Perimenopause and Thin Hair

Another By-Product of Hormonal Changes

It's embarrassing and demoralizing. Your beautiful thick hair is falling out. Thinner and thinner (would that our thighs would follow this pattern), despite all protestation.

Declining levels of estrogen can cause hair loss during perimenopause. Thinning hair can also be due to a condition called androgenic alopecia, the female equivalent of male-pattern baldness. Excess testosterone can cause thinning hair. So when women go through perimenopause, with its inherent imbalance of testosterone and estrogen, they lose hair.
Thyroid conditions can also cause hair loss. If you're experiencing hair loss, see a good endocrinologist to take a series of blood tests to check out thyroid levels.

Note: Often doctors only check the basic levels, which aren't always accurate for more subtle conditions. That's why a specialist may be your best bet.

Trichotillomania

Some women suffer with an anxiety disorder called Trichotillomania, a devastating condition in which they pull their hair out, one by one. This condition can worsen during perimenopause, with its increased stress. There may be a relationship between serotonin levels and trichotillomania. Low serotonin levels can be helped by certain anti-depressants.
Note: Before you try medications, such as Rogaine, for hair loss, to be safe, see an endocrinologist, dermatologist, and/or doctor if you notice your hair thinning. If you are in perimenopause, you owe it to yourself to get your thyroid and ovarian hormone levels checked thoroughly with a serum level test.

About Rogaine

Minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, is the only FDA-approved treatment for baldness. Women's and men's regular formula is 2%. However, an extra-strength version of 5% is also available. You will usually find pictures to match the pattern of your hair loss in the instructions. The rate of success is about 15% (or a bit higher). (This product is unlikely to work if the cause of the hair loss is trichotillomania.)

It takes at least four months for new hair to begin regrowing and about a year to see a significant change. You may want to enlist support from your hairdresser in checking whether Rogaine is working for you.

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