Menopausal Hair Loss-Causes And Treatment
Menopause is one of the inevitable stages of a woman's life, and it usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age. Most women experience menopausal symptoms, and some symptoms can have a significant impact on everyday activities. One of the changes that occur around menopause is hair fall. Let’s look into factors responsible for menopausal hair loss and steps that help prevent it.
Why Does Hair Fall During Menopause?
Hormonal Imbalance
Many of the changes that occur around the menopausal period are caused by fluctuating hormone levels. If the hormones estrogen and progesterone drop, it can cause hair loss. Estrogen helps hair grow and live for a long time.
When these hormones drop, it leads to an increase in another hormone called androgen. Androgen can shrink the hair follicles and cause hair loss. Androgen can also make hair grow in unwanted places, and this is a reason that women in the menopausal stage have hair on their face.
Other Factors That May Contribute To Hair Fall In Menopausal Women
High stress: Mood swings, feeling anxious or depressed, memory problems, and concentration troubles are symptoms of menopause. Menopausal women who experience high stress may have hair loss as significant stress can force the hair follicles to the resting phase. The resting phase takes two to three months, and at the end, hair falls. Though clinical depression is not commonly caused by menopause, women who have episodes of depression or other mental health issues may be vulnerable to recurrence during menopause.
Lack of certain nutrients: Minerals, vitamins, and proteins are crucial for hair growth; particularly iron, zinc, and vitamin D are very important. Women need more iron than men need since approximately 1 mg of iron will be lost during menstruation. Heavy or more frequent periods can occur in menopause, and women may lose lots of iron levels. Depletion of these minerals during menopause may also lead to hair loss.
What Can You Do To Prevent Hair Fall During Menopause?
Get regular exercise: Regular exercise is the golden way to stay healthy and is essential for the management of almost all diseases. Aim for a minimum of one-fifty minutes of moderate to intense physical activity each week. If you are a beginner, start slow by exercising for ten minutes each day and increasing the duration gradually.
It can stabilize your mood, weight gain, sleep, and stress which are all contributing to hormonal imbalance. Exercise helps in maintaining hormone balance and can prevent hair fall during menopause. It also helps lower the risk of bone and heart disorders.
Eat right: Vegetables and fruits are loaded with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. Berries, grapes, spinach, avocados, and soybeans are healthy food choices for menopausal hair loss. Include eggs and fish such as salmon in your diet often as they are healthy sources of protein and B vitamins which helps prevent hair fall and increases bone strength and muscle mass.
Destress: Decreased estrogen levels can cause irritability, mood swings, or mild depression around menopause. Reducing stress can help maintain hormonal balance. Around 70 percent of menopausal women experience sleep troubles, which can result in increased levels of the stress hormone called cortisol. Sound sleep is essential in reducing stress. Going to bed at the same time each day, keeping the bedroom dark and quiet, and cutting caffeine after 6pm can help prevent sleeping troubles.
Breathing techniques, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and tai-chi are some effective techniques to lower your stress. If you are doing them for the first time, be sure to get advice from a professional instructor.
Avoid hair-damaging habits: Not only for menopausal women, but every person should also avoid these habits to keep their hair free of damage.
- Limit chemical or heat treatments to hair.
- Let the hair air dry or wrap the hair in the towel to dry instead of rubbing it with a towel.
- Avoid hairstyles which pull on the hair, such as tightly braided hair, dreadlocks, buns, ponytails, and cornrows.
- Avoid excessive brushing. Brush or comb your hair only to detangle or style it.
The Takeaway
There are several myths about hair loss. If you are concerned about the hair fall or experiencing significant hair loss, you can visit a dermatologist. Medications, supplements, hair transplantation, and laser devices are available to treat hair loss. A dermatologist will find your cause of hair loss and suggest effective treatment for you.
