HRT As A Hair Loss Treatment: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives

Medically reviewedby Dr. Amy Revene M.B.B.S.
WrittenbyLuat Duong
Last updated

Having good hair is everyone’s top priority, especially for women. But what if you are heading towards your menopause which results in hair thinning? Is there a way back?

Then hold your horses since Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is truly a blessing in disguise. 

According to estimates, about 95% of women suffer from hair loss due to hormonal changes. Also, female pattern hair loss experiences severe psychological impacts and a decline in quality of life which can be exacerbated by even one bad hair day.

Let’s check in detail what HRT is and how it can help as a hair loss treatment.

What is HRT?

hair loss hrt, thinning hair in many women

Hormone Replacement Therapy involves taking in female hormones Estrogen and Progesterone. These hormones can be given in a variety of ways. For instance, you can take them through creams, patches, or even tablets that contain estrogen and progesterone. 

HRT is typically administered to help women manage uncomfortable menopausal symptoms, such as: 

  • Hair loss
  • Hot flashes
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Night sweats

Since estrogen levels influence hair loss and growth, HRT causes your hormone level to remain in its optimal range. With this, your estrogen levels rise, preventing menopausal symptoms and reducing hair loss and facial hair. 

To prevent hair loss, women are prescribed the following two types of hormone replacement therapy: 

  1. Estrogen therapy involves taking estrogen in modest doses as a tablet or patch daily.
  2. A combined dose of estrogen and progesterone.
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Can HRT cause hair loss?

most women experience hormonal hair loss, taking hormone replacement therapy

Depending on the form of HRT used, it might sometimes cause a person to experience hair loss. The following are the main reasons why HRT causes hair loss: 

1. High levels of testosterone

To help patients with their libidos, doctors occasionally recommend HRT with testosterone. Unfortunately, testosterone is linked to androgenic alopecia, which affects your hair follicles. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor beforehand to prevent hair loss. 

2. High levels of estrogen

Even if you take non-testosterone HRT, you may also experience hair loss before strengthening your scalp. Estrogens in HRT can sometimes slow hair development, which can lead to hair loss in women

However, it can help menopausal women maintain their hair growth phase, but it can be reversed if estrogen levels fall below optimal. 

Read this: How To Reverse Thinning Hair After Menopause?

HRT as a hair loss treatment: benefits and risks

women experience hair loss after menopause

Now that you know what hormone replacement therapy is, let’s take a look at some of its benefits and risks: 

Benefits

  • HRT hormones promote hair growth.
  • Reducing hair fall with the help of estrogen and progesterone. 
  • Helps to minimize menopausal effects.
  • Maintains female hormones in equilibrium.

Risks

  • Chances of developing breast cancer.
  • The risk of uterine cancer is if progesterone level increases beyond its optimal level.
  • The danger of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
  • Chances of blood clotting,

Safer alternative hair loss treatments

If you find that HRT is not the best option for you, some alternative treatments can help you manage your hair fall: 

Scandinavian Biolabs Hair Growth Routine

treatment to prevent further hair loss, menopause symptoms

The first safer option you can use if HRT is not what you need is the Scandinavian Biolabs Hair Growth Routine. It is designed to encourage new hair growth and prevent hair loss. 

The product is cruelty-free as it is supported by compounds derived from plants. 

The products used in it help nourish hair follicles and promote hair growth. So, this hair growth routine is your best bet if you want your hair to grow naturally within 150 days. The products used in it help nourish hair follicles and promote hair growth.

Hair Growth Routine | For Women
Hair Growth Routine | For Women
3-step growth system to combat thinning

Medications

Another safer option for treating hair fall is medication. For this, two popular medicines are minoxidil and finasteride. 

Minoxidil was first created to treat high blood pressure. But it has the side effect of causing excessive hair growth. 

Since then, pharmaceutical companies have considered it a possible cure for female pattern hair loss. In addition to stopping hair fall, it also lengthens the hair growth cycle, leading to longer hair and more hair strands. 

Besides minoxidil, finasteride can also help reduce hair fall. Suppose it functions by lowering the concentration of the DHT hormone in the scalp. 

In that case, DHT appears to shrink scalp hair follicles. Therefore, lowering DHT levels may encourage hair renewal and prevent hair loss. 

Read this: 8 Effective Ways How To Remove DHT From Scalp

Platelet-rich plasma therapy

PRP is a more recent therapy that physicians utilize to treat androgenetic alopecia and hair fall, and it proves to be an effective hair loss treatment. 

A doctor must draw blood and spin it in a centrifuge to achieve this. This device separates the PRP from the blood so that the doctor can take the platelets out and put them in specific places on the patient's scalp.

A 2019 study found that PRP therapy can lessen hair loss. Other than this, the infected hair follicles may repair more quickly, all thanks to the palettes injected in the treatment. 

How long does HRT take to regrow hair?

Hair regrowth treatments like HRT require 3-6 months before showing any visible effect on your hair loss and growth. Even if your dormant follicles start growing new hair right away, it will take some time to see the fullness in your hair and fewer hair strands on your shoulder.

However, you must remember that your hair regrowth after hormone therapy may not be as thick as your hair was before menopause. And you may notice a difference in texture if the geometry of your hair follicles has changed. 

Is hair loss from HRT reversible?

If hormone replacement therapy does not suit you and causes hair loss, the good news is that you can reverse it. You must take medicines like minoxidil, follow a proper vitamin regimen, or go for another safer hair loss treatment. 

However, the safest way is to supplement naturally with vitamins, as many vitamins and minerals contribute to the health of your thick locks. Keep vitamins A, D, B, C, and E on hand if you want healthy hair and healthy hair development. 

And when it comes to preserving cell health and regulating hormones, don't overlook the significance of fulvic and zinc acids.

Conclusion

If you want to reverse menopausal hair loss, hormone replacement therapy is the best option. It helps keep your hormones—estrogen and progesterone—at the right levels so that your hair can grow and get stronger. 

However, if you think HRT is not your best bet, there’s always a better and safer option for healthy hair growth than that, which is the Scandinavian Biolabs Hair Growth Routine

So, it's time for you to push your hair strands from your shoulders and stand tall with healthy and thicker hair. 

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Luat Duong

Luat Duong is a Copenhagen-based writer and content strategist specializing in hair loss and health. His work has been featured in MyHealthGuide, The Right Hairstyles, and Woman's Era. He is a graduate of Vaasa University. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.