Half of older women experience thinning hair, study finds

Menopause isn’t just about hot flashes and night sweats. Much more than fifty percent of gals over age 50 will encounter thinning hair, a new review showed. The outcome can be a blow to their self-esteem.

Thai scientists, scrutinizing the scalps of just about 200 postmenopausal girls, found that 52.2 per cent experienced some hair thinning, a ailment known as female pattern hair reduction, according to a report released Wednesday in Menopause. Low self-esteem was identified in 60 per cent of participants and amplified with severity of hair reduction.

Scientists, led by Dr. Sukanya Chaikittisilpa of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, recruited 178 females who had been by now staying found at a menopause clinic. They calculated the women’s hormone stages, as very well as the density of hair in the middle of the scalp, where by female sample hair reduction frequently begins.

The researchers, who could not be attained for comment, discovered that among those people with hair decline, 73.2 per cent experienced moderate hair reduction, 22.6 {a0ae49ae04129c4068d784f4a35ae39a7b56de88307d03cceed9a41caec42547} experienced average loss and 4.3 percent experienced serious reduction. In addition to age, a higher human body mass index was involved with an amplified prevalence and worsening of the ailment.

What are treatments for feminine hair decline?

Even though it truly is unclear accurately why menopausal women’s hair commences to thin, the new investigate instructed declining estrogen ranges.

“Estrogen receptors are present in the hair follicles, which hints at its affiliation with the withdrawal of estrogen at menopause that may have an affect on hair growth,” the scientists wrote. Other hormonal modifications might have an impact on scalp hair and accelerate the alter from the expansion section to the resting stage of hair growth.

When thinning hair in an growing older gentleman has been “normalized,” couple females are organized for it, explained Dr. Mary Rosser, director of built-in women’s wellbeing at the Columbia University Irving Clinical Heart in New York. Mothers rarely, if at any time, talk to their daughters about menopause indicators, so, for lots of, menopause-similar hair thinning can be a shock, stated Rosser, who sends her patients with hair reduction to a skin doctor.

Hair decline in women of all ages might be traced to a range of factors, of which menopause may well be a person, mentioned Dr. Emma Guttman,  director of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman section of Dermatology for Mount Sinai Health Method.

“There are several leads to of hair reduction — these kinds of as autoimmune conditions and troubles with the immune system,” Guttman mentioned. “But the hopeful issue is, there are treatment plans for some of them.”

Hair reduction in women can come about if selected vitamins and minerals are far too very low, this sort of as iron, folic acid and vitamin B, Guttman stated. Also, thyroid issues can guide to thinning hair.

Even if women of all ages simply cannot expand back again the hair they’ve already misplaced, there are successful strategies to keep what is still left, these kinds of as injections of vitamin B intricate, biotin dietary supplements and platelet-prosperous plasma injections, Guttman mentioned.

“Hair reduction is a massive fascination of mine since, as a lady, I really feel that hair is so significant for id,” Guttman said, incorporating that it is critical to verify with a health-related medical professional in advance of trying any treatment options.

Some females are capable to see advancements in hair density by using minoxidil, even though advancements can vanish if the hair-development product or service is discontinued, Guttman stated. Minoxidil is the only drug authorised by the Foodstuff and Drug Administration for woman sample hair decline.

CORRECTION (Feb. 22, 2022, 4:09 p.m. ET):  A prior edition of this report misstated Dr. Emma Guttman’s title. She is the director of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman office of Dermatology for Mount Sinai Well being Method, not the chair of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Overall health Program.