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ALFREDO DE BENEDICTIS FOUNDER | HAIRSTYLIST
Alfredo De Benedictis is an Italian-British hair stylist and salon owner with over 40 years of experience. Since 1989, his passion for innovation has led him to create groundbreaking hair tools that minimize stress on the hair while delivering flawless results. From the iconic Rootpermer and Wellformer of the ’90s to the global hit Babyliss Curl Secret, Alfredo’s mission remains the same—developing tools that protect hair health without compromising style.
If you follow our blog, you will know that we have long advocated for a delicate balance of hormones to maintain healthy hair.
We have previously written about Perimenopausal Hair Thinning, touching on the science behind hormonal hair loss during this period of a woman’s life.
In this blog, we’re taking an in-depth look at how hormones affect our hair. From hair loss and the causes of conditions such as alopecia, to treatment options that can help restore your crowning glory, we’ve got you covered.
The normal amount of shedding is between 50 and 100 hairs a day, and mostly, we don’t even notice. However, when our hormones become unbalanced, this shedding can increase significantly. When the natural hair growth cycle is disrupted by a hormone spike, increase, decrease, or sensitivity, we can see changes in the overall health, colour, curl pattern, and texture of our hair.
Women are most affected by hormonal hair loss after pregnancy, during premenopause, and menopause, and in general after the age of 40.
Men and women with a genetic predisposition to pattern baldness are also affected.
Hair growth can be understood as a cycle with the following stages:
It’s important to understand that not every hair is in the same phase at the same time. Approximately 10%-15% of hair follicles in your scalp are resting every day, hence we shed small amounts of hair daily.
Hormones are key to this cycle progressing through each stage without interruption. When there is an imbalance, more noticeable, serious hair loss can occur.
The hormones that can cause hair loss are as follows:
Let’s look at each in turn.
Your thyroid hormone levels must be in the normal range (0.5 and 5.0 milliunits per liter (mU/L) to facilitate a healthy hair growth cycle. Fluctuations below or above the usual (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism) can cause hair loss in areas across the whole scalp. It can also cause changes in your hair texture. Restoring your thyroid hormone levels to their normal range will restore normal hair growth in most cases, but it can take several months before you see the results, depending on which stage of the cycle each follicle was in.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it spikes when you feel stressed or anxious, resulting in shedding (telogen effluvium). A significant stressful event, such as a bereavement or job loss, can cause a large spike that can stop hair growth. Cortisol is one of the main culprits of hair loss and thinning in women.
Estrogen is typically regarded as the ‘female’ hormone, but it plays a major role in the hair growth cycle of women and men.
Estrogen boosts the growth phase by binding receptors to the follicles.
During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen can leave hair looking thicker, fuller, and shinier. But postpartum and during menopause, estrogen levels drop, causing hair to thin, dull, and fall out.
Testosterone is typically the ‘male’ hormone, as men generally produce much more than women.
If a woman produces too much testosterone, she may find the hair on her scalp thinning, while thick, dark, coarse hair can grow on her face and chest.
Conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POS) cause high testosterone levels in women. However, testosterone, or more accurately a by-product called DHT, also plays a significant role in a condition called androgenetic alopecia (inherited hair loss).
Androgenetic alopecia is also known as male and female pattern baldness, meaning that sufferers have a genetic predisposition. It is the most common cause of hair loss in women and men. According to the NHS, approximately 8 million women and 6.5 million men are affected at any given time.
In men, this typically results in a receding hairline and hair loss concentrated on the top of the scalp.
In women, thinning occurs all over the scalp and is more visible at the hair parting, but the hairline doesn’t recede.
It occurs when you inherit a follicle sensitivity to DHT, a natural by-product of testosterone, causing the follicles to shrink. Smaller hair follicles mean hair grows thinner and eventually stops growing altogether.
Other causes of hair loss include:
Hormonal changes can also affect:
Once you have determined the cause of your hair loss or thinning, you are better equipped to tackle it.
If the cause is hormonal, talk to your doctor about hormonal replacement therapy.
But your defence should cover multiple angles.
Unlike your typical hair styling tool, the KEEO Genius collection has been designed with hair health at the forefront.
The patented air gap technology and contoured plates ensure up to 70% less tension, cushioning and protecting your hair with every glide. The KEEO Genius heats to the optimal temperature of 190°C in minutes, while the Genius Pro+ has custom temperature settings of 190°C, 200°C, 210°C to care and style for every hair type.
Trichologist Kate Holden, explains:
““Heat styling is often completely avoided by those experiencing hair thinning or hair loss — and understandably so. Traditional styling tools can exert intense mechanical tension and high heat, both of which can aggravate fragile strands and accelerate breakage. What’s unique about KEEO is that it gives users control — not just over temperature, but over tension too. The contoured plates glide through the hair, reducing stress on the fibre by up to 70%. For those with vulnerable, hormonally affected, or post-shedding hair, this kind of technology offers a gentler, more considered way to style — without compromising on results.''
There are many hormonal changes that our hair can go through as we age and have different life experiences, from pregnancy, perimenopause and ageing to stress, illness, and bereavement. But knowledge is power and understanding why changes are happening and what we can do can make it easier to navigate and fight back.
We hope this blog has armed you with the information you need on this new stretch of your hair journey and that some of the
If you have any hair related questions we haven’t covered in one of our blogs, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
*Disclaimer: you should always consult with a medical professional for any significant changes in your health or wellbeing, including hair health as it can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious health condition.
Confusingly, it is linked to both.
Testosterone does not directly cause hair loss, but those with a sensitivity to DHT, a by-product of testosterone may experience hair loss. The more testosterone, the more DHT which can shrink hair follicles. High testosterone can stimulate body and facial hair growth but cause hair loss on your head, particularly in people with a genetic predisposition to baldness.
However, testosterone can also be used to stimulate scalp hair growth in women during menopause.
The short answer is yes. Remember that delicate balance of hormones we discussed earlier? Well, during menopause and perimenopause, that balance gets disrupted, resulting in a variety of symptoms, including a change in your hair type and texture, colour, and rate of growth.
Yes, stress can cause or exacerbate hair loss. Stress can cause conditions whose symptoms include hair loss, such as telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and trichotillomania. Fortunately, this type of hair loss is typically temporary. Healthy hair growth goes hand-in-hand with a hair mind and body; another reason to reduce your stress levels, if possible.
