Perimenopause and hair loss

[Wimpling]

Looking for help from those wiser and further down this path... I’m 46 and have been losing hair for the last 2 years. At the same time my cycle has gone from a regular 31 days down to an average of 23 (varies between 17 days and 28 days). I’ve had tests for various things, all fine except ferritin which was 15. After 6 months of ferrous fumarate, it’s now 70 (I know it should be about 100).

In the last 3 months, the hair loss has increased dramatically. Think handfuls coming out in the shower! I had very thick hair but now it’s thin all over the top of my head, scalp showing all over with a noticeable bald patch near the crown. And today my period started and I realised I’d missed one last month - the first one I’ve missed, so perhaps related to the accelerated hair loss?

I’ve tried Rogaine 5% for 5 months and Plantur 39 shampoo with no effect. Now back on the Rogaine and trying Viviscal along with the ferrous fumarate.

It’s really getting me down - I don’t want to go bald! - and I could use some advice on my options. I asked about oral minoxidil and my GP has referred me to Dermatology but the wait is ages. What else can I do? I could find a private Derm appointment, but would they know about perimenopause-related issues? Should I be asking about HRT - would that counter the hair loss (supposing it’s even available!!). Should I just accept the inevitable and look at wigs?

Sorry this is long - I know that it’s not a big thing in the whole health scheme of things but it makes me feel shit (think nightmares about clumps falling out, and bald patches growing!).

Anyone - pleeease??!

I was in the same boat 2 years ago at 41. I had thick hair too and now is thinner and I lost a lot of my hair too. I am on hrt, it helps but not so much with the hair, I just accepted it and try not to think so much about.

Wimpling i can only sympathise with you, i am well post meno, but started losing my hair about 18 months ago, but not terribly
Fast forward to this time last year, lost a bit more but again not dreadful, fast forward again to now,almost bald at the back, but from the crown down from one side to the other
I have thought about Regaine, but i believe it does take a few months to show any results,
I am using Plantur 39, and still losing hair,also taking viviscal, plus zinc, Biotin, which has made a big difference to the remaing hair, but no new hair,lengthwise it is growing almost overnight, but thats all,
I am going to see a dermatologist this afternoon, who is actually a Dr at my surgery
I have tried the Roots system from Boots or superdrug, good reviews but, i think it depends on why you are losing your hair
Might be worth a try, but i gave up,
Mine got much worse after my Dr gave me some HRT with the worst progesterone in it, also my daughter was given it,her hair is falling too
Are you taking anything with Norethisterone in it?
If you go on HRT please avoid anything with this in it,
It does sound to me that your hair loss is hormonal,
I would have another word with your Dr
Have you had a look on the menopause matters website,
Lots of good info on there

PS I meant to ask what you meant by oral minoxidil, never heard of that
I think there is something women can take called Spiro something?

Get your vitamin D and ferritin levels checked. Deficiencies and low ends of 'normal' ranges can cause thus, especially in combination with menopause.

I’m not a doc but I’ve read that lack of b12 is a factor in hair loss. I’m 48 on evorel sequin and hair loss was one of the reasons. Not sure it’s helping hair loss but def helped my mood. I’m taking iron and now b12.

In addition to hair loss, I lost most of my eyebrows. This seems to be quite common.

Anyway, in June (and to cut the story short) I started eating an avocado everyday and a side effect I have recently noticed is that my eyebrows and eyelashes have drastically improved eg one eyebrow has gone from 13 hairs to having too many hairs to count. I am hoping that I am going to see an improvement with the hair on my head before too long, fingers crossed,

Newgirls Evoral Conti made my hair loss 10x worse, also my daughters, she was only on it for 3 weeks,i was on it for 4 when mine came out by the handful,and still falling but not as much
I am taking B12 amongst other supplements, but saw a Dermatologist on monday and he said my hair loss is Telogen Effluvium,and should grow back,but when and how long is the question

Princess - im on sequi not conti so that might be different.

But I’m keeping an eye on it. That sounds very alarming! I already eat quite a lot of Avos.

Anyone else on evorel sequi having hair loss?

Following as in same boat!

I'm 45 and not menopausal yet, I don't think, but have noticed hair loss around my temples and parting for a few years now. All my blood tests came back fine, apart from Vit D which has always been low - apparently that can be linked to hairloss so I'm supplementing that, along with Boots Hair, Skin, Nails.

I tried Viviscal and Nourkrin but have to admit they made absolutely zero difference, sorry. Some people swear by Nioxin shampoo/conditioner but I found it dried my hair out quite badly, so now i focus on keeping all my hair in the best condition possible and encouraging volume.

The dermatologist i saw last week said he is seeing a lot of women on HRT with hair loss, and it is down to fluctuating hormones
My daughters hair has gone very thin and she had very thick long hair, he has told her it wont be back to normal until Easter,she's worried to death she will lose even more,he said for every one she loses another will grow it's a cycle
I am going to have to get a hairpiece for now i think or i wont be going anywhere at Christmas,it is very depressing

Yes that does sound depressing

Did you find your dermatoligist via your gp? I’ve no idea how to go about this.

Newgirls yes as it happens one of the GPs at my surgery is a dermatologist, but saw 3 Drs before him and no one told me,it was a receptionist who told me
I would ask your own Dr,and it was free

Thank you I’m going to ask x

My hair has been thinning for quite some time. I'm 50 but not had the menopause yet. I had high hopes for HRT last earlier this year but it made it fall out even more! I was so disappointed. Stopped it as soon as I realised, about three weeks in.

I worry about it all the time. Have been taking ferritin for years as if I stop, my body just doesn't hold on to it. I'm aiming to get to at least 100 of whatever the measurement is. Started at 11, now up to 70 something.

Tried Plantur 39 but left my hair in dreadful condition and so tangled that I was pulling more hair out in every attempt to de-tangle it. Now trying the Roots system. Have been using it for about a month, certainly no difference yet.

AM looking into scalp tattooing to disguise the thinnest areas.

OP, are you dying your hair? I stopped dying a year ago and my hair in the first 3 months became incredibly thick with no discernible shedding in the shower, whereas whilst dyed it was clogging the drain each shampoo.
There's a knowledgeable and supportive FB group called Gray and Proud where members constantly reported the same thing - that they had no idea dye was thinning their hair until they stopped.
Some took pre-natal vitamins, keratin and used castor oil mixed with coconut oil on their scalp to help it grow faster after cutting off the dyed parts. They reported some success with that too.

I colour my hair about every six weeks - agh I prob should stop

Gutted if the hrt is making it worse - it has transformed my sleep and mental clarity

I had high hopes of HRT making my hair thicker apparantly this can happen, But the total opposite for me!!

Newgirls any luck finding a dermatologist,i hope so?

IVE booked a gp appt for after half term - i wonder if they will refer me or just say ‘more iron’?

I'm glad you managed to find a dermatologist,is he NHS? mine pulled a couple of hairs out to see if it had a bulb[the root] then said I wouldn't go bald and it would grow back, he asked if I had been ill, I said no, but actually forgot I had shingles around the time my hair loss started, but I hadn't noticed it then
Please keep us updated when you have seen the dermatologist
It is not necessarily down to low iron
My iron has gone up ,but no hair growth

By the way Sequi has the same progesterone as Evoral Conti [Norethisterone]

Is it the progesterone that is linked to hair loss do you think?

I am wondering if my hair loss now is a result of needing hrt for about 2 years before I started. I had v poor sleep felt rough etc. But it might be due to hrt now! Who knows? Hopefully the gp or specialist will!

Yes definitely the progesterone in yours and my HRT ,I was told about this hair loss, then read about others on this kind of progesterone,and even told my Dr,he said all HRT says this,but the oestrogen will help hair growth
I wasn't happy when it happened to me after all,and he seemed shocked,i felt like saying i told you