Thinning hair is terrible. I just saw a patient who doesn’t look bad, but she is very aware her hair is thinner. What am I recommending?
First, realize that for most aging women, the hair issues are because of hormone changes and blood supply. So most of the treatments are aimed at those.
Second, realize if you are doing testosterone for your libido, it may have an effect on your hair. Sometimes you are focused on one issue and forget how it affects other things. Conversely I just saw oral minoxidil was in the news. It is effective, but can cause general body wide hair growth and issues with blood pressure. Again, consider your whole body when doing things. It is not where I would start.
Third, START EARLY. Your hair follicle caliber gets thinner with time. The amount of time your hair is in its “resting” state increases as you age. For those close to menopause, consider hormone replacement and my other recommendations now.
- Optimize general body health things. The better your whole body is aging at a cellular level, the better your hair will be. This includes hormone replacement (see www.joinmidi.com- HRT was vilified in the past, but new data indicates it is safe, and likely most women in their 50s should be on it. Midi is an insurance-covered Telehealth visit to discuss HRT) and mitochondrial health (think NAD+ and other treatments) See my blogs on menopause HERE and anti-aging HERE.
- Topical minoxidil. The “male” strength is 5%, and that is what most doctors recommend. This can be in a foam or liquid. Personally I like the liquid form better, as I don’t wash and style my hair daily and the foam really messes it up. I carry this in my office. Using micro needling in the scalp can help results. You need to do it 1-2 x a day.
- Oral supplement support. I have looked at many, and the current winner in my book is Nutrafol. Many of the things you may be on- omega, fish oil, flaxseed, collagen- are really blood thinners. They help skin, hair, and nails due to that effect. Just be aware of what you are taking, especially if doing multiples of these, and if you have issues with easy bruising, your gums bleed when you floss, etc, then know you need to cut back.
Take a photo of your part and your hairline. The changes when you do these treatments is SLOW. You are not going to look better overnight. The goal is to reverse to a better direction and/or slow the worsening.