and androgen changes, so you have less estrogen and relatively more androgen, she explains.
DHT, a metabolite of testosterone, has been linked to male baldness in research. Theres a theory that changing ratios may be related to hair loss in women, says Faubion.
How Estrogen Affects Hair And Skin
If youre seeing changes in your hair and skin post-menopause, you can usually blame rapidly declining levels of the hormone estrogen.
Estrogen promotes water retention and plumpness in the skin, Dr. Williams says. When estrogen drops, you lose some of the molecules that help keep the skin moisturized. Estrogen also contributes to hair growth and fullness. Without it, your hair may become thinner.
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Talk To Your Doctor About Cortisone Shots Or Acupuncture For Perimenopause Hair Loss
The data is inconclusive as to whether or not cortisone shots actually work at re-growing hair, but I do know one woman who gets them frequently and says they have really helped her. Cortisone shots are given at the scalp, and the Mayo Clinic suggests they should not be given more often than every six weeks.
While I know of some women who have had luck with acupuncture for hair loss, the British Acupuncture Society states that there is no evidence that acupuncture can treat hair loss as a specific symptom however, it might help with the underlying problem.
Answer: Hair Loss At Menopause
There are a variety of different types of hair loss than can occur at menopause. Telogen effluvium and post menopausal androgenetic type thinning are the top two. Your story would suggest androgenetic alopecia as a cause but others like telogen effluvium of course could also be present. If hair loss is from androgenetic-type thinning , hair does not improve after menopause. Treatments such as antiandrogens, minoxidil, laser can help slow down the rate of loss or perhaps even stop it. Keep in mind there are many mimicking conditions in women, so be sure to be sure to start with an accurate diagnosis.
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Is Menopausal Hair Loss Permanent
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Menopause is a natural part of aging that brings with it a variety of changes to the way you look, think and feel.
Common symptoms during the transition to menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, memory difficulties and issues such as vaginal dryness.
For many women, one of the changes that occurs during menopause is hair loss. Often referred to as menopausal hair loss, many women experience mild to moderate hair thinning during their late 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.
If youre in menopause or perimenopause and have noticed that your hair appears thinner than usual, its important not to panic.
Like other common forms of hair loss, menopausal hair loss can often be treated and managed with lifestyle changes and medication.
Below, weve explained how and why menopausal hair loss occurs, as well as the early signs of hair loss you may notice if youre prone to menopausal hair loss.
Weve also explained how you can treat menopausal hair loss to maintain your hairs thickness, strength and appearance during menopause.
High Stress Can Cause Hair Loss
Extreme stress can be a problem and cause hair loss, says Faubion. The condition is called telogen effluvium, and fortunately, the hair loss it causes is temporary, she says.
All hair follicles are on a cycle, and significant physical or emotional stress can push more follicles than usual into a resting phase, which can lead to a significant amount of hair loss at one time, says Faubion. It can take a while after that stress for the cycle to go back to normal, she says.
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The pandemic seems to have increased stress levels and subsequent hair loss for a lot of women, says Ablon. I saw a lot of patients about hair loss pre-pandemic, and I probably see about three times that many compared to a year ago, she says.
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How Does Menopause Affect Your Hair
Most women find that their hair loses volume and length around menopause. This is because menopause causes your oestrogen levels to decrease, and oestrogen is a hair-friendly hormone, helping to keep your hair in its anagen phase for longer.
You may also find that your hair breaks more easily after menopause. This is because the new hairs that your follicles produce become gradually finer, and finer hair is naturally more fragile.
In women whose hair follicles are sensitive to DHT , hair thinning during menopause is often more pronounced.
This is because the drop in oestrogen levels around menopause means that you have a higher ratio of testosterone in your body, allowing it to have a stronger negative affect on your hair follicles.
Hair Loss And Genetics
Female pattern hair loss is a medical condition that is spurred on by genetics. In some women, hair loss is fairly minimal and can be made less noticeable by changing hairstyle. Other women have genes that prompt more severe hair loss, and it is noticeable particularly at the part and on the top of the scalp. This hair loss is harder to disguise by styling.
So while the hair loss may be tied more closely to genetics than to the changing hormone levels of midlife, its not necessarily perimenopause that is causing the hair loss. Its more about the timing of ageing hair follicles slowing down at the same time other hormone fluctuations are happening.
Confusing? A little bit! Hormones definitely have a role to play in menopause hair loss, but genetics upstages them.
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Does Hair Thinning During Menopause Return To Normal Once The Process Is Complete Hormones Are Out Of Balance 54 Y/o
I lost at least 1/2 my density and it remains in a thinned out pattern for 4 yrs, starting as TE of 11 mos duration. Regrowth still much thinner than normal w/ many nearly transparent thin long strands. Dark regrowth is lesser density than former thick hair. It’s flat, fine, feels thinner on crown/sides and thinnest at temples. No scalp is visible but hair is obviously thin and regrowth is uneven as if strips are missing. Will this ever resolve? Sheds easily and excessively when finger combing.
