Do Women Lose Hair During and After Menopause?
Of all the physical changes that come with menopause, hair loss could be the most perplexing. It seems that every time I shower or blow dry my hair, I notice that I'm shedding like crazy. You expect hot flashes, night sweats and drier skin, but no one talks about all that hair accumulating in your brush and comb?
After menopause, changes in the level of male hormones may affect hair growth. It's not unusual to find that your hair starts to thin although not in the same pattern as men. Your hairline won't recede but your hair may get thinner all over your scalp. But changing hormones aren't always the whole story. You could be causing problems yourself with damaging styling treatments or twisting and pulling your hair too much. Hair loss could also mean that you have an undiagnosed disease such as diabetes or thyroid disease. Stress can also cause hair loss. If you're noticing significant hair loss, you should talk to your doctor to make sure disease isn't causing the problem. If you're healthy, consider trying gentler hair care products and shampooing less. In this country, we have the idea (often promoted by shampoo manufacturers) that if we don't wash our hair almost every day, we are not well groomed. In fact, as you get older, you should shampoo less frequently – perhaps just once or twice a week – in order to preserve natural oils in your hair.
