How to Reduce Peri-Menopausal Hair Loss

Life as a woman can get a little funny; one year you are flaunting your long, shiny hair, and the next year, it’s not all as appealing as it used to, and you wear hats all year long. Trips to the shower now come with an additional task, which involves cleaning up the fallen strands of hair to avoid blocking the drain. You get scared of brushing your hair because you know what will happen, and you are not really in the mood to look at the clumps of hair your brush will extract. Sighs.

What changed? What’s going on?

Hormones. That’s what’s going on.

This is a story that lots of women who are approaching menopause share. You are not left alone in it, and probably won’t be if you are yet to reach the shores of menopause. No law says that this must happen to every woman, and though it is common in the peri-menopausal stage, no law says it must happen at this stage. Hair loss and thinning can also occur at the menopausal or post-menopausal phase. And while it doesn’t happen to every woman, it can also occur at the underarm, eyelashes, pubic region or leg of the women that experience it.

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As women age and approach menopause, there is a fall in the production and release of estrogen and progesterone.

In some cases, the lowered release of these hormones opens the room for hormonal rebalances, which can cause brief domination of the female hormones by testosterone. This hormonal imbalance/change stand as the main cause of hair thinning or hair loss in women. For some women, the situation becomes a little tricky, as the androgens additionally cause hair shrinkage and the growth of unwanted facial hair. If your hair has always been a big deal to you, this experience can add a lot of stress to the already emotional phase.

In addition to hair loss experienced in the peri-menopausal phase, the hair might also lose its glow, healthiness, texture and youthful exuberance. It is not unusual for this to place a dent on a woman’s perception about her esteem, sexual vigor and femininity. For a mind that overthinks, this can be a natural recipe for loss of confidence and social anxiety.

What Can You Do To Reduce The Impacts?

Peri-menopause is a natural stage every woman must past through, and hair loss is a stage a lot of women will pass through. But, should we because it is a natural occurrence allow hair loss to persist while our self-confidence takes a dip, and our self-awareness reach a peak? Well… No.

Female pattern hair loss, as it is also known, occurs gradually over a period, at first ignorable, until it gets noticeable. At which point a lot of women think it just happened overnight. You can regain control of your hair or at least limit the extent of hair loss by doing a few things as listed below.

Avoid Stress As Much As You Can

Nobody wishes for it, but stress does come. If you are in a position where you get stressed out a lot, it might be time to reconsider your lifestyle. Stress restrains our body’s ability to make good use of available nutrition, thus cutting back on the rate of bodily maintenance – this might mean a shortage of nutrients that enrich the hair.

Next time you are feeling stressed out, know it is time to step out, take a deep breath and do something that makes you feel relaxed.

Eat Well

Without enough nutrients in your meals, your body will use the available ones in areas it deems more important, unfortunately, your hair is not one of those areas. It is not enough to have three square meal; not when you are deficient in nutrients that promote hair health and hormonal balance. Some of these nutrients include zinc, B Vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, etc. You can visit a nutritionist to know how can apply those in your meal, appropriately.

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Lots of Water Will Keep You Glowing

You already have a lot to deal with during perimenopause, and dehydration (which halts hair growth) shouldn’t be one of them. No; juice, coffee, and fizzy drinks don’t count.

Keep Your Liver Clean

The liver plays a big role in the synthesis of hormones. Its state at the point of peri-menopause goes a long way in determining the balance of hormones in your body. When it is faced with a lot of ingested toxins to battle with, hormone synthesis won’t get as much focus as it deserves.

Limit Heat and Chemical Styling

Name them; the hairdryers, straighteners, sprays, styling products, etc. Chemicals, heat, and force applied on the hair during regular use of these treatments can, at a point, become more of harsh subjections that weaken our hair. Limit them when you can, and opt for natural treatments.

Also, you can visit your doctor to be certain that what you are experiencing is female pattern hair loss. If it is, your doctor might recommend pills, creams or cortisone shots that will help replace your fallen hormones, consequently improving your hair.

Though unlikely, if none work out, then that fancy silk head cover or flattering hairstyle might not be a bad deal after all.

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References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/hair-loss#1

https://www.philipkingsley.co.uk/hair-guide/female-hair-loss/menopause-and-your-hair