What is the structure of hair? What is the problem of hair loss in women after the age of 40 and why does it occur? You may find the answer of these question in our blog post!
Hair Structure and Hair Loss in Women After the Age of 40
The hair consists of one hundred to one hundred and fifty thousand living hair follicles in the head area and the fibers in the lifeless keratin structure produced by them. Hair lives in a cycle. This life cycle, which we can consider as the growth period (Anagen phase), can vary between 2-12 years. In other words, a person's hair can continue to grow for 12 years, which means about 1.5 meters of hair length. After a while, the growth stops (Catagen phase), the hair strand gets disconnected from the blood vessels and nervous system and waits to fall out as a dead fiber (Telogen phase). In the normal process, a new growth begins instead of the lost hair. However, hair loss is a complex problem. In healthy people, at least 85% of the hair is in the anagen phase and approximately 15% is in the telogen phase. As a natural result of this, 50-100 hair loss per day can be accepted within normal limits. Each hair follicle is a structure that is integrated into the body's blood circulation and nervous system and is affected by hormones.
Because of DHT and the fact that a sufficient period of time passes after menopause and the protective effect of the estrogen hormone disappears from the age of 50 in women, hair loss may occur. Women in this situation can use medicines or cosmetic products that have proven efficacy against hair loss. There is also a genetically lucky group of women and men who are the part of 25% of the population who are not affected by this type of hair loss called androgenetic alopecia in the society. Since all hair strands are in the anagen period during pregnancy, almost no hair loss occurs in women. After the birth, when the hormones fall to their normal levels, a large number of hairs suddenly switch to the telogen phase and an intense hair loss (Telogen effluvium) occurs after birth. This type of hair loss is the most important difference between men and women and is seen in 30% of women. Telogen effluvium is actually a reversible loss, but it is still appropriate to support it with hair serums and shampoos rich in herbal extracts.