Study: More Than Half of Postmenopausal Women Experience Female Pattern Hair Loss

The prevalence of female pattern hair loss increased with age.

More than half of postmenopausal women experience female pattern hair loss, according to a studypublished online in Menopause.

In a new cross-sectional study involving 178 women seen at a menopause clinic, researchers aimed to evaluate the prevalence of female pattern hair loss in healthy postmenopausal women and investigate postmenopausal hair characteristics as well as the factors associated with female pattern hair loss. 

Of the women studied, 52.2 percent were found to have female pattern hair loss. The prevalence of female pattern hair loss increased with age. Low self-esteem was detected in 60 percent of participants and increased with the severity of female pattern hair loss.

The researchers additionally noted that a high body mass index was associated with an increased prevalence and worsening of female pattern hair loss in postmenopausal women. Further studies are necessary to determine whether sex steroid hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone, and a history of polycystic ovary syndrome are related to hair loss in postmenopausal women.

"Female pattern hair loss was prevalent and associated with lower self-esteem in healthy postmenopausal women in this small cross-sectional study. A better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for this common type of hair loss in women may lead to more effective preventive strategies and treatment options," says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director, in a news release.