posted on: 04/28/2025
Hair serves as an indicator of overall health and hormonal balance. Understanding the basics of hormone health will help you provide the proper care for your clients’ hair as they navigate their own hormone journeys.
Hormones Play Major Role in Hair Health
The hair growth cycle composed of the anagen (growth), catagen (transitional), and telogen (resting) phases is regulated by a complex interaction of hormones. Disruptions in hormonal balance can lead to visible changes in hair density, thickness, and pattern. Hormones play a significant role in health, texture, growth, and loss of hair throughout various stages of life. From puberty to menopause, and in conditions such as pregnancy and hormonal disorders, fluctuations in hormone levels can dramatically affect hair follicles. Exploring the different relationship between hormones and hair, let’s focus in on key hormones—androgens and estrogens.
Androgens and Hair Loss
Androgens, particularly testosterone and its more potent derivative dihydrotestosterone, have a profound influence on hair growth and loss. In areas such as the beard, chest, and pubic region, androgens stimulate hair growth, especially during puberty. But androgens also control scalp hair loss, especially in individuals who are genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia where androgens shorten the anagen phase, leading to follicular miniaturization and eventual hair thinning. Androgens are responsible for male-pattern baldness, which often begins in the late teens or early 20s and progresses with age, as well as female-pattern hair loss, which is more diffuse and usually occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
Estrogen’s Impact on Healthy Hair
Estrogen has the opposite effect on scalp hair. These hormones prolong the anagen growth phase, which can result in thicker and more luxuriant hair, particularly noticeable during pregnancy. However, postpartum estrogen levels plummet, often leading to telogen effluvium, a temporary but noticeable hair-shedding phase. Thyroid hormones are critical for the development and maintenance of hair follicles. Both hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can lead to hair thinning and brittle hair.
Hormone Imbalance
Certain medical conditions characterized by hormonal imbalance can significantly affect hair. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome involves elevated androgen levels that can lead to hirsutism and scalp hair thinning. Cushing’s Syndrome is caused by excess cortisol and may include hair thinning and other systemic symptoms. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, can trigger telogen effluvium by prematurely pushing hair follicles into the resting phase.
Our hair can be a sign of our overall health and hormonal balance. Understanding these effects is crucial for managing hair-related conditions like alopecia, hirsutism, and telogen effluvium. Your role as a hairstylist is not to diagnose clients’ medical conditions, but it is within your scope to recommend that those concerned with thinning hair discuss those concerns with a health-care provider to see if hormones are at play. While not all hair loss is due to hormone issues, it’s a good place to start.
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About the Author— Josephine Granato has over 24 years of experience in the beauty industry and has cultivated a deep love for both practicing and teaching the art of cosmetology. In practice, she specializes in makeup, hairstyling, and cutting, and her work as a cosmetology educator, trainer, and administrator has included roles for Empire Beauty Schools and Tricoci University. Whether in the salon or classroom, Granato says she is “dedicated to empowering individuals to discover and express their unique beauty through the art of cosmetology.”
References
American Academy of Dermatology Association—www.aad.org
Endocrine Society—www.endocrine.org
Mayo Clinic—www.mayoclinic.org