Hormones and Clocks: Do They Disrupt the Locks? Fluctuating Estrogen Levels During Menopausal Transition May Influence Clock Genes and Trigger Chronic Telogen Effluvium

May 2016 in “ Dermatology Online Journal ”

Paradi Mirmirani

chronic telogen effluvium CTE estrogen menopausal transition clock genes circadian control genes hair biology chronobiology

TLDR Changing estrogen levels during menopause might affect genes related to body rhythms and cause increased hair loss.

The 2016 paper "Hormones and clocks: do they disrupt the locks? Fluctuating estrogen levels during menopausal transition may influence clock genes and trigger chronic telogen effluvium" proposed a hypothesis that chronic telogen effluvium (CTE), a condition of increased, diffuse scalp hair shedding mostly in middle-aged women, may be triggered by hormonal fluctuations and alterations in circadian control genes. Despite being described almost 20 years prior, the underlying cause of CTE was not identified at the time of this paper. The authors suggested that the combination of research in hair biology and the emerging field of chronobiology could lead to significant breakthroughs in understanding CTE.

View this study on escholarship.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

25 / 25 results

Chronic Telogen Effluvium and Female Pattern Hair Loss Are Separate and Distinct Forms of Alopecia: A Histomorphometric and Immunohistochemical Analysis

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium and Female Pattern Hair Loss Are Separate and Distinct Forms of Alopecia: A Histomorphometric and Immunohistochemical Analysis

8 citations, August 2014 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

CTE and FPHL are different hair loss types with unique causes.

research A Meeting of Two Chronobiological Systems: Circadian Proteins Period1 and BMAL1 Modulate the Human Hair Cycle Clock

92 citations, September 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

BMAL1 and Period1 genes can influence human hair growth.

research Estrogen Leads to Reversible Hair Cycle Retardation Through Inducing Premature Catagen and Maintaining Telogen

42 citations, July 2012 in “PLOS ONE”

Estrogen can temporarily slow down hair growth but this can be reversed.

What Women Want: Quantifying the Perception of Hair Amount - An Analysis of Hair Diameter and Density Changes with Age in Caucasian Women

research What Women Want: Quantifying the Perception of Hair Amount - An Analysis of Hair Diameter and Density Changes with Age in Caucasian Women

61 citations, April 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Caucasian women's hair appears thickest in their 20s, with perceived thinning after mid-30s due to both decreasing density and diameter.

research Noninvasive Method for Assessing the Human Circadian Clock Using Hair Follicle Cells

166 citations, August 2010 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

Scientists found a new, less invasive way to study body clocks using hair cells, which shows shift workers' body clocks don't match their lifestyles.

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium Is Due to a Reduction in the Variance of Anagen Duration

40 citations, May 2010 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology”

Chronic hair shedding may be caused by less variation in hair growth times and might stop on its own after several years.

research Clock Genes, Hair Growth, and Aging

55 citations, March 2010 in “Aging”

Circadian clock genes are important for hair growth and may affect aging-related hair loss and graying.

research The Hair Follicle as an Estrogen Target and Source

159 citations, July 2006 in “Endocrine Reviews”

Estrogens significantly influence hair growth by interacting with receptors in hair follicles and may help regulate the hair growth cycle.

research Physiological and Biological Skin Changes in Pregnancy

71 citations, February 2006 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

Pregnancy causes skin changes like darkening, hair thickening, nail changes, and increased risk of skin growths, most of which usually resolve after birth.

research Estrogen Functions in Skin and Skin Appendages

68 citations, June 2005 in “Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Targets”

Oestrogens help maintain healthy skin, heal wounds, and may protect against skin aging and cancer.

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium: A Study of 5 Patients Over 7 Years

54 citations, January 2005 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Most patients with chronic hair shedding did not progress to permanent hair loss, and one showed improvement with treatment.

research The Reliability of Horizontally Sectioned Scalp Biopsies in the Diagnosis of Chronic Diffuse Telogen Hair Loss in Women

137 citations, July 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Horizontally sectioned scalp biopsies are more reliable for diagnosing hair loss in women when three samples are taken instead of one.

research Estrogens And The Hair Follicle

50 citations, May 2004 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft”

Estrogens generally inhibit hair growth and improve skin quality, but their exact effects on hair follicles are complex and not fully understood.

research Estrogens and Human Scalp Hair Growth: More Questions Than Answers

44 citations, March 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

The effects of estrogen on human hair growth are unclear and need more research.

research Scalp Hair Diameter Increases During Pregnancy

34 citations, August 2003 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

Pregnant women's hair gets thicker.

The Distribution of Estrogen Receptor Beta Is Distinct to That of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and the Androgen Receptor in Human Skin and the Pilosebaceous Unit

research The Distribution of Estrogen Receptor Beta Is Distinct to That of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and the Androgen Receptor in Human Skin and the Pilosebaceous Unit

130 citations, June 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

Estrogen Receptor ß (ERß) is the main hormone controller in human skin and hair follicles, not Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) or the Androgen Receptor (AR).

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium in a Man

10 citations, October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

The document concludes that a man's long hair may have helped diagnose his rare case of chronic hair shedding, for which no treatment is advised.

research 17β-Estradiol and ICI-182780 Regulate the Hair Follicle Cycle in Mice Through an Estrogen Receptor-α Pathway

71 citations, February 2000 in “Endocrinology and metabolism/American journal of physiology: endocrinology and metabolism”

Estradiol stops hair growth in mice, but an antagonist can reverse this effect.

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium: Incidence, Clinical and Biochemical Features, and Treatment

23 citations, September 1999 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Chronic telogen effluvium is a common hair loss condition with specific characteristics and treatment options.

research Failure of Topical Estrogen Receptor Agonists and Antagonists to Alter Murine Hair Follicle Cycling

8 citations, January 1998 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Topical estrogen treatments did not change hair growth in certain mouse strains, questioning previous findings on their role in hair growth control.

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium: Increased Scalp Hair Shedding in Middle-Aged Women

234 citations, December 1996 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Middle-aged women with chronic telogen effluvium experience increased hair shedding but usually don't get significantly thinner hair.

research An Estrogen Receptor Pathway Regulates the Telogen-Anagen Hair Follicle Transition and Influences Epidermal Cell Proliferation

154 citations, October 1996 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

Estrogen affects hair growth and skin cell multiplication.

research Chronic Telogen Effluvium

75 citations, October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

Chronic Telogen Effluvium is a hair loss condition in middle-aged women that usually doesn't lead to complete baldness.

research Telogen Effluvium: A Comprehensive Review

214 citations, March 1993 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Telogen effluvium is a reversible hair loss condition that requires a detailed diagnosis and often resolves on its own.

research Pathologic Dynamics of Human Hair Loss

33 citations, September 1961 in “Archives of Dermatology”

Colchicine causes rapid hair loss by damaging hair follicles.

Related Research

8 / 8 results

research Safety and Efficacy of Trimax-360 Serum in Healthy Adult Subjects with Mild to Moderate Alopecia of the Scalp

April 2022 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

Trimax-360 Serum, when used for 98 days, safely and effectively improves hair growth, thickness, and density without any side effects.

research Efficacy and Safety of a Botanical Topical Serum on Male and Female Androgenetic Alopecia

January 2022 in “Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications”

The serum increased hair density and was well-tolerated, but didn't affect hair thickness or shedding.

research Autologous Whole Fat Injection Stimulates Hair Growth in Resistant Androgenetic Alopecia: Report of Nine Cases

3 citations, December 2020 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

Fat injections can help regrow hair in stubborn hair loss cases.

research A Pilot Evaluation of Scalp Skin Wounding to Promote Hair Growth in Female Pattern Hair Loss

3 citations, December 2020 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology”

Scalp micro-wounding helps promote hair growth in female pattern hair loss.

research Hair Loss (Alopecia or Baldness)

June 2018

Baldness is often hereditary and linked to male hormones, becoming noticeable when half the hair is lost.

research Treatments of Hereditary Hair Loss (Alopecia)

April 2018

Some treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and surgery can help with hereditary hair loss.

research Effect of Minoxidil on Hair Growth in Androgenic Alopecia in Women

1 citations, September 2002 in “PubMed”

Minoxidil helps stimulate hair growth and reduce hair loss in women with androgenic alopecia.

research Nonscarring Hair Loss Disorders

3 citations, October 1982 in “Postgraduate Medicine”

Most types of hair loss can regrow naturally, but there are no effective cures for male pattern or age-related hair loss, and only limited options for females.