Menopause and Hair Loss: Causes and Best Treatment Options

Hair loss during menopause rarely begins with one dramatic moment. More often, your ponytail feels thinner, your scalp shows more under bright light or your parting looks wider than it used to.

Hormonal changes can contribute to hair loss, but they are not the only possible cause. Where the thinning appears, how quickly it develops and whether you have other symptoms can help a doctor work out whether it is related to menopause, temporary shedding, a nutritional deficiency or another health condition.

This guide explains what menopause related hair loss can look like, whether it can grow back and which treatments have the strongest evidence.

Why Does Menopause Cause Hair Loss?

To understand what is happening, it helps to look at your hair's natural growth cycle. During your reproductive years, oestrogen acts as a protective and supportive force for your hair. It helps to keep your hair follicles in their active growing phase for longer, which contributes to your hair's overall length and thickness.

When you start perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels start to fluctuate, then fall, and your hair spends less time growing.* At the same time, androgens (hormones like testosterone, which everyone produces) have more influence, because there’s less estrogen to balance them out. If your hair follicles are sensitive to androgens, they gradually shrink and produce hair that is shorter, finer and lighter. 

This is the same effect behind hair thinning in PMOS. While the trigger is different, the result for your hair follicles is the sane It usually shows up as thinning at the crown and a wider parting, not a receding hairline. 

*Rinaldi FA, et al. (2023). The menopausal transition: Is the hair follicle ‘going through menopause’?

What Are the First Signs of Menopausal Hair Loss?

Menopause related hair loss is often a gradual change in the amount or thickness of your hair. It may begin during perimenopause, while you are still having periods, so it can be easy to miss or put down to something else.

You may notice:

1. A wider central parting. More of your scalp may be visible, particularly under bright light.

2. A thinner ponytail. Your hair may feel less full or need another twist of your hair tie.

3. Less volume across the crown and top of your scalp. The hair around the sides and back may remain thicker.

4. Hair that feels finer than before. Follicles affected by female pattern hair loss gradually produce thinner, shorter hairs.

5. More hair in your brush or shower. If this change began suddenly, it may point to temporary increased shedding rather than female pattern hair loss.

The front hairline is usually preserved in female pattern hair loss. Smooth, round bald patches are not a typical sign and should be checked by a doctor.*

A useful way to track changes: Take a photo of your parting in the same position and lighting every few weeks. Hair thinning can be difficult to judge from one day to the next, and photos can help you see whether it is changing.

*British Association of Dermatologists. (2024). Hair loss female pattern.

What's the Difference Between Hair Shedding and Hair Thinning?

Hair shedding and hair thinning can look similar, but they do not always have the same cause or need the same treatment. It is also possible to experience both at the same time.

Hair shedding

Telogen effluvium is the medical name for increased shedding that happens when more hairs than usual move into the resting phase of the hair cycle.

It often begins around 3 months after a physical or emotional trigger, such as:

• An illness or high temperature

• Surgery

• Childbirth

• Severe or prolonged stress

• Rapid weight loss or extreme dieting

• Iron deficiency

• Starting or stopping certain medications

The hair usually comes out from across the scalp rather than from one patch. The shedding phase commonly lasts between 3 and 6 months. New hair then starts to grow, although it may take longer for your usual fullness to return.*

*British Association of Dermatologists. (2025). Telogen effluvium. 

Hair thinning, also called female pattern hair loss

Female pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, develops gradually. The follicles produce increasingly fine hairs, causing the parting to widen and the amount of hair across the top of the scalp to reduce.

Female pattern hair loss is naturally progressive when left untreated. Treatment therefore focuses on slowing further thinning, preserving existing hair and encouraging some regrowth.

An episode of increased shedding can sometimes make female pattern hair loss that was already developing more noticeable.*

*British Association of Dermatologists. (2024). Hair loss female pattern.

Could something else be causing your hair loss?

Menopause can happen at the same time as other causes of hair loss. Finding the cause matters because the most useful treatment depends on what is happening.

Possible causes or contributing factors include:

1. Iron deficiency or anaemia

2. An underactive or overactive thyroid

3. A recent illness, operation or period of severe stress

4. Rapid weight loss or a very restricted diet

5. Medication that affects the hair cycle

6. Scalp conditions that cause redness, scaling, inflammation or scarring

7. Tight hairstyles, chemical treatments or repeated heat damage

A doctor may ask when the hair loss started and examine your scalp. They may also review your diet, medications, family history, periods and recent health changes.

Blood tests may be recommended to check for problems such as anaemia, low iron stores or a thyroid condition. Testosterone testing may be considered if you also have signs of increased androgen activity, such as a rapid increase in facial hair, new severe acne or a deepening voice.*

*Women’s Health Concern. (2025). Menopausal hair loss: more than ‘a bad hair day’. 

Can Menopausal Hair Loss Grow Back?

It depends on the cause. Hair lost through temporary shedding can often grow back after the trigger has passed or the underlying problem has been treated. The shedding may settle before your usual volume returns.

Female pattern hair loss does not currently have a permanent cure, but treatment can slow further thinning and help some hairs become thicker. Follicles that are still producing fine hairs are more likely to respond than follicles that have stopped producing hair.

With consistent treatment, you may see first results within 3 to 6 months. Fuller results can take longer, and treatment usually needs to continue to maintain any improvement.*

*British Association of Dermatologists. (2024). Hair loss female pattern.

How long does menopause hair loss last?

Temporary increased shedding often settles within 3 to 6 months after the trigger has passed. It may then take several more months for your hair to regain its previous volume and length.

Female pattern hair loss is an ongoing condition rather than a temporary phase of menopause. It usually develops slowly over several years. Treatment may slow its progress and improve hair density, but any benefit generally lasts only while treatment continues.*

If shedding continues for more than 6 months, becomes more severe or has no clear trigger, speak to a clinician.

*British Association of Dermatologists. (2024). Hair loss female pattern. British Association of Dermatologists. (2025). Telogen effluvium.

What’s the best menopause hair loss treatment?

The best treatment depends on the type of hair loss you have. For gradual thinning caused by female pattern hair loss, topical minoxidil has the strongest evidence and is usually the first treatment considered. For sudden, increased shedding, the most helpful approach is to identify and address the trigger.

Female pattern hair loss and temporary shedding can happen at the same time. For example, an episode of increased shedding may make gradual thinning that was already developing more noticeable.

Can HRT Help With Hair Loss?

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is used to manage menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and sleep problems. It is not prescribed specifically to treat hair loss.

Some women notice changes to their hair while taking HRT, but there is not enough evidence to predict whether it will improve thinning. HRT should be considered based on your wider menopause symptoms, health and preferences rather than as a hair loss treatment.*

If you are already using HRT and notice new or worsening hair loss, do not stop taking it without speaking to your doctor. The timing may be coincidental, and another cause may need to be investigated.

*Lee J, Krishnegowda R, Miteva MI. (2026). Hormone replacement therapy and hair: a review for trichologists treating menopausal women.

What Supplements Are Good for Hair Loss During Menopause?

Social media is full of supplements claiming to stop hair loss or make hair grow faster. However, supplements are most likely to help when hair loss is connected to a nutritional deficiency.

Iron deficiency can cause increased shedding, so a doctor may recommend a blood test if your periods are heavy, your diet is low in iron or you have symptoms such as tiredness, breathlessness or pale skin.

Other tests may be considered based on your symptoms, diet and medical history. Taking supplements without knowing whether you need them is unlikely to treat female pattern hair loss and could delay identifying the actual cause.

Biotin is often marketed for hair growth, but true deficiency is uncommon. There is little evidence that taking extra biotin improves hair growth when you already get enough. Higher amounts can also interfere with some blood test results, including tests used to check thyroid function.*

Replacing a missing nutrient may help your hair recover, but vitamins cannot reverse the gradual follicle changes caused by female pattern hair loss.

Learn more about which vitamins and supplements may help with hair loss.

*National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Biotin: fact sheet for health professionals.

When Should You Speak to a Clinician?

Arrange a medical review if you are unsure what is causing your hair loss, it is affecting your well being or you would like to discuss treatment.

Seek advice sooner if you notice:

• Sudden or rapidly worsening hair loss

• Smooth, round bald patches

• Pain, burning, severe itching, redness, scaling or sores on your scalp

• Shiny or scarred areas where the openings of the hair follicles are no longer visible

• A rapid increase in facial or body hair, new severe acne or a deepening voice

• Tiredness, feeling unusually cold, breathlessness or other symptoms that could suggest anaemia or a thyroid problem

Gradual thinning is not usually an emergency, but you do not need to wait until it becomes severe. An earlier assessment can help identify the type of hair loss and give treatment the best opportunity to protect the hair you still have.*

*Women’s Health Concern. (2025). Menopausal hair loss: more than ‘a bad hair day’. 

Menopause Hair Loss: The Bottom Line

Menopause may be part of the reason your hair has changed, but it should not be treated as the diagnosis by itself. Gradual thinning across the top of your scalp often points to female pattern hair loss, while sudden shedding, patchy loss or scalp symptoms need a different assessment.

Topical minoxidil is the most established treatment for female pattern hair loss, and you may see first results within three to six months. Other prescription options may be considered when it is not suitable or has not helped enough.

Temporary shedding can often recover once the trigger has passed or the underlying cause has been treated. The most useful next step is therefore to identify the type of hair loss you have. This makes it possible to choose a treatment that addresses the cause rather than relying on products that are unlikely to help.