Menopause-related hair loss can occur in other parts of the body as well. Many women notice hair growth slows or stops on their legs, arms, and armpits. Pubic hair can also begin to thin leaving bald spots. Even your eyelashes and eyebrows may thin out during menopause.
If baldness runs in your family, hair loss can occur on your legs as well as your head. Losing hair on your legs is also connected with a number of health issues, like poor circulation, diabetes, thyroid conditions, fungal infections, folliculitis, hormone changes, and pituitary gland disorders.
And it is equally as common to lose pubic hair too, as well as hair on the legs, arms, and elsewhere on the body. This is predominantly due to hormonal changes.
Since estrogen causes the testes to stop producing testosterone, you'll likely experience hair thinning on the face, chest, abdomen, legs, and arms.
Pubic hair growth begins at the onset of puberty when estrogen and progesterone levels increase. After menopause, when estrogen levels decline, pubic hair - along with the hair on the head - stops growing. Not everyone will experience pubic hair loss after menopause, it may simply turn grey or simply thin.
There are many potential causes of pubic hair loss. Examples include excessive hair removal, hormonal changes, alopecia, and side effects of medical treatments. The treatment a person receives will depend on the underlying cause of their hair loss.
Commons Indicators for the End of Menopause
Women may find that they are sleeping better and feeling healthier overall as their hormone levels even out. This can also lead to improvements in mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Anterolateral leg alopecia is very common in middle-aged and elderly men but may also occur in women. A previous study estimates the prevalence of anterolateral leg alopecia among males as high as 35%.
The female sex hormone oestrogen makes body hair fine and soft. Androgens are male sex hormones, including testosterone, which are responsible for masculine characteristics such as facial hair and coarse body hair.
Since our estrogen levels drop as we reach middle to later age, body hair growth corresponds by becoming sparser and thinner, too. In fact, most people will see a significant slow down in the production of leg and arm hair.
Jowls, slack skin, and wrinkles
Studies show that women's skin loses about 30% of its collagen during the first five years of menopause. After that, the decline is more gradual. Women lose about 2% of their collagen ever year for the next 20 years. As collagen diminishes, our skin loses it firmness and begins to sag.
Reasons for hair loss on arms
Skin conditions; skin conditions such as dermatitis, seborrhea, psoriasis, eczema and keratosis pilaris can cause hair loss on both the arm and legs. Conditions such as psoriasis are caused by immune cells attacking healthy skin which can, in turn, lead to hair loss.
In cases where the hair loss with skin lesions is generalized, other causes for consideration are photosensitization, dietary deficiencies, worm infections, and horn fly and lice infestations. Some common causes are ringworm fungus and warts.
If you're not in a calorie surplus, (eating more calories than you burn in a day), it is scientifically impossible for you to gain new muscle. This goes for all muscle too, not just legs! Fuel your weeks (and workouts) adequately so that you're leaving no stone un-turned and starting to build more size.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is a component of two important coenzymes: flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) [22].
How much hair you have on your body and head is also determined by your genes. Nearly everyone has some hair loss with aging. The rate of hair growth also slows.
Severe and prolonged hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause loss of hair. The loss is diffuse and involves the entire scalp rather than discrete areas. The hair appears uniformly sparse. Regrowth is usual with successful treatment of the thyroid disorder, though it will take several months and may be incomplete.
Perimenopause and menopause are a natural part of a woman's life course and usually occur between the ages 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman's oestrogen levels drop (although it can start earlier).
The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about seven years but can be as long as 14 years.
Menopause is divided into three basic stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. During this time, the ovaries begin to atrophy which causes a decline in the production of the hormones that stimulate the menstrual cycle; estrogen and progesterone.
As we age, some pubic hair thinning, or loss, is normal. However, certain conditions like alopecia or an adrenal issue can also cause hair loss. If you have any concerns, it's best to contact your Axia Women's Health provider.
Due to hormonal changes, “Pubic hair thins as you age, for some vulva-owners, [which can become] quite sparse,” explains Dr. Gaither. While there's nothing you can do to make your pubes fuller once they start to thin, you can remove the hair altogether if you prefer that to a half-there look.