Throughout the menopause your body experiences hormonal changes which can affect your sleep, mood and even your hair. Read on and discover how you can manage hair loss and hair thinning throughout the menopause!
Many people would argue that your hair is a huge defining feature of who you are. It’s something a lot of women use to express themselves by styling, colouring and cutting.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that hair loss can have a huge emotional impact on an individual.
Losing your hair can damage self-esteem making it extremely difficult to feel happy, positive and confident. A 2012 study by the National Institute of Health discovered that 29% of women suffering from hair loss reported two or more symptoms of depression.
Hair loss can be attributed to many factors, some we can control and manage, like stress and diet, and others we can't, like genes and illness.
Unfortunately, we can’t do much about getting older and hair loss is something we have to accept as a part of the natural ageing process.
The NHS estimates that 50% of women over the age of 65 experience female-pattern baldness, something that can be triggered by the menopause.
But why?
Read on and discover how and why women who are going through the menopause are likely to notice more severe hair loss…
Hormones & Hair Loss
The menopause is defined by the NHS as a natural part of the female ageing process in which their oestrogen levels decline and they are no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
Symptoms vary depending on the individual but common ones include, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, mood changes and hair loss.
During menopause, 4 out of 10 women suffer from thinning hair; a symptom which is triggered by hormone changes and imbalances.
Oestrogen helps keep your hair in its anagen (growth) phase for longer so that when it begins to deplete, there is a higher ratio of testosterone in your body which negatively affects your hair follicles.
The hairs from these follicles become smaller in diameter, shorter in length and lighter in colour until the follicles stop producing hair.
Although hormone changes are the primary cause of hair loss during the menopause there are other factors which can exacerbate it such as, stress, illness and lack of specific nutrients.
Combatting hair loss can be extremely frustrating as there is no quick fix. Trust me, I’ve tried all of these so-called ‘miracle products’ and sadly they have little to no effect.
After overcoming hair loss, myself, I’ve discovered that there are various ways you can stimulate hair re-growth which aren’t as drastic as a hair transplant (or as expensive!).
Find out more about how to combat the hormonal symptoms of menopause and how you can start to regain your confidence by watching our video on Surviving Menopause 101. Alexandra, Skincare Expert talks to Founder of HIIT Pilates, Sarah about her struggles with menopause, menopausal hair loss and the lifestyle changes she incorporated to help her feel her best.
Managing Hair Loss During The Menopause
Treating and managing symptoms of the menopause can be complex, which is why you should always seek medical advice if your symptoms persist or worsen.
When it comes to hair loss, there are a number of ways you can promote hair growth, helping to alleviate symptoms…
Reduce Stress
When we’re stressed our body goes into survival mode, producing the fight or flight response. This causes your body to produce additional hormones to help deal with the potential threat.
Therefore, stress can exacerbate existing hormone imbalances produced by the menopause, triggering hair loss or making it worse.
Exercise can be a great way to reduce stress levels as it causes the body to produce endorphins, our ‘happy hormone’, helping us to relax.
For more ways to relax and combat stress click here.
Improve Nutrition
You are what you eat. A balanced and varied diet made up primarily of whole foods is the best way to ensure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients.
Research shows that essential vitamins and minerals can have a huge effect on hair health and its ability to re-grow.
For instance, if our bodies lack sufficient amounts of zinc and iron, it makes it harder for cells to repair, stunting hair growth.
Discover some of the best foods for hair growth here.
Supplementing your Diet
As your hair growth cycle slows down, and your hair breaks more easily and is more prone to thinning, in addition to following a healthy balanced diet, it can also be beneficial to add supplements to your diet, like The Biotin Hair Care Plan. To achieve the best results, it is essential to add these supplements to your diet over an ongoing period, as true results take time, particularly if you haven’t been following a balanced diet for some time.
The Biotin Hair Care Plan contains
- High Dose Biotin which is a fantastic supplement for maintaining normal hair and skin, particularly during times like the menopause and perimenopause. Biotin is naturally found in eggs, almonds, cauliflower and mushrooms, many of us don’t take in the necessary amount of Biotin through our diets.
- Super Greens, an organic seaweed and botanicals with natural iodine, to maintain your metabolism, skin, the production of your thyroid hormones and thyroid function. When your thyroid isn’t functioning to its optimum, you often feel tired and lethargic.
- Everyday Wellness which is a blend of six beneficial bacteria to help you to maintain a healthy gut. This is really important to ensuring your body is able to absorb all the beneficial vitamins and minerals it needs.
Alternatively, if you're looking to combat a variety of menopausal symptoms head on, you will benefit from our Pause the Meno protein powder, packed with scientifically-proven ingredients that tackle the negative effects of the menopause in a delicious but nutritious way.
Eliminate Styling Tools
Using heat and electric styling tools such as straighteners and curlers can damage even the healthiest of hair, making it thin, dry and brittle.
During the menopause, it’s essential to reduce or eliminate the use of these products as much as possible as they worsen the look, feel and texture of your hair.
Instead of heated styling tools, try using less damaging methods such as sleep in hair rollers!
Leave-in conditioners, oils and treatments are also good options if you want to improve the look and feel of damaged hair.
It’s never pleasant when our bodies experience things we aren’t familiar with. This can make going through the menopause extremely daunting, but don’t fear the unknown. Instead, read up on the signs and symptoms of the menopause, I promise you, it will make it seem far less scary.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the world of hair health there’s plenty of resources available across my channels. These give valuable insights into both my experiences and research, as well as providing helpful tips, tricks and treatments!