The Rollercoaster Ride of Estrogen and Progesterone in Hair Loss

Your heart races, you are sweating, anxious and your moods can go from high to low in an instant, and your hair is thinning. Nowadays hormonal imbalances are increasingly appearing years earlier than in previous generations. From the age of around 35 there can begin the start of an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen deficiency can also happen to women with anorexia, extremely athletic people or with a genetic pre-disposition.

Estrogen and Progesterone are the ultimate female hormones and have a profound influence on our well-being. Both are needed for smooth skin and strong hair as well as many other functions. What do we do when these hormones are out of balance? like when we are going through the different stages of menopause? Well, there are many foods with valuable nutrients that can help us balance these hormones naturally and thicken our hair and help to make us feel good again.

Estrogen and Progesterone strengthen our immune system, are anti-inflammatory and also act as a diuretic, flushing out fluids and tightening connective tissue.

When our body is in a chronic state of stress, such as in different stages of menopause, the adrenals produce higher levels of cortisol, this is pumped into the blood stream causing a raised blood pressure, a rapid heartbeat, constipation, decreased libido, lower production of estrogen and progesterone and a weakened immune system, and as for the hair cells, they hate the invasion of stress hormones and will usually go into a telogen stage (hair fall).

In many women testosterone is the one hormone that does not decline with age. Unfortunately, this can mean an androgen surplus which affects hair growth, thinning on the scalp and increased facial hair. This also occurs in young women with polycystic ovary disease. This dominance of testosterone can also make us feel agitated and more aggressive emotionally.

Eat nutritionally dense meals for a healthy metabolism. Include Soybeans, dried fruits, garlic, peaches, berries, wheat bran, oats, broccoli, sprouts, tempeh, dark chocolate, lentils, nuts, beans, bananas, kale, pumpkin, spinach, Vitamin C and Vitamin B foods and fermented foods. Food high in fibre, wholegrain foods and vegetables will co-ordinate the intestines digestive processes and have a direct effect on our emotional well-being. Looking after our intestinal flora influences hormonal balance, reduces bad cholesterol, and regulates estrogen levels, improves IBS symptoms, immune health etc.