Sometimes thinning hair sneaks up on us. Because women aren't prone to patchy or concentrated hair loss patterns like men, our hair loss tends to show up gradually. We start to notice more hair in our shower drain. Our ponytails become thinner, and our hair part becomes noticeably wider. 

The realization that we might be dealing with thinning hair can be upsetting, but there are steps we can take to tackle female-pattern hair loss and thicken our ponytails and hair parts. 

To understand why our hair parts are getting wider, it's important to look at what can cause hair loss and thinning, along with steps we can take to support healthy hair growth and how to camouflage a wide hair part in the meantime.

Growing out short hair is not for the faint of heart! Longer hair requires more maintenance and TLC, especially on the ends. You wait impatiently, envisioning yourself with long, silky locks that are super versatile. You can't wait to get there. 

But the caterpillar doesn't turn into a butterfly overnight. Growing the long tresses you desire takes time. A few weeks into growing out your hair you might have questions: Are there any good haircuts for growing out short hair? How can I encourage hair growth? Am I destined to look shaggy for the next few months? HELP! 

Not to worry. We have the scoop on some cute transition hairstyles for growing out short hair, which are terrific haircut ideas for women over 40, plus hair-care tips and products to help you on your hair growth journey!

The maximum length of time hair spends in the anagen phase, otherwise known as the active growth phase, varies from person to person depending mainly on genetics. Yet, various things can disrupt the time our hair spends growing, like our health, diet, stress and hormones. For example, an increase of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in our system during menopause leads to follicle miniaturization. 

When this happens, our once-healthy follicles start producing thinner, weaker hair. DHT and other issues can disrupt the growth phase for some of our strands, cause fragile hair and even result in permanent hair loss. But there are ways to counteract this issue and increase our hair's time in the active phase. 

Many of us use serums as part of our daily skincare routines to smooth wrinkles, reduce age spots, lift bags, and moisturize our face and neck. Just as vital is scalp and hair care serums. Quality hair and scalp serums can curb thinning, hair loss, breakage, and other age-related issues. However, just as the different types of serums vary, so do the different ways to apply them to get the best results. To get the most out of the hair care products you purchase, make sure you are using them correctly. Let's look at the different types of serums and whether it is better to put each on wet or dry hair.