Estrogen and progesterone can help keep your hair in the growing (anagen) phase. Therefore, these hormones can help your hair stay on your head longer and may even help your hair grow faster. This may be why many women notice their hair thinning starts to improve with estrogen replacement therapy.
Studies also show that estrogen does not only protect against hair loss but stimulates new growth as well. The estrogen/hair growth connection is especially evident during pregnancy when women experience thicker, healthier hair due to higher estrogen levels in their bodies.
In addition to keeping your bones strong, estrogen and progesterone keep your hair healthy. A decrease in these hormones causes an increase in androgen production which causes hair follicles to shrink and contribute to hair loss.
Androgens, such as testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and their prohormones dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstenedione (A) are the key factors in the growth of terminal hair.
The female sex hormone oestrogen makes body hair fine and soft. Androgens are male sex hormones, including testosterone, which are responsible for masculine characteristics such as facial hair and coarse body hair. A woman's ovaries and adrenal glands naturally make a small amount of androgens.
Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
Taking HRT can help prevent this loss and may even help regrow hair. In fact, some trans women with androgen alopecia who underwent HRT saw hair regrowth3. The best HRT for hair loss is usually a combination therapy of estrogen and progesterone, with limited amounts of testosterone, or DHT.
HRT is an effective treatment for hair loss in both men and women that replaces hormones that may be causing hair loss with those that promote healthy hair growth. Different forms of HRT include: Tablets.
Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can slow down or even stop hair loss in some women.
Just like excess testosterone and excess DHT can cause hair troubles, so can too much estrogen. For some women, excess estrogen may trigger hair loss because of a gene variant that affects the functioning of an enzyme (aromatase) that processes estrogen.
Genes associated with follicle growth were not significantly altered by vitamin D3. However, it increases expression of genes involved in the estrogen-biosynthesis. Further, estrogen concentrations in porcine granulosa cell-cultured media increased in response to vitamin D3.
Estrogen can ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse. Need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Systemic estrogen helps protect against the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis.
Overall, you may gain or lose weight once you begin hormone therapy, depending on your diet, lifestyle, genetics and muscle mass. Your eyes and face will begin to develop a more feminine appearance as the fat under the skin increases and shifts.
Zinc and iron – Both also play a major role in reversing hair thinning. Iron helps ensure that your hair follicles receive enough oxygen. It also assists your body when it comes to using protein for building strong hair. Zinc, on the other hand, helps in the repair of your hair.
Most women find that their hair loses volume and length around menopause. This is because menopause causes your oestrogen levels to decrease, and oestrogen is a hair-friendly hormone, helping to keep your hair in its anagen (growth) phase for longer. You may also find that your hair breaks more easily after menopause.
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself. In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger.
When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when there's too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results. Overweight women typically have high amounts of estrogen, as do women in the first half of pregnancy.
Hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats are the most common symptoms of low estrogen. At times, blood rushes to your skin's surface. This can give you a feeling of warmth (hot flash). Your face may look flushed.
Everyone's body is different, but most people using estrogen notice hair growth changes within one year of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). This includes body hair and facial hair, which will gradually thin out and grow more slowly.
There are various treatment options for female hair loss, including topical medications, such as Rogaine. Other options include light therapy, hormone therapy, or in some cases, hair transplants. Eating a nutritious diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also help keep hair healthy.
If you are healthy, most experts agree that HRT is safe to use at the lowest dose that helps for the shortest time needed. If you're 59 or older, or have been on hormones for 5 years, you should talk to your doctor about quitting.
HRT contains hormones that stimulate breast tissue and so breast tenderness and growth can be a side effect of your hormone therapy. Speak to your doctor if you have any concerns about this.