1. The hormone factor

Hormone balance is critical to maintain healthy, hair and when hormone levels drop or fluctuate you can soon se the result in your hairbrush.

When a women starts to have anovulatory or missed periods as she approaches menopause then her levels of progesterone are starting to decline. This affects hair growth because what can happen is that when progesterone levels fall as a result of lack of ovulation the body responds by increasing its production of the adrenal cortical steroid, androstenedione. This is an alternative precursor for the production of other adrenal cortical hormones.

Androstenedione conveys some androgenic (male-like properties) which in this case is shown as male pattern hair loss. If this is what is causing your hair loss, then when progesterone levels are raised by supplementation the androstenedione level will gradual fall, and normal hair growth will eventually resume.

Since hair growth is slow, it may take 4-6 months for the effects to become apparent.

2. The nutrition factor

Obviously a natural, well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, fish nuts and seeds is a good place to start. Make sure you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids and eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herring or mackerel two or three times a week.

If you don’t eat fish then get freshly ground flaxseed from your health store and add a couple of tablespoons a day to soups, cereal, salads and you can supplement with a good fish oil.

Another great supplement for hair is GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) and that is widely available in the form of black currant oil or evening primrose oil. Take 500mg of either twice a day for six to eight weeks to see if it helps.

3. The lifestyle factor

There is no doubt that stress plays a major part in thinning hair as it impacts all of our bodily functions and redirects resources away from what it sees as non-essential functions, such as hormone balance, in order to deal with stress symptoms. Reducing that stress will help so look at calming herbs such as passiflora, valerian and camomile.

Also investigate therapies that will address the issue such as aromatherapy or counselling if it is needed. Yoga, tai chi and meditation are all known to reduce stress levels, but even just talking to a friend of listening to some nurturing music can be enough to reduce stress to manageable levels.

If you have been someone who has coloured, permed, or used lots of product on your hair that can also affect it. If you had your hair in bands or pulled up tightly onto your head so that the blood flow is restricted then that too can weaken the hair structure. Ease off on too many products or treatments and be gentle with more organic products and natural bristle brushes rather than synthetics that can tug on the hair.