Hair Loss In Women - The Connection Between Hormones and Hair Loss (and How to Stop Thinning Hair)

If you’re a young woman with thick, luxurious hair, you might think of hair loss as an older woman’s issue, something that strikes during perimenopause or menopause.

But hair loss happens to women at every age—and it’s increasingly happening to younger women. It’s estimated that 21 million women in the United States alone experience hair loss.

I have seen many women in their 20s and 30s with thinning hair seek out support at FLO Living. Hair loss is also a common symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is a hormone condition that affects one in 10 women of childbearing age.

Hair loss in women hasn’t always been so common. Think of historic images of women and their heavenly hair, so thick it had to be swept up in intricate braids. Imagine of Lady Godiva and Guinevere. Picture the historical female characters on TV and in movies, portrayed with rivers of hair running down their backs.

Here’s why hair loss is increasingly common in women of all ages today: the factors that drive hair loss—hormone imbalances, toxic exposures, thyroid issues, stress, and nutrient deficiencies —are more common in the modern era.

If you’re experiencing hair loss, topical treatments like minoxidil (Rogaine) and others tend to only be partially effective, if they are effective at all; they don’t address the root causes of hair loss; they target androgenic alopecia (which only accounts for some cases of hair loss); and they come with a host of unpleasant side effects—side effects that can worsen the aesthetic problem you were hoping to fix. Rogaine can cause hair to grow in different colors and textures than the surrounding hair and can cause unwanted hair to grow on your cheeks and forehead.

But there are simple, straightforward strategies you can use to stop thinning hair. Here’s what you need to know about the root causes of hair loss in women of every age and, most importantly, how you can take steps to reverse it.

The Hormone Imbalances & Nutrient Deficiencies Behind Hair Loss

Several different types of hormonal imbalances can lead to thinning hair. Understanding them is the first step in knowing how to treat them with lifestyle, nutrition and supplements.

Testosterone troubles

The male hormones, called androgens, have long been associated with scalp hair. (Over 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates noticed that eunuchs never went bald.) Historically, experts blamed hormonal hair loss across both genders on too much testosterone, but that is only part of the story. The real culprit appears to be dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent form of testosterone. DHT is made from testosterone by a specific enzyme in the body, and while both testosterone and DHT are known to have a weakening effect on hair follicles, there appears to be something unique about the conversion process of testosterone to DHT that relates to thinning hair. This is why some drugs that are marketed for hair loss block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. (It’s important to note, however, that these drugs tend to be less effective in women than men, and that one of them—finasteride—is only approved for hormonal hair loss in men, not women. What’s more, the drug has been associated with increased risk of sexual side effects, depression, nausea, hot flashes, and increased estrogen levels—and too much estrogen is its own risk factor for thinning hair; more on that below.)This is all to say that high levels of testosterone, high levels of DHT (which can occur even when testosterone levels are normal), and the conversion of testosterone to DHT, all appear to play a role in the thinning hair for some women with hair loss.

Insulin Imbalances

Insulin is one of the body’s master hormones. It’s released every time we eat food and it allows our cells to utilize the energy we get from food. It’s released in smaller amounts when we eat low-glycemic foods and in higher amounts when we eat high-glycemic foods (like those made with sugar and refined flour). Eating too many high-glycemic foods for too long (often in combination with other lifestyle factors, like being sedentary and experiencing chronic, unremitting stress) can cause an overload of insulin in the body—and too much insulin disrupts ovulation and signals the ovaries to make testosterone. More testosterone predisposes the body to more DHT conversion, and, hence, more hair loss.

Estrogen Excess

Just like excess testosterone and excess DHT can cause hair troubles, so can too much estrogen. For some women, excess estrogen may trigger hair loss because of a gene variant that affects the functioning of an enzyme (aromatase) that processes estrogen. For other women, the problem with estrogen dominance is that they’re also experiencing lower levels of progesterone relative to estrogen—and progesterone helps protect hair follicles from the hair-thinning effects of testosterone, DHT, and estrogen. Evidence suggests that progesterone may act as an aromatase inhibitor and other research suggests that the genes involved in aromatase activity are implicated in female hair loss.

Post-Pregnancy

Postpartum hair loss is related to the drop in estrogen experienced after giving birth. During pregnancy, the body has higher levels of estrogen (and progesterone) and estrogen increases hair’s “resting phase,” or the time hair stays on your head before naturally falling out (which is what accounts for the 100 or so hairs that healthy heads shed every day). When estrogen drops after pregnancy, all the hair that had been “resting” starts to shed. Post-pregnancy hair loss is usually temporary, lasting for several months.

Thyroid hormone imbalances

The thyroid gland’s main role in the body is to regulate energy use. It releases a steady stream of thyroid hormones into the body to support and regulate vital bodily functions, from our breathing and heart rate to body temperature, body weight, and, yes, hair growth. When the thyroid is under stress or poorly nourished—the thyroid is highly dependent on optimal levels of vitamins and nutrients to function optimally—it starts to focus its efforts on supporting the bodily processes (like breathing and regulating heart rate) that support and sustain life—and it stops paying as much attention to less vital functions, like hair growth.

Natural Strategies to Heal Hair Loss

Ready to discover the natural strategies that support hair growth? Here are my top suggestions:

Scalp Massage with Essential Oils

 A study found that, when mixed with a carrier oil (like jojoba oil), the essential oils of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and cedarwood can help promote hair growth. The participants in the study massaged the carrier oil with essential oils onto their scalp daily for 7 months.

Try onion juice and aloe vera gel

A small study published in 2002 found that applying topical onion juice to the scalp increased hair growth. Two groups of participants were asked to use topical treatments on their scalps twice each day for two months: one group was given onion juice to apply to their scalp. The other was given tap water. After six weeks, hair growth was observed in close to 90 percent of the participants who used onion juice (though the researchers noted that more men in the group than women experienced hair growth). In the tap water group, only 13 percent of the participants experienced hair growth (with no difference between the sexes.) The benefit from onion juice is thought to come from its high sulfur content. Sulfur is found in amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, which are needed for robust hair growth. Onion juice may also stimulate collagen production, which in turn stimulates hair growth. You can buy onion juice at most health food stores or online, or you can make your own. Grate and strain an onion to extract the juice, apply to scalp, and then wash off after 30 minutes. It’s also been suggested that aloe vera has benefits for hair growth, though research specifically on hair growth is sparse, but studies do suggest that aloe vera is effective as a treatment for seborrheic dermatitis, an inflammatory skin condition that often affects the face and scalp. You can also try mixing onion juice and aloe vera and applying to the scalp for 30 minutes, followed by shampooing.

Detox Estrogen

 Estrogen dominance is an extremely common imbalance and it can fuel thinning hair as well as an arms-length list of annoying symptoms, from bloating and PMS to irregular periods and infertility. Your first, best step in clearing excess estrogen from the body is doing a liver supportive detox. My 4-Day Hormone Detox has you eating fresh, nourishing foods for three meals a day, plus snacks. You won’t feel hungry or deprived and, most importantly, you will help kickstart hormonal healing. A hormone detox is one of the best first steps you can take to reverse thinning hair.

Balance testosterone

 Because too much insulin (which is released by the pancreas in large amounts when we consume foods high in sugar or refined flour) signals the ovaries to produce more testosterone, and because an overload of testosterone increases the likelihood that our bodies may make more of the hair-thinning hormone DHT, work to keep blood sugar steady by eating fiber-rich whole foods. In addition, the Saw Palmetto herb has shown promise for its ability to block the conversion of testosterone into DHT, so it may help androgen-related hair loss. To date, research on saw palmetto for hair loss is limited, but the research that has been done is promising.

Correct nutrient deficiencies

Hair health is highly dependent on vitamins and minerals for optimal functioning. Several specific vitamins and minerals are key.

• B vitamins. improve circulation, resulting in greater blood flow to the scalp
• Vitamins A and C. support cell growth and collagen production for stronger hair
• Magnesium supports healthier hair follicles and also helps calm your nervous system
• Omega 3s. give you shinier hair and healthier follicle growth
• Probiotics. help you absorb and assimilate more nutrients and reduce stress
• Zinc. has unmatched benefits for hair health, according to research. It has been shown to help speed up the recovery of damaged hair follicles
• Vitamin D3. research suggests that optimal vitamin D levels are critical for thyroid function, immune system function, hormone balance and hair-follicle health

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These important micronutrients, which are all essential for hair health, are part of my Balance Supplements. And even if you eat a healthy, phytonutrient rich diet, you might not have optimal levels of the vitamins and minerals you need to promote hair health. Environmental factors beyond our control, from the mineral-depleted soil in which most of our food is now grown to shifts in growing practices that have reduced the amount of vitamins and minerals in various foods, can leave us eating a picture-perfect diet and still deficient in certain micronutrients.Also, if your digestion isn’t optimal, you can eat all the right foods but not be able to absorb the minerals from the food. This is one of the reasons I include a probiotic in my Balance Supplements. It’s precisely because vitamins and minerals are SO critical to hormonal healing—and to healing the devastating side effects that come with it, like thinning hair—that I created the FLOLiving Balance Supplements. The supplement industry has very little oversight and I saw so many women waste money on supplements that at best didn’t work and at worse contained dangerous ingredients. There was also the question of what to take. Which key vitamins and minerals were the best for hormones? After nearly two decades of researching the non-negotiable micronutrients, I formulated my own line of supplements to biohack your hormones and help heal symptoms like hormone-related hair loss. The supplement kit contains five formulas, rigorously tested, thoroughly researched, and perfectly suited to meet your needs. After years of research, I’ve determined that these are the five essential micronutrients that women need in order to balance hormones, reverse symptoms, and look and feel their best. If you’re ready to feel energized, detoxed, replenished, harmonized, and gutsy, order the Balance by FLO Living Supplement Kit now!

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To your FLO,

Alisa