Menopause & hair change – what happens to your hair during menopause?
Unfortunately menopause usually always affects the hair on your scalp causing dullness, dryness, hair loss and thinning.
On average menopause starts around the age of fifty, however changes in your hair will start long before. Therefore hair thinning during menopause is difficult to counteract. The pattern of menopausal hair is similar to the early stages of male pattern hair loss; but don’t panic the reduction of thickness in each strand of hair is gradual and it's very rare for woman to go bald!
You may start to notice the following symptoms of menopausal hair loss:
* Your parting is wider
*Your ponytail is thinner
*Your scalp is more visible around the crown of your head
*Your hair isn't growing as long as it used to
*loss of density at the hairline
There are some things you can do to do to help get the best out of your hair during this time...
- Oestrogens – during menopause you have a decrease in oestrogen levels. You need oestrogen for your hair to grow. It’s used to help in the growing phase, so the longer the growing phase the longer your hair grows. Reduced levels of oestrogen cause the growth cycle to shorten before your hair sheds.
- The main factor to help boost the oestrogen levels are to reduce stress. Whenever you are stressed your body produces cortisol which causes an estrogen imbalance. So do anything that will help you relieve your stress and don’t panic about hair change!
- Certain foods can naturally help raise your levels, including flaxseeds, sesame seeds, apricots, oranges, strawberries and peaches. Carrots, kale, celery, lentils and chickpeas can also help.
- HRT – women can take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help restore post-menopausal oestrogen levels to average pre-menopausal levels and help with menopausal symptoms. However, it is best to consult your doctor or trichologist as there are studies that have been shown that HRT increases your chance of breast cancer, heart problems, mood swings, uterine cancer and endometriosis. The percentages of those affected are small but they do exist.
We find that there are many products available that can immediately give you the appearance of thicker hair. The illusion of thicker hair and more volume can be created with the right cut and colour, choosing a hair colour that is close to your scalp colour will also help, as it disguises the contrast between areas of uncovered scalp and hair.
You can talk to your stylist about colour services and advise on how to help create a fuller more voluminous look!