As women get older, the end of their menstrual cycles are marked by a period of menopause that can last months or years. 

The average age for menopause in the U.S. is 51, though it often occurs any time in the 40s or 50s.

While this is a natural biological process, there are many negative symptoms that come with it.

Menopause can affect sleep patterns, cause hot flashes, reduce energy levels and impact mental health. 

Thinning hair is one of the more noticeable symptoms that many women struggle with during menopause.

If you are approaching menopause (perimenopause) or into the midst of this biological change, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do to help stop the hair loss.

This blog will cover how menopause affects your hair and how you can help prevent hair loss from menopause.

How Does Menopause Affect Hair Loss?

“Is there anything I can do to stop hair loss from menopause?” This is a question we get a lot.

In short, the answer is: yes.

But, first, let’s take a look at what is happening to cause hair thinning during menopause.

The Average Length of Menopause Symptoms

On average, perimenopausal symptoms can last four years and menopause can last another 4.5 years. 

Studies have shown the average is somewhere between 7.4 years to more than 11 years.

Perimenopause can start 8-10 years before menopause. 

During this time, hormones are changing and the ovaries stop releasing eggs, though the body is still going through menstrual cycles and could get pregnant.

When a full year has passed with no period, menopause has started.

Both perimenopause and menopause can cause symptoms, like hair loss.

How Hair Growth is Impacted by Menopause

The dropping levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause hair to weaken and stop growing. 

The hair starts growing at a much slower rate as the follicles get smaller.

On top of this, menopause can cause increased stress that contributes to hair thinning and excessive shedding.

Feeling sluggish, bloated and emotional can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety or depression. 

Menopause can interrupt sleep cycles and energy levels as well. 

Combined, these symptoms can escalate to cause intense, prolonged stress.

When the body experiences high levels of prolonged stress, it often goes into a survival mode, which can result in changes in weight, hair loss and more.

Typically, hair will start to fall out at higher rates than normal about 6 months after a period of high stress. 

If menopause causes increased stress, hair shedding may occur at a higher rate than regrowth, leading to thinning hair.

The Impact of Hair Loss from Menopause

Close to half of all women experience hair thinning during menopause.

An estimated 70% of women over the age of 70 experience hair loss.

Even though your hair loss isn’t a true sign of a health concern or illness, it can cause serious emotional distress.

The impact of hair loss on your quality of life is real.

While many doctors tend to brush it off as a normal symptom of aging, genetics or hormone changes, the women suffering with hair loss from menopause often find it devastating.

And, while men struggle with hair loss too, research finds that women are usually more impacted because it changes their self-image. 

This can lead to social self-isolation and serious depression.

To reduce the impact of hair loss, it is best to try to combat that hair loss from the start.

How Can You Reduce Hair Loss During Menopause?

It might seem hopeless if your hair is going to be impacted by hormonal shifts, but this isn’t the case. 

There are plenty of things you can do to help reduce the impact of hair loss and work to create a healthier approach to hair care.

Reduce Your Stress Levels

Increased stress can be caused by work, becoming an empty-nester, a big life change, menopause symptoms, changing appearance (like weight gain or hair loss) and more. 

If you are experiencing stress, it can be causing additional symptoms that compound with your menopause symptoms and any health issues.

Some of the best ways to improve your stress levels include:

• Decluttering your home and workspace
• Reducing the time you spend on social media
• Increasing the amount of time you spend outside
• Working out at least 3-5 times each week
• Making in-person social connections with others
• Eating a nutritious, balanced and diverse diet
• Increasing water, while reducing alcohol and caffeine

Choose Gentle Products

Harsh hair products can cause a lot of damage to the hair. 

When paired with stress or hormonal changes, the damage can be much more apparent than ever before. 

While cheap shampoos and heat styling tools may have not made a visible impact during your college years, it can leave your hair looking dull, brittle and thin when you hit your middle-aged years.

In order to give your hair the support it needs, stop using harsh shampoos that strip the hair. 

Choose a high-quality cleansing shampoo that protects your hair on a molecular level, like our Triple Stem Cell Shampoo.

Avoid using heat styling tools or hair blow driers. 

If you have to use them, always keep them on the lowest heat setting. 

Avoid brushing your hair unless it is wet and full of conditioner.

Strengthen Your Hair

If your hair is damaged or struggling with hormonal changes, it may be weak and brittle.

You need to choose products that moisturize and strengthen your hair.

 A balance of moisturizing ingredients and proteins will help improve the hair’s elasticity and thickness.

Many products are filled with silicones that seal the dryness into the hair in an attempt to boost shine and control frizz. 

But this increases the damage and causes an even deeper problem. 

It’s a cyclical issue that continues to cause damage that needs to be controlled by the very product creating the damage!

Our Amazing Moisture Conditioner is designed to naturally increase the moisture retention and strength of the hair with ingredients, like meadow foam, silk and sunflower extract.

Revitalize, Rebuild and Support The Hair and Scalp

You need to focus on scalp health to help regenerate growth and power up those follicles. 

Getting rid of cheap, harsh products is a start.

Using enzymes, proteins, plant stem cells and botanical extracts, Hair & Scalp Synergy can help stimulate your scalp to support hair growth.

More Hair Naturally 9 helps block DHT on the scalp to fight thinning hair and promote stronger hair growth.

Are you trying to improve hair loss caused by menopause?

 More Hair Naturally can help. 

Custom formulated in small batches by some of the leading scientists in the field of thinning hair and growth, there have never been products for thinning hair as powerful as these. The perfect combination between nature and science. 

100% natural and made in the USA, the results you are looking for are finally possible.

*Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations given on this website or in personal consultation by phone, email, in-person, online coaching, or otherwise, is at the reader's sole discretion and risk. Information presented on this website is not to be interpreted as any kind of attempt to prescribe or practice medicine. These statements and information have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No product offerings are intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult with a competent, fully-informed medical professional or health practitioner when making decisions having to do with your health. This blog is for educational purposes only.