Let's face it: If you're a woman, you will eventually experience the dreaded "menopause." Hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, weight gain. And if that's not enough, millions of women experience hair loss during menopause. Most doctors consider menopause to be a time of estrogen deficiency, with a woman's estrogen levels dropping by 90%, which can cause even more hair loss after menopause is complete.

The hair follicle, a complex mini-organ with its own blood supply, requires a lot of metabolic energy to reproduce itself, and it is one of the most sensitive of all organs. That means it is easily affected by even subtle shifts in energy, which can lead to hair loss.

The long-standing belief is that the hormonal imbalances that occur during menopause – when the body produces less estrogen and progesterone – cause the production of androgens (male hormones), leading to hair loss. This is caused by an increased sensitivity to testosterone, the androgen, which turns into DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Over time, the DHT causes the hair to miniaturize until the hair is barely visible. This is known as hair loss after menopause.

Before a woman has her last period, she may be "estrogen dominant," meaning she has too much estrogen relative to her body's progesterone production. This happens when estrogen begins to overstimulate the body and brain. “Estrogen dominance” can last 10 to 15 years, starting at age 35, until menopause officially begins. All of these symptoms are exacerbated by stress of all kinds.