Hair loss can happen at any age and to both men and women. Often, women don’t think about hair loss as they age. However, most people experience some thinning once they reach their 50s. For some, it starts earlier. If you are going through menopause, you may be noticing more hair is on your brush or that your hair seems much thinner than it used to be. What is causing this and what does it mean for your hair growth in the long term?

Why Do Women Lose Hair During Menopause?

Hair loss can occur just before, during, or after menopause. It is much like the type of hair loss you might have while you are pregnant. It is due to the hormonal changes happening in your body during this change. If you are approaching menopause, you may be talking to your doctor about the other symptoms you are having. That’s a good thing. However, while your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes and other concerns, this type of treatment is unlikely to be helpful to stop or reduce hair loss during this time.

So, how do hormones play a role in your hair loss during menopause? Specifically, when these levels change in your body, your hair growth cycle changes. Declining levels of female hormones is very common during this time. The effects of androgen or male hormones can also increase during this time. This can cause your hair follicles to fail to produce new hair growth. And, that leads to less thick and rich hair. Even if you have always had thick and healthy hair, you may notice a significant amount of change during this time even if you do not have other symptoms of menopause.

How much hair loss you have and how much of a change in hormones happens depends on various factors. Most commonly, your genetic makeup will provide the backbone for what happens here. That is, if you’re mother or grandmother experienced a lot of hair loss or significant hormone changes during menopause, you are likely to experience the same levels. Many women who are older see an increase in the amount of testosterone in their body and, especially if they are considered sensitive to androgen, they will likely see this type of loss occur.

Other Contributing Factors to Hair Loss

In most situations, this type of hair loss comes from hormone changes. However, there are other factors that can play a role in it as well. Consider these, for example:

  • High levels of stress can create the onset of hair loss. It may just be that this is occurring during menopause for you.
  • If you have a nutritional deficiency, especially an iron deficiency, you are likely to struggle with hair loss as well.
  • Crash or fad diets can also cause the onset of hair loss.
  • You may be experiencing hormone-related changes due to an inactive or overactive thyroid.
  • Some women are simply more likely to lose their hair as they get older due to genetic makeup.

But What Happens If You Do Lose Your Hair?

First, realize that many women who are experiencing hair loss at an increased rate during menopause will see significant improvement in the months after hormone levels improve. That’s the good news. In addition to that initial hair loss, you may see a sudden increase in the amount of hair you have – more hair will enter the new cycle at the same time, creating what seems to be thicker hair.


For those women who may not see improvement in hair loss after menopause subsides, the good news is there are various treatment options that can help you. Some women can see improvement through the use of topical solutions for hair loss. Others benefit from low level light therapy treatments, transplants, or supplement support.

If you are experiencing significant hair loss during menopause (or before or after it) do talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are having. Often, there are treatments that can slow hair loss during this time and give you the improved fullness you are looking for. If you would like to learn more about your specific hair loss condition contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts.