{"id":96296,"date":"2026-08-18T00:47:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T00:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/blog\/menopause-hair-loss\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T00:47:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T00:47:36","slug":"menopause-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/blog\/menopause-hair-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Hair Loss During the Menopause: Causes, Diagnosis and What Really Helps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"border-left:4px solid #0079F1;padding:0 0 0 14px;margin:0 0 26px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 14px;color:#2e3033;font-size:17px;line-height:1.65\">During the menopause, a widening parting, a ponytail that feels thinner and more hair in the plughole than there used to be are not your imagination. Nor is it vanity that it upsets you: hair is part of the picture you have of yourself, and losing it means losing something you always took for granted. Figures do not take that feeling away, but they do put it in context. Female pattern hair loss affects around 20 per cent of all women and up to 42 per cent after the menopause, according to the European S3 guideline on androgenetic alopecia (Kanti et al., 2018), and very often there is diffuse shedding on top of it that has a different cause and is treated differently. This article shows you how to tell the two apart, which blood tests are worth having and which treatments really do have evidence behind them in women.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:700;font-size:16px\">The key points at a glance<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 14px;padding:0;color:#2e3033;list-style:none\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>A parting that keeps widening while the frontal hairline stays intact points to female pattern hair loss; even thinning across the whole head points to diffuse shedding<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>\u201cThe menopause\u201d is not a diagnosis of exclusion: ferritin, TSH, vitamin D and a full blood count all deserve to be checked<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Topical minoxidil is licensed for women in the UK, and the earliest you can judge it is after three to six months<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Nutrients only do anything for your hair if a deficiency has actually been shown, not on suspicion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">The contents list shows you where to find what you need. After that we go through it in order, from telling the two forms apart to the blood tests and a realistic timeline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is hair loss during the menopause normal?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hair loss during the menopause is common. Female pattern hair loss affects around 20 per cent of women in the population as a whole and up to 42 per cent after the menopause (European S3 guideline, Kanti et al., J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2018). The condition has two peaks, one in the teenage years and one after the menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCommon\u201d, however, does not mean \u201cnothing can be done\u201d. Common and treatable are not opposites. The sooner it is clear which form you have, the more hair substance there still is to preserve. That is the real reason it pays to ask early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It helps to place all this in time across three phases. During the <strong>perimenopause<\/strong> the cycle becomes irregular and hormone levels swing widely, in many women from their early forties onwards. The <strong>menopause<\/strong> itself is your final period, which usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55 (NHS). After that comes the <strong>postmenopause<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hair changes typically start during the fluctuating perimenopause, not only afterwards. The people around her regularly underestimate how much more closely hair is tied to a woman\u2019s sense of self than it is for men. For a general overview of the different forms in women, see our article on <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/hair-loss-in-women\/\">hair loss in women<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:14px;padding:22px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#fafbfc\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-weight:700;color:#013366;font-size:18px\">In brief: five terms that come up in every report<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia in women, FPHL):<\/strong> hereditary thinning on the top of the head, where the hairs grow back ever finer under the influence of androgens.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Miniaturisation:<\/strong> the process in which a hair follicle produces a thinner, shorter and lighter hair with every cycle, until it is barely visible any more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Telogen effluvium:<\/strong> diffuse hair loss caused by many follicles switching into the resting phase prematurely and at the same time, typically two to three months after a trigger.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Perimenopause:<\/strong> the transitional phase with strongly fluctuating hormone levels before your final period, when the hair changes usually begin.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Ludwig scale:<\/strong> the three-stage classification of female pattern hair loss according to how wide the thinning at the parting is; the female counterpart to the male Norwood-Hamilton scale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Causes: how the hormone balance triggers hair loss during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The cause of hair loss during the menopause is not an excess of androgens but the loss of oestrogen: the balance shifts, and androgen-sensitive follicles on the top of the head start producing ever finer hairs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In detail: during the perimenopause the oestrogen level falls, while the adrenal glands and ovaries carry on producing androgens. That shifted balance hits the androgen-sensitive follicles on the top of the head. The enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into DHT, and with every cycle the follicle produces a slightly thinner, shorter hair. That is precisely what miniaturisation is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is one caveat: exactly how strongly oestrogen protects the hair follicle has not been conclusively settled scientifically. The professional bodies describe the link as plausible and well observed in clinical practice, not as a mechanism proven down to the last detail. Anyone who tells you otherwise is oversimplifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The widespread misconception is worth clearing up in its own right. In the vast majority of women the male hormones are <strong>not raised<\/strong>; it is the oestrogen that has dropped. \u201cToo many male hormones\u201d is the wrong story. Genuinely raised androgens are the exception, and a reason to measure specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\" style=\"max-width:560px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/miniaturisierung_illustration.png\" alt=\"Illustration of a cross-section of skin with three hair follicles producing progressively finer hairs, from strong to miniaturised\" class=\"wp-image-96291\" style=\"width:560px;max-width:100%;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/miniaturisierung_illustration.png 1536w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/miniaturisierung_illustration-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/miniaturisierung_illustration-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/miniaturisierung_illustration-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether it affects you also depends on your predisposition: how sensitively your follicles react to DHT is laid down genetically. The menopause brings that sensitivity out; it does not create it. That is why it often affects women whose mother or sister had thinner hair at a similar age. You will find more on the mechanism under <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/hormonal-hair-loss\/\">hormonal hair loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same shift also explains something that unsettles many women: individual hairs on the chin and upper lip become coarser while the hair on top becomes finer. That is not a contradiction. Androgen-dependent areas react in opposite directions: miniaturisation on the scalp, stronger growth on the face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a second mechanism, and it is the reason this article keeps the two forms strictly apart. Fluctuating hormones, disturbed sleep, hot flushes and strain also push many follicles into the resting phase at the same time. The result is a <strong>telogen effluvium<\/strong>: diffuse shedding across the whole head which, according to the review resource StatPearls, typically starts two to three months after the trigger, while the resting phase itself lasts around three months on average. There is background on this in our article on the <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/hair-growth-cycle\/\">hair growth cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thinning hair during the menopause: why the hairs become finer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Thinning hair during the menopause is usually not a question of quantity but of diameter: every single hair becomes finer and the overall volume drops, even though there is no more hair in the comb than before.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is exactly what many women experience: they are not losing a striking amount of hair, yet their style falls flat and their ponytail feels thin. In technical terms this is about the <strong>hair shaft diameter<\/strong>, which decreases with every cycle of the miniaturising follicles. Why that happens is explained in the section above.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\" style=\"max-width:720px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/haarschaefte_makro.png\" alt=\"Macro photograph of several hairs with clearly different diameters, from strong and dark to very fine and pale\" class=\"wp-image-96292\" style=\"width:720px;max-width:100%;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/haarschaefte_makro.png 1536w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/haarschaefte_makro-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/haarschaefte_makro-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/haarschaefte_makro-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three tangible markers that beat the impression you get in the mirror. Measure your <strong>ponytail circumference<\/strong> with a tape measure around the gathered hair and note the value in centimetres, then repeat every three months. Count how many times your hair tie goes round. And photograph your parting in the same light and with your head in the same position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a measurement with reference ranges; it is an aid to observation. Its value is that later on you will actually be able to judge whether a treatment has achieved anything. Without a baseline, all you have after six months is a gut feeling, and that misleads you in both directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hair texture and scalp change as well. Less sebum and an altered lipid film make the hair drier, duller and sometimes frizzier or more wiry, and the scalp feels tight, flakes finely or itches slightly. That is not hair loss, but it is often mistaken for it, and it is treated differently: with the right care rather than with an active substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two distinctions will save you a lot of frustration. Persistent severe itching with redness, pustules or pain should be assessed by a dermatologist, because inflammatory scalp conditions are a clinical picture in their own right. And <strong>hair breakage<\/strong> from heat, colouring and traction looks like hair loss: broken hairs have no whitish root bulb at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pattern or diffuse: the two forms of hair loss during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hair loss during the menopause comes in two basic forms: female pattern hair loss, which thins the top of the head and leaves the frontal hairline standing, and diffuse shedding, which loses hair evenly across the whole head.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everything else follows from which of the two you have: the work-up, the treatment and the question of whether the hair comes back on its own. Very often both are present at the same time, and the <strong>pattern hair loss<\/strong> is only noticed once an <strong>episode of shedding<\/strong> makes it visible. Three self-checks will bring you closer to the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. The parting test.<\/strong> Part your hair down the middle and look at the parting in daylight from front to back, ideally alongside an older photo. A parting that widens noticeably at the front while the frontal hairline stays put is the hallmark of pattern hair loss. If the scalp shows through evenly everywhere, including at the sides and at the back, that points to diffuse shedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. The pull test.<\/strong> In several places, gently take hold of a bundle of about 50 to 60 hairs at the base and draw your fingers smoothly to the tips without jerking. If several hairs come away each time, that suggests active shedding. In pure pattern hair loss the test is usually unremarkable, because it is not that more hairs fall out; the ones growing back are simply finer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two caveats apply to the pull test. Do not wash your hair for 24 hours beforehand, otherwise the result is worthless. And there is no single, strictly validated cut-off: the frequently quoted figure of more than 10 per cent of the hairs grasped is explicitly criticised as inconsistent in an evidence-based update in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Take the result to your appointment as an observation, not as a diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. The course over time.<\/strong> Pattern hair loss progresses slowly over years, and you notice it in your volume rather than in your brush. Shedding starts relatively suddenly, usually two to three months after a trigger, and shows itself as a clearly increased loss of hair. Asking yourself what was going on two to three months ago often produces the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The illustration below shows both forms from above: on the left, female pattern hair loss with a widening centre parting and an intact fringe at the front; on the right, diffuse shedding with evenly reduced density across the whole head.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\" style=\"max-width:560px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/muster_vs_diffus.png\" alt=\"Schematic comparison from above: on the left the widening centre parting of female pattern hair loss, on the right the even thinning of diffuse hair loss\" class=\"wp-image-96293\" style=\"width:560px;max-width:100%;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/muster_vs_diffus.png 1536w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/muster_vs_diffus-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/muster_vs_diffus-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/muster_vs_diffus-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<style>\n@media (max-width:640px){\n.rt-table-wrap{overflow-x:visible!important;border:0!important;border-radius:0!important}\n.rt-table{min-width:0!important}\n.rt-table thead{display:none}\n.rt-table,.rt-table tbody,.rt-table tr,.rt-table td{display:block;width:100%}\n.rt-table caption{display:block;padding:0 0 12px!important}\n.rt-table tr{margin:0 0 12px;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:10px;overflow:hidden}\n.rt-table tr:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n.rt-table td{display:flex!important;flex-direction:column;gap:3px;padding:12px 14px!important;\nborder:0!important;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef!important;background:#ffffff!important}\n.rt-table tr td:last-child{border-bottom:0!important}\n.rt-table td::before{content:attr(data-label);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.04em;\ntext-transform:uppercase;color:#5799F1}\n.rt-table td:not([data-label])::before,.rt-table td[data-label=\"\"]::before{display:none}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"rt-table-wrap\" style=\"overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:28px 0;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:12px\">\n  <table class=\"rt-table\" style=\"width:100%;min-width:660px;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:15px;margin:0\">\n    <caption style=\"caption-side:top;text-align:left;color:#003366;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;line-height:1.35;padding:14px 16px 10px;background:#ffffff\">Pattern or diffuse: the two forms compared<\/caption>\n    <thead>\n      <tr>\n        <th style=\"width:22%;background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Feature<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Diffuse shedding<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What that means for you<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Where it gets thinner<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Centre parting and top of the head<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Evenly across the whole head, including the sides and the back<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Where it happens is the most important feature. Check it in daylight.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Frontal hairline<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">As a rule stays intact<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Stays intact, but looks thinner overall<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A receding hairline fits neither of the two forms and should be assessed.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The parting<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Widens towards the back, most obviously at the front<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Scalp shows through evenly<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A photo of the parting in the same light shows the trend better than the mirror.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Amount of hair falling out<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Barely increased<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Clearly increased, visible in the brush and the plughole<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A lot of hair in the plughole points more to shedding than to pattern hair loss.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Thickness of the regrowing hairs<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Varying thickness, many fine short hairs<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Normal thickness<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">This variation in calibre is the core feature of pattern hair loss and is visible on trichoscopy.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Onset<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Gradual, over years<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Relatively sudden, usually two to three months after a trigger<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Think back: what happened two to three months ago (illness, dieting, surgery, severe strain)?<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Pull test<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Usually unremarkable<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Often positive<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Only an observation to take to your appointment, not a diagnosis.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Typical trigger<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Hormonal shift plus predisposition<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Iron deficiency, thyroid, dieting, illness, strain, medication<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">With shedding it is the trigger that is treated, not the hair.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Feature\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Without treatment<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Female pattern hair loss (Ludwig)\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Continues to progress slowly<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Diffuse shedding\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Usually settles by itself<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What that means for you\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">That is exactly why the distinction determines the whole approach.<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One point that fits into none of the columns: the two forms often occur together. The table is a guide for your appointment, not a diagnosis. Above all it helps you ask the right question in the consulting room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ludwig instead of Norwood: how female pattern hair loss is classified<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Female pattern hair loss is divided by the <strong>Ludwig scale<\/strong> into three stages, which Elisabeth Ludwig described in 1977 in the British Journal of Dermatology on the basis of clinical observation of 468 women. Stage I is the beginning widening of the parting, stage II clear thinning of the top of the head with a preserved frontal fringe of one to three centimetres, stage III pronounced thinning of the central area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Norwood-Hamilton scale<\/strong> by contrast describes the male course with a receding temple line and a bald crown, and does not fit women. In addition, specialists use the Savin and Sinclair scales as well as the Christmas tree pattern described by Olsen, in which the thinning becomes wider towards the front. We explain how both scales work in our article on the <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/norwood-scale-hair-loss\/\">Norwood-Hamilton scale<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice the distinction matters for three reasons. Once the trigger has been dealt with, shedding usually settles by itself and grows back. Pattern hair loss does not stop by itself and needs long-term treatment. And for a hair transplant one form is a prerequisite and the other a contraindication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other causes: what should be checked alongside the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThe menopause\u201d is not a diagnosis of exclusion: iron deficiency, thyroid disorders, new medicines and coming off the pill all cause hair loss in the same phase of life, and very often several of them overlap.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several other, readily treatable causes cluster in this very phase of life. Putting the hair loss down to hormones across the board regularly means missing an iron or thyroid result that could have been sorted out within a few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Iron deficiency and low ferritin.<\/strong> During the perimenopause, periods often become heavier and more irregular before they stop altogether, and that is exactly when iron stores run down. Typical accompanying signs are tiredness, pallor and brittle nails. There is more detail in our article on <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/iron-deficiency-hair-loss\/\">iron deficiency and hair loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Thyroid.<\/strong> An underactive or overactive thyroid and Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis also cause diffuse hair loss. Their symptoms overlap almost completely with menopausal symptoms: tiredness, weight change, mood swings, feeling cold or sweating. That is why the thyroid is so often overlooked in this age group. Details under <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/thyroid-hair-loss\/\">hair loss and the thyroid<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Nutritional gaps and medicines.<\/strong> A vitamin D deficiency only matters if it has actually been shown. In this age group new long-term medicines are often added as well, such as blood pressure tablets, statins, antidepressants or thyroid hormones while the dose is being adjusted. Note the start dates and discuss any connection with your doctor; never stop anything on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Stopping or switching hormonal contraception around the age of 50.<\/strong> If you have taken a pill with an anti-androgenic progestogen for years, stopping it means losing an effect that was previously there. Pattern hair loss was masked and becomes visible within months. This is regularly observed in clinical practice and is pharmacologically plausible, but it has not been quantified in dedicated studies. The same applies when switching to a menopause preparation with a different progestogen, which is a good point to raise with your gynaecologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Classic triggers of shedding.<\/strong> Marked weight loss, one-sided diets, protein deficiency, feverish illnesses, operations and high psychological strain push follicles into the resting phase, with the typical delay of two to three months. You can read about how hormones and hair are connected in general under <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/hormonal-hair-loss\/\">hormones and hair<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When the hairline recedes: the warning sign that does not fit pattern hair loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A receding frontal hairline is precisely what does <strong>not<\/strong> fit female pattern hair loss, in which the fringe at the front as a rule stays put. If loss of the eyebrows is added, often with reddened, rough follicular openings along the hairline and a pale, smooth-looking band in front of the new hairline, a scarring alopecia may be behind it, in particular frontal fibrosing alopecia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This form mainly affects women after the menopause. In a Spanish observational study of 306 cases the mean age at onset was 59.5 years. It is rare; prevalence figures vary between about 0.015 per cent and 0.15 per cent depending on the population studied and are not directly comparable with one another. Since it was first described in 1994 it has been diagnosed increasingly often, partly because doctors are better at looking out for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why this appears here even though it is rare: scarred follicles do not come back, and the usual hair growth products do not work there. In this situation time really is a factor. That is no reason to panic and certainly not a remote diagnosis, but it is a good reason not to put a dermatology appointment off until next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #f0c9c9;border-left:5px solid #c0392b;border-radius:12px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#fdf6f5\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700;color:#c0392b;font-size:17px\">Get a dermatology assessment promptly<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 12px;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&bull;<\/span>A receding frontal hairline, particularly together with thinning eyebrows<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&bull;<\/span>Round, smooth bald patches that appear within weeks, as in <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/alopecia-areata\/\">alopecia areata<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&bull;<\/span>A painful, burning, heavily flaking or infected scalp<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&bull;<\/span>Very rapid, massive loss over a few weeks, see <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/how-much-hair-loss-is-normal-in-one-day\/\">extreme hair loss<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&bull;<\/span>Rapidly increasing signs of virilisation such as a deeper voice or pronounced facial hair; in that case the androgens really should be measured<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#6b7280;font-size:14px\">This list is a guide and not a diagnosis. It rules nothing out and is no substitute for an examination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-left:5px solid #0079F1;border-radius:12px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#f7fafd\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#013366;font-size:17px\">From practice: the most common mistake in working it out<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.65\">In hair loss consultations, the most common mistake with women going through the menopause is not the wrong treatment but the failure to tell the two forms apart. Very often there is pattern hair loss that has progressed unnoticed for years, with shedding on top of it, for example because of a low ferritin level. If only one of the two is treated, you are left wondering months later why nothing is happening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Diagnosis: which blood tests make sense for hair loss during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The basic work-up for hair loss during the menopause covers four results: ferritin, TSH, 25-OH vitamin D and a full blood count. FSH and oestradiol are not needed for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These four are fixed points for one reason: they cover the most common treatable contributing causes and match the usual dermatological approach to diffuse hair loss (Kanti et al. 2018, Trost et al. 2006). Anything beyond that is added when your history points to a specific suspicion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n@media (max-width:640px){\n.rt-table-wrap{overflow-x:visible!important;border:0!important;border-radius:0!important}\n.rt-table{min-width:0!important}\n.rt-table thead{display:none}\n.rt-table,.rt-table tbody,.rt-table tr,.rt-table td{display:block;width:100%}\n.rt-table caption{display:block;padding:0 0 12px!important}\n.rt-table tr{margin:0 0 12px;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:10px;overflow:hidden}\n.rt-table tr:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n.rt-table td{display:flex!important;flex-direction:column;gap:3px;padding:12px 14px!important;\nborder:0!important;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef!important;background:#ffffff!important}\n.rt-table tr td:last-child{border-bottom:0!important}\n.rt-table td::before{content:attr(data-label);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.04em;\ntext-transform:uppercase;color:#5799F1}\n.rt-table td:not([data-label])::before,.rt-table td[data-label=\"\"]::before{display:none}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"rt-table-wrap\" style=\"overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:28px 0;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:12px\">\n  <table class=\"rt-table\" style=\"width:100%;min-width:620px;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:15px;margin:0\">\n    <caption style=\"caption-side:top;text-align:left;color:#003366;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;line-height:1.35;padding:14px 16px 10px;background:#ffffff\">Basic work-up for hair loss during the menopause<\/caption>\n    <thead>\n      <tr>\n        <th style=\"width:22%;background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Test<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What it shows<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">If it is abnormal<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Full blood count<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Haemoglobin as well as red and white blood cells, pointers to anaemia<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Further work-up of the cause, usually together with the ferritin level<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Ferritin<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Your iron stores. It can read falsely high if there is inflammation, which is why CRP is considered alongside it<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Clarify the cause of the iron losses; supplement only under medical supervision<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">TSH<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">How the thyroid is being regulated; thyroid symptoms overlap strongly with menopausal symptoms<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">In addition fT3, fT4 and TPO antibodies<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">25-OH vitamin D<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Your vitamin D status<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Supplement only where a deficiency has been shown, and at a dose set by your doctor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Androgens (testosterone, DHEAS, SHBG)<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A possible androgen excess. Not a standard panel, only where there is a specific suspicion<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Targeted gynaecological or endocrinological assessment<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Test\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">FSH and oestradiol<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it shows\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Nothing reliable about the perimenopause, because both values fluctuate strongly in this phase<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"If it is abnormal\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">As a rule not needed for deciding what to do about your hair<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As for where to go first: scalp and hair belong with a <strong>dermatologist<\/strong>. Your <strong>gynaecologist<\/strong> adds to the picture if you are going to talk about treating menopausal symptoms anyway. Your <strong>GP surgery<\/strong> is usually the quickest route to the blood tests. These three do not rule one another out, they answer different questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferritin is worth putting in context, because a lot of half-knowledge circulates about it. In the laboratory the lower end of the reference range usually starts at around 15 to 30 \u00b5g\/L. Part of the trichology literature proposes higher target values of around 40 to 70 \u00b5g\/L for women with hair loss (Rushton and colleagues). Those targets are individual opinions and are not backed up by randomised trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The counter-position belongs here too: in 2006, Trost, Bergfeld and Calogeras concluded in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology that the evidence for routine iron supplementation in hair loss without anaemia is not sufficient. In practical terms that means: have the value measured, interpret it in the context of your symptoms and make the decision with your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What you can spare yourself: an <strong>FSH or oestradiol level<\/strong> does not prove the menopause. The German S3 guideline on the peri- and postmenopause (AWMF 015-062, current version from 2020) makes it clear that the diagnosis is made clinically, because both values fluctuate strongly during the perimenopause. For the question of what to do about your hair, they change nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\" style=\"max-width:720px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/trichoskopie_untersuchung.png\" alt=\"Trichoscopy of the scalp: examination of a woman\u2019s centre parting with a dermatoscope\" class=\"wp-image-96294\" style=\"width:720px;max-width:100%;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/trichoskopie_untersuchung.png 1536w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/trichoskopie_untersuchung-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/trichoskopie_untersuchung-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/08\/trichoskopie_untersuchung-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice the examination usually runs like this: history (since when, cycle, medicines, weight, family), visual assessment of the pattern, then <strong>trichoscopy<\/strong>. This examination with a dermatoscope is painless, takes a few minutes and shows the variation in hair shaft calibre that is typical of pattern hair loss. In 2009, Rakowska and colleagues defined criteria for it in the International Journal of Trichology that in combination reach a specificity of 92 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On costs, plainly: the history, the examination and medically indicated blood tests are covered by the NHS. Individual tests requested purely at your own wish, TrichoScan or serial photography are usually charged for privately. The <strong>treatment<\/strong> of androgenetic alopecia, by contrast, is generally not funded by the NHS, so you pay for minoxidil yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:14px;padding:16px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#ffffff\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-weight:700;color:#013366;font-size:18px\">Your test list for the appointment<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px;color:#6b7280;font-size:14px\">Take a screenshot now and you will have the list on your phone in the waiting room. It is phrased as questions you can ask, not as instructions to the surgery.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0079F1;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase\">Tests you can ask about<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 18px;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Full blood count<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Ferritin (plus CRP if it is abnormal, as a confounder)<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>TSH (if abnormal, fT3, fT4, TPO antibodies)<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>25-OH vitamin D<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Zinc and vitamin B12 where there is a specific suspicion<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Only where an androgen excess is suspected: testosterone, DHEAS, SHBG, and prolactin if appropriate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0079F1;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase\">What to bring with you<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 18px;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>A list of all medicines and supplements with their start dates<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Photos of your parting and the top of your head in the same light over several weeks<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>A note of when it started, how fast it is going and whether it comes in bursts or steadily<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Your cycle over the past 12 months and your contraceptive history<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>Weight history, family history, old blood results, your measured ponytail circumference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0079F1;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase\">Questions you can ask<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 18px;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>\u201cDo you see a pattern or more of an even thinning?\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>\u201cCan we do a trichoscopy?\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>\u201cWhich tests do you think are worth doing, and which would I have to pay for myself?\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:3px 0 3px 24px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;color:#0079F1;font-weight:700\">&#10003;<\/span>\u201cWhen should we check the result?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"border-top:1px solid #e3e8ef;padding-top:14px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Do not wash your hair for 24 hours before the appointment<\/strong> and do not use any styling products, otherwise the pull test and the assessment of your scalp will be distorted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\"><strong style=\"color:#013366\">Before the blood is taken, say which supplements you are taking.<\/strong> High-dose biotin from hair supplements can interfere with laboratory tests. Whether and for how long to pause it is for the surgery or the laboratory to decide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatment: what can really stop hair loss during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hair loss during the menopause can in many cases be halted, but not switched off: for pattern hair loss, topical minoxidil is the treatment with the best evidence; for diffuse shedding it is the trigger that is treated, not the hair.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The honest answer therefore comes in two parts. When it comes to drug treatments licensed for women, what the UK has to offer is above all <strong>topical minoxidil<\/strong> . Alfatradiol, a scalp solution licensed in Germany and Austria, is not marketed here and is therefore not an option. With shedding, on the other hand, the lever is the cause, for instance a confirmed iron deficiency. The following sections go through each option in turn, including what it does not do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Topical minoxidil: the standard treatment for female pattern hair loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minoxidil prolongs the growth phase of the hair follicle and improves its blood supply. In the UK there are two topical options for women available without a prescription: the <strong>2% solution<\/strong> applied twice a day and the <strong>5% foam<\/strong> applied once a day, which is on general sale and licensed for women aged 18 to 65. The European S3 guideline (Kanti et al. 2018) gives both its strongest recommendation; minoxidil has the highest level of evidence there in women and in men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One documented figure to calibrate your expectations: in the licensing studies in women (Lucky et al., J Am Acad Dermatol 2004), the gain after 24 weeks was around 13 additional non-vellus hairs per square centimetre with 2% minoxidil, compared with around 10 with placebo. The effect is real and measurable, but moderate. If you are expecting a return to the hair density you had at 25, you will be disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most important practical point is <strong>initial shedding<\/strong>. In the first few weeks more hair can temporarily fall out, because many follicles switch into a new cycle at the same time. That is not a sign that the treatment is doing harm or failing. If you stop at this stage out of alarm, you lose that hair for nothing and have to start from scratch the next time you try. How long the shedding lasts has not been properly studied; the only reliable-looking figures come from commercial sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three more points belong before you start. The effect can be judged at the earliest after <strong>three to six months<\/strong>. It only lasts as long as you keep applying it; once you stop, the gain is lost again over the following months. And side effects include scalp irritation, itching and flaking, occasionally also unwanted hair growth on the face if the product is transferred there. So wash your hands after applying it. There is more on this in our article on <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/minoxidil-hair-loss\/\">minoxidil for hair loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Topical alfatradiol (17\u03b1-oestradiol): not available in the UK<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alfatradiol is a scalp solution licensed in Germany and Austria for \u201cincreasing the reduced anagen hair rate in mild androgenetic alopecia\u201d in women and men. It is not marketed in the UK: the electronic Medicines Compendium lists no product containing alfatradiol, so it is not an option here. The active substance is a stereoisomer of the body\u2019s own 17\u03b2-oestradiol and, according to the German product information, has only a very low affinity for the oestrogen receptor, so systemic oestrogenic effects are not to be expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soberly assessed: the studies on alfatradiol are older and smaller than the evidence for minoxidil. Even where it is on the market it is a supplementary option with a weaker evidence base, not an equal substitute. Outside Germany and its neighbouring countries the substance plays hardly any role, and in the UK it does not feature in treatment plans at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anti-androgen options: a decision for your doctor, and off-label in this indication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anti-androgens work on the effect androgens have at the follicle. For female pattern hair loss in the UK there is <strong>no licence<\/strong>, so their use is off-label and a case-by-case decision for your doctor. Spironolactone has been used off-label internationally for decades and is discussed in a review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2025), primarily in premenopausal women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cyproterone acetate comes with a safety warning of its own: on 29 June 2020 the MHRA published a Drug Safety Update on an increased risk of meningioma, with restrictions on use and a contraindication where there is a current or previous meningioma; the risk increases with the cumulative dose, and if a meningioma is diagnosed the medicine is stopped immediately. Finasteride and dutasteride are not licensed in women and are contraindicated where pregnancy is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purpose of this section is to put you in a position to raise the subject at your appointment, not to get hold of something yourself. Doses, choice of product, monitoring and the question of contraception where pregnancy is still possible belong exclusively in medical hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Low-dose oral minoxidil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Low-dose minoxidil in tablet form is discussed in current reviews as an emerging option, but it is not licensed for this indication and is therefore off-label. Because minoxidil was originally a blood pressure medicine, blood pressure and fluid retention have to be monitored. This is strictly a matter for a medical consultation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nutrients: only where a deficiency has been shown<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supplementation helps your hair if a deficiency is the cause, and it does nothing if there is none. High-dose combination products taken without a blood result cost money, and with some substances an overdose is not harmless. The simple rule is: test first, then swallow. On the most common product question we have a separate article on <a href=\"\/uk\/blog\/priorin-for-hair-loss\/\">hair supplements for hair loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #f5d9a8;border-left:5px solid #e08d1a;border-radius:12px;padding:20px 22px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#fdf8ef\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#8a5300;font-size:17px\">Safety note: biotin can distort laboratory results<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.65\">Many hair supplements contain high-dose biotin. The US Food and Drug Administration warns in its safety communication, last updated on 5 November 2019, that biotin can interfere with certain laboratory tests. Those affected include thyroid results (TSH can read falsely low, fT3 and fT4 falsely high) and the heart attack marker troponin, which can be measured falsely low.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.65\">For you that means: before every blood test, say which supplements you are taking. How long beforehand you should pause them depends on the dose; laboratories\u2019 recommendations range from a few hours to several days. Sort that out with the surgery or the laboratory, not by gut feeling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What else is being discussed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microneedling, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), low-level laser devices, rosemary oil and caffeine shampoos are all discussed as add-ons for hair loss during the menopause. The evidence on them is inconsistent and considerably weaker than for minoxidil. That means neither that none of them does anything, nor that any of them replaces a basic treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With shampoos a clear distinction is worth making: they can make hair look fuller and can care for the scalp. They change nothing about the miniaturisation of the follicle. That is not a criticism of the products, it is a question of having the right expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n@media (max-width:640px){\n.rt-table-wrap{overflow-x:visible!important;border:0!important;border-radius:0!important}\n.rt-table{min-width:0!important}\n.rt-table thead{display:none}\n.rt-table,.rt-table tbody,.rt-table tr,.rt-table td{display:block;width:100%}\n.rt-table caption{display:block;padding:0 0 12px!important}\n.rt-table tr{margin:0 0 12px;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:10px;overflow:hidden}\n.rt-table tr:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n.rt-table td{display:flex!important;flex-direction:column;gap:3px;padding:12px 14px!important;\nborder:0!important;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef!important;background:#ffffff!important}\n.rt-table tr td:last-child{border-bottom:0!important}\n.rt-table td::before{content:attr(data-label);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.04em;\ntext-transform:uppercase;color:#5799F1}\n.rt-table td:not([data-label])::before,.rt-table td[data-label=\"\"]::before{display:none}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"rt-table-wrap\" style=\"overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:28px 0;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:12px\">\n  <table class=\"rt-table\" style=\"width:100%;min-width:720px;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:15px;margin:0\">\n    <caption style=\"caption-side:top;text-align:left;color:#003366;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;line-height:1.35;padding:14px 16px 10px;background:#ffffff\">Treatment options for hair loss during the menopause at a glance<\/caption>\n    <thead>\n      <tr>\n        <th style=\"width:18%;background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Option<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What it is suitable for<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Prescription<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Licensing for women in the UK<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Cost<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Can be judged at the earliest after<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Topical minoxidil<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Female pattern hair loss<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Available without a prescription<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Licensed: 2% solution twice a day, 5% foam once a day (women aged 18 to 65)<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Three to six months<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Topical alfatradiol (17\u03b1-oestradiol)<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Mild androgenetic alopecia<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not available in the UK<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not licensed and not on the market in the UK<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not applicable<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not applicable<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Anti-androgen options<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A case-by-case medical decision<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Prescription only<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">No licence for female pattern hair loss, used off-label<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded in this indication<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">As specified by your doctor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Low-dose oral minoxidil<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Only discussed under medical supervision<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Prescription only<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">No licence for this indication, off-label<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded in this indication<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">As specified by your doctor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Menopausal symptoms, not the hair<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Prescription only<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Hair loss is not a licensed indication<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Available on the NHS where there is a clinical indication<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not something to judge by the hair<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Iron or vitamin supplementation<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Only where a deficiency has been shown<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Depending on the product, over the counter or prescription only<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not a hair growth product, but correction of a deficiency<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Depending on the indication and the product<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Three to six months<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Microneedling and PRP<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Discussed as an add-on<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A medical or cosmetic treatment<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">No medicines licence, inconsistent evidence<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Cannot be judged reliably<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Low-level laser devices<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Discussed as an add-on<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Freely available<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A medical device, inconsistent evidence<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Cannot be judged reliably<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Shampoos and cosmetics<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Camouflage and scalp care<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Freely available<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Cosmetic, with no effect on miniaturisation<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Visible immediately, but purely cosmetic<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Option\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Hair transplant<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What it is suitable for\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Only where the pattern and the donor area are stable<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Prescription\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A medical procedure following an examination<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Licensing for women in the UK\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Not indicated where there is active diffuse loss<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Cost\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Self-funded<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"Can be judged at the earliest after\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Several months until the result shows<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question almost every woman asks at this point is the one about hormone replacement therapy. It gets a section of its own, because it follows a logic of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does hormone replacement therapy help against hair loss during the menopause?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Hormone replacement therapy is not started because of your hair: hair loss is not a recognised indication, and the data on hair are thin. The decision is weighed up on your menopausal symptoms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One step at a time: in the research for this article, no robust analysis of randomised trials was found showing a clear effect of hormone therapy on hair density. Individual women report fuller hair while on treatment, but no treatment goal can be derived from that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One development is worth noting nonetheless: in the ongoing update of the German S3 guideline on the peri- and postmenopause (AWMF 015-062), \u201calopecia, hair loss, thinning hair\u201d is explicitly listed as a relevant symptom of this phase of life. The version currently in force is still the one from September 2020, and the update is at the consultation stage. So the subject is being taken seriously professionally, but there are no finished treatment recommendations yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hormone therapy has a risk-benefit profile of its own, and that is weighed up against menopausal symptoms, not against hair density. The position statement of the Menopause Society (NAMS 2022) puts the additional absolute risks of events such as venous thrombosis as rare, at fewer than 10 additional cases per 10,000 woman-years. For combined therapy over five years, some analyses quote around 3 additional cases of breast cancer per 1,000 women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That assessment comes from North America and is no substitute for a conversation. The timing matters: the balance of benefit and risk is less favourable if treatment is started more than 10 years after the menopause or beyond the age of 60. Weighing it up belongs with your gynaecologist, with your own history and your family history on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One point is still worth raising if you are considering treatment anyway: progestogens differ pharmacologically in their androgenic or anti-androgenic partial effects. Whether and how the choice of progestogen affects androgen-sensitive follicles has not been demonstrated for the postmenopause in dedicated studies, but it is plausible. If you are thinking about hormone therapy purely because of your hair, have the form of your hair loss clarified first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Everyday life and camouflage: what helps straight away with thinning hair during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>With thinning hair during the menopause, only cosmetic measures work straight away: less traction and heat, cuts that create volume, hair fibres and, where the thinning is more marked, a topper or hairpiece.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Care is no substitute for treatment, but it does prevent avoidable extra loss and makes the hair you still have look considerably fuller. This is the part you can put into practice immediately, while the work-up and the treatment decision are still going on. For thinning hair during the menopause, what counts above all is traction, heat and the cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practical terms that means: cut back on tight plaits, extensions and hair ties that always sit in the same place, go easy on heat and aggressive chemical treatments, and look after the scalp as well. Cuts and layers that create volume do more visually than any treatment mask. A root colour close to your own shade makes the parting look narrower, because the scalp showing through contrasts less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hair fibres and scalp powders work immediately. They treat nothing, but they camouflage the parting within seconds and take the pressure off many women while the actual treatment takes months. On diet, one sentence is enough: enough protein, good sources of iron, no crash diets in this phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Toppers, hairpieces and wigs: the underrated option where thinning is more marked<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where thinning on the top of the head is pronounced, in other words in the higher Ludwig stages, a <strong>topper<\/strong> is the most realistic solution for many women. A topper is a partial hairpiece that covers only the parting and the top of the head and sits in your own hair on small clips. It brings density exactly where pattern hair loss takes it away, and leaves the edge of your own hair visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a second-best stopgap but an answer in its own right to a situation in which minoxidil only thickens moderately and a procedure is out of the question. Good human-hair models can be styled and matched to your own shade; synthetic hair is cheaper and easier to look after. Wigs remain the option where the thinning covers a large area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two practical points are worth adding. Change the position of the clips regularly, because constant traction at the same point puts extra strain on your own hair. And ask a specialist wig studio for a fitting of several models before you buy. Whether any help with the cost is possible in your case is worth asking your GP or clinic about; a referral is usually needed for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:14px;padding:22px;margin:0 0 28px;background:#fafbfc\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-weight:700;color:#013366;font-size:18px\">What you can spare yourself<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0079F1;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase\">The three most common misconceptions<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0 0 18px;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s the hormones, nothing can be done.\u201d The form is what decides, and both forms are treatable.<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>\u201cOnce the menopause is over, it will grow back.\u201d Shedding usually recovers; pattern hair loss carries on progressing slowly without treatment.<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>\u201cI\u2019ll take a hair vitamin first and see what happens.\u201d That is how months go by with the cause still unexplained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0079F1;font-size:15px;letter-spacing:.03em;text-transform:uppercase\">What costs money or does harm<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin:0;padding:0;list-style:none;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>High-dose combination supplements without a blood result<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>Biotin shortly before a blood test, because it can distort laboratory results<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>Stopping minoxidil after four weeks because more hair falls out at first<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>Thickening shampoos as a substitute for a diagnosis<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>Hormone self-test kits from the internet<\/li>\n<li style=\"position:relative;padding:4px 0 4px 22px\"><span style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;color:#c0392b\">&#10007;<\/span>Being fobbed off with \u201cthat\u2019s just your age\u201d without an examination<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does it take for hair to grow back? The realistic timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A treatment for hair loss during the menopause can be judged at the earliest after three to six months; visible length shows after nine to twelve months. Hair grows about one centimetre a month.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason lies in biology, not in anyone fobbing you off: a follicle that has switched into the resting phase needs around three months before it even starts up again, and after that around one centimetre is added each month. Only once several generations of follicles have switched over does the difference become visible in a photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>\n@media (max-width:640px){\n.rt-table-wrap{overflow-x:visible!important;border:0!important;border-radius:0!important}\n.rt-table{min-width:0!important}\n.rt-table thead{display:none}\n.rt-table,.rt-table tbody,.rt-table tr,.rt-table td{display:block;width:100%}\n.rt-table caption{display:block;padding:0 0 12px!important}\n.rt-table tr{margin:0 0 12px;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:10px;overflow:hidden}\n.rt-table tr:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n.rt-table td{display:flex!important;flex-direction:column;gap:3px;padding:12px 14px!important;\nborder:0!important;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef!important;background:#ffffff!important}\n.rt-table tr td:last-child{border-bottom:0!important}\n.rt-table td::before{content:attr(data-label);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.04em;\ntext-transform:uppercase;color:#5799F1}\n.rt-table td:not([data-label])::before,.rt-table td[data-label=\"\"]::before{display:none}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"rt-table-wrap\" style=\"overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:28px 0;border:1px solid #dbe4f0;border-radius:12px\">\n  <table class=\"rt-table\" style=\"width:100%;min-width:660px;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0;font-size:15px;margin:0\">\n    <caption style=\"caption-side:top;text-align:left;color:#003366;font-weight:700;font-size:16px;line-height:1.35;padding:14px 16px 10px;background:#ffffff\">A realistic timeline: what happens when<\/caption>\n    <thead>\n      <tr>\n        <th style=\"width:22%;background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Period<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What is happening in the follicle<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What you notice<\/th>\n        <th style=\"background:#003366;color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:middle;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.4;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">What to do now<\/th>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/thead>\n    <tbody>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Period\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Month 0 to 1<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What is happening in the follicle\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The trigger has been dealt with or the treatment has started; many follicles are still stuck in the resting phase<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What you notice\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The loss carries on; with minoxidil there may even be temporarily more loss at first<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What to do now\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Take baseline photos, measure your ponytail circumference, note the date<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Period\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Month 2 to 3<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What is happening in the follicle\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The resting phase is coming to an end, the first follicles re-enter the growth phase<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What you notice\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The loss slowly eases off<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What to do now\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Keep applying it consistently, take a photo every four weeks<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Period\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Month 3 to 4<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What is happening in the follicle\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">New hairs grow at about 1 cm a month<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What you notice\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Short new hairs at the parting and along the hairline<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What to do now\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Do not judge it yet, carry on documenting<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Period\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Month 6<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What is happening in the follicle\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Several generations of follicles have switched their cycle<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What you notice\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">A first honest assessment is possible by comparing photos<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What to do now\" style=\"background:#f6f9fc;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;border-bottom:1px solid #e3e8ef;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Discuss the result at your appointment and adjust the approach<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n      <tr>\n        <td data-label=\"Period\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#003366;font-weight:700;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Month 9 to 12<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What is happening in the follicle\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">The newly started hairs have reached visible length<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What you notice\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Volume and ponytail circumference change measurably<\/td>\n        <td data-label=\"What to do now\" style=\"background:#ffffff;color:#22303e;font-weight:400;text-align:left;vertical-align:top;padding:13px 16px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.55;border:0;overflow-wrap:break-word\">Carry on monitoring; only change the treatment after speaking to your doctor<\/td>\n      <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody>\n  <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make this time bearable, it helps to monitor in the same way every time: every four weeks one photo from above and one from the front, same light, same parting, plus your ponytail circumference in centimetres every three months. If you only look in the mirror you will see no progress, because changes on this scale are too slow to notice day by day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On expectations: the realistic goal is preservation and partial thickening, not the hair density you had before. Follicles that have completely receded do not come back. That is precisely why it is worth having the form clarified early instead of waiting two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hair transplants for women during the menopause: when they are an option<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A hair transplant is only an option for women during the menopause where the pattern and the donor area are stable. Where diffuse hair loss is active, it is not indicated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spelt out, that means it is only an option if two conditions are met at the same time: the hair loss shows a <strong>stable, clearly defined pattern<\/strong>, and the <strong>donor area at the back of the head is not thinning itself<\/strong>. Both have to be examined beforehand, otherwise the question of feasibility cannot be answered at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In women this is less often the case than in men, and there is a good reason for that. Female pattern hair loss often runs more diffusely across the whole of the top of the head, and the sensitivity of the follicles to DHT does not always stop at the edge of the back of the head. If hairs are transplanted from an area that is itself miniaturising, they will thin out later in just the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An active telogen effluvium is also a <strong>contraindication<\/strong>. In this phase neither the extent of the loss nor the stability of the surrounding hair can be assessed. Where the loss is diffuse a transplant is not indicated, and a reputable provider will decline in this situation or send you back to dermatology for further assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can make sense where the thinning is stable and clearly defined, after the work-up is complete and where donor density is sufficient, and as a rule only once drug treatment has stabilised the situation. So the order is: first clarify, then treat, and only much later think about a procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border-top:2px solid #dbe4f0;margin:36px 0 0;padding:24px 0 0\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.08em;text-transform:uppercase\">A word about us<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 12px;color:#013366;font-weight:700;font-size:18px\">Our service: the free hair analysis<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.65\">This note concerns our own service and is therefore set apart from the medical part. If you are at exactly this point and would like to know whether what you have is a pattern or a diffuse loss, what your donor area looks like and whether anything is feasible at all, you can use our free hair analysis as a step towards clarity. It assesses the visible pattern and the donor density.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033;line-height:1.65\">What it does not do needs saying too: it replaces neither a medical examination nor a blood test. Finding the cause remains a matter for your GP or dermatologist, and the question of ferritin, TSH and vitamin D is only answered by a laboratory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fe48e5de wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\" style=\"justify-content:center;margin-top:22px;margin-bottom:48px\"><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" style=\"background-color:#0079F1;color:#ffffff;border-radius:8px;padding:15px 36px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:center\" href=\"\/uk\/hair-analysis\/\">Start your free hair analysis<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your next three steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Take stock.<\/strong> Photograph your parting and the top of your head in daylight today, measure your ponytail circumference and note the date. Without a baseline there will be nothing to judge in six months\u2019 time.<\/li><li><strong>Have the basic tests done.<\/strong> Make an appointment at your GP surgery and take the test list from this article with you as a screenshot (ferritin, TSH, vitamin D, full blood count). Say which supplements you are currently taking, because of possible interference with the results.<\/li><li><strong>Have the form clarified.<\/strong> Make a dermatology appointment and ask there explicitly about the distinction between pattern and diffuse loss, and about a trichoscopy. Only decide on a treatment after that.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about hair loss during the menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">How long does hair loss during the menopause last?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">That depends on the form. A telogen effluvium usually begins two to three months after a trigger and, once the trigger has been dealt with, generally settles within a few months. Female pattern hair loss, by contrast, is a slowly progressive process over years that does not end by itself without treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Does hair loss stop again after the menopause?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">The diffuse component often calms down once the hormone fluctuations ease and possible triggers have been dealt with. Pattern hair loss does not stop with it; on the contrary, it becomes considerably more common after the menopause, affecting up to 42 per cent of women (Kanti et al., S3 guideline 2018). That is why it is worth looking at the two components separately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Can I go bald as a woman during the menopause?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">Complete baldness of the male type does not as a rule occur with female pattern hair loss. What is typical is thinning on the top of the head with the frontal hairline intact, to a degree that varies with the Ludwig stage. Bald, sharply defined patches have other causes and should be assessed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Is hair loss during the menopause hereditary?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">What is inherited is the predisposition, not the timing. How sensitively the hair follicles react to DHT is laid down genetically. The menopause brings that sensitivity out, because oestrogen falls away and the hormone balance shifts, but it does not create it. That is why it often affects women whose mother or sister had thinner hair at a similar age.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Is it normal for more hair to fall out at the beginning?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">A temporary increase in loss during the first weeks of minoxidil treatment is well known and is called initial shedding. It happens because many follicles switch into a new cycle at the same time. There are no reliable figures on how long it lasts. Do not stop out of alarm; discuss how things are going with your doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">How do I know whether my ferritin level is too low for my hair?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">Two yardsticks sit side by side here. The laboratory reference range usually starts at around 15 to 30 \u00b5g\/L, while part of the trichology literature proposes higher target values of around 40 to 70 \u00b5g\/L for women with hair loss (Rushton and colleagues). Those targets are individual opinions and are not backed up by randomised trials. In 2006 Trost, Bergfeld and Calogeras even concluded that the evidence for routine iron supplementation without anaemia is not sufficient. Interpreting your own value therefore belongs in a conversation with your doctor, together with CRP as a confounder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:12px\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Which supplements help with hair loss during the menopause?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">Supplementation helps your hair if a deficiency has been shown, and it does not help if there is none. High-dose combination products without a blood result are therefore rarely worthwhile. Important: according to an FDA safety communication, high-dose biotin can distort laboratory results such as TSH and troponin. Say what you are taking before every blood test.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:16px;margin-bottom:0\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;color:#013366;font-weight:600\">Do women get a receding temple line too?<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin:0;color:#2e3033\">Female pattern hair loss as a rule leaves the frontal hairline standing; a receding temple line belongs to the male Norwood pattern. If a woman\u2019s hairline recedes, particularly together with thinning eyebrows and reddened follicular openings, that usually has a different cause and should be assessed by a dermatologist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scientific sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #e3e8ef;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:24px;background:#fafbfc\">\n<ul style=\"list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0;color:#2e3033;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6\">\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Kanti V, Messenger A, Dobos G et al. (2018): Evidence-based (S3) guideline for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women and in men. <em>J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jdv.14624\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wiley Online Library<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Ludwig E (1977): Classification of the types of androgenetic alopecia (common baldness) occurring in the female sex. <em>Br J Dermatol<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2133.1977.tb15179.x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DOI 10.1111\/j.1365-2133.1977.tb15179.x<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Rakowska A, Slowinska M, Kowalska-Oledzka E et al. (2009): Dermoscopy in Female Androgenic Alopecia. <em>Int J Trichology<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2938574\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed Central<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">DGGG\/OEGGG (2020): German S3 guideline on the peri- and postmenopause, diagnosis and interventions (AWMF 015-062), short version. <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC7447675\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed Central<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">The Menopause Society (2022): Hormone Therapy Position Statement. <a href=\"https:\/\/menopause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/professional\/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">menopause.org (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">MHRA \/ GOV.UK (2020): Drug Safety Update, cyproterone acetate: new advice to minimise risk of meningioma, 29 June 2020. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/drug-safety-update\/cyproterone-acetate-new-advice-to-minimise-risk-of-meningioma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOV.UK<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">U.S. FDA (2019): Safety communication on biotin interference in laboratory tests. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/media\/127915\/download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FDA (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Alfatradiol (17\u03b1-oestradiol): not marketed in the UK, with no licensed product listed in the electronic Medicines Compendium. medicines.org.uk<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Trost LB, Bergfeld WF, Calogeras E (2006): The diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency and its potential relationship to hair loss. <em>J Am Acad Dermatol<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/16635664\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">Va\u00f1\u00f3-Galv\u00e1n S et al.: Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, Observational Single-Center Study of 306 Cases. <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10300830\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed Central<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f6\">StatPearls\/NCBI Bookshelf: Telogen Effluvium (continuously updated review resource). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK430848\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NCBI Bookshelf<\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"padding:7px 0;border-bottom:0\">NHS: Menopause, symptoms and treatment (age range for the menopause). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/menopause-and-perimenopause\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nhs.uk<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin:14px 0 0;color:#6b7280;font-size:13px;font-style:italic\">Research current as of 2026. This article provides general information and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long does hair loss during the menopause last?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"That depends on the form. A telogen effluvium usually begins two to three months after a trigger and, once the trigger has been dealt with, generally settles within a few months. Female pattern hair loss, by contrast, is a slowly progressive process over years that does not end by itself without treatment.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does hair loss stop again after the menopause?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The diffuse component often calms down once the hormone fluctuations ease and possible triggers have been dealt with. 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The menopause brings that sensitivity out, because oestrogen falls away and the hormone balance shifts, but it does not create it. That is why it often affects women whose mother or sister had thinner hair at a similar age.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is it normal for more hair to fall out at the beginning?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A temporary increase in loss during the first weeks of minoxidil treatment is well known and is called initial shedding. It happens because many follicles switch into a new cycle at the same time. There are no reliable figures on how long it lasts. Do not stop out of alarm; discuss how things are going with your doctor.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do I know whether my ferritin level is too low for my hair?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Two yardsticks sit side by side here. The laboratory reference range usually starts at around 15 to 30 \u00b5g\/L, while part of the trichology literature proposes higher target values of around 40 to 70 \u00b5g\/L for women with hair loss (Rushton and colleagues). Those targets are individual opinions and are not backed up by randomised trials. In 2006 Trost, Bergfeld and Calogeras even concluded that the evidence for routine iron supplementation without anaemia is not sufficient. Interpreting your own value therefore belongs in a conversation with your doctor, together with CRP as a confounder.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which supplements help with hair loss during the menopause?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Supplementation helps your hair if a deficiency has been shown, and it does not help if there is none. High-dose combination products without a blood result are therefore rarely worthwhile. 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Nor is it vanity that it upsets you: hair is part of the picture you have of yourself, and losing it means losing something you always took for granted. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":96295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"2","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-adv":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/blog\/menopause-hair-loss\/","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_hm_hreflang_map":{"de":36826,"en":96951,"uk":96296,"fr":101233,"es":91868,"it":18872,"pt":89713,"tr":83273,"x_default":97139},"_hm_language_code":"uk","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-hair-loss"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the 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