Top 5 Things You Should Know about Menopausal Hair loss-- And how to properly prepare for it
Top 5 Things You Should Know about Menopausal Hairloss
And How to Properly Prepare for It.
Part 1 of 2: Transitioning into Menopause Does not Have to Be so Stressful
After menopause about 40 percent of women will experience thinning hair and hair loss also called Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) but unlike male pattern hair loss, female pattern hair loss is usually a lot subtler making it easy for women heading into menopause to miss the early warning signs which prevent them from having the advantage of being able to prepare and act while it is early. Hair loss prevention can be most effective and work best when implemented early on. So it is important for women of age 35 and above to be aware of their hair’s health and as soon as they notice any warning signs be ready to take the necessary steps that will lessen the intensity of menopausal hair loss in the future.
If you are between 35-50, think you are likely to experience menopausal hair loss within the next 15 years and would like to be armed with the knowledge of the most important things that you need to know and do before it occurs when you are at the right place, read on.
In the first part of this series of articles relating to menopausal hair loss we will summarize the top 5 things you need to know about it, and in the second part we will provide you with the best 8 actionable steps you can take now to best prepare yourself before it happens.
As you may imagine, among the number of unfavorable changes women face during menopause, hair loss is said to be the most one that contributes the highest concern among women. Just to show how serious and stressful this experience can be it should be noted that 50% of women attribute losing their hair to losing a limb! If you find yourself in this category of women, what you may not know is that menopausal hair loss can be controlled and that measures can be taken to ensure a smoother transition into menopause occurs. So let’s begin preparing for that transition now!
Top 5 Things to Know About Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL):
1- Hormones — Hair loss and thinning hair before, during or after menopause — as well as after childbirth — is generally attributed to hormonal changes.
Just like an excess of female hormones during pregnancy leave women with healthier hair, the declining levels during menopause coupled with a sudden excess of male hormones could cause thinning hair and hair loss that looks like male hair loss. This type of hair loss can be treated through hormone replacement or antiandrogen therapy but sometimes hormone replacement alone is not sufficient or even desirable.
Other hormonal dysfunction such as thyroid imbalance may cause excessive hair loss. It’s essential to discuss your treatment options with your doctor if you discover there is a hormonal imbalance.
2- Other Contributing Factors — when it comes to Female Pattern Hair Loss, lower female hormones might be the most common culprit. Other contributing factors to hair loss include Genetic predisposition, high levels of stress, nutritional or iron deficiencies, crash diets, or certain medications.
3- Common Mistakes to Avoid — missing the early signs of hair loss is one of the worst first mistakes many women in their 30’s-40’s make. Did you know that 50 percent hair loss can occur before it’s noticeable to the human eye? The other common mistake these women make when they try to treat their hair loss is not giving enough time for the treatment plan to work and not tracking their results properly. Remember, hair loss prevention and regrowth can take time before progress due to your hair health plan is noticeable to the naked eye. You must be patient.
4- What to Expect From the Doctor— . Menopausal hair loss is not usually a sign of an underlying medical disorder unless accompanied by other symptoms. However if you chose to seek medical help, here are some basic things to expect from your doctor.
Your doctor may ask you if there were any triggers for this hair loss, such as dietary deficiencies or recent excess stress or illness.
The doctor will also likely ask you about your medical history to rule out other causes.
A couple of bloodwork tests may be requested. These tests seek to find out the levels of some of the most important things (such as nutrients, hormones, and minerals) that affect hair loss in your body.
The common important things doctors test for in relation to hair loss are the following:
- Anemia,
- Low ferritin,
- Thyroid dysfunction,
- Raised testosterone levels
- Skin disorders
" Hair loss prevention can be most effective and work best when implemented early on "
5- Hair Loss Is a Treatable Condition — While getting the same old hair back may not be completely possible, the results of currently available treatment methods are actually remarkable enough that it is worth the effort to follow them. Women who embark on lifestyle-change driven hair loss prevention and treatment plans, which can be coupled with medication treatments if needed, are usually so happy with the results that they decide to maintain the lifestyle.
Hair restoration physicians are likely to recommend both pharmaceutical and lifestyle changes.
Medications that will help mitigate hair loss include:
- Minoxidil solution
- Platelet-rich plasma injections
- Prostaglandin analogs
- Low-level laser therapy
- Finasteride (after menopause)
- Nutritional supplements
As alluded to above, many agree that the best strategy is to use a multi-therapy approach and do routine follow-ups for tracking purposes to see what’s working.
We would like to remind you that if you start observing hair loss at a faster than normal rate, your best option would be to consult with both your primary doctor and an experienced hair restoration physician since they can prescribe the most effective multi-therapy treatment options, including the latest available products tailored to your specific case.
Ultimately, whether you are able to visit a doctor or not you should take the right steps now to protect and improve the health of your hair.
Next article will go into the 6 Executable Steps to Prepare for Menopausal Hair loss.
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The 6 Steps you Can do Now to Prepare for and Prevent Menopausal Hairloss
Be Gentle With Your Hair:
Ease up when brushing or combing to make sure you are not pulling out any hair. Avoid tight hairstyles or rough handling of your hair to avoid unnecessary stress to your scalp which may expedite and intensify hair loss. Avoid using the curl too often and try switching to more natural products rather than chemical dyes.
Thanks for the helpful and informative post. My wife is going through this and she is losing a huge amount of hair already. She never looked so nervous and worried in her life. I always try to help her to grow some confidence in her. Up above in this article, I got some useful suggestions and ways that might get her some help I believe. Thanks for the share again and hope I could always stand for my wife in any situations.