Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

Did you know that women can experience sudden hair loss when approaching menopause? As many as 40% of women will have to deal with this condition. While there are actually many causes for female hair loss, menopause is the time most women are affected.

Changes in hormonal levels are the reason for increased hair loss and thinning hair in women during the time of menopause. In fact, hair loss can be one of the first signs that a woman is experiencing menopause. In part, it is caused by a drop in estrogen levels produced by the ovaries, creating an imbalance between androgen (male hormones) and estrogen hormones. For men, testosterone is the hormone commonly associated with causing male pattern hair loss. In women this is produced in much lower quantities but creates a similar hair loss condition. This process started by testosterone combining with an enzyme called Alpha5 reductase to create a substance called DHT. The DHT is responsible for the hair loss. After menopause, the ovaries may continue to produce even more androgens than estrogen and this can result in further hair loss. It doesn’t just affect hair on the scalp but body hair can also become thinner, just the opposite of men who tend to get more body hair as scalp hair thins. Some women experience no menopausal hair loss or excessive thinning, and reasons for this are not fully understood.

Many women are prescribed hormone replacement treatment (HRT) to counter some of the more severe symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, lack of sleep, mood swings and sensitive skin. HRT works by increasing the levels of estrogen to pre-menopausal levels. HRT can also be an effective hair loss treatment but is not without side effects. This is something you should discuss with your doctor.

There are a number of non-drug based alternatives that can be used to slow down menopausal hair loss. Something as simple as gently massaging the scalp when shampooing to increase blood flow to the hair roots. Use quality products containing natural ingredients. And, as we’ve discussed many times, it’s important to eat a well balanced diet as healthy hair requires the minimum daily intake of the right minerals and vitamins. Try to eat plenty of fish, liver, dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat, etc, for vitamin A, vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12. Be sure to eat leafy vegetables, orange juice and avocados. Broccoli and beets are a good source of folic acid which is important for hair health.

If you find you are loosing hair as you go through menopause, you may want to keep your hair short to help prevent any breakage. Ask your stylist to layer it to give you the appearance of more volume. Try to avoid damaging your hair with hot dryers and heated hair straighteners. And, avoid bleaching if possible.

If you need help with your thinning hair call for a consultation with one of the Hair Replacement Specialists at Fantasia, they would love to work with you.

Thinning hair is only a problem for older women, right? Absolutely and positively NOT! Many women in their late teens and early twenties experience thinning hair and hair loss. Contrary to popular belief, hair loss in women is not always associated with menopause.

There are numerous causes for hair loss including cystic ovaries, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, psychological or physical stress and dietary deficiencies. Chemotherapy, birth control pills, beta-blockers, coumadin, anti-depressants and others can cause thinning hair in women. It’s always wise for a woman to visit the doctor to determine the underlying cause for her hair loss problem.

The loss of hair can be an emotionally devasting experience for any woman. And to make matters even worse, those around her don’t understand how she feels which only exacerbates the problem. Unless you work in the industry like we do at Fantasia, there’s not a lot of sympathy for women dealing with thinning hair and hair loss.

For women, hair loss can lead to serious emotional and psychological problems. Granted, there are many emotional issues for men who are losing their hair, but, as a whole, men tend to get a lot more support from their family members, their friends and society as a whole.

Women typically do not actually develop bald spots like men do. In women, when hair regrows as part of the normal hair life-cycle, it may grow back thinner and shorter than it used to be. Hair loss in women results in thinning and sparsely growing hair. Eventually a woman’s hair may look like “peach fuzz”.

Because thinning hair in women is not as obvious as bald spots, people in a woman’s life tend to not take it so seriously. A woman may become very self-conscious about her appearance. She may be too embarrassed to even mention it to her doctor. And we’ve even heard stories of women mentioning it to the doctor and the doctor has the attitude that since this isn’t a life-threatening condition, she should just “live with it”.

But, when a woman’s family and friends don’t understand how devasting the problem is for her, and she feels there is no one to turn to for help, her self-esteem can plummet and she can experience anxiety and depression.

This is what we do at Fantasia, we are here to help these women. If you or a loved one can relate to any of this, please call and schedule a consultation with one of our Hair Support Specialist. We understand what you are going through and can help you find a solution.

The accepted belief among physicians is that most hair loss is due to a combination of genetics and hormonal changes, such as menopause. The less common form of hair loss, alopecia areata, is believed to be am immune response gone awry in which the hair patches fall out and may never grow back.

Are there natural remedies that can help with hair loss? There are and we’ve talked about some of them before but a refresher course is not a bad thing.

If your hair loss begins around the onset of menopause, you can maintain hormonal balance, hence hair thickness, with herbs containing plant-based estrogens such as dong quai or ashwanganda. Other herbs that exert mild estrogenic effects include damiana, black cohosh and sage.

Another great choice is saw palmetto because it blocks the formation of DHT which, if you remember is a culprit in hair loss in both males and females.

A simple test done at the doctor’s office can determine if you have an under-active thyroid which is a contributor to hair loss. If this is the case for you, adding iodine-rich sea vegetables such as kelp to your diet help boost thyroid function and supply essential minerals needed for proper hair growth.

Prolonged periods of emotional stress are a definite factor in thinning hair in women. Stress may trigger hair loss by weakening the thyroid and adrenal glands. A B-complex supplement to support the nervous system during and after stressful times would be a great idea. Also, the Chinease herb fo ti will help nourish the adrenals and act as an adaptogen to help the body better cope with physiological or emotional stress.

Sometimes hair thinning can be a result of malnutrition. A lack of essential fatty acids needed for healthy cell membranes, can contribute to hair loss, skin diseases and depressed immune response. Fish oils are the most common dietary sources of essential fatty acids. If you are a vegetarian, you can supplement with flax-seed oil to prevent hair from becoming dry and brittle.

So, as you can see, there are natural approaches to help stop hair loss. Since we are a hair-obsessed culture, and thinning hair can make people- especially women- feel unattractive, unhealthy or stigmitized, it’s good to know we can exercise some control with what we put in our body. So yea, herbs (vitamins and minerals) to the rescue!