Clean Beauty Founder

Menopause hair? Here’s how to boost thinning strands

Menopause hair, don’t care! With the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels, the effects of androgens, or male hormones, increase. This can mean hair grows slower, follicles shrink, hair often weakens and often thins. Hydration and a big dose of hair love is everything for you right now! Here are seven tips to make this transitional period as beautiful as you are.

WHY DOES MENOPAUSE DO THIS TO MY HAIR?

To answer this question, we spoke with our very own brand health goddess, Carolyn Krieg, DO, a physician at Parsley Health. She’s also my sister and an expert on menopause and explains why our hair tends to thin during this time in our lives. 

“In addition to the declining and fluctuating hormone levels that start during perimenopause and the potential for increased androgens, factors such as high stress, thyroid hormone imbalance, insulin resistance and low iron can also be at the root cause of thinning hair. Unfortunately there is a higher incidence of these conditions as women reach menopause.”

Unlike pregnancy, menopause hair doesn’t have a nine month time limit. This transition can last four to five years or more. That’s a long time NOT to be in love with your hair!

OUR TIPS FOR MENOPAUSE HAIR + HEALTH

  1. NOURISH YOUR BODY

    High quality protein and iron-rich foods such as grass-fed beef, sardines, and spinach deliver important nutrients. Essential fatty acids are important for hormone balance as well as healthy hair. Learn to love fish high in omega-3s, such as salmon, or supplement daily with a high quality fish oil or flax seed oil. You may want to supplement with herbs that support hormone balance like chaste tree, ashwaganda, or black cohosh. Also, minimize inflammatory foods like sugar, dairy, simple carbohydrates and processed foods.

  2. MAKE RELAXATION ROUTINE

    Start a relaxation practice if you don’t already have one. Stress is the most common cause of hair loss. And make self care a focus, right now! 

  3. BALANCE YOURSELF!

    See a practitioner that specializes in hormone balance, and talk to your doctor about testing to make sure you don’t have a thyroid disorder, insulin resistance or iron deficiency. 

  4. LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE TO TOXINS

    We know avoiding daily exposure to harmful chemicals is nearly impossible. But minimizing your exposure will decrease your toxic load and reduce the effect of toxins on your health and hormone balance. Carolyn adds “I always recommend using only natural, toxin-free personal care products. Toxins are easily absorbed through our skin — 27 seconds from bottle to bloodstream!”

  5. PRACTICE “LESS IS MORE” WITH MENOPAUSE HAIR CARE

    Combat shedding and thinner follicles by choosing cleansing, conditioning and styling products that won’t weigh down your strands. And keep your self care hair routine simple (reduce your time under the blow dryer and with heat tools); this is indeed a time where less is definitely so much more! It might even be a great time for a new haircut, as less weight will add more body.

  6. USE LESS DAMAGING HAIR COLOR

    Now is the time to consider using more gentle hair color, or giving it up entirely. The easiest way is to steer clear from over-processing, use only organic hair color and go longer in between color services. If you’re still not comfortable with those peekaboo greys, camouflage them with semi permanent hair color instead of permanent (you’ll avoid that telltale banding at the root, too!) 

  7. FIND A STYLIST THAT “GETS” MENOPAUSE HAIR

    This might be a good time to go shopping for a new hairstylist if your current one isn’t hitting all the targets! I suggest finding a stylist that understands how to best serve your hair during each stage of your life. As many stylists offer free consults, you have nothing to lose as you search for an artist that truly understands your hair. 

Clean Beauty Founder

HAPPY, HEALTHY HAIR IS A JOURNEY

Like life, healthy hair is a journey. We hope our series on Hormones and Hair has enlightened and informed you, regardless of what stage of life you’re in right now! Do you have any tips to share from your own experience with menopause hair? I’d love to hear them! See my own product suggestions below. Wishing you lots and lots of hair love ~ Joanne Starkman, Founder, Innersense Organic Beauty


OUR CLEAN BEAUTY PICKS FOR MENOPAUSE HAIR

This is the time in your life to shine! Here’s our clean beauty recommendations to help the transition.

Clean Beauty Hair OilHARMONIC HEALING OIL

The ideal go-to for menopausal hair, skin and scalp. Use it to nourish frazzled ends, calm flyaways, as a nourishing nighttime under eye treatment, makeup primer, and even to soothe dry cuticles, heels and elbows. TIP: Try Harmonic Healing Oil on fragile neck skin, too!

Clean Beauty Mousse

I CREATE LIFT VOLUMIZING FOAM

Does your hair feel like it’s shedding more than usual? Incorporate lighter, clean hair care stylers to avoid excess product weight and more shedding. I Create Lift Volumizing Foam is a lightweight foam for smooth styles or coils and curls. TIP: Skip the heat! Rake I Create Lift through damp hair and let air dry for weightless, touchable texture.

SWEET SPIRIT LEAVE IN CONDITIONER 

If your conditioner feels too heavy on your changing hair, skip it and try our leave in on its own. This lightweight conditioner detangles and adds just the right touch of moisture! TIP: You might find you need to wash your hair less during perimenopause and menopause; spritz Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner in second and third day hair to bring bounce and style back to your hair.

Clean Beauty Hair SprayI CREATE FINISH

Our “workable” hairspray can hold your style at the level your hair wants, never too much or too little, it’s all in your control. TIP: Spritz I Create Finish on a small, clean makeup brush (or spoolie) to tame flyaways at the hairline; this allows you complete control and can tame even the babiest of hairs!

7 Comments

  • Liz says:

    this is a great information like me who had en early menopausal due to tumor, my doctor suggest for total hysterectomy to avoid cancer, pls continue to enlightens me or people like who struggles daily due to dryness, most especially hair care.
    be waiting on the next feature 🙋🏻

  • Ginger Crouch says:

    What about cleansers and conditioners, deep conditioners, etc

  • Lila J Ryder says:

    My hair is dry thin and curly. I use I Create Volume and Hydrating Cream Hair Bath. I used the Harmonic Healing Oil on my hair as directed and it is too oily.

    I have a lot of stress right now, hair has thinned. I brush it every night but do not know if the hair brush is too harsh. Any advice you can provide would be helpful. Have used coconut oil but it seems to heavy.

    Please advise.

  • You write: “Unlike pregnancy, menopause hair doesn’t have a nine month time limit. This transition can last four to five years or more. That’s a long time NOT to be in love with your hair!”

    I’m unclear what this means. Are you referring to peri-menopause, which ends? Or, are you saying that there will be a four to give year transition post menopause. I’m in year four or five and assumed I was/am stuck with this thinning, frizzing hair. Are you saying it’s temporary?

    Thank you.

    • Innersense Tribe says:

      Hi there! We are just saying that it is different for every person and can last for different lengths of time. 🙂

  • Lara says:

    Thanks for sharing the tips on thinning hair during menopause. Great article very few writes about it.

  • Jim Walton says:

    I completely agree with the fact that menopause could cause hair thinning. Hormonal imbalance is another characteristic of menopause.
    Thus, a person suffering from the negative impacts of menopause should be aware of the factors which should be taken into consideration to live a healthy life.
    Routine physical exercise and a balanced diet could be very effective against different types of health-related disorders.

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