Receding Hair and Menopause

Receding Hair And Menopause

What is the connection between menopause and receding hair or just in general, loss of hair in women?

Menopause will cause women to go through significant hormone changes. This condition occurs as women approach middle age and they will see their estrogen levels start to fall off.

As the estrogen levels fall, the testosterone hormones in the female's body are no longer controlled. This will allow them to be converted by 5 alpha reductase to DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT will then attach itself to the hair follicle preventing nutrients from getting to the hair strand and follicle. Eventually causing the hair strand to fall out and the follicle to die.

This is the same hormonal action seen in men called male pattern baldness only in women it is referred to as female pattern baldness. In men this condition can start right after puberty when they start producing testosterone.

Identifying Hair Loss From Menopause

Normally people will lose any where from 50 to 150 hair strands a day. When you have hair loss from other conditions such as that caused by menopause, the amount of hair strands lost per day is much more.

It is important to note that there are many conditions that can cause your hair to fall out. To be absolutely certain on what is causing your hair loss, visit your dermatologist.

But to help you identify if your hair loss is a result of female pattern baldness here is what you should look for:

• Unlike male pattern baldness that causes bald spots on the scalps crown and a receding hairline, women who have female pattern baldness will see a generally thinning of hair all across their scalp. Rarely will women develop a bald patch on their scalp.
• Because DHT is blocking hair follicles from providing nutrients to the hair strand, the hair strand will be thinner and when it falls out it will also be shorter.

Conclusion

If you are going through or are past menopause there is a good chance you have thinning or a receding hairline caused by female pattern baldness. Visit your doctor and learn about the options available to stop your hair loss from this condition.