Most women approaching menopause expect hot flashes and night sweats caused by dropping estrogen levels. But what they don't expect is that this same hormonal shift can strip away a huge part of their identity – their hair.
Losing your hair as a woman can feel like becoming invisible. What once made you feel feminine and confident slowly disappears. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. By age 40, nearly half of all women experience noticeable hair loss. But why does this happen – and why doesn't anyone prepare us for this?
Here's what's really happening: Estrogen acts as your hair's bodyguard, protecting follicles from DHT (dihydrotestosterone) – the “follicle destroyer” hormone. When estrogen drops, DHT attacks unprotected hair follicles, causing them to shrink through a process called miniaturization.
As follicles shrink, your hair becomes thinner, shorter, and weaker with each growth cycle. In severe cases, DHT damage is so extensive that follicles shut down completely – and stop producing hair forever.