Our hormones affect our hair growth and hair texture.
Just like our hormones can affect our skin and mood, our hormones also impact our hair quality. Hair loss, hair growth, dryness and oil production can all link back to our hormones and the cycles of our bodies. Let’s have a look at how our hormones directly impact our hair.
A Woman’s Cycle
Not only do we have monthly cycles, but women also pass through different stages in life which involve hormonal production or reduction. Our hormonal patterns change during puberty, while pregnant, post-pregnancy and during menopause. Each of these stages and phases affect our hair.
For instance, while a woman is pregnant, there is more estrogen running through her body, which can make the hair feel shinier, fuller and softer. Estrogen will prevent the hair from falling out so the hair feels thicker. So too, when we go through our monthly cycle, our progesterone and estrogen levels are in a sort of dance, which will also affect our sebum production, and hair texture.
Hair Loss in Both Women and Men
We all have testosterone, though men predominantly have much more. When testosterone converts to DHT, and the hair follicles are weak or damaged, both men and women will experience hair loss. Though it is more common in men, women can experience this too.
Stress is Hormonal
While you may just think of stress as a bad day, there is also something chemical going on inside when we experience stress. When we’re feeling stressed, increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol are released. These hormones can cause the hair to shed for longer than usual. These hormones can also suppress estrogen, which as you can imagine from what you’ve learned above, can lead to hair thinning.
Thyroid and Hormonal Imbalance
When our hormones are out of balance, like the hormones found in our thyroids, we can experience thinning or hair loss. Any type of hormonal imbalance which can be triggered by a number of things i.e. poor diet, genetics, medication, stress, disease, then we may experience hair loss, dry and brittle hair, oily hair, or graying hair. Our hair can actually tell us a lot about what’s going on in our bodies and lives!
If you’re experiencing excessive hair loss, thinning or dry hair, think of it as a way of your hair communicating with you about what’s going on in your life. It may be your hair’s way of letting you know something is up, off, or imbalanced. It’s a great idea to go for a blood test, to make sure all your vitamins and minerals are ‘up-to-date.’ You may want to speak to a professional to understand why you may be experiencing hair loss, or excessively dry hair and then together, come up with solutions that work for you. Believe it or not, there is a solution to almost every problem out there!
