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Causes of Hair Loss
The upsetting phenomenon of hair loss can be caused by a number of potential factors, and oftentimes is a combination of more than one. For women undergoing menopause, the cause is fundamentally hormonal, though the stress and anxiety that are also hallmarks of this time period can certainly have an effect as well. Diet also plays a large role in hair loss. Read below to learn more about the various causes of hair loss, not only hormonal but medical, behavioral, and psychological as well. |
Women of European descent are far more likely to experience hair loss during menopause than Native Americans, Asians, or Africans. |
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Hormonal Causes of Hair Loss
Hair loss during menopause is oftentimes a direct effect of fluctuating hormone levels. Two main hormones are involved in hair growth: estrogen and androgen.
In estrogenic alopecia, hair loss is directly attributed to a fall in estrogen levels. Estrogen helps hair grow faster, and stay on the head for a longer duration, leading to thicker, healthier hair. This is why during pregnancy, women oftentimes have fuller, thicker hair due to the rise in estrogen levels.
By contrast, during menopause, estrogen levels decline, leading to a thinning of hair.
Estrogen is not the only hormone that carries the potential to cause hair loss in women approaching menopause.
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Androgens, or male hormones, increase as estrogen levels decrease. This causes androgenic alopecia, another form of hair loss. An androgen known as dihydro-testosterone, or DHT, appears to bind to hair follicles and force them to go into their "resting" phases, or telogen, sooner than is normal, causing the new hairs to grow ever thinner with each cycle of hair growth. Testosterone also shrinks the hair follicles, causing hair loss on the head, yet a greater production of hair on the face.
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It is not only hormones that can cause a decrease in hair production during menopause however. There are a number of other causes that can lead to hair loss.
Keep reading to learn more about other medical, psychological, and behavioral causes. |
Other Causes of Hair Loss
While for menopausal women the cause of hair loss almost always is at least partially hormonal, there are many other causes that may also play a role in hair loss during menopause.
Medical
• Pregnancy
• Thyroid Disorders
• Pituitary Problems
• Anemia
• Chemotherapy
• Chronic Illness
• Scarlet Fever
• Eating Disorders
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Psychological
• Anxiety
• Emotional stress
• Traumatic events
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Lifestyle-Related
• Excess vitamin A
• Lack of B, C vitamins
• Iron deficiency
• Lack of protein
• Lack of exercise
• Pulling or twisting hair.
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While hair loss can be emotionally trying, it doesn´t necessarily have to be permanent. Now, with a clear understanding of the primary causes of hair loss during menopause, click the following link to begin learning about the various treatments for hair loss.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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