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Estrogen deficiency can cause hair thinning as estrogen plays a key role in the hair growth cycle. The deficiency occurs when estrogen levels are lower than normal while women go through perimenopause and menopause.
There are also other causes of estrogen deficiency, which could include premature ovarian insufficiency, Turner syndrome, and autoimmune diseases. Ovarian cancer and endometriosis can make it necessary to remove the ovaries through surgery and can also lead to lowered estrogen levels. Other signs of estrogen deficiency that many women experience when going through the transition include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia.
You can look at these signs as warning lights of your hormonal cycle.
If you notice estrogen deficiency hair thinning as you move through new phases of life, you’re not alone. You can get through this phase with a little extra self-care, thoughtful nourishment, and gentle routines that help keep your hair healthy.
Let’s explore the changes estrogen deficiency brings in your hair, and how simple shifts in your daily habits like diet, sleep, and stress can make a real difference. Through this blog, we aim to empower you to feel confident and cared for every step of the way.
What is estrogen deficiency?
Estrogen deficiency occurs when estrogen levels drop below normal. Women have three types of estrogen:
- Estradiol (E2)
- Estrone (E1)
- Estriol (E3)
Estrogen is the quintessential women’s hormone responsible for the development of female characteristics during puberty and the regulation of the menstrual cycle during the reproductive age. It also plays a role in everything from glowing skin to lustrous hair.
There are three main types of estrogens:
- Estradiol: This is the most active form of estrogen, present in higher amounts than the other two. It is produced by the ovaries and performs all the functions of the female hormone.
- Estrone: Produced by the adrenal glands and fat cells, this form is present in lower quantities and is less active. However, it continues to be produced even after menopause and can take over some functions later in life.
- Estriol: Present primarily during pregnancy, estriol helps prepare the mother’s body for birth.
Men also require estrogen for certain bodily functions, and they produce it by converting testosterone to estradiol with the help of certain enzymes.
Estrogen levels naturally fluctuate throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle. The level is low at the start of the cycle, peaks at ovulation, and then falls again. However, when estrogen goes below the baseline of about 10 picograms per millilitre (pg/ml) and doesn’t rise as it should, that is considered an estrogen deficiency.
Normally, estrogen levels are between 10 and 100 pg/ml and can climb to over 400 pg/ml or even higher in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, if a woman is experiencing an estrogen deficiency during perimenopause, these levels tend to remain low or can sometimes fluctuate widely. In the next section, we will understand estrogen deficiency causes.
What causes estrogen deficiency?
The most common reason for lower estrogen is the natural transition into perimenopause and menopause, which every woman inevitably goes through as she grows older. Women are born with around 6 million eggs, and over time, that number decreases.
Each month, about one egg is released during the menstrual cycle (this process pauses during pregnancy and resumes a few months after childbirth). By the mid-thirties, most women have lost 90% of their eggs, and their quality may also decline. As this happens, the body’s usual signals for hormone production become less smooth, preventing the cycle from progressing. These changes mark the journey into perimenopause, the transition before menopause, which can last several years. Eventually, as the ovaries wind down, they produce less estrogen, and periods come to an end.
While estrogen deficiency is a natural part of aging, gentle self-care and support can help make the transition more comfortable and less overwhelming.
Other causes of estrogen deficiency can include:
- Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI): Sometimes, the ovaries slow down earlier than expected. This can be linked to factors like certain medical treatments (such as radiation or chemotherapy), genetics, environmental toxins, or your body’s overactive immune system.
- Turner Syndrome: This is a rare genetic condition where a woman is born with only one X chromosome, leading to premature ovarian changes and lower estrogen.
- Autoimmune conditions: In rare cases, the body’s natural defenses can mistakenly affect the ovaries, causing estrogen to drop earlier than usual.
- Surgery: If the ovaries are removed during ovarian cancer or endometriosis, the body will no longer produce estrogen naturally.
For most women, these shifts in estrogen are simply part of life’s natural rhythm. With self-care, a healthy lifestyle, and guidance from your healthcare provider, you can feel confident and supported throughout these changes.
How estrogen impacts your body and well-being
While estrogen’s main functions are regulating the menstrual cycle and reproduction, this hormone also plays an important role in various other functions. They include:
- Cardiovascular health - Estrogen protects blood vessels and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
- Bone density - Estrogen promotes healthy bone density by blocking the action of cells that break down bone.
- Skin elasticity - This hormone promotes collagen production, the protein responsible for healthy skin.
- Mood - Estrogen has been found to boost the brain chemicals that improve mood. This is one of the reasons why women in perimenopause and menopause sometimes experience anxiety and depression due to estrogen deficiency.
- Metabolism and fat distribution - Estrogen is also involved in how we break down food, as well as the storage and distribution of fat throughout our bodies.
- Immune response - Estrogen helps reduce inflammation in the body.
- Muscle maintenance - Estrogen is required to build muscle. Estrogen deficiency during perimenopause actually leads to a loss of muscle mass in women.
- Hair growth - Estrogen is like a gardener who provides hair with all the nutrients it needs to support hair health. With the right levels of estrogen, the garden grows well and stays healthy.
All these, in one way or another, contribute to healthy hair. Estrogen deficiency affects all these functions and, therefore, leads to changes in hair health during menopause.
However, not all women who are going through perimenopause and menopause experience significant changes in their hair quality during this time. But those who do can sometimes experience it while showering or brushing. It’s normal to notice changes in your hair and body and have concerns, but these changes can be managed. Following your doctor’s advice and care routine can go a long way in managing estrogen deficiency and encouraging hair health.
What to do for estrogen deficiency hair thinning
Hormonal replacement therapy
Treatment for estrogen deficiency-induced hair thinning needs to be approached from two angles: addressing the cause and treating hair fall. In most cases, estrogen deficiency can be treated using hormonal replacement therapy.
Based on the cause, your stage in life, and your medical history, your doctor can decide if this is the best course of action and also the type of hormone therapy you will receive.
Women in perimenopause and natural menopause are typically given a combination of estrogen and progesterone. However, women who have undergone an oophorectomy or surgical removal of the ovaries will be given just estrogen. The hormone therapy can be administered in the form of oral medication, topical application cream, or even a hormone patch that a woman sticks onto her skin.
Other treatment options
Many medical conditions may deter women from getting hormone replacement therapy. Again, your doctor can determine other treatment options, like supplements containing phytoestrogens (plant chemicals similar to estrogen).
You can also add phytoestrogen-containing foods to your diet to help balance your hormone levels. These include soy and soy products, sesame seeds, flaxseeds and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about the right diet for you.
When treating hair fall, healthy hair should start growing once hormone therapy begins. However, a healthy, protein-rich diet could also help support hair health. You can also take a supplement like Traya’s Ultimate Hair supplements that nourish your hair. You can try a sulphate-free shampoo that keeps hair moisturised and helps prevent drying and breaking. Maintaining a healthy weight and managing your stress will also go a long way towards supporting hormonal balance and having healthy hair that looks and feels thicker.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is estrogen deficiency diagnosed?
Your age, medical history and medical tests can help in diagnosing estrogen deficiency. Your doctor might also ask whether your periods are regular. Medical tests can include blood tests to check estrogen levels and an ultrasound to check for irregularities in or around your ovaries.
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How can I raise my estrogen naturally?
After a certain age, it is normal for all women to experience estrogen deficiency. Regardless of what you do, there is no natural way to bring your estrogen levels up to what they were during your reproductive age. However, certain foods like tofu and other soy products, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, and cruciferous vegetables can help naturally increase estrogen levels to some extent.
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How does estrogen deficiency affect my health in the long term?
Estrogen influences functions throughout the body. Therefore, an estrogen deficiency can cause weight gain, mood swings, depression and anxiety, insomnia, and muscle fatigue and injury. There could also be a risk of cardiovascular disease. All these factors are connected to your hair health, which makes it necessary for you to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
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Will estrogen deficiency cause permanent hair fall?
No. Hair fall caused by estrogen deficiency is reversible when treated early. Your doctor can prescribe the right treatment to help maintain your hormonal balance. Increasing your protein intake and taking supplements like vitamins D and C and iron can also help your hair grow back. Stress management is also extremely important for maintaining your body’s balance and promoting healthy hair.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6206851/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3390338/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5051227/#:~:text=By%20the%20time%20the%20woman,pregnant%20in%20their%20mid%2D40s.
- https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/mas/news/hair-thinning-and-menopause-why-it-happens-and-remedies-2248340
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512225001860
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-many-eggs-does-a-woman-have#early-years
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