Hair Loss during Perimenopause and Menopause
Do you miss the thick, flowing hair of your youth? I know I certainly do. I never really had a great hair, but at least I had more of it. I'm now 57 and have really started to fret over how to wear my hair to cover up the scalp. To be honest, I had gotten to a place where I wore it up all the time. I use tons of hairspray to make the top appear fuller and then by pulling the back into a small banana clip, I could mask how thin my hair had gotten. At least I thought I was masking it.
During perimenopause and menopause, many women experience hair loss, which can be attributed to a combination of hormonal changes, genetics, and environmental factors. One of the primary hormonal shifts involves a decrease in estrogen levels. Estrogen plays a crucial role in the hair growth cycle; it helps to prolong the growth phase and maintain hair density. As estrogen levels drop, the balance between hair growth and shedding can be disrupted, leading to increased hair thinning and loss.
Additionally, progesterone levels also fluctuate during this transitional period. Progesterone has a protective effect on hair follicles, and its decline can exacerbate the effects of testosterone, which may convert to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Elevated DHT levels can shrink hair follicles, leading to finer hair strands and a reduction in overall hair volume. This hormonal interplay often results in a condition known as androgenetic alopecia, which is characterized by thinning hair along the crown and temples.
Stress is another contributing factor during this time, as women may face emotional and physical stressors related to aging, health changes, and life transitions. Stress can trigger telogen effluvium, a condition where hair follicles prematurely enter the shedding phase. Additionally, nutritional deficiencies that may arise during menopause, such as lower iron or vitamin D levels, can further compromise hair health. Together, these factors can lead to noticeable changes in hair density and texture, prompting many women to seek solutions to manage this common but distressing aspect of aging.
Menopause Hair Breakage
I love my hair stylist, I really do, but sometimes her brutal honesty of what's really happening is too much. When she started hinting that my hair was breaking and it wasn't her hair cut that caused some of my weird layers, I was starting to realize that I wasn't going to escape the side effects of hair loss and breakage during perimenopause and menopause.
Menopause Eyelashes
I think even before I really started to worry so much about my hair, it was my eyebrows that cause issues for me. I wasn't above using make-up or eyebrow pencils and products to color in my brows, my problem was I didn't have the skillset to draw them in so that they looked normal and didn't make me look like a clown.
As soon as I heard of micro-blading for eyebrows, I used my year-end bonus funds a few years ago to pay for the pricey tattoos on my face. I've been doing this for about four years and as the years progress, the numbing creams my tattoo artist uses keep getting better and better. The first time, however, was a bit painful. How can it not be, right? They are using a scalpel to draw and carve a tattoo into your head. Today, I love my eyebrows and it's great that I don't have to worry about them coming off when I sweat or get my face wet.
Best HRT for Hair Loss
I've been taking Hormone Replacement Therapy since December 2019, so almost five-full years. I'd love to be able to report that it helped with my hair situation, but sadly I didn't notice much difference. Everything that I've studied about HRT, and Lord knows I've studied it all; is that if you replace your estrogen and progesterone, in theory, it should help slow down or stop any hair loss. It may have slowed down the hair loss, but since I have nothing to compare it to, how am I know if it really helped? All I do know is that I found myself in a place during the Autumn of 2024 wondering if I should buy yet, another hair re-growth supplement?
Supplements for Hair Loss in Women
Over the years, I've taken many over the counter supplements hoping to see a difference in my hair, but either they didn't work, or I stopped using them too soon. Many of them claim it can take up to three months to notice a difference. Just prior to purchasing my most recent purchase a Hair Topper from UniWigs, I opted to also try one more supplement called HairLove.
Once I've been on the HairLove for a period of time, I'll write a blog and let you know if it was the magic potion that I had been looking for.
UniWigs Human Hair Toppers
Being the gutsy Menopausal woman I am and because my youngest daughter is getting married later in the month, I bit the bullet and purchased a Remy Human Hair Topper.
At first, it was quite a shock to me when I would look at myself with the topper in place. It felt like too much hair! I took it to my stylist, and she said it wasn't that it was too much hair, but rather the gal who sold it to me gave me a terrible cut job. Also, this first one pictured above, doesn't have enough dark roots for my liking, so I ordered a second one when I couldn't get her to replace the one with the botched haircut. I asked for more dark roots and I'm currently scheduled to visit my stylist this week for her to do her magic with the cut on the replacement piece.
Even with a bad cut, I've grown to love the topper and wear it everywhere I go. My closest Friday Night Pizza crew were the ones who I knew would notice and they were the ones I was the most anxious to wear it in front of. The wife, my BFF did, but she wasn't able to nail down exactly what I did. I admitted the day after I saw her and she said that it looked a little different but would have never thought of a hair topper. That one statement from her gave me the confidence I needed to wear it everywhere. Thanks Lisa!!
I didn't want to go back to the lady who did the bad cut, so I set out to find online companies who sell hair toppers, and I've discovered a few. The one I'm most obsessed with at the moment is UniWigs. Uniwigs Toppers offers human hair toppers and then synthetic hair toppers at a fraction of the cost of the Human hair.
I'll do a blog once my synthetic topper comes in. I'll show you the before and after once I get my stylist to cut it for me. What I have learned is that it's best if you can't find the perfect color to order lighter than you need and then have your stylist color it if needed or better yet, have her color your bio hair to match your favorite topper. You also need to plan to have a stylist cut it and should not expect it to look perfect for you right out of the box.
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