Hormone Imbalance and Female Hair Loss

Hair loss can be an emotional experience for women, and it can come on unexpectedly. While many men expect to have thinning hair like their father, grandfather or other male relatives, women often are taken by surprise when their hair begins to thin. Even though the majority of women will experience some level of hair thinning or loss by the time they are 70, most do not expect it before the age of 60. Hormone imbalance is one of the many possible causes for female hair loss, which can be devastating for many women.

Hormones and Hair Growth

The biggest hormones contributor to hair growth in both men and women are estrogen and testosterone. For men, lower or higher testosterone can result in hair loss – the right balance must be maintained to have ideal hair growth in men. Women also are impacted by these hormones when it comes to hair loss.

Typically, women have higher levels of estrogen and lower levels of testosterone. Testosterone is created in the ovaries and adrenal glands in women, but in tiny amounts compared to men. Estrogen and other female hormones keep androgens like testosterone in check. For women, dips in estrogen levels can result in androgens increasing to higher levels, including testosterone. This can result in thinning hair due to increased DHT, which affects the hair follicle growth cycle.

Estrogen and Female Hair Loss

There are a few reasons estrogen may drop in women. The most common is perimenopause and menopause, which usually occurs around age 50. As estrogen levels drop, many women notice thinning hair, which can be distressing on top of the other symptoms that come along with the “change of life” time in a woman’s life.

Another impact to estrogen levels can be caused by birth control, affecting younger women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Sudden hair loss and other effects of higher testosterone can occur, including infertility and PCOS, often related to taking hormone birth control, or suddenly stopping the medication.

Hair Loss Treatments for Women

If hormone imbalances are to blame for your female hair loss, there are solutions. Not only can you seek non-surgical hair loss treatments such as microneedling to stimulate natural hair growth, you may be a candidate for hair transplant procedures. To learn more about your options, contact us at Kalos Hair Transplant in Atlanta, GA to schedule an informational hair loss treatment consultation.