Hair Loss and Menopause-How does menopause affect my hair?

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Hair Loss and Menopause-How does menopause affect my hair?

We have clients tell us often that once they were in menopause, they started losing hair. This can be very hard for a woman as our hair is part of our identity. Here we are going to give you some information about menopause and how it may affect your hair. 

Menopause typically happens to women between the age of 45 and 55, about 12 months after a woman’s last period. Menopause is a normal part of aging for women, as it can typically last about 7 years but can be as long as 14 years. The duration of menopause is different for every woman depending on the woman’s lifestyle factors, such as smoking, age, race and ethnicity. Many women have trouble with menopausal symptoms, such as loss and thinning of hair, hot flashes, weight gain, trouble sleeping and more.

Menopausal hair loss vs hair shedding:

Humans typically lose on average about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day.  This is known as hair shedding. Hair shedding is a natural process of hairs falling out and new hairs growing in. When menopausal hair loss begins to occur, it is when hair shedding starts to become more evident. 

Some signs of menopausal hair loss:

– Your hairbrush filling with hair more frequently

– More hairs collect in the shower drain

– Finding your hair around the sink or on your pillow or clothes 

– Hair breakage becomes more common

When symptoms like these continue you may notice your part widening, your ponytail looking thinner, and thinning patches on your scalp.

How we really feel: 

For many women, having control over our hair, such as how we choose to style, cut and wear it, is a big factor in our self-expression and personality. Losing hair can mean that we may feel less ourselves, as having control over our hair can be a lot harder with less of it.

It is important to remember that when losing hair during menopause there is nothing medically wrong, unless accompanied by other symptoms. Experiencing hair loss and thinning during menopause is completely normal to most women. Fortunately, there are solutions to being able to have a full head of hair during menopause and to decreasing the amount of hair you lose and keeping your hair from thinning and this is where we can help.

Solutions:

  • Visiting with an expert at STRUT Hair Solutions about the types of products such as wigs, hair toppers, hair pieces and extensions that are available can help you recover with confidence overnight. STRUT is dedicated to helping women who are experiencing hair loss. We are committed to doing our small part to help you regain your confidence! 
  • Topical solutions such as thickening serums can help improve hair appearance. Products such as Unveil No. 3 Hair thickening serum helps to produce a fuller, thicker head of hair. Unveil’s Thicker Hair Serum is easy to use and is only to be applied to your scalp once a day and you’ll see results in as little as 4 weeks. 
  •  Reducing the use of heat damaging tools such as straighteners and hair dryers can also improve hair appearance. Less heat = less damage.
  •  A healthy diet means a healthy body. Having a healthy diet can also help to improve hair appearance. It is important that you take care of your body during menopause as your body is undergoing a lot of changes. The best way to do so is maintaining a healthy diet.
  •  Many medications have an abundance of side effects. Checking any medications that you use can help reduce hair loss and thinning. Medications that can cause hair loss include:
    •  Antidepressants
    •  Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases
    •  Epilepsy medications
    •  Heart medications (blood thinners and beta-blockers)
    •  Medications used to treat hyperthyroidism 

In Summary:

Hair loss during menopause is a difficult symptom for many women. Having the creative freedom to style, cut and wear our hair makes us a part of who we are. When hair loss is experienced from menopause this can take a toll on our mental health and confidence. Fortunately, there are solutions to helping improve hair appearance, such as visiting with an expert at STRUT Hair Solutions and choosing a hair product that is perfect for you, Unveil’s Thicker Hair Serum, reducing the use of heat damaging tools, a healthy diet, and the use of medications. Remember to be kind to your body during menopause and encourage healthy practices that can reduce hair loss and thinning.

Women’s Hair Shedding Versus Women’s Hair Loss

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Women’s Hair Shedding Versus Women’s Hair Loss

 

When a woman suddenly loses a lot of hair, as opposed to the average loss of 50-100 hairs per day, it is referred to as hair loss. The medical term would be Alopecia (and, it’s important to note that there are 3 types of alopecia). Most women typically lose between 50 and 100 individual hairs each day.

Hair shedding is a natural process in which some hairs fall out and new hairs grow in, depending on which hair cycle that hair is currently in.

Hair loss occurs when the balance between growth and fallout is interrupted—when less hair grows in, and more hair falls out.

Hair shedding is not the same as hair loss. As mentioned above, shedding your hair is completely normal. It is when the balance of losing approximately 50-100 hairs per day becomes excessive, that we know it’s classified as hair loss.

 

The three cycles of hair growth are as follows:

ANAGEN: The anagen phase (AKA the growing phase) can span from two to eight years. Approximately 85% to 90% of the hair on your head falls into this phase.

CATAGEN: Hair follicles shrink during the catagen phase (AKA the transition phase), which lasts for about two to three weeks.

TELOGEN: It takes two to four months for the telogen phase (AKA the resting phase) to complete. At the end of this stage, the hair starts to fall out.

What types of hair loss are there?

  1. Anagen effluvium
  2. Telogen effluvium
  3. FPHL – Female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia)

Anagen effluvium is caused by drugs, medication, or medical treatments that poison a hair follicle during the growth phase (like chemotherapy). This is why people can lose their hair during chemo, get what’s colloquially called “chemo hair,” or have a mixture of both.

Telogen effluvium: This condition develops when more hair follicles reach the telogen phase, which is when hair begins to fall out.

The most prevalent variety is androgenetic alopecia, often known as female pattern hair loss (FPHL) or baldness. The hair becomes thinner on the sides and at the top of the head.

 

Which kinds of women are most likely to experience hair loss?

Anyone can experience hair loss no matter their age, lifestyle, or hair-styling habits. However, these are the women who are most prone to hair loss: 

  • Women over the age of 40.
  • Women who have thyroid problems.
  • Women who are malnourished/not getting enough nutrition in their daily food.
  • Women who are pregnan.
  • Women who have recently given birth.
  • Women who are in menopause.
  • Women who have undergone chemotherapy and those who have been affected by other medications, drugs, or medical treatments.
  • Women who often wear hairstyles that pull on the hair (like tight ponytails always in the same spot, tight braids that pull on the hair, weaves which pull on the hair, or other tight styles) or who use harsh chemicals on their hair.

 

How do you treat hair loss? 

There are a number of treatments for women’s hair loss, as there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. 

  • Some women find that changing their diet and taking supplements (such as biotin, B12, or high-quality multivitamins) can help restore their hair. Supplementation is huge, as we don’t get enough vitamins and nutrients from the foods we eat nowadays. Unveil has a supplement with all the vital nutrients your hair and skin need for overall wellness, from the inside out.
  • In cases of pregnancy or recent pregnancy, the hair usually comes back on its own with time. You can speed this process up again with supplementation or with a topical solution such as our Unveil No.3 Hair Thickening Serum.
  • For hair loss caused by tight hairstyles, braids, ponytails, or weaves, hair loss can often be stopped or reversed by stopping wearing those hairstyles or using harsh chemical treatments on the hair.
  • Minoxidil (Rogaine®) is also approved for treating FPHL. The only drawback is that you must take it exactly according to directions or it may not work, and you must use it indefinitely. Meaning, if you stop taking it, your hair loss will continue. 
  • Certain shampoos, conditioners, hair serums, and sprays can also help prevent hair loss or restore the lost hair. They often have specialized ingredients which target hair loss and help strengthen the hair that is already there. 

Many women who undergo medical hair loss, who are doing chemotherapy for example, wear wigs or turbans during their treatment. Since their natural hair is usually unable to grow during treatment, they generally choose to wear a wig that matches the way their hair looked before treatment, to not draw attention to any change in hairstyle. Others go for colors they’ve never dared to dye their hair before, or switch between short and long styles for fun.

Long story short, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here! 

The founder of Strut, Helena Gibson, created Unveil Restorative Hair Care. This is a line of restorative hair loss treatments/products with proprietary blends of active ingredients, such plant stem cell cultures and tetrapeptides to strengthen existing hairs and promote hair growth. We are so sure you’ll love our products that we stand behind them with a money-back, satisfaction guarantee! Our products are also free of toxins, known carcinogens, and hormone disruptors, and they also support your overall restorative wellness.  

Stay cool in your alternative hair this summer!

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Who else is feeling the summer heat? 

For those of us who have long hair, it’s easy to pull it up into an updo. But what about us who wear alternative hair, like wigs or hair pieces? How do you make a wig feel cooler? How do you wear your wig in an updo?

Well, that’s what we’re here for at Strut! Let’s get you glammed up for summer.

First, let’s look at the difference between synthetic and human hair pieces. 

This is a pretty big factor when it comes to staying cool in the heat. Synthetic fibers are made from plastic, and while the wefts inside of the wig cap are breathable, the material itself doesn’t lend to a cool feeling. Human hair wigs and hair pieces are, just like our own hair, a 100% natural fiber. Plus, most of our human hair wigs and hair pieces are actually hand tied. This means that someone legitimately tied every single strand of hair on the cap, which makes the cap extremely breathable. 

If you choose to go with a synthetic hair piece or wig during the summer, we always recommend shorter styles, as they keep any heat off your neck. 

Also, when it comes to staying cool in synthetic wigs…don’t forget that synthetic pieces never lose their style! This means that if they get wet, they go back to their original style as soon as they dry. Do you know where we’re going with this?

That’s right–take a spray bottle and spray your head if you’d like! If that keeps you cool in scorching weather, don’t fear for your hairstyle! It’ll go right back to its original ‘do.

Note that this would work for human hair pieces too, but they’re NOT like synthetic pieces, so they won’t go back to their original style after (just like our own natural hair). You’ll need to restyle just a bit.

Lastly, let’s take a look at some ways to put our wigs and hair pieces in updos!

Here are a few tips to consider first:

1. Use WIG-friendly hair products. 

We always recommend using styling products that were specifically made for synthetic hair on your synthetic pieces, and ones made for human hair pieces on those. 

Here are some of our favorites:

2. Don’t forget to style your wig using a styling head, a styrofoam head, or securely on your head.

3. Use hair tools specifically for synthetic wigs when you style synthetic pieces.

Because the hair fibers are made of an ultra-thin plastic, the styling process must be more delicate than on your own hair. 

We love using these styling tools:

4. Style your wig LOOSELY!

Because what you’ll be styling is not attached to your scalp like your natural hair is. Make sure you don’t tug too much on your piece. Also, because there’s a wig cap underneath the hair, always make sure your styles hide the edges of the cap. 

It all comes down to what type of hair piece you’re wearing (a wig or extensions), and the length. 

If you’re wearing a short wig, you can: 
  1. Pull the sides back with bobby pins or decorative clips.
  2. Take a center section from the front of the wig and create some top volume.
If you’re wearing a long wig, you can: 
  1. Put it into a low ponytail
  2. Pull it up into a half updo
  3. Secure the edges with bobby pins or decorative clips
If you’re wearing extensions: 
  1. Put your hair into any updo you’d like! Just, as mentioned above, don’t forget to pull it loosely when styling to a.) protect your scalp from too much pulling and to b.) make sure the extension wefts remain hidden so they look completely natural. 

We wish you the best of luck styling your alternative hair! 

Much love,

The Strut Team 

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