Let Talk About It: Female Hair Loss
Let’s Talk About It: Female Hair Loss
In my series ‘Let’s Talk About It’ I’m delving into areas of health which my clients are often embarrassed or shy to discuss but have been suffering with symptoms of for years. In this article I’ll be discussing the common causes of female hair loss and what you can do about it.
In my clinic I frequently work with women who have experienced either hair loss, hair thinning or a combination of both. In my experience there can be a few reasons behind this change in hair volume which have responded well to dietary and supplement intervention once we determine the root cause.
As with everything when it comes to health, in order to facilitate real change, we need to understand what the root cause of a symptom is. In this article I’ll be delving into how hormones, post covid, stress and vitamin/mineral deficiencies can cause hair loss.
POST COVID & STRESS
On average we have about 5 million hair follicles and they go through different steps of processes. The first step is the anagen stage which is when the hair grows and pushes through the skin, next is when the hair dies off in catagen in stage and lastly in the telogen stage the hair falls out and regenerates.
Research suggests that with hair thinning post COVID it's not necessarily that you're losing hair but more so that the hair is shedding more. This may be down to the stress that COVID caused on the body resulting in disrupted the growth and rest cycle of the hair. This leads to around 30 to 50% of the hair follicles being in the telogen stage instead of what would normally be around 5 to 10%.
We can also observe this after other viral infections, surgeries or physical/emotional trauma or stress. During times of stress the body can divert nutrients to the follicles to try and help support in other areas. if you have experienced air loss after going through a very stressful period it is worth considering supporting your adrenal health and nervous system pathways such as GABA, dopamine and serotonin. You can watch a recent webinar about stress and nutrition here.
Typically post COVID hair shedding usually starts to happen around two or three months after the initial infection in some cases I have seen it occur as soon as 6 or so weeks. Generally speaking, hair loss after COVID is not so much due to the damage of hair itself but to the disruption of the growth and regeneration process.
HOW LONG DOES POST COVID HAIR LOSS TAKE TO RETURN TO NORMAL?
The good news is that in time the volume of hair should return to normal. Regrowth does vary from person to person, for some it may be as little as six months and for others can be up to 18 months or so.
VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCIES
The average person is not getting enough of their essential vitamins and minerals every day. Unfortunately, even with a varied diet due to processing methods most of our foods are not as nutrient dense as they used to be. Combining that with dietary models like vegetarian or vegan diets we can start to get into deficiencies of essential nutrients for hair growth like iron and B12.
The most common nutrient deficiency I see in my clinic across many different cases and symptoms is subclinical anaemia (iron deficiency). Although I do observe this in some cases with men it is more common with women due to the iron loss through menstruation each month. Consider taking a high-quality multivitamin along with a B complex if you are vegan and iron supplement if you have regular periods.
After our 20s we start to make less and less collagen, there are different types of collagens and they are more abundant in different areas of the body. When it comes to hair skin and nails it is type a collagen in that the body uses. supplementing with a high-quality type a collagen peptide from an animal or fish source can be a helpful way to support hair strength. You get what you pay for with collagen so look for collagen peptides from a marine source.
Zinc and vitamin D are also important for hair growth.
HORMONAL HAIR LOSS
Aside from stress an COVID the other big driver of hair loss in women can be down to hormonal changes or hormonal conditions such as PCOS.
During perimenopause and post-menopause oestrogen and progesterone levels reduce so we can sometimes see that hair becomes thinner because the follicles have shrunk, often this can result in hair which grows more slowly and might fallout more easily. Again, thinking about iron levels and thyroid health can be very helpful in these cases.
We also have more of a demand on the adrenal glands in a post menopause environment. Your adrenal glands help you manage stress and so sometimes the higher levels of stress which we can experience post menopause can contribute into thinning hair. When I work with menopause I frequently work on their thyroid and adrenal health alongside their hormones.
PCOS is a very common condition that as many as one in ten women have in the UK, including me! PCOS can lead to higher androgens like testosterone which sometimes can disturb the hair distribution in women. In some cases, this can manifest as thinning hair on the head and higher amounts of body hair as well as pair on the jaw line and chin.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT HAIR GROWTH?
You can support health hair growth by being very gentle with your hair. I recommend using a silk pillowcase and/or a hair wrap at night. Try to avoid tying your hair back which places pressure on the hair follicle but if you feel more comfortable to tie your hair back then I recommend using a silk hair tie if you are going to tie your hair back.
It is also worth considering using more natural products on your hair which have less chemicals than the average hair product that you would get in the supermarket. I like Eleven and Gisou.
SUPPLEMENTS FOR HAIR GROWTH & STRENGTH
A high quality multi and marine type a collagen peptide is a good place to start. Beyond the basics I then start to layer in support depending on the big drivers. For example a women who is post-menopausal and has experienced high levels of stress may need phytoestrogen and adrenal support or someone who has long covid may need anti-inflammatory and cell danger response support. You can read more about cell danger here.
If you’d like to work with me one to one to get to the root cause of your symptoms, you can book a free discovery call with me here
Please check with a doctor or medical professional before starting any new supplements.