Maybe you’ve noticed your hair thinning or changing texture as you age into your 40s and 50s. Or perhaps you shower twice a day because your hair used to be so thick but now it curls up inside your drains. If any of these scenarios sound familiar—you are not crazy. And you are definitely not alone.
52% of women who are past menopause report experiencing significant thinning hair. Over half of us. And yet, you rarely hear anyone talking about it in the doctor’s office. Or the salon. Or even with their girlfriends.
What’s going on? Let’s start with estrogen. When we’re younger and in our reproductive years, estrogen keeps hair in the growth phase (known as anagen) for longer. It also stimulates blood flow to the scalp and helps produce natural oils that keep hair looking shiny and healthy by retaining moisture.
But as we enter perimenopause (sometimes as early as your late 30s) our estrogen levels slowly start to decline and that growth phase shortens. Your hair doesn’t grow as long or as thick and it begins to fall out at a faster rate. Meanwhile, those androgens we’ve always had start to become dominant (because there’s no more estrogen to counter-balance them!) which can cause follicle miniaturization particularly at the crown of your head and temples.
Here’s the thing though—once you know why it’s happening, you can begin to take action! A Board Certified Trichologist can assess your unique pattern of hair changes and design a protocol to target the underlying causes.
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