Between 40% and 50% of women aged 50 and over experience hair loss, often related to the hormonal changes that occur during menopause. Noticing your hair thinning when you look in the mirror, or seeing it fall out in the shower, is distressing and can affect your self-esteem. But you don’t have to accept this new reality. Several treatment options can help improve hair density and restore your confidence.
At Metro Health and Wellness in Marietta, Georgia, and Menopause Health Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, menopause and women’s health specialist Kirstie Cunningham, MD, FACOG, NCMP, offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and exosome therapy for hair loss.
Here’s why hair loss occurs during menopause, and each treatment option is explained in depth.
Menopause occurs once you’ve gone a full year without having a menstrual cycle. The years leading up to that milestone, known as perimenopause, are marked by hormonal fluctuations that signal the start of this natural transition.
Throughout menopause and perimenopause, many women experience thinning hair or hair loss. That’s because hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which cause hair to grow faster and stay on your head for longer periods, tend to decline during this period. There’s also a relative increase in androgen activity, which can cause the hair follicles to shrink. Stress can also contribute, creating a perfect environment for hair loss.
Menopause-related hair loss is often subtle at first, but certain changes may indicate hormones are to blame. These include:
If you notice any of these issues, don’t wait to contact us. Prompt diagnosis can keep the problem from worsening and help support healthy hair growth.
We offer several cutting-edge treatments for hair loss during menopause. Each takes a slightly different approach but works by influencing cellular signaling pathways, which tell your hair follicles when to grow, regenerate, or shed.
Depending on your health history and symptoms, we may suggest:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a great option if you have thinning hair.
During this procedure, we draw a sample of your blood and isolate the growth factors inside it using a machine called a centrifuge. PRP contains several growth factors, including fibroblast, vascular endothelial, and epidermal growth factors. These components support follicle health and regeneration and increase blood flow to your scalp.
Once the PRP solution is ready, we apply a topical anesthetic to your scalp to ensure your comfort, transfer the solution into a syringe, and inject it into the areas of your scalp where thinning is most noticeable.
We typically recommend an initial treatment program of monthly PRP injections for three months, followed by maintenance sessions every six months.
Women who undergo PRP may experience decreased shedding, thicker-looking hair, and improved hair density.
In some cases, menopause-related hair loss is caused by impaired cellular communication and inflammation. Exosome therapy addresses these issues by strengthening cellular signaling pathways responsible for hair growth.
We offer AnteAGE MDX® Exosome Hair Therapy, which uses a proprietary stem cell culture with exosomes to:
The solution also contains caffeine to stimulate hair follicles and azelaic acid to prevent them from shrinking.
Like PRP, exosome hair therapy involves a series of precise injections to your scalp. We apply a local anesthetic to your scalp beforehand to make the experience comfortable and well-tolerated.
Some people benefit from PRP or exosome therapy in isolation, but we often recommend combining these treatments for better results. Because they work through different but complementary mechanisms, pairing them often makes sense. This is especially true if your hair loss is due to several contributing factors, such as hormones, stress, and genetics.
Before making any recommendations, we review your health history, ask about your symptoms, and conduct a scalp exam and lab testing. After gathering that baseline information, we make custom treatment recommendations.
If you’re tired of losing hair due to menopause, non-surgical treatments such as PRP or exosome hair therapy may help. To see if you’re a candidate, contact us today to schedule your appointment in Marietta or Nashville, or book online.
