HORMONES, HAIR AND YOU

Experts explain why women lose hair during menopause

- BY LAKSHANA N PALAT Assistant Features Editor

Menopause is an exhausting ride — hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue ... and then there's the hair. Thinning strands or sudden shedding can feel like a cruel twist, but understanding the hormonal shifts behind it can help you reclaim both control and confidence.

Maria Dowling, founder of Mariadowling Salon Dubai, explains: “With both oestrogen and progesterone decreasing during this time of life, the hair can become thin. In some cases, there can even be increased facial hair growth, like on the chin or upper lip, as androgens act differently on various hair follicles.”

“Oestrogen helps hair grow by keeping it in its growth phase longer,” Dowling explains. “When oestrogen drops, hair grows for a shorter time before shedding, so it becomes thinner and finer.”

Progesterone helps balance male hormones like testosterone, but as progesterone falls, hair thinning can increase.