Hair Loss in Women: Connection Between Hormones and Hair Loss

24 January, 2022 | Hair Loss | Author : Shveta Virmani

Hair follicles are the pockets in human skin responsible for hair growth. The American Academy of Dermatology has detailed the presence of approximately 5 million hair follicles on the body and including 100,000 roughly on the scalp. Each hair strand has three stages of growth, namely anagen (active phase of hair growth lasting 2–8 years), catagen (transition phase of hair growth lasting a few weeks), and telogen (resting phase of the hair growth, that is, hair fall which lasts few months).

Unexpected hair loss in women is due to changes in their hormonal levels. Shredding of hair is a natural process where some strands fall out and some grow in. Hormonal change or imbalance is observed in various phases of a women’s life, such as during teenage, kicking menstruation, pregnancy, taking birth control pills, and menopause. Hair loss symptoms include slowly thinning of hair, circular bald spots, patch formation of bald spots, the gradual appearance of scaling patches that spread to the entire scalp, and full-body hair loss in some cases. The rate of hair growth is usually 6 inches per year. If you are experiencing hair loss or fall, consult your doctor to determine the cause. If the hair loss diagnosis suggests any medical condition, then it needs to be addressed as a holistic treatment or symptomatically to recover the hair loss in women.

Dr. Gaurang Krishna is a consultant dermatologist and specialist hair transplant surgeon located in Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, who caters to customers including hair loss in women.

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Takeaway

1. How Does Hormone Imbalance Affect Hair Growth?

Change or imbalance in various hormones and their inter-dependent axis affects the hair cycle at various stages of a woman’s life. At puberty, androgen hormones are involved, which makes dense hair grow in pubic and axillary (armpits) regions. At the reproductive age, sex hormones are involved in forming hair loss patterns. During pregnancy, high levels of progesterone, oestrogen, prolactin and other growth hormones are involved, which increases hair growth in a certain body area and decreases the density in other areas. In post-partum and later stages of menopause, different patterns hair loss in women is also observed with excess growth of hair in the facial region, also known as facial hirsutism.

2. Which Hormones Cause Hair Loss in Women?

The hair follicles are highly affected by a list of hormones and their inter-dependent cycles can lead to hair loss in women.

Androgens: They are also known as ‘male’ hormones and secreted by adrenal glands. Increased levels of testosterone, a male sex hormone along with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the female body leads to baldness. DHT is a by-product (derivative) of testosterone that loosens the nutrition from the follicles, ultimately leading to the death of hair follicles. Androgen receptors are located in the hair follicles in the dermal cells, which are activated upon receiving a signal from insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) to stimulate hair follicle growth.
Sex hormones, including estradiol, progesterone and prolactin: They affect the growth of hair follicles and hair loss in women by influencing the metabolism of androgens. Progesterone influences follicle growth by local and central action of various hormonal pathways, including luteinizing hormone (LH). Recent studies showcasing the role of prolactin (PRL) as a modulator of androgen metabolism are convincing.
Thyroid hormones: Overall the scalp of the humans, including hair follicles, is greatly influenced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, and thereby, controlling the activity of the hair growth. The HPT axis regulates the energy required by the hair growth process and thus, regulates the requirement overall.
Melatonin: It is a pigmentation hormone, however, also known to impact hair follicles in response to the oestrogen hormone.

3. Treatment for Hair Loss in Women

Determining appropriate treatment for hair loss in women depends upon the hair loss cause. In case of pregnancy and stress, the symptoms will subside after a while. In scenarios of nutritional deficiency, consuming supplements and a healthy diet will subside the symptoms. Medications will depend on different women populations of premenopausal and postmenopausal (menopause achieved). Some of the listed treatment options are as follows:

Hair transplant surgery: New and advanced techniques of using hair follicles from the donor area of your scalp and implanting or inserting them to the area affected by balding or thinning.
Hair Regrowth Treatment technique: Hair Regrowth Treatment in Delhi is performed by an individual’s own blood which encourages hair growth.
Low-level laser therapy: Also known as cold laser therapy or red-light therapy, which stimulates the circulation and encourages hair follicles to grow by radiating photons into the scalp tissues. This technique is non-invasive, painless with minimal side effects and enhanced hair strength.
Hormone therapy: If menopause is the cause of hormone imbalance, then doctors may recommend some hormone replacement therapy for either progesterone or oestrogen. Other hormone therapies may include antiandrogens which will stop the production of androgens responsible for hair loss in women.

Also Read: Female Hair Transplant in India

4. Does Hair Grow Back after Hormonal Changes?

Hair loss in women or alopecia and thinning hair in women may impact self-consciousness and confidence significantly. However, the loss is not permanent if the cause is hormonal imbalance. Inculcating an appropriate diet and healthy lifestyle, including a stress-free environment, will be able to help you recover from hair loss. Doctors may recommend supplementary nutritional pills to provide adequate nutrition for the scalp.

Take Away

The cyclical nature of hormones is complex at times to understand the accurate root cause of hair loss in women. However, with proper knowledge and attention to detail to hair loss symptoms, Dr. Gaurang Krishna caters to every woman’s requirements by studying and treating female pattern hair loss. Dr. Gaurang Krishna is a consultant dermatologist and specialist hair transplant surgeon in Delhi, is a centre of medical excellence with a team of specialised surgeons, a team of Trichoderm Medical Group. It offers world-class skin and hair treatments. Every procedure and treatment is customised and caters to every patient for their specific needs with the knowledge-sharing sessions to achieve the desired transplant results. Dr. Gaurang Krishna offers the best hair transplant centre in India which has catered to many celebrities in the past and received various numerous awards for their services in this field. Visit our website for more information on facilities and services. Feel free to contact or book an appointment to experience a holistic treatment with a better look and feel.