Which statement about hair loss patterns observed in menopause is accurate?

• A. Androgenic alopecia and telogen effluvium are commonly observed
• B. Alopecia areata is the only pattern seen
• C. Telogen effluvium is unrelated
• D. Traction alopecia is the most common pattern

Answer: (A)

Menopause brings hormonal shifts that change how hair grows. Estrogen declines while androgens can take on relatively more influence, setting up two patterns you’ll often see. One is androgenic alopecia in women, where follicles shrink and hair becomes thinner, typically on the crown and frontal scalp. The other is telogen effluvium, where a larger number of hairs enter shedding after a triggering event or period of stress—nutritional changes, iron deficiency, thyroid changes, or simply aging can contribute. Because both processes can occur around menopause, it’s common to observe a mixed picture: overall thinning from androgenic alopecia with additional diffuse shedding from telogen effluvium. While alopecia areata or traction alopecia can happen, they are not the typical menopause-associated patterns, and traction alopecia is driven more by hairstyles than hormonal changes.