How to Balance Hormones Naturally to Stop Hair Loss

A Guide for Women 35+

It’s a scary thing to see clumps of hair swirling down the shower drain. For many women, losing hair feels like losing a small part of their self-worth. And maybe you feel a little bit like you’ve lost some of your radiance and beauty too?

Let’s dive into how to balance hormones to naturally stop hair loss for women in perimenopause. 

Why is My Hair Falling Out?

First things first, let’s talk about why this is happening. Perimenopause is that lovely phase before menopause when your hormones start to play a game of musical chairs. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — the big three — get out of whack, and your hair takes a hit. 

If you’ve ever been pregnant, you’ve enjoyed the effects of estrogen on hair growth.  Estrogen is a growth hormone, giving you thick, lustrous hair.  So when estrogen starts to drop, you lose this hair growth effect. 

When progesterone dips, testosterone (yep, we have that too) turns into DHT, a sneaky little hormone that shrinks hair follicles. The result? Thinner hair and more scalp showing through.

And then, of course, we have cortisol. Besides the stress of our busy everyday lives, battling the unexpected changes that perimenopause brings to the show spikes worry, anxiety and frustration. Cue the hair loss…because cortisol pushes hair follicles into a resting phase. After a few months of rest, those little hairs simply fall out - often in clumps. 

But Wait…Some Lifestyle Choices Speed Up Hair Loss Too

Influencers on Instagram are quick to blame hormones (which too often comes with poor advice that impairs hair growth even more). Truth be told, sometimes we’re our own worst enemy when it comes to perimenopausal hair loss (and other hormone imbalance symptoms). [I know I was so guilty of this!]

Problem #1 - Too Much Exercise. 

Sure, staying fit is important, and building up strong, lean muscle once you hit 40 will be a saviour in this hormonal transformation game. But overdoing the cardio, using exercise to combat hormonal weight gain or following the typical “let’s progress our intensity week after week” workout programs throw your hormones off-kilter and cause more hair to fall out.

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Problem #2 - Dieting / Diet Culture / Weight Loss 

Losing weight - in some cases - can be helpful to improve hormonal and total body health. But this crazy focus on the scale, looking like a supermodel from a magazine, or trying to fit into someone else’s idea of “healthy, beautiful, sexy, etc” has led so many women astray.  Point blank - if you’ve cut calories in the past (or do it today), ditch a major macronutrient from your diet (like carbs or fats) at any point, or obsessively worry about how much to eat, you’ve messed up your hormones.  And this is definitely a deciding factor in perimenopausal hair loss!

Problem #3 - Crash Dieting

Ever done a juice cleanse to fit into your skinny jeans or a bikini before a beach vacation? Yep, rapid weight loss sends danger signals to your hormones, turning on that “hair follicle rest” situation I talked about before.  Hormone damage has been done and now it’s time to repair it. 

Problem #4 - Chemical Hair Treatments

Any type of treatment - color, straightening, perms, etc - are not only harsh on your hair but also adds toxic load to your body through your scalp. The more toxins your liver has to deal with, the less opportunity it has to regulate your hormones. (Poor hormone detoxification is a bigger problem for women over 40 than their natural hormonal changes.)

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How NOT to Stop Perimenopausal Hair Loss

While you may come across these on Google, they’re not gonna work…so stay far, far away.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - the side effects of HRT (or birth control) include blood clots and cancer (breast cancer risk is high).  While this may give you some added estrogen to slow down hair loss from this direction, HRT does nothing to reduce stress, regulate cortisol, improve hormone detoxification (it actually contributes to slower hormone metabolism) or nourish the hair follicles for future hair growth. 

Rogaine - sorry but no tropical treatment can repair the hormonal damage that is the root cause of perimenopausal hair growth. 

Anti-Androgen Medications - another band-aid solution that highlights how little doctors know about hormonal hair loss in women! Instead of blocking hormone production, it’s more effective to naturally support healthy estrogen production and testosterone metabolism. 

How to Balance Hormones Naturally to Stop Hair Loss

Alright, it’s time to roll up those sleeves and dive into some holistic solutions that can help you balance your hormones and boost your hair growth naturally.

Feed Your Hair with the Right Nutrition

The nourishment you provide to your hormones is the keystone for healthy, lustrous hair as you get older.  Make sure your diet has all of these:

Healthy Fats: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are your hair’s best friends. Think salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, and avocados. They help reduce inflammation and support full-spectrum hormone production.

All 30+ Vitamins and Minerals: Load up on leafy greens, berries, nuts and seeds. These are packed with vitamins like A, C, and E, and minerals like iron and zinc, which are crucial for hair growth.

Protein: Critical for hormone production, protein also helps build strong, healthy locks of hair. 

Hydration: Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, ideally some of which contains natural electrolytes like Himalayan rock salt, cream of tartar, fresh lemon juice or coconut water! Staying hydrated helps detoxify your body and keeps your scalp healthy.

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Reduce Stress with Mindfulness

Stress is a major player in hair loss (and all hormonal imbalances). Incorporate stress-busting activities into your daily routine. Try yoga, meditation, or even just deep breathing exercises. 

BONUS TIP: Add something fun to your weekly routine, as well, because joy, laughter and excitement will retrain your body out of feeling stressed, overwhelmed and anxious fast. 

Herbal Helpers

Nature has some powerful allies for your hair and hormones. 

Saw Palmetto: This herb can help reduce DHT levels (without the added toxins from a medication), making it a great natural option for fighting hair loss and other androgen-related symptoms (like acne or facial hair). 

Milk Thistle: A great herb to boost estrogen detoxification.

Chaste Tree Berry: I love Vitex to help keep progesterone levels in check and slow down its decline!

Avoid Processed Foods and Sugars

Processed foods and sugary treats might be tempting, but they can wreak havoc on your hormones. Included in this category are cereal, gluten-free snacks, most commercially baked bread and goods, cow’s milk dairy, and those MLM “health” powders and snacks!

The simplest way to eat? Choose healthy protein, high-quality fats, and lots of fresh veggies with a bit of fruit for each meal. 

Gentle Hair Care

Be kind to your hair. Avoid excessive heat styling and harsh chemical treatments. I’ve personally noticed that washing my hair ends up with more hair loss so try to only wash your hair every 2-3 days. If needed, make sure to use gentle, natural hair products that nourish your scalp and hair.

The Secret to Balance Hormones Naturally to Prevent Hair Loss

It’s not about the quick fixes. They do NOT work because they're not created to address the root cause. 

Quick fixes are not scientifically proven (or holistically curated) to reverse years of hormonal damage that’s led to perimenopausal hair loss.  Most quick fixes have ingredients or guidelines that impair hormone production, boost inflammation and block hormone metabolism - the 3 most important processes for healthy hormones when you’re over 35.

Instead, stick to all-natural nourishment from real, whole foods, be gentle with yourself and, most importantly, be consistent with these tips.  It may feel like it’s a long road to recovering your hair growth, but in 3-4 months, you’ll look back and think how EASY it was to fix your health and your hormones. 

Need a Little Support to Get Started?

If you’re ready to reclaim your hair and confidence, download my Free Hormone Repair Guide to start your journey to healthier hair and balanced hormones. 

If you need personalized support or want to boost hair growth faster, book a Holistic Hormone Assessment Consultation with me today. Together, we can uncover the root causes of your hair loss and create a plan to restore your hair naturally.