Jun 14, 2022

Can hormonal changes influence my hair?

Dr.-Sebastian-Podlipnik

Hair is considered one of the aspects that most defines our appearance. Therefore, hair loss or alopecia is often faced with significant emotional distress and anxiety .

In midlife, women may encounter several hormonal and physiological changes that can cause alterations in hair texture and growth. Meanwhile, in men, an excess of male hormones such as dihydrotestosterone will cause common baldness or androgenetic alopecia.

In this article I explain which hormones can affect hair growth, as well as what events cause these hormonal changes and what to do in this situation .

What hormones can influence my hair?

There is no single hormone that regulates hair growth , but rather several hormonal pathways that play a fundamental role in hair growth and health.

Androgens

We know that an excess of androgens (testosterone or its most active metabolite, dihydrotestosterone), promote hair loss and produce thinner, poorer hair .

If you are genetically susceptible to androgenetic alopecia , dihydrotestosterone can bind to the receptors on your hair follicles and cause them to shrink, weaken, and eventually die. This is the process that ends up causing the hair follicles affected by dihydrotestosterone to lose their ability to grow hair .

There are currently multiple natural supplements, such as Serenoa Repens or Pygeum Africanum extracts, that counteract the negative effects of male hormones on hair.

Estrogens

The most significant alteration of this hormone occurs with the onset of menopause , in which the production of estrogen in the ovaries stops. This decrease in estrogen is known to have harmful effects on the skin and skin appendages such as hair .

Estrogen increases the amount of time hair spends in the growth phase , so when estrogen decreases, this time is reduced.

In addition, the drop in estrogen levels can also intensify the androgenic effects of testosterone on the follicle and produce progressive weakening of the hair due to lack of follicle growth.

thyroid hormone

On the one hand, the thyroid gland (fundamental in controlling metabolism and growth) stimulates the activity of hair follicles , allowing them to transition from the telogen (resting) phase to the anagen (growth) phase of the hair.

A deficiency in its function, known as "hypothyroidism", causes hair loss, so it is essential to ensure its proper functioning. In this sense, a correct supply of iodine (present in salt and some seaweed) will be essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

Cortisol

Stress hormones, such as cortisol, can significantly attack and damage the hair follicle . Many patients in their 20s and 30s start losing their hair due to stress-related problems.

The stress hormone cortisol is known to affect hair follicle function and cyclical regulation. When cortisol is present at high levels, it has been shown to reduce the synthesis and accelerate the degradation of important skin elements , specifically hyaluronan and proteoglycans, by approximately 40% .

Studies have also concluded that physical activities, such as yoga, reduce stress and lower cortisol levels . And there are others who relate listening to music with a significant reduction in chronic stress levels , measured by the presence of cortisol through hair analysis.

For its part, Olistic contains some ingredients such as Ashwagandha that help balance cortisol levels and other stress hormones, improving the hair growth cycle.

Vitamin D

Surely you have heard about this vitamin that is so fashionable. Vitamin D is actually a very powerful hormone and its main function is to increase the absorption of calcium in the intestine and thus maintain healthy bones.

In addition to this important function, it has been discovered that this hormone has important benefits on the hair, as it helps create new hair follicles, initiating the anagen phase . It does this by regulating the expression of the genes necessary for the proper functioning of the hair follicle.

When the body lacks enough vitamin D, various symptoms can occur, such as hair loss. It is not surprising, then, that different investigations have found lower than optimal levels of vitamin D in women with telogen effluvium or female-pattern androgenetic alopecia .

Melatonin

Melatonin plays an antioxidant role , capturing and inactivating reactive oxygen and nitrogen species resulting from oxidative stress.

Receptors for melatonin are found in many parts of the body and also in the cells of hair follicles. Melatonin mainly intervenes in hair pigmentation by increasing the number of melanocytes, also affecting its growth by stimulating the anagen or hair growth phase.

In addition, melatonin protects hair follicles against hair growth inhibition induced by oxidative stress.

Iron

It is not a hormone, but its deficiency has been linked to hair loss . In our body it is stored as ferritin and its measurement is the most reliable way to assess a deficiency of this mineral.

Serum ferritin is a powerful tool for detecting iron deficiency and if it is found at low levels it means that the person suffers from anemia.

Those of us who have suffered from anemia at some point (such as women due to heavy menstruation) are very familiar with the symptoms of being very tired and pale.

Although hair loss is not the most common symptom of iron deficiency anemia, it affects about half of people with low ferritin stores . When the body is low on iron, it can pull ferritin from places like hair follicles, considered not as important as, for example, red blood cell production. The resulting effect is diffuse hair loss or telogen effluvium.

Major female health events and conditions that can affect these hormones

Some hormonal changes with consequences on hair , such as those related to menopause or postpartum, can even correct themselves . However, for many women, postpartum they notice that their hair never returns to the same quality it had before.

Summary table with the conditions that cause hormonal changes in women

What should I do if I suspect my hair is falling out due to hormonal imbalance?

The most important thing when faced with any type of hair loss is to go to your dermatologist so that he or she can make a specific assessment and determine the cause of the alopecia. Once a proper diagnosis has been made, the specialist will recommend a treatment to improve your problem.

Therefore, with proper evaluation and appropriate testing to detect hormonal imbalances and changes or nutritional deficiencies , help is on the way!

Jun 14, 2022
Dr.-Sebastian-Podlipnik