This will be an ongoing topic, as all of us get thinner hair as we age. If I just look at the number of women I know with hair extensions, you know how pervasive the issue is. (And I loved reading Mindy Kaling’s book, where she states how everyone in Hollywood “including the corpse in a murder scene” has hair extensions.) So if you feel more bald than the women around you, know there is a reason.
I AM NOT GIVING YOU MEDICAL ADVICE. I think hair care is a little bit in the realm of fringe science. There are for sure things which help, but it is hard for me to find any hard science on some of these things, particularly the supplements.
What are your options?
First make sure it isn’t a medical issue. Thyroid and autoimmune are common ones.
Second, know hair thins with age, especially after the lovely *menopause*.
Third, know it takes TIME to see any changes. Take a photo of your hair before you start and then make yourself a reminder to check in 3-4 months.
And know there can be side effects. It can cause hair growth where you don’t want it, decreased libido, and other changes.
- Vitamins & supplements. Everything from fish oil, Vitamin A, Biotin, Vitamin B to collagen has been touted to help with hair. “Key nutrients to highlight for hair health include iron, zinc, selenium, protein (amino acids), anti-inflammatory fats like olive oil and avocado, as well as antioxidants”. See Nutraphol, Nourishvita among others.
- DHT blockers orally. Dihydrotestosterone, a hormone responsible for hair thinning and loss. See finasteride, Propidren
- Shampoos. Usually niacin (Nioxin), biotin, collagen, or DHT blocker based. Prescription hair loss shampoo is Ketoconazole, to block testosterone and DHT. Avoid shampoos which may irritate the scalp which have parabens, sulfates, and fragrances.
- Minoxidil. This is usually a topical foam. There is a “women’s strength” and a men’s strength, but as all things with the pink tax (where they charge more for women’s things because they are for women- see the difference in razor pricing when they are pink), most dermatologists I know just recommend you use the men’s strength.
- PRP. There are multiple studies which show efficacy here. PRP is thought to have high levels of growth factors and cytokines. I saw one review of 12 studies, which overall showed increasing hair density and diameter. I tried PRP to see what it would do. Once. They took blood, spun it down to get my platelets, and then injected it. Maybe it helped. But when I spun my blood, I got very little PRP (the amount of PRP you get varies from person to person based on hydration, hematocrit, and other factors), the injection hurt, they could only treat a small area, and it is costly. So I do think this may be one application where PRP actually does something (read my blogs on skin quality and why stem cells give real change where PRP does not), but given my low PRP amount and the diffuse nature of the hair loss, I don’t think this is one I will repeat for me, but it may be great for you, especially if you have a single area of thinning and good PRP levels.
My thoughts?
This is one I am interested in. As I find out more, I will blog. For sure things which increase blood flow to the scalp and blood flow perfusion are good. For sure trying to address some of the hormone issues are good for hair thinning, but remember there are other things you are tinkering with- for instance when you go on an anti-testosterone, it can decrease your libido among other things. I have seen caps which use lights to try to dilate your blood vessels in your scalp.
I will keep looking. It’s a tough one. Hair extensions, wigs, and hats are not going away anytime soon.