Guide to Menopausal Hair Loss: Trichologist Shares the Best Products That Promote Hair Growth

It’s no secret that menopause can, unfortunately, wreak havoc on us. From changes in your body to dealing with menopausal acne to mood changes, it can feel like you just can’t catch a break. As frustrating as it is, we promise you’re not alone — and these problems don’t have to last forever. One of the most common concerns women experience during this change is menopausal hair loss. If you’re suffering from this gradual or sudden onset of thinning hair or female pattern hair loss, don’t panic (but actually because stress can make it worse). Thankfully, there are products and remedies out there that can help hair regrow, boost volume and thickness and halt hair shedding. Keep reading for a trichologist’s insights on menopausal hair loss and the best menopausal hair loss products that can help.

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What is menopausal hair loss?

Menopausal hair loss refers to when hair starts thinning as women go through a change in hormones during menopause. This can seem sudden, especially if you’ve never experienced hair loss or thinning in the past and have always had a healthy and full head of hair.

Hair loss in women as a result of perimenopausal and menopausal changes can be gradual or sudden. Many notice their hair slowly starting to thin starting in perimenopause, the stage before menopause, whereas others may see large clumps of hair falling out that seem to come out of nowhere. However, it most commonly is gradual. Since menopause can last years (including perimenopause), it’s common to experience menopausal hair loss over a long period of time.

“Changes become apparent once you have lost close to 50% of your hair,” says trichologist Kerry Yates . “Honestly, the difference is gradual and starts six months after the hormonal change.”

What causes menopausal hair loss?

“Fluctuations in hormones can negatively impact your hair's life cycle,” explains Yates of the menopausal symptoms connected to fine hair and loss altogether. “For example, DHT [dihydrotestosterone], derived from testosterone, can shrink the follicle, basically ‘killing’ it and causing hair loss and future growth challenges.” Other changes in hormones that can affect hair and lead to hair loss are a drop in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

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Can you prevent menopausal hair loss?

“There is nothing that will keep this change from happening, unfortunately,” says Yates. But the good news is it doesn’t mean menopausal hair loss will last forever. “Hair will grow with hormonal changes as it will fall out.”

While you can’t fully prevent it, there are some things you can do to boost your overall health and hair health. “It would help if you took a multivitamin as directed by your doctor to ensure your body stays healthy,” suggests Yates. “A healthy body leads to healthy follicles, and follicles control the overall beauty of your hair.”

What can help menopausal hair loss?

One of the best ways you can help your menopausal hair loss is by giving your scalp some extra TLC. Scalp health directly affects hair health ; if you don’t have a happy or healthy scalp, you won’t have healthy hair.

“Hormonal changes can cause some sensitivity on the scalp, like irritation, tightness or even dry, scaly skin,” says Yates. “Be sure to be kind to your scalp using sulfate-free shampoos and silicone-free hair care products, utilize your fingertips vs. your nails for washing hair and use a round bristle brush.” Using products, like hair care that contains sulfates and silicone, can clog your hair follicles and irritate your scalp, which can contribute or lead to hair loss.

Yates also recommends doing daily scalp massages to stimulate hair growth and relax the hair follicles — both will improve hair quality and promote a growing phase. “To combat tightness, gently massage the scalp from nape to crown and temple again using your fingertips with medium pressure. Do this daily for roughly 10 minutes,” she advises.

Try these ingredients as hair loss treatments during menopause

There are also a few key natural ingredients Yates suggests trying if you’re experiencing menopausal hair loss.

Rosemary oil for menopausal hair loss

The first one is rosemary oil, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, says Yates. “Rosemary in oil form helps to alleviate inflammation and fight against free radicals. When a rosemary blend is massaged directly on the skin/scalp, the user can improve blood circulation, feed the follicle and eliminate inflammation,” she explains. “By improving blood circulation, you can improve the anagen hair cycle phase. Overall, when you improve follicle health, you ultimately benefit follicle fitness.”

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Bhringraj oil for menopausal hair loss

The second ingredient Yates recommends is Bhringraj Oil, which is an herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, explains Yates. “[It’s a] natural antifungal, antibacterial ingredient supporting ultimate scalp health. Good scalp health leads to perfect follicle fitness providing support for hair growth… You should see some positive effects over 90 to 120 days.”

One caveat though: “Bhringraj can actually ‘stain’ the hair, so if using on lighter strands, do not leave it on for an extended period of time.”

The 5 best products for menopausal hair loss

Keep reading for Yates’ top picks for hair products that help combat menopausal hair loss.

Aveda Invati Ultra Advanced Exfoliating Shampoo

Your hair care routine starts at your shampoo, which means it’s crucial to find a shampoo that specifically is meant to help thicken and grow hair if you’re dealing with hair loss. Yates likes Aveda Invati Ultra Advanced Exfoliating Shampoo because it is “formulated with 94% natural ingredients, designed to gently exfoliate to renew the scalp and support the follicles.” The Aveda Invati line was made to thicken hair, and the shampoo does an amazing job at exfoliating the scalp with salicylic acid to unclog pores.

Hair Rituel By Sisley Revitalizing Volumizing Shampoo With Camellia Oil

A volumizing shampoo can give thinning hair a boost by making it look instantly thicker and fuller. Yates suggests Hair Rituel by Sisley Revitalizing Volumizing Shampoo with Camellia Oil . It’s made with a blend of fortifying and essential vitamins and minerals for your hair, like vitamin B6 and zinc, as well as shea oil to smooth, camellia oil to moisturize and hazelnut oil to soften. “[It is] infused with a mix of vitamins and minerals to help ‘feed’ the scalp to support proper follicle fitness,” explains Yates.

Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo

Made with keratin proteins and natural cellulose, Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo is great for adding volume and fullness to hair while taking care of the scalp. “[It] cleanses the scalp while also focusing on the hair, lifting up each individual hair strand to camouflage the appearance of thinning hair,” says Yates. Keratin proteins help to strengthen and thicken hair and natural cellulose helps to plump and thicken the texture of individual strands, which leads to fuller looking hair.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

As far as hair and scalp serums go for menopausal hair loss, Yates suggests The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density . This is super easy to use and only takes a few minutes. Simply apply a few drops to a clean, dry scalp and thoroughly massage on the scalp; let absorb.

Snow Fox Skincare Tetrapeptide And Ginseng Hair & Scalp Serum

Another great serum for menopausal hair loss is Snow Fox Skincare Tetrapeptide and Ginseng Hair & Scalp Serum . Yates says, “I love this because it minimizes hair fall out and strengthens the hair, and is enriched with a powerful complex of pure caffeine, tetrapeptide and ginseng, that also revitalizes not only the hair but scalp as well.”

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