Hormones and Hair: How to Navigate Changes at Every Stage of Life

A woman’s life can be marked by distinct stages—reproductive years, pregnancy and postpartum, and the menopausal transition —each accompanied by significant hormonal changes. Each stage changes the hair through a complex interplay of hormones with stress, nutrition, metabolism, aging, and lifestyle.

Here’s a look at how women’s hair evolves across these three major life stages—and how Nutrafol can help support healthy hair growth through each one.

During the reproductive years, the ovaries produce hormones like estrogen and progesterone following the rhythm of the menstrual cycle.¹ These hormones help to keep hair growth steady, allowing it to move through different phases of the hair growth cycle. 

Typically, the biggest disruptor of a healthy hair growth cycle during these years is stress.² Whether emotional or physical, stress elevates cortisol, a hormone that can abruptly shift hair from the growing (or anagen) phase into the resting (or telogen) phase, leading to shedding.² 

Nutrafol Women and Nutrafol Women’s Vegan are both physician-formulated to address stress-related hair thinning with a key ingredient: Ashwagandha, a botanical shown to reduce cortisol levels and help the body manage stress.³  

Both formulas support hair growth from the inside and out, but are also formulated with unique ingredients to target key root causes: 

During pregnancy, elevated estrogen and progesterone keep hair in the growing phase longer while reducing shedding, leaving hair looking long and voluminous.¹ But after childbirth, those hormones plummet within days – estrogen, for example, goes from 100 to 1000 times pre-pregnancy levels, to a sudden drop below pre-pregnancy levels.^8,9 This massive drop combined with sleep deprivation, intense physical recovery, and emotional stress, can lead to shedding a few months after birth.

Nutrafol Postpartum is OBGYN-formulated specifically to address hair thinning and shedding during this period. It contains: 

Made with breastfeeding-friendly ingredients in efficacious servings, it’s a clinically tested, 100% drug-free option for new moms who want to support their hair growth.

As women enter their mid-to-late 40s and 50s, hormone production begins to shift. Estrogen and progesterone decline, while testosterone-family hormones, like testosterone, its more potent relative DHT, and the hormone precursor DHEA, become more dominant.¹ 

Lower estrogen means hair spends less time in the growing phase.¹ Testosterone can be converted to DHT, which can lead to hair thinning and shedding. Over time, it can also signal hair follicles to miniaturize, or essentially shrink up, and lead to hair that can no longer grow. ¹

Nutrafol Women’s Balance offers unique support for women 45+ with key ingredients, including: 

Nutrafol Hair Growth Nutraceuticals provide tailored support for women at every stage of life. We’ve done extensive research that’s enabled us to identify root causes of hair thinning and develop a whole-body approach that addresses them as they change throughout the stages of our lives. We know that women’s bodies—and therefore, their hair—need different things as they go through reproductive years, postpartum, and the menopausal transition. Our Hair Growth Nutraceuticals are specifically formulated to support hormones as well as lifestyle, nutrition, metabolism, and aging during these times.