Thinning Hair and Hair Loss during the menopause
As with many other symptoms relating to the menopause, the lack of estrogen and progesterone in our bodies plays a huge part in keeping our hair strong and healthy. As our hormone levels drop hair grows more slowly and thinner. This decrease can then trigger an increase in the amount of androgens, a group of male hormones, our body produces. These androgens can cause the shrinking of hair follicles which can lead onto loss of hair and can also lead to developing soft hairs on the face.
These symptoms can be quite distressing for women as for some our hair is a huge part of who we are and can affect how we feel about ourselves. However self-conscious we feel we must remember that there are a few things we can do to improve the quality of our hair and to support ourselves on this journey.
Top Tips to make your hair feel tip top:
Reduce stress
Our hormones are already imbalanced during the menopause so it is important that we do not add any unnecessary stress into our lives. By taking time out to practice yoga, breathing exercises and making sure you are incorporating doing something you enjoy into your daily routine can make a positive impact on our stress levels.
Eating the right foods
Include adequate amounts of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and iron into every meal. Fatty acids have found to be beneficial for our skin, nails and hair and can play a crucial role in our hair health. Fatty acids can be found in some of the following:
- salmon
- almonds
- tuna
- walnuts
- flaxseed oil
Get your body moving
We know that exercise will not cure hair loss or thinning but by choosing a form of exercise that you enjoy this will really help in lifting your mood and reducing stress. It doesn’t even have to be strenuous, just by making sure that your body is moving and you are enjoying yourself it will make a positive impact on your general wellbeing.
Hair care and products
Using daily hair tools such as straighteners and hair dryers can weaken the stability of our hair and cause damage. Hair extensions can also cause damage to the hair and cause hair loss. It may be beneficial to reduce the amount of times you use these heated items and think more about the products that will nourish the hair and scalp. There are also many products like thickening sprays and shampoos that will help make your hair look thicker on the market to purchase.
Support
Finding a support group that understands what you going through and how you are feeling can be really helpful. Alopecia UK Support Groups | Alopecia UK support ladies (and men) throughout the UK suffering from hair loss.
If you are concerned about the thinning or loss of your hair it is important to share your concerns with your GP. It could be that there may be another cause for this and can get these issues resolved and move forward.
