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How To Turn Off The Hormones That Cause Hair Thinning

Ample exercise, meditation, and healthy habits are the best kinds of treatments for hair maintenance.

Women sitting under hair steamers read books from a mini-library at a hairdresser's in Abidjan.

What it is: Another form of telogen effluvium, this type of shedding is triggered either by a medical hormonal imbalance (including thyroid-related disorders) or by a traumatic event (like surgery or dramatic weight loss).

Both causes result in a dip in hair-growth-promoting hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, and an increase in hair-loss-promoting hormones, such as androgen and testosterone.

This, in turn, flips a switch, sending hairs into the telogen phase all at once. This can last for up to seven months, during which time you won't experience much new growth in the affected areas.

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What it looks like: Thinner hair all over—the shedding happens throughout the scalp, so you might just notice a tinier ponytail.

What helps: Ample exercise, meditation, and healthy habits are the best kinds of treatments, says Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Melissa Piliang, M.D. "These techniques help restore your body to its natural state." Meaning: Your hair follicles can return to their regularly scheduled programming (there is no rule, but it could cut the shedding time in half, from seven months to three). (Torch fat, get fit, and look and feel great with Women's Health's DVD!)

In addition, if your condition was brought on by a medical-related (not a trauma-induced) hormonal issue, your doctor may put you on hormone-regulating medications, like progesterone or even birth control, to fix the underlying issue.

No matter the source of the shedding, minoxidil and supplements that address multiple sources of hair loss make great options (since this type of shedding could result from any number of causes), says Fusco.

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She is particularly impressed with Nutrafol ($88, nutrafol.com), which can kick-start strands to grow in about three months.

"It has vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and adaptogens that address stress and inflammation and in general optimize the immune system so hair follicles can be triggered to grow healthy and strong."

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