Advice for Women with Thinning Hair

If your part is expanding or the thickness of your ponytail is shrinking, you’re likely thinking (OK, panicking) that your hair is falling out, but that’s not always the case; thinning may be the culprit. “The diameter of the hair shaft diminishes as we get older,” explains Zoe Draelos, M.D., clinical associate professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. That means you may have the same number of follicles, but thinner individual strands will make it look like there’s less volume. (They’re also more prone to break, and since hair growth slows as you age, the damage becomes more obvious.)

Even if you do see extra hairs in your brush or in the shower drain, you don’t necessarily need to worry. Although 40 percent of women experience some hair loss by menopause, shedding around 100 strands a day is normal, reports Paul M. Friedman, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. If you seem to be losing more, see your doctor — the problem could be related to declining estrogen levels, an iron deficiency, or stress. Once these problems have been ruled out, a 2 percent minoxidil solution (available over the counter as Rogaine) is an option. “It’s the only clinically proven, FDA-approved treatment for female pattern baldness,” says Dr. Draelos. In the meantime, while you can’t permanently restore heft to the individual strands, there are plenty of ways to boost overall volume.

• Start with a volumizing shampoo; look for ingredients like rice or wheat proteins, which thicken strands. Try Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Shampoo for Normal to Thin Hair  or Pureology PureVolume Shampoo .
• Ditch the stiff, maximum-hold hairsprays — they can fracture the hair shaft when you brush them out. “The new ‘flexible’ versions are less likely to cause breakage,” says Dr. Draelos. We like Pantene Pro-V Classic Hairspray Flexible Hold ($4, drugstores) and Jonathan Finish Control High Shine Flexible Hairspray ($30, Sephora).
• Avoid too-tight ponytails, teasing, or other styles that put excess tension on hair — you’ll just promote breakage, says Dr. Friedman.
• Disguise sparse areas with CRC Concealing Color . For a fast, temporary fix, stipple the cream on with a brush to “blend” your scalp into your hair.
• Keep in mind that dye or perming solutions penetrate thinner hair more rapidly, says Dr. Draelos. To avoid excess damage when touching up color at home, she recommends applying the dye just to the roots, and combing it through to the ends for only the last five minutes.