Most people have heard about hot flashes and night sweats being the typical symptoms of menopause, but a less spoken symptom that can occur throughout menopause is hair loss. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can offer relief of menopausal symptoms for many women, but does this include hair loss? Can HRT help with hair loss or does it make hair loss worse? What is hormone replacement therapy? During menopause, the main ‘female hormones’, estrogen and progesterone decrease significantly. This can result in testosterone (typically known as a ‘male hormone') becoming the more dominant hormone. In ..read more

You might have heard of spironolactone being used to treat various health conditions, ranging from heart failure to hair loss in women, as a result of a condition like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It is a useful drug but like most medications, it may come with side effects. Common side effects include drowsiness, dizziness and nausea. Some people have even reported weight gain even though it is not formally acknowledged as a side effect. Does spironolactone cause weight gain? We aim to answer this question below and explore the possible factors that could contribute to this link. What is ..read more

Womanhood can be a lonely and daunting experience and there's no denying that the presence of a mother or mother figure can offer much needed comfort during times of need. For many, she's the source of truth for anything relating to intimacy, pregnancy, motherhood, and aging—a North Star, guiding us through the messiness and complexity of our changing bodies. But no two mother-daughter relationships are the same and some women will go their entire lives without knowing what it feels like to have mom nearby. How prepared are we (really) for the physical and emotional changes we face as women o ..read more

For many women, menopause is a significant life event. It involves biological changes that mark the end of the reproductive years, but also carries its own emotional and psychological weight. One of the changes that occurs within the body is hair loss. In this article, we want to shed light on what causes hair loss during menopause, the relationship between hormone levels and the hair growth cycle and how menopause hair loss can be treated. It’s important to understand that not every woman will experience hair loss during menopause. However, if changes to your hair and skin are a concern duri ..read more

At XYON, we often get questions from our patients about the difference between male and female pattern hair loss and specifically, whether female pattern hair loss is reversible. Androgenetic alopecia is the clinical name for pattern hair loss and can apply to both men and women. But it’s been proposed that male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness are two distinct hair loss conditions, with the crucial difference being the role of androgen hormones in its development. What could these differences mean for the treatment of female pattern baldness and hair regrowth for women? Is m ..read more

This Valentine’s Day, we want to shed light on an issue that can be difficult to talk about— how to help our loved ones who may be suffering from hair loss. For many people, hair loss is a sensitive issue and the stakes are even higher when it’s someone we know and deeply care about who’s going through it. Is there a right (or wrong) way to approach this topic? Here’s our guide featuring what we think are the three essential elements to navigating this conversation in an empathetic and beneficial way. If your boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other is experiencing hair loss, it’s normal to ..read more

PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is said to affect as many as 20% of women during their reproductive years (Abbot et al., 2022). Spironolactone is an example of a medication that healthcare professionals can prescribe off-label to help manage symptoms, which can include adult acne, hirsutism (unwanted facial and body hair growth), menstrual irregularities and infertility. In some cases, women can also experience progressive hair loss with PCOS. Let’s examine how spironolactone helps with PCOS and why it’s an important treatment option for women. What is spironolactone? Spironolactone is clas ..read more

Spironolactone is a medication used to treat variety of health conditions. It was originally developed and approved for the treatment of high blood pressure but can be prescribed off-label to help with hair loss and other dermatological concerns like hirsutism (excess body hair growth) and adult acne. It’s an example of a medication called an anti-androgen, which means that it blocks the effects of male sex steroid hormones like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In some people, high levels of DHT are one of the triggers of pattern hair loss. In this article, we’ll review how spirono ..read more

Female hair loss is a complex issue with many possible causes that can affect women at any stage in life. Although thinning hair can be difficult to talk about, it’s important not to ignore it. Studies have shown that when women experience hair loss, it can have a greater negative effect on their quality of life compared to men (Cartwright et al., 2009). In some cases, hair loss in women can even indicate an underlying health issue. Our goal is to provide an overview of the most common causes of hair loss in younger and older women, how you can start to identify and differentiate between thes ..read more

Post-pregnancy or postpartum hair loss is a common problem that can add to the stress of what’s already a significant change in many women's lives. We want to make sure that you have the information you need to identify postpartum hair loss, understand the basic relationship between pregnancy and hair loss and effectively manage shedding. It’s normal to feel shame or be worried about hair loss during this transitional time and we’re here to help. What is post pregnancy hair loss? Post pregnancy hair loss (or postpartum hair loss) refers to the sudden and often dramatic shedding that starts app ..read more