Tips for Dealing with Thinning Hair

As women, we’re often proud of our luscious locks. It’s just one of the many ways we can express both our style and personality. So, if you’re a woman and your hair has started to thin or fall out, you might be feeling discouraged. 

Thinning hair and hair loss in women can happen at any point in life and can have a myriad of causes; however, a prime time that many women find themselves with significantly less hair is during the transition to menopause.

This is because, during menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels start to plummet. These hormones play a key role in the growth and staying power of your hair, leaving you with both thin hair and shrinking hair follicles. 

Because hair loss can be a stressful add-on to already frustrating menopausal symptoms, our team, led by Karen Mass, MD, FACOG, at Women’s Specialty Care, wants to offer up some tips on how to deal with thinning hair during menopause. 

Utilize hormone therapy

At Women’s Specialty Care, we offer hormone therapy as a solution for menopausal and postmenopausal symptoms, including hair loss. Hormone therapy can give you extra amounts of estrogen and progesterone, which can do wonders for hair thickness and growth. 

Eat a healthy diet

Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is key for any healthy lifestyle, but it’s especially important for fighting off hair loss. The best kinds of diets include eating a wide variety of foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also aim to eat whole grains and add in mono-saturated oils such as olive oil.

You can also promote healthy skin and hair by drinking green tea; taking vitamin B6 and folic acid supplements; and eating foods that contain fatty acids such as salmon, tuna, walnuts, and almonds.

Avoid damaging your hair

To keep your hair from drying out and breaking off, try to stay away from things that can severely damage it. 

If you dye your hair, you may need to find some more natural solutions, since hair dyes contain harsh chemicals that can harm your scalp and deter healthy hair growth. Heat tools and hair extensions can also damage and weaken your hair, leading to more hair loss. 

In addition, if you swim in water with chlorine, we recommend wearing a swimming cap to prevent damage from the harsh pool chemicals. 

Try some hair loss treatments

A very popular and effective treatment for general hair loss is a topical medication called minoxidil, sold under the brand name Rogaine® and other, generic brands. You can purchase this over-the-counter, and it works by stimulating hair growth and thickening hair strands to reduce thinning and bald spots.

You can also try using shampoo that’s specifically made for thinning hair. Make sure to gently massage the shampoo into your scalp rather than scraping or rubbing it in since this can exacerbate hair loss and damage.

In addition to these, you can purchase a scalp massager. Using a scalp massager can improve blood flow and encourage better hair growth as a result. 

For more ways to manage menopause and all the symptoms that come with it, call your nearest office location, or book an appointment online. We proudly serve the Lake Forest and Grayslake, Illinois, areas.