Hormone replacement therapy is designed to balance fluctuating or diminishing hormone levels. Treatment is used to replace hormones that have declined due to aging, illness, genetics, or lifestyle factors, as well as to address medical issues. HRT can have tremendous health benefits for both men and women, but treatment may have an impact on your hair.
How Does HRT Affect Hair Growth?
How hormone replacement therapy affects one’s hair depends on one’s gender, one’s health and lifestyle, the reasons for taking HRT, and how one’s body responds to HRT. Properly balanced hormones play an important role in hair growth, but there is no guarantee that HRT will stabilize or reverse thinning hair.
Can Testosterone Replacement Impact Hair Growth and Loss?
Men typically begin losing testosterone around the age of thirty. This process accelerates through one’s thirties and forties, with testosterone levels declining 1-2 percent each year. It is becoming increasingly common for men to undergo testosterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in order to improve their vitality, libido, and mood.
Testosterone replacement therapy typically doesn’t impact scalp hair growth or loss in men, unless they are genetically predisposed to androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). Those men may actually see accelerated scalp hair loss while undergoing HRT.
Does HRT Improve Menopausal Hair Loss?
Women have long used estrogen and progesterone HRT to relieve the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. HRT can combat the hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and sleep disruptions caused by plummeting hormone levels.
Hormone replacement therapy can be hit-or-miss when it comes to menopausal hair loss. While HRT can improve menopause symptoms, its effect on one’s hair varies widely. Some individuals may see thicker hair growth, while others actually experience worsening hair loss or see no impact at all.
Does HRT Improve Facial Hair Growth?
Individuals who undergo testosterone-based HRT typically see improved facial hair growth. The amount of growth can vary, but facial hair often comes in thicker, fuller, darker, and more widespread.
Conversely, those utilizing estrogen-based and anti-androgen HRT will see reduced hair growth. Facial hair may not be eliminated entirely, but it will grow in finer, lighter, and more sparsely.
Can HRT Change the Texture of Your Hair?
Many individuals undergoing HRT see a change in their hair texture. Hair often becomes softer and finer, although occasionally it may become curlier. Changes in hair texture are most common in women taking HRT medications to relieve the symptoms of menopause.
How to Avoid Hair Loss on HRT
There is no certain way to know how HRT will affect one’s hair. You can, however, take action to protect your hair and scalp and to create the best possible conditions for hair growth.
During HRT, be gentle with your hair. Wash and condition regularly with mild shampoo and conditioner. Stay away from products containing harsh chemicals and synthetic scents. Avoid processing your hair with perms, bleach, or dyes. Do not wear your hair in tightly pulled styles like braids, ponytails, locs, or buns.
Be sure to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet with hair-friendly nutrients like protein, vitamins A, C, D, and E, omega-3s, iron, zinc, and biotin. Take supplements if necessary.
Protect Your Hair’s Health During HRT with RHRLI’s Help
If you are undergoing hormone replacement therapy for any reason, we can help you protect and maximize your existing hair. For those experiencing HRT-related or other forms of hair loss, we offer a full array of surgical and non-surgical options to achieve the hairline you desire. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation, and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask us.