Hormones play an essential part in many of our body functions, such as metabolism, growth, mood, and sexual health.
But did you know that producing too little or too much of a hormone can also be responsible for hair loss in men and women? Yes, they can! In fact, hormonal imbalances are one of the most common causes of hair thinning in our generation today.
But what are the reasons behind hormonal hair loss?
To answer that question and more, we will discuss in this article how hormonal imbalances can affect the hair cycle and how they can discourage healthy hair growth on our scalp.
So if you want to know more about hormonal imbalance, keep reading and let’s go!
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Does A Hormone Imbalance Cause Hair Loss?
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in most women and men in the US. This condition can be driven by genetic factors but can also be induced by hormonal disorders (e.g., sometimes from PEDs).
Androgenic alopecia is caused by abnormal hormone levels, particularly a high level of dihydrotestosterone or DHT. These hormones attach themselves to receptors on the hair follicles, causing them to shrink and disrupt human hair follicle functions.
As the hair follicle shrinks, it affects the hair growth cycle, which leads to hair loss and even balding.
An increase in DHT in our body can also be caused by other things that affect the hormonal balance in our body, such as stress, menopausal symptoms, or underlying thyroid disease.
Luckily, hormonal hair loss can be treated. Once your hormonal imbalance is corrected through a treatment, more hair will grow again.
Reasons For Hair Thinning
Treatment of thinning hair depends on several factors, including the underlying cause of hair loss. That is why we must know the reasons behind our excessive hair loss.
And to know more about hair thinning, here are the 5 common causes of hair loss in many women and men today.
#5. Stress
Stress can affect our health in many ways, but more than that, it can also trigger extreme scalp hair loss.
Significant emotional stress levels can provoke telogen effluvium, a temporary diffuse hair loss. It is a scalp disorder distinguished by excessive shedding of hair. Telogen effluvium is the second most common form of hair loss diagnosed by doctors today.
Managing hair loss due to stress might be tricky, but this can be prevented or treated with the right guidance from your doctor.
#4. Vitamin and Nutrient Deficiencies
Just like any part of our body, hair follicles need enough vitamins and minerals to produce new hairs on our scalp and maintain a healthy and normal hair growth cycle.
For example, to promote new hair growth, our hair follicles need iron and biotin to reproduce new hair again. These nutrients also play a crucial part in strengthening existing hair on our heads. A deficiency of these nutrients would cause severe hair loss in men and women.
That is why men with iron deficiency anemia are more susceptible to receding hairline and hair loss on the crown.
#3. Hair Products
Not all hair products are good for your hair. Some products are responsible for hair damage and hair thinning.
Some hair products contain harsh chemicals that may contribute to and worsen hair loss problems in men. These include gels, hair spray, hair dye, and many others.
To ensure that your hair product doesn’t cause hair loss, always review the ingredients and do some research before using any hair products sold in the market.
#2. Hormone Issues
As we said earlier, hormonal imbalance can trigger hair thinning, such as female pattern hair loss and male pattern baldness. Hormonal hair loss like this is initiated by an abnormal level of hormones in our body.
High or low levels of certain hormones in our bodies, such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone, are some of the most common causes of hair loss.
Unlike alopecia areata, which has no cure until today, hormonal hair loss can be treated with different treatments depending on the cause of hormone imbalances, such as hormone replacement therapy and other medication.
#1. Age
Your age can be a factor that may induce thinning hair. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AADA), as we get old, the possibility of hair loss increases as our hair follicle functions slow down and eventually cease producing new hairs.
Besides this, as we age, hair color also changes. Hair color is due to a pigment called melanin, which our hair follicles produce. These are the common visible signs of aging in men and women.
Which Hormones Cause Hair Fall?
Hormonal hair loss can affect an estimated 50 million men in the US alone. But which hormones in our body cause hair loss?
To answer that, here are the 3 hormones that can cause hair thinning, according to the American Hair Loss Association:
- High testosterone – testosterone doesn’t directly induce hair loss in men. But a high level of testosterone can also increase the level of DHT in your body, which may damage your hair follicles and speed up the effects of androgenic alopecia.
- High cortisol – when we perceive stress, our body produces a “stress hormone” called cortisol. A high level of this hormone will affect the normal hair cycle growth phase by forcing hair follicles into the telogen phase (resting phase) until they eventually shed.
- High or low thyroid hormones – The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormones in our body that we use for different bodily functions. However, abnormal levels of these hormones may result in hair loss due to telogen effluvium.
How Can I Fix My Hormone Imbalance Naturally?
For many men, small and simple lifestyle changes can help fix hormonal hair loss problems. Here are some things that you can do to improve your general hair health:
Sleep – having enough rest and sleep can release hair growth enzymes and regulate hormones necessary to prevent hair loss.
Exercise regularly – enough physical activity can influence hormonal health. It improves hormone receptor sensitivity, helping the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals.
Healthy diet – having a nutritious diet can make our hair strong and healthy. A lack of the right nutrients, such as iron, Vitamin A, D, E, and B vitamins, may slow down hair growth or even cause male and female hair loss.
Which Treatments Increase Testosterone In Men?
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a widely used treatment for men with symptomatic hypogonadism. Besides this, some benefits of using TRT include its effects on bone density, muscle strength, increased libido, and higher energy level.
TRT is proven to deliver real benefits for men. However, it can also accelerate the effects of male and female pattern hair loss.
When you excessively increase your testosterone levels by getting TRT, you provide more testosterone for the 5 alpha-reductase enzymes that convert testosterone into DHT. Higher DHT levels would most likely aggravate the symptoms of androgenic alopecia.
Ways To Decrease Stress
Does your thinning hair is driven by stress-related hair loss? If so, here are the things you need to decrease stress, prevent hair loss, and improve hair density in your head:
Organic Herbs
Since ancient times, organic herbs have been used for treating several health problems. But more than its numerous health benefits, it can also aid our body in reducing stress and anxiety.
Research suggests that using organic herbs is one of the oldest remedies for treating stress and mental conditions. The most common herbs used to alleviate stress include lavender, chamomile, passionflower, turmeric, and many more.
Meditation
One of the most simple and inexpensive ways to reduce stress is by practicing meditation. Spending a few minutes of your day while meditating can help restore your calm and peace of mind.
Meditation can bring a sense of calmness, peace, and relaxation that will benefit your emotional well-being and overall health.
Sleep
Having a good night’s sleep can reduce stress tremendously. A regular sleep routine calms and revitalizes the body, enhances concentration, and regulates mood.
When you get enough sleep, coping with stress is much easier. On the contrary, lack of sleep reduces your physical energy and decreases mental clarity.
Research and clinical studies have proven that lack of sleep can force the body to react as if it’s in distress, releasing more cortisol hormone in our system.
Exercise
All physical exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being and thus, helping you to cope with stressful events and situations.
It reduces the negative effects of stress on our bodies. It can improve our mood as exercise encourages our body to produce more endorphins, a brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. It can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress and anxiety.
Diet
Eating a healthy diet can support our immune system and can aid in the restoration of damaged cells. It can also provide energy in our bodies to cope with stressful situations throughout the day.
Healthy comfort foods such as a bowl of warm oatmeal can boost serotonin, a chemical that calms our brain. Other foods such as avocados can reduce the cortisol stress hormones which can affect our mood and cause hair loss in our heads.
What Are The Best Hair Loss Treatments For Men?
Hair loss can be frustrating for men like us. But the good thing is there are ways to reverse the effects of hair loss and encourage hair regrowth on our scalp.
If you are experiencing hormonal hair loss, here are some of the best treatments you can choose from to battle against hair loss:
Hair Transplants
A hair transplant is a type of surgery that relocates some of your healthy hair follicles from the donor site to the parts of the head where thinning and balding occur. Most people see visible and noticeable results from this therapy after 5 to 7 months of the surgery.
The effects of this hair treatment are permanent and can guarantee you satisfaction as long as you choose the best clinic and surgeon for the hair transplant procedure.
DHT Blockers
DHT blockers are a good option for people who want a non-invasive hair therapy that prevents hair loss and promotes healthy hair growth. Some of the best DHT blockers include finasteride and minoxidil.
Finasteride is a prescription medication that works by inhibiting the 5 alpha-reductase enzymes, which are responsible for converting testosterone hormone into DHT. It also blocks the DHT from shrinking the hair follicles beneath the scalp.
On the other hand, minoxidil works by stimulating hair growth and increasing the blood flow on the scalp to help hair follicles receive more nutrients and oxygen it needs for healthy hair regeneration.
Laser Hair Growth Devices
This laser hair growth therapy is viewed as one of the most advanced and effective hair treatments that are proven to reverse the effects of hormonal hair loss.
Devices such as laser therapy caps use low-level laser therapy that is FDA-approved to treat hair loss conditions such as male pattern baldness.
These laser therapy caps are affordable, user-friendly, and can be used anytime and anywhere you want, making them the ideal hair treatment options for people who are always on the go.
Conclusion
That’s it! We hope that we have answered some of your questions regarding hormonal imbalance and hair loss in this article.
Now that we know that hormonal imbalances can cause hair loss, this is the time to learn about other causes of hair loss in men’s heads. Do you want to know if scratching an itchy scalp can trigger hair loss?
Learn more about hair loss and itchy scalp by reading the article here.
Fact Checked by our Director of Dermatology – We know that understanding how your skin and hair work can seem scary, so my team and I devote our time to thoroughly researching every single topic and product we write about. We hope you find our reviews helpful and informative.
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