Hair Loss - How Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Help

There are many problems both men and women face that we don't know are caused by the change of hormone level in the body. This is because the problems seem so typical and ordinary that we disregard considering hormone imbalance as one of the possible causes. Among problems that may be caused by hormone imbalance or deficiency, is hair loss or thinning of hair. Later on in this article, we will be able to learn of the possible treatment on hair loss.

When we talk of baldness, it is hair on the head that we are concerned with here. There are several types of hair loss: baldness or loss of hair (alopecia), thinning of all scalp hair (alopecia totalis), and hair falling out in patches (alopecia areata). Another type of hair loss is localized and caused by scarring.

Common causes of these conditions are hormonal imbalance, heredity, aging, local or systemic disease. Hair loss in women most often occurs after menopause. Some women lose some hair two to three months after childbirth. This is because of the hormonal change during this phase that leads to losing hair. But this process is reversed in 6 months.

The body makes hormones from different building blocks. Some hormones are proteins made from building blocks of amino acids. The thyroid hormones are made from a single amino acid. Other hormones are made from several amino acids and some very large hormones such as growth hormone, are made up of hundreds of amino acids. Some hormones are not proteins but fats. They are made from a fatty molecule called cholesterol. These hormones are called steroid hormones and include estrogen, testosterone and cortisol to name a few.

When you experience thinning hair, it might be a sign of adult onset hormone deficiency. Other signs of this type of deficiency include loss of vigor and stamina, memory loss, loss of sexual powers and libido and increased fat tissue accumulation. Hormone deficiency can be treated by restoring hormones to the body, either natural or bio-identical. This type of replacement process is called Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).

Common improvements in health resulting from HRT and BHRT are the following: decrease in fat tissue, increase in bone density, improved hair texture, increased energy and emotional stability to name a few.

Hormones are sometimes called messengers produced by the endocrine glands. These are sent all over the body to fuel particular actions. Examples of such activities are growth, reproduction and digestion. The activities mentioned are highly dependent on hormones to work properly. People with hair loss problems can choose from either Hormone Replacement Therapy or Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy to promote hair growth again.