Hi everyone
There has been a lot of discussion, posts and threads about hair-loss as well as some technical information.
I put this together in September but never posted it as I thought the topic had been covered but as it is still very current, and some of the information that has been posted is very specialised and difficult to understand by the lay-person, I've dug it out. I hope at least some of this information is accessible and broadly understandable even to the non-specialist?
It's a collection of statements and articles about hair-loss in women and the role of hormones and menopause – at our current state of knowledge - EACH WITH A SEPARATE LINK! By no means comprehensive and while I read them back in Sept I haven't read them recently nor do I have time to at the moment.
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I have separated out the articles so you can pick and choose which ones you read. In no particular order - some are about hormones and their effects, some about treatments for hair loss. Nothing will tell you about your own hair loss but I hope they are interesting and that it's helpful to have some of these in the same place.
Warning - LONG POST!
BMS Tools for clinicians – testosterone replacement in menopausehttps://thebms.org.uk/publications/tools-for-clinicians/testosterone-replacement-in-menopause/“Testosterone is an important female hormone. Healthy young women produce approximately 100 – 400 mcg per day. This represents three to four times the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries. Approximately half of endogenous testosterone and precursors are derived from the ovaries e.g. androstenedione and half from the adrenal glands e.g. dehydroepiandrosterone. Some of the effects are direct and some due to peripheral conversion to estrogen by aromatase. Testosterone levels naturally decline throughout a woman's lifespan. Loss of testosterone is particularly profound after iatrogenic i.e. surgical and medical menopause and premature ovarian insufficiency when testosterone production decreases by more than 50%.â€
“After the menopause, estrogen levels fall to undetectable levels. Consequently, the small amount of remaining testosterone may predispose to androgenic symptoms, especially acne, increased facial hair growth and male pattern baldness. Personal genetics are key to the susceptibility to these problems.â€
Women's Health Concern - Menopausal Hair Loss (More than “a bad hair dayâ€)https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/menopausal-hair-loss/Menopause Matters Effect of progestogens as part of HRT:https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php“Progestogens which can be used cyclically are of 3 main types:
1. Testosterone derived - Norgestrel, Norethisterone acetate and Levonorgestrel.
2. Less testosterone related - Medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA).
3. Least testosterone related - Dydrogesterone and Micronised progesterone (Utrogestan).
Side effects are often experienced during the progestogen phase of treatment and can be reduced by using a product containing a different type or route of progestogen.â€
Testosterone derived progestogens on average may have more androgenic affects (such as hair loss on head and hair growth on face) than other types.
SOME SCIENTIFIC STUDIESImprovement in scalp hair growth in androgen-deficient women treated with testosterone: a questionnaire study(British Journal of Dermatology)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380548/AbstractBackground
Androgens are thought to have an adverse effect on female scalp hair growth. However, our clinical experience of androgen replacement therapy in women with androgen deficiency, in which hair loss was seldom reported, led us to question this concept.
Objectives
To evaluate the effect of subcutaneous testosterone therapy on scalp hair growth in female patients.
Methods
A total of 285 women, treated for a minimum of 1 year with subcutaneous testosterone implants for symptoms of androgen deficiency, were asked to complete a survey that included questions on scalp and facial hair. Age, body mass index (BMI) and serum testosterone levels were examined.
Results
Out of the 285 patients, 76 (27%) reported hair thinning prior to treatment; 48 of these patients (63%) reported hair regrowth on testosterone therapy (responders). Nonresponders (i.e. no reported hair regrowth on therapy) had significantly higher BMIs than responders (P = 0•05). Baseline serum testosterone levels were significantly lower in women reporting hair loss prior to therapy than in those who did not (P = 0•0001). There was no significant difference in serum testosterone levels, measured 4 weeks after testosterone implantation, between responders and nonresponders. No patient in this cohort reported scalp hair loss on testosterone therapy. A total of 262 women (92%) reported some increase in facial hair growth.
Conclusions
Subcutaneous testosterone therapy was found to have a beneficial effect on scalp hair growth in female patients treated for symptoms of androgen deficiency. We propose this is due to an anabolic effect of testosterone on hair growth. The fact that no subject complained of hair loss as a result of treatment casts doubt on the presumed role of testosterone in driving female scalp hair loss. These results need to be confirmed by formal measurements of hair growth.
Other Body Changes Affecting SexualityHair changesNorth American Menopause Society
http://www.menopause.org/for-women/sexual-health-menopause-online/changes-at-midlife/other-body-changes-affecting-sexuality“The shift in the balance between androgen and estrogen levels can also lead to excessive hair growth (hirsutism) in areas of the body where hair follicles are especially sensitive to androgen, such as the chin, upper lip, and cheeks. Many midlife women report the sudden growth of single, thick (often dark) hairs on their chin, while others may notice downy peach fuzz–like hair on their face.
The menopause-related shift in the testosterone-estrogen balance can also produce the opposite effect—hair loss. About 50% of women observe some degree of hair loss or thinning before age 50. Although hair loss may worsen with natural menopause, improvement has been seen in women who experience surgical menopause as testosterone levels plummet after the ovaries are removed. Aging itself also contributes to hair loss in women. Hair loss with aging has a genetic component as well, so your parents' experience with hair loss can sometimes give a sense of what you might expect.
The effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on hair density are uncertain: some women report more hair loss, while others report less.â€
Hair loss in women: medical and cosmetic approaches to increase scalp hair fullness(British Journal of Dermatology 2011)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22171680Hair loss is an important symptom of the menopause Re: Non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptomsBMJ 2017
https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5101/rr-4Extract
“Being the commonest cause of hair loss in women, FPHL is a non-scarring alopecia which typically presents with progressive hair thinning at the vertex of the scalp, with sparing of the frontal hairline. Although FPHL can occur at any time after puberty, it most commonly begins at, or soon after, menopause (1). The significant psychological distress associated with hair loss is well-recognised. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and obsessional behaviour have been commonly associated with FPHL (2).
The exact role of hormones in the aetiology of FPHL is not fully understood. Although the role of androgens and genetic susceptibility is recognised in male-pattern hair loss, it is less well understood in FPHL. What is known, is that the majority of women with FPHL have neither clinical nor biochemical features of hyperandrogenism (3).â€
Treatments for female pattern hair lossA Cochrane review (2016) of treatments
https://www.cochrane.org/CD007628/SKIN_treatments-female-pattern-hair-lossNICE Info:Scenario: Management of a woman with androgenetic alopecia (Revised 2016)
https://cks.nice.org.uk/alopecia-androgenetic-female#!scenarioHormonal therapy in female pattern hair lossInt Journal of Womens Dermatology (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5419033/Scientific paper looking at the effect of hormones and treatments ( in US)
Enjoy and feel free to add other papers and articles to this list
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Hurdity x