What causes hair thinning in midlife women besides menopause?
Besides menopause itself, midlife hair thinning can be caused by a few other things.
A big one is genetics, especially female pattern hair loss. Aging also matters, because hair follicles can get smaller over time, so hair grows back finer and less dense. Stress, recent illness, surgery, and rapid weight loss can trigger a shedding pattern called telogen effluvium, where more hair than usual falls out during washing or brushing.
There are also medical causes, including thyroid disorders, iron deficiency, and other nutritional deficiencies. Some medications can contribute too. Autoimmune conditions are another possibility, especially alopecia areata, which causes smooth round patches of hair loss. In postmenopausal women, frontal fibrosing alopecia can also show up, usually along the front hairline, and it can become permanent without early diagnosis.
If the thinning is new, getting worse, or looks patchy or sudden, it’s worth having it evaluated. Here at Alloy, we have a helpful overview on hair loss causes, diagnosis, and treatment, and if you want to look into treatment options, our hair solutions page covers options like minoxidil and spironolactone.
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