Half of older women have hair loss, study finds

Half of older women have hair loss, study finds

Menopause is not just about very hot flashes and evening sweats. Much more than fifty percent of women of all ages over age 50 will encounter thinning hair, a new review confirmed. The end result can be a blow to their self-esteem.

Thai scientists, scrutinizing the scalps of almost 200 postmenopausal gals, observed that 52.2{baa23cc4f5ece99ce712549207939d5bbd20d937d534755920e07da04276f44d} had some hair thinning, a issue known as female pattern hair loss, according to a report released Wednesday in Menopause. Small self-esteem was found in 60{baa23cc4f5ece99ce712549207939d5bbd20d937d534755920e07da04276f44d} of contributors and amplified with severity of hair decline.

Researchers, led by Dr. Sukanya Chaikittisilpa of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, recruited 178 women of all ages who ended up by now being viewed at a menopause clinic. They measured the women’s hormone levels, as properly as the density of hair in the center of the scalp, where female sample hair loss generally starts.

The researchers, who couldn’t be reached for comment, found that amongst people with hair loss, 73.2{baa23cc4f5ece99ce712549207939d5bbd20d937d534755920e07da04276f44d} experienced moderate hair reduction, 22.6{baa23cc4f5ece99ce712549207939d5bbd20d937d534755920e07da04276f44d} had reasonable loss and 4.3{baa23cc4f5ece99ce712549207939d5bbd20d937d534755920e07da04276f44d} experienced intense loss. In addition to age, a bigger system mass index was involved with an increased prevalence and worsening of the issue.

Although it is unclear accurately why menopausal women’s hair commences to thin, the new analysis recommended declining estrogen concentrations.

“Estrogen receptors are existing in the hair follicles, which hints at its association with the withdrawal of estrogen at menopause that may perhaps have an affect on hair expansion,” the scientists wrote. Other hormonal adjustments could have an affect on scalp hair and accelerate the adjust from the development stage to the resting period of hair progress.

While thinning hair in an growing older gentleman has been “normalized,” number of women are well prepared for it, explained Dr. Mary Rosser, director of integrated women’s overall health at the Columbia College Irving Clinical Center in New York. Mothers rarely, if at any time, talk to their daughters about menopause indications, so, for quite a few, menopause-associated hair thinning can be a shock, explained Rosser, who sends her patients with hair reduction to a skin doctor.

Hair loss in females may perhaps be traced to a quantity of things, of which menopause may perhaps be just one, said Dr. Emma Guttman, chair of dermatology for the Mount Sinai Health and fitness Method.

“There are lots of will cause of hair reduction — these types of as autoimmune situations and issues with the immune system,” Guttman claimed. “But the hopeful matter is, there are treatment options for some of them.”

Hair decline in women of all ages can come about if certain vitamins and minerals are as well small, such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B, Guttman said. Also, thyroid difficulties can lead to thinning hair.

Even if gals just cannot expand again the hair they’ve presently shed, there are powerful methods to keep what is left, this sort of as injections of vitamin B complicated, biotin dietary supplements and platelet-abundant plasma injections, Guttman mentioned.

“Hair loss is a significant desire of mine because, as a lady, I really feel that hair is so critical for id,” Guttman said, incorporating that it’s vital to look at with a health care health care provider in advance of trying any remedies.

Some gals are in a position to see improvements in hair density by working with minoxidil, even though advancements can disappear if the hair-expansion solution is discontinued, Guttman mentioned. Minoxidil is the only drug authorised by the Food items and Drug Administration for female sample hair reduction.

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This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.