Hair Loss Due to A Hormonal Imbalance

Throughout our lives, our hormone levels fluctuate as a result of external and internal stimuli. And often at the least convenient moments.

From puberty to menopause, many within the medical community believe that women endure more changes throughout their lives due to hormones than men, and many of these issues can lead to hair loss. But how do you deal with hair loss due to a hormonal imbalance?

A hormonal imbalance from oestrogen, testosterone, insulin or your thyroid gland can lead to hair loss. Luckily, with the help of a GP or trichologist, most cases can easily be reversed, and hair can begin to re-grow healthily.

What can cause hair loss due to a hormonal imbalance?

There are four main hormones can become unbalanced within a woman’s body, leading to hair loss and these are as follows:

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is a very important hormone that is responsible for all aspects of what makes a woman different from a man. Although it is also found in men in very small doses, its presence in a woman’s body helps to provide energy, stabilise moods, encourage hair growth, and is responsible for helping the body to provide feminine characteristics.

Unfortunately, if a woman gains higher than normal levels of oestrogen, such as during the menopause, hair can begin to thin. This is because – similar to the way that oral contraceptive pills work – the body gets used to these higher levels of the hormone, and once the levels return to normal the body believes that it is suffering from oestrogen withdrawal and begins to shed hair.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the male hormone, and is responsible for men growing hair on their faces, chests and arms, as well as helping to define the male characteristics of the body. However, women also have a small amount of testosterone in their body.

Hair follicles have oil glands that secrete an enzyme called Type II 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. When DHT binds to the receptors in scalp follicles, they shrink and make it impossible for healthy hair growth to continue, leading to conditions such as androgenetic alopecia.

Insulin 

Insulin helps to regulate blood sugar levels, but conditions linked to insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes are often found to lead to hair loss in women. 

Thyroid 

Those who suffer from hyperthyroidism or similar will be more than aware of the issues that it can bring. The issues stems from the body being unable to dedicate energy and resources to both the hair growth process, and its attempts to rebalance the hormone levels, giving priority to the latter. 

How can I cure hair loss due to a hormonal imbalance? 

If you are suffering from hair loss due to a hormonal imbalance, it is likely that once your hormone levels return to normal that your hair will begin to return to normal.

Many of the conditions linked to a hormonal imbalance, however, can only be fixed with the help of a trained GP or trichologist. The benefit of seeing a medical professional is that they will be able to carry out tests to identify the cause of the hair loss, and prescribe a treatment process that will help you return to normal.

If you are worried that you are suffering from hair loss due to a hormonal imbalance, at the Hair Growth Studio, we will always be available to provide you with support as well as numerous effective therapies to help you recover. So, please book a consultation with the Hair Growth Studio if you’d like personally-tailored advice from an expert.