Understand this symptom
Hair loss
Uma Health
Insight
The essentials
This symptom is caused by the hormonal shifts your body is going through. Understanding what's happening helps you better cope with what you're feeling.
The (possible) cause
Hair loss around menopause often has more than one cause. On the one hand, there's the normal effect of aging: hair often becomes finer and less full. On the other hand, hormonal fluctuations can affect the hair cycle. In some women, this pattern fits female pattern hair loss (more thinning around crown/parting). In others, it is diffuse shedding: temporary increased hair loss due to stress, illness, rapid weight loss, deficiencies, or thyroid problems. Sometimes tight hairstyles, aggressive styling, or an irritated scalp also play a role.
What (often) helps
What helps depends on the type of hair loss. Therefore, "first understanding what's happening" is often the fastest route. Practically speaking: avoid tight hairstyles and harsh treatments, support your hair with gentle care, and ensure basic building blocks such as sufficient protein and recovery (sleep, stress). If the pattern matches female pattern hair loss, targeted treatment by a doctor or dermatologist may be helpful. If you suddenly experience significant hair loss, or you have additional symptoms (extreme fatigue, feeling cold, rapid weight fluctuations), also have the underlying causes examined.
Hair loss during menopause: what exactly do we mean?
Of hair loss women often mean two things:
- Losing more hair (shedding): you see more hair in the brush, shower or on your clothes.
- Hair thinning: your parting becomes wider, your crown looks more sheer, your ponytail feels thinner.
These two require a different approach.
Why Hair Changes in Peri- and Menopause
Around menopause, the hormonal balance shifts, which can affect the hair cycle. For some women, hair gradually becomes finer and shorter (thinning). For others, the hair cycle temporarily becomes "off-balance," and more hair falls out than usual (shedding). Often, it's not an either-or situation, but a mix.
Triggers that often play a role (and that you can recognize)
- A period of high stress or sleepless nights
- Illness, recovery after surgery, or rapid weight loss
- Possible deficiencies (such as iron)
- Thyroid gland that works slower or faster
- Tight hairstyles, extensions, lots of heat or bleaching
- Scalp problems (itching, flaking, irritation)
What you can do now (without overdoing it)
1) Map out your pattern for 4–6 weeks
Where is it mainly located: crown/parting (thinning) or all over (shedding)? Since when? Was there a trigger (stress, illness, diet)?
2) Gentler your hair and scalp routine
Less pulling, less heat, fewer aggressive treatments. Choose gentle care and treat your scalp like "skin," not as an afterthought.
3) Rebuild your base
Sleep, recovery, and sufficient protein make it easier for your body to recover. This isn't a quick fix, but it is a foundation.
4) Choose the right next step
- Dilution that is slowly getting worse: have it evaluated to see if it fits female pattern hair loss.
- Sudden significant hair loss: check triggers and rule out underlying causes.
- Bald spots or inflamed scalp: have it assessed sooner.
Expectations: What is realistic?
Hair grows slowly. What you change today often only shows up in your hair volume after weeks or months. So the goal is to stabilize first, then regain growth/volume.