Menopause/Perimenopause and Our Hair

Hello Curlies,

Well the time has come to discuss changing and no it's not our imagination; this period of change with menopause and perimenopause brings many unwanted changes to our hair. You may notice your hair is thinning, lacking volume or shedding more.

Listen, I know it can be challenging; our hair is something we generally have control over; we cut it, style it and choose how to wear it. It's a way to express ourselves and convey our personality and image to others. When these changes in menopause symptoms come into play, we may feel less like ourselves and less in control, affecting our self-esteem. We would almost rather tear it out than deal, but these worries can bring on additional stress, which further negatively affects the hair.

How does perimenopause & menopause affect our hair?

It’s all in the hormones! Because our hair's growth cycle is affected by our hormones, the changing hormone levels around perimenopause & menopause often accelerate these changes to your hair. These changes are due to immense hormonal fluctuations, and the main two culprits are estrogen and progesterone. Like night sweats and hot flashes aren’t enough right? Menopause causes estrogen levels to decrease, and estrogen is a hair-friendly hormone that helps to keep hair in its anagen (growth) phase for longer.

When estrogen and progesterone levels decline or are off-balance in come the menopause symptoms and perimenopause symptoms, hair growth slows, and hair loss becomes more pronounced.

Possible symptoms & signs of hormonal hair

• Your ponytail/pineapple is thinner
• Your hair is not growing as long as it used to
• Your parting is wider
• Your scalp is more visible around the crown of your head
• A recession at your temples
• A loss of density at your frontal hairline
• A reduction in the thickness (volume) and length of each strand
• A few more or new gray strands

Are we at the mercy of our hormones?

The good news is that we can help support our hair through this time of menopause and perimenopause by caring for it correctly on the outside and defending it from within, NOT tearing it out.

• Add hair-specific vitamin, mineral and protein supplements into your daily regime to help you achieve the correct balance for healthy hair growth.
• Move more: activity helps us manage stress, and stress can harm your hair because it raises the androgen levels in your body. Whatever your choice of activity may be, it will positively impact not just your hair but also factors such as your mood, weight management and insomnia. These are important in maintaining a good hormonal balance and promoting healthy hair growth.
• You are what you eat: this couldn't be truer regarding your hair. Eating a well-balanced diet is your best defense against hair loss; Make sure your diet includes a balance of protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
• Use the right shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair clean, balanced and moisturized. While this is nothing new to those with curly and wavy hair, this time means there is a loss of moisture and elasticity throughout the body, including the scalp. Therefore each hair strand loses oil (sebum), increasing dryness.
• Treat your scalp like the ultimate feeding ground to optimize hair growth. Now is the time to scale up your scalp care routine. If your scalp is dry, use gentle, moisturizing shampoos and wash it less frequently. If your scalp is oily, you may want to shampoo every other day; this varies from person to person. It's important to get movement in the scalp area capillaries underneath the skin shrink and must be stimulated to increase the blood flow to the hair root. Scalp treatments and scalp massaging daily are great ways to do this.
• Ditch the heated styling tools where possible, keep heat to a minimum and use heat protection products to support your hair's overall health when styling.

Specific Products to Use

• Use the right shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair clean, balanced and moisturized. While this is nothing new to those with curly and wavy hair, this time means there is a loss of moisture and elasticity throughout the body, including the scalp. Therefore each hair strand loses oil (sebum), increasing dryness – to help with this issue, weekly or monthly deep conditioning treatments are essential and a great way to nourish the hair. Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment
• Treat your scalp like the ultimate feeding ground to optimize hair growth. Now is the time to scale up your scalp care routine. If your scalp is dry, use gentle, moisturizing shampoos (Gentle Lather Shampoo or Hair Cleansing Cream) and wash it less frequently. If your scalp is oily, you may want to shampoo every other day; this varies from person to person. It's important to get movement in the scalp area capillaries underneath the skin shrink and must be stimulated to increase the blood flow to the hair root. Scalp treatments and scalp massaging daily are great ways to do this. Stimulating Scalp Massage Oil

While it may feel like you are losing control over your hair during this time, you can still control many factors in terms of diet, lifestyle and hair care; these are three significant areas that can influence your hair health, and listen; if you are experiencing severe hair loss, please consult a professional or physician.

Remember, while we may be dreaming of our hair as it was, other people don't view your hair in the past; they see it as it is now. Tweaking your current hair routine or adding in additional steps once you've recognized your hair's new attributes will see this phase of your hair flourish!