When women enter the transition from perimenopause to menopause, they will notice several changes to their body including hair loss.
This could be due to the imbalance in the amount of hormones women are producing when they have more androgens than estrogens. The medication they are on could contribute or even thyroid problems.
Dr Jennifer Roelands took to YouTube to share the changes women will notice and how they can fight back against hair loss.
“Hair loss is one of the number one things I hear in my menopause clinic. You may notice that your ponytail is getting thinner, your part is getting wider or just frankly you get out of the shower and there is more hair that’s fallen out,” said the doctor.
Women entering perimenopause and menopause may notice hair loss
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She said that due to the lack of production of estrogen and progesterone, which is very critical for hair growth, women should consider hormone replacement therapy to restore these levels.
Dr Roelands said: “Hormone replacement therapy restores hormone levels back to what they were in premenopausal days. Oftentimes that is enough for women to slow their hair loss down.
“You can also use vitamin D or iron supplementation if you are low. Making sure those are at adequate levels is going to be critical for hair growth.”
Vitamin D and iron work together to help your body absorb and use iron, which is needed for hair growth.
The doctor advised experimenting with herbal options for women’s hair, suggesting the use of rosemary.
She said: “There are herbal options too. Rosemary is something that women will put into a jar with other oils and will put on the lanes of their hair and it will improve hair growth.”
Individuals can also consider trying red light therapy if they have a bit more time to dedicate to preventing hair loss.
Dr Roelands explained: “Red light therapy has some good data looking at improving hair growth. To do this one though, you will need to use it several times a week at night to notice growth and it works great in conjunction with serums.”
The expert told women to not use harsh chemicals on their hair
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Women can consider making some lifestyle changes too such as not putting harsh chemicals in their hair.
“Make sure you are using things that are phthalate and sulfate free and free of chemicals. Make sure you are not too harsh on your hair like pulling it up in ponytails all the time and bringing too much strain on the hair follicles,” said the doctor.
She added to focus on a diet rich in polyphenols, omega-3s, iron and vitamin D too.
Dr Roelands concluded: “Loss is common but not inevitable. You can get that hair growth back and you can change this.”
Those who are particularly struggling with hair loss should speak with a medical professional about solutions.
