How to Help Your Mane Through Menopause

Menopause is called “the change” for good reason. If you’re 12 months after your last menstruation, your body is going through all kinds of changes – and so is your hair.  So if you’re having regular bad hair days, it could be your hormones.

Menopausal changes to your hair happen gradually as your estrogen levels drop. Estrogen is – or was – your hair’s best friend because it keeps your hair in its growth phase (anagen phase). Basically estrogen is responsible for growing healthy hair and keeping it on your head.

I know from my salon clients that menopause can be a challenging time. Don’t panic. There’s no need to shave your head or rush out and buy a wig. There are so many ways to help your mane through menopause. 

Menopausal hair is aging hair. At Arey, we specialize in products for aging hair. Our motto is that we are “the wrinkle cream of haircare”. We turned to science to create products that care for greying and aging hair. 

Here’s what we found to be the best ways to care for your aging hair while you are going through menopause.

How Menopause Changes Your Hair

Over 50 percent of women¹ are believed to suffer from menopause-related hair loss. So if you’re noticing a thinner ponytail, more shedding, and dry or brittle strands, then you are not alone. 

Not all the changes you might be seeing are down to hormones. Menopause and aging affect your hair growth, thickness, and texture in similar ways. It can be hard to see your hair losing its vitality. But with some lifestyle changes and anti-aging haircare, you can make a big difference to your hair health.

Here are some of the ways you can combat unwelcome changes to your hair.

Are You Struggling With Dry Hair?

This is the most common change in aging and menopausal hair.² Estrogen regulates your body’s natural moisturizer (sebum). Sebum keeps your skin, scalp, and hair hydrated and healthy. As estrogen levels drop, so do sebum levels. The result – dry, brittle, and frizzy hair. Your scalp might also feel dry and itchy. 

The good news is that dry hair can be helped in the following ways: 

• Avoid long hot showers: hot water dries out your scalp and hair.  

• Use mild, natural shampoos: look for gentle, sulfate-free products. Sulfates are detergents designed to cut through grease but they are too harsh for dry hair.

• Stay away from artificial fragrances: these can irritate dry scalp skin. 

• Review your hair color habits: home hair color exposes you to a lot more chemicals than salon color. It might be time to consider lowlights or semi-permanent color that is easier on dry hair. 

• Minimize heat-styling: switch it up and air dry when possible. Always use a conditioning heat protector like Mend to avoid heat damage and breakage. 

• Protect your hair with sunscreen: sunlight bleaches and dries your hair. Wear a hat and always use sunscreen for your hair.

• Treat your hair to a leave-in conditioner: leave-in conditioners coat your strands to repair split ends and prevent future damage.

 
It can be frustrating when your hair starts to change. It can also be an opportunity to make healthy choices that your aging hair will thank you for. 

Your Best Defense Against Menopause Hair Loss

Menopausal hair tends to be finer and more fragile. You may also notice more shedding during brushing or showering. You may have some receding at your hairline and temples but most women just notice an overall loss of volume.

A lack of nutrients plays a big role in hair changes at any age. Vitamin D and Iron are major hair-growth boosters. If your menopausal hair is thinning make sure to get your Vitamin D levels tested. Vitamin D acts more like a hormone than a vitamin when it comes to boosting hair growth and thickness.

Here are some steps you can take to help boost your hair growth and thickness: 

• Hormone therapy (HRT): this treatment for menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and brain fog may also help with menopausal hair loss.  

• Minoxidil: if your hair loss is severe, a dermatologist may prescribe minoxidil as a pill or topical solution.

• Vitamin supplements: hair loss is linked with many kinds of vitamin deficiencies including vitamin D, B12, Folate, and Iron. A hair-growth-boosting supplement can help support healthy hair growth.  

• Reduce your stress: stress can contribute to hair loss. Regular meditation lowers hair-damaging stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline by as much as 50 percent.

 

Age-related hair loss is usually related to hormonal changes or vitamin deficiencies but can also be caused by unrelated medical issues. Make sure to speak to your doctor if you notice significant hair loss or bald patches.  

 

Eat Your Way to Healthier Hair

Your hair health is a reflection of your overall health. A balanced, Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy lifestyle choice and a good defense against menopausal hair loss. 

The Mediterranean diet³  is a plant-forward way of eating that supports your body and hair with healthy fats and vegetables.

If you follow the Mediterranean Diet, you’ll eat:

✅ Leafy green vegetables, like kale and broccoli. 

✅ High-protein plants, like beans, lentils, and nuts.

✅ Whole grains, and ancient grains like spelt, and brown rice.

✅ Extra Virgin olive oil, for cooking and salads. 

✅ Fish, especially salmon and tuna.

✅ Cheese and live yogurt, in small amounts.

✅ Red wine, if you drink wine, red wine is the healthier choice. 

✅ Small portions of meat, poultry is healthier than red meat.

❌ Avoid sugar, especially processed, sugary foods and sodas.

❌ Stay away from unhealthy fats, especially fried and fast foods.

 

Another benefit of the Mediterranean diet is that it supports your gut health. An imbalanced gut has been linked with hair loss⁴ so good gut health = fuller, thicker hair. 

As a stylist, I know that your diet shows up in your hair. That’s why the first Arey product was our hair-health supplement Not Today, Grey. Not Today, Grey is a blend of vitamins and minerals necessary to grow thicker, fuller hair. It also helps slow grey hair growth and even repigment grey hair.

 

Life gets in the way so it’s not always possible to eat a perfect diet. An easy way to fill in any nutritional gaps is to take a supplement like Not Today, Grey that contains B6, Folic Acid, Biotin, and iron. These vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining and restoring growth in aging hair.

How Menopause Affects Your Scalp 

During peri-menopause and menopause, your scalp can become dry and itchy. This is a normal side-effect of your lower estrogen levels. Your scalp health is important to your hair health. Dryness and flaking can clog and irritate your hair follicles which impacts your hair’s thickness and length.

Here’s what hair experts and dermatologists⁵ recommend to keep your scalp and aging hair healthy during menopause: 

• Treat your scalp to a scrub: a scalp scrub clears away follicle-clogging debris. Arey’s Scrub also restores moisture and relieves itching from dry skin. It delivers effective peptides (hair strength-boosting proteins) to your roots.

• Use a gentle, moisturizing shampoo: look for a balanced treatment shampoo and conditioner like Wash and Smooth to restore weightless moisture and strength to your hair and scalp.

• Don’t shampoo every day: even a gentle shampoo can dry out your scalp if you use it too often. Try a clean dry shampoo like Wait A Sec to refresh your hair between washes.

 

Menopause can be tough physically and emotionally, so take time to be gentle with yourself and your changing body.

 

Arey Makes It Easy to Have Your Best Hair at All Life Stages

Menopause is a challenging time for your hair health. The good news is that there are lots of ways to support your aging hair, scalp, and overall health.

At Arey, we know that aging and menopausal hair needs targeted care. That’s why we designed our science-backed hair care system to deliver everything your aging hair needs. Our supplement, anti-aging shampoos, and scalp care can make a big difference to your hair health while you are going through menopause.

Your menopausal scalp is more vulnerable to chemicals so all Arey products are always free from potential irritants such as sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, and artificial fragrances. They are also vegan and cruelty-free.

We care about your hair health. That’s why we offer you a 25% discount on all subscriptions. We want you to stay on track with your hair goals. Because we know that science + consistency = results.

We are Arey.

Any questions? Check out our FAQs or email us at hey@areygrey.com.

 

---

---

REFERENCES:

1. best-haircare-products-menopausal-hair-loss
2. menopause-affects-skin-hair
3. clevelandclinic.org/health
4. citynaturopathic.ca/gut-health-and-hair-loss
5. heres-how-menopause-affects-your-skin-and-hair