How to Manage Gray Hair (Above and Below the Belt!)

Baldness is not just a man's concern — hair loss also affects between 20 and 30 million women in the US alone. And, as with men, hair loss can be harmful to women's self-esteem.

While male-pattern baldness is most often the result of androgenic alopecia — when androgen hormones are overly active at the site of hair follicles — female-pattern baldness is much more variable in cause. Hormonal fluctuations, polycystic ovarian syndrome, autoimmune disorders, and even crash diets can lead to hair loss in women. If you're getting a little thin on top, you may want to have blood work done to rule out an underlying medical condition; treating a health problem may relieve hair loss all on its own.

Once you've ruled out any medical concerns, talk to your doctor about taking advantage of the vasodilator minoxidil — aka Rogaine. Rogaine has been shown in clinical trials to decrease hair loss as well as promote new hair growth in some women. But be prepared to make this a permanent step in your beauty regimen. When you stop using Rogaine, hair loss accelerates and catches up to where it would have been had you never done the treatment. So once you start, it's best not to stop!

Along with the hair on your head, the hair on your body might change as well. For instance, you might start experiencing increased hair growth in unexpected areas (like your ears or nose), or you might experience a change in the color or texture of your pubic hair. Yes, pubic hair can “go gray” or become thinner as a result of aging. For many women, this change in genital appearance can be quite devastating. It might seem like it is a trivial concern, but, in fact, these seemingly innocuous hairs can have a major impact on a woman’s sexual pleasure. According to a recent study from the Indiana University Center for Sexual Health Promotion, a woman’s genital self-image can greatly impact her sexual enjoyment. (A previous study performed at the Berman Center found the same results.)

As such, it’s important to make sure that you feel confident and comfortable with your genital appearance. For some women, this might mean opting for pubic-hair dye. Betty products offer women a wide variety of safe and effective pubic-hair dyes, whether you want to go blonde, red, even pink or blue! You can also purchase some fun and sexy stencils (write your partner’s name down there or a sexy phrase like “Lick me”). Or, if you want to remove your hair, you can check out the company’s hair-removal products or hit up a local salon for a smooth, erotic Brazilian. One caveat: If you are considering laser hair removal, make sure that you are absolutely certain you want to go hair-free, because once that hair is gone it might never come back!

In the end, it’s quite simple: Find a hairstyle — on top of your head or down below — that makes you happy. Whether you want to thumb your nose at Mother Nature and dye your graying pubic hairs bright pink, or whether you want to embrace your newly minted grays, you should feel comfortable and sexy in your own skin (and hair). Hairstyles might come and go, but confidence and inner beauty are always in style.