Dealing with Menopause & Hair Loss
How Are They Connected?
You’ve begun to notice that your once lush hair isn’t looking so full any more. That it’s lost its usual softness and luster. There are a number of reasons why this could be happening – that reason may be menopause.
As we age, menopause triggers a variety of hormonal changes. The body experiences a decrease in estrogen production during menopause, which causes all kinds of hormonal imbalances. Most women will suffer from hot flashes, due to increased body temperature brought on by a change in hormonal levels. Emotional imbalances are also typical during this period. You may go through bouts of sadness, anxiety, even depression.
There is another common symptom that many women going through menopause experience – hair loss. For some, it means losing only a few strands here and there; for others, rapid hair loss occurs. The main reason for this hair loss may be low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism. More than 20% of menopausal women in the U.S. are diagnosed with this condition.
How Do I Deal with Post-Menopausal Hair Loss?
The first thing you should do when you experience hair loss due to menopause is to look back at the events that occurred in the past three months. Why the last three months? When hair loss occurs, it takes up to three months for the determining causes to actually cause the hair loss. Ask yourself questions such as:
- Was I prescribed a new medication?
- Have I undergone a particularly stressful or traumatic event?
- Am I finally in the last stages of menopause?
All of these things can factor into your hair loss.
If you are suffering from hair loss brought on by menopause, there are treatment options available. Products such as Rogaine can help restore hair, but only about 20% of women have seen noticeable results. New drugs being tested, such as Minoxidil, work to block the levels of testosterone that cause the hair to thin and fall out. Keep in mind, medications for hair loss must be taken every day, and this can prove to be very costly over time.
You may find that a more practical, and ultimately better, solution lies in nutrition, exercise, and stress management – the keys to your overall well-being. Remember, even if your hair loss is being caused by low thyroid function, thyroid treatment alone may not fix the problem. You still need to create a healthy balance among all your body’s hormones. A healthy lifestyle will not only help to do this, it will also make you feel better about yourself. And isn’t that the most important thing we can do for ourselves?
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