Hormones and my hair loss journey

Type 1 diabetes is complicated and exhausting to manage. It becomes even more challenging when you’re a woman dealing with constantly fluctuating hormones. Hormonal shifts directly affect insulin sensitivity, and trying to balance the two can feel like an impossible task.

For some reason, many people believe that once you’ve lived with Type 1 long enough, it becomes easy—that you simply “figure it out” and coast through life. I’m not sure why that misconception exists, but I truly wish the general public understood Type 1 diabetes better. Most people don’t take an interest in a disease unless they or someone they love is battling it, and that lack of understanding can feel very isolating.

For several years, I’ve felt that something was off hormonally. Not long ago, if you told a general practitioner or nurse practitioner that you suspected hormone imbalance or wanted to explore hormone replacement therapy (HRT), they often dismissed you. If you weren’t in full menopause, they acted like you were imagining things. Thankfully, the recent HRT movement has opened doors for women in perimenopause and menopause to finally be heard and supported.

My own HRT journey started in March of this year. I began with progesterone, then added testosterone cream. I don’t remember the exact month, but I do remember my hair starting to fall out. Later, I saw another doctor about adding estrogen, and once I started it, the hair loss increased dramatically. I eventually asked my nurse practitioner for oral minoxidil, which can push hair follicles through the shedding phase into growth. Unfortunately, the combination of everything—plus what was probably a naturally timed shed cycle—caused me to lose nearly half my hair.

I stopped all HRT and minoxidil and started taking a DHT-blocker supplement I found on Amazon. Within a month, the hair loss completely stopped. The next month, I restarted HRT. I paused it in September and resumed again in November, and now I’m experiencing the most dramatic regrowth I’ve ever seen. I have my normal hair length—and underneath it, what looks like a two- to three-inch buzz cut growing in everywhere. It’s wild, but I’m so grateful it’s coming back.

If you’re struggling with hormonal hair loss, this is the supplement I use and love:

➡️ DHT Blocker

(Using Subscribe & Save can also knock a percentage off, depending on how many subscriptions you have.)

Beyond the hair journey, HRT has been life-changing for me. My arthritis and back pain have almost entirely disappeared. I’m sleeping better than I have since I was a teenager. I have more energy, can work out harder and longer, and I’m seeing strength gains I haven’t seen in nearly 20 years.

I’m so grateful to finally feel like myself again.

How Hormones Can Increase DHT and Cause Hair Loss

Hormones play a huge role in how our bodies function, and that includes how our hair grows. One hormone in particular—DHT (dihydrotestosterone)—can have a major impact on hair health.

DHT is made when your body converts testosterone into a stronger form using an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. Everyone has DHT (women included), but problems start when hormone levels shift and the body begins producing too much of it.

Here’s how it leads to hair loss:

Hormonal changes—including menstrual cycles, postpartum shifts, perimenopause, PCOS, or even stress-related hormone fluctuations—can increase the activity of 5-alpha reductase.

When that enzyme becomes more active, more testosterone converts into DHT.

Excess DHT shrinks the hair follicles, making the strands grow thinner and weaker over time.

Eventually, the follicles can become so small that they stop producing hair altogether.

This process is known as androgenic hair loss, and it’s extremely common. The frustrating part is that it’s not about “doing something wrong”—it’s a hormonal response your body creates on its own.

Understanding how DHT works can help you explore the right treatments, whether that’s reducing inflammation, supporting hormone balance, or using products that block DHT production at the follicle.