Did you lose hair?

[Tailfeather]

I'm 47 and this year I've lost about 50% of my hair. I'm so upset and embarrassed of it. I don't know if it's hormonal or something else. Did you lose hair during the menopause and, if so, did anything help and did it thicken up again?

I'm lucky enough to have 'sailed through' (as some would say) the menopause. The only vaguely irritating issues I had were hot flushes, which were ameliorated by taking Black Cohosh supplements. I didn't have any hair loss (and still don't, now in my mid-60s)

I'm 3 year's post menopausal and yes my hair is getting thinner.

I haven't lost any hair but I'm still on a good level of HRT so it might be that

Mine is definitely thinning. I started out with loads but i can see scalp through it now. Just starting collagen supplements in the hope they’ll do something.

I lost loads and I really feel for you! I started HRT and it all came back and is still going strong 5 years later.
Apparently oestrogen 'feeds hair' (must have read that somewhere). So I hope that is an option for you if you choose it.

No, but I have friends that definitely have and they’re distraught over it. A couple are using minoxidil.

I've heard both ways, some get thinner hair and some get thicker coarse hair.

Yes, I had awful shedding afer Covid and my hair remained thin after that. I tried using regain, staring the combined pill (in leiu of hrt) and neither helped. Then I read that it could also be due to heavy periods causing low iron levels (I'm vegetarian/ vegan so suspected my iron intake might be low). I take ferrous fumarate 210mg once a day (most days) and it has improved.

It may be genetic, OP. Both my parents had thick hair to a ripe old age, so I do as well. Hair naturally thins with age, but 50% loss at your age is unusual.
Have you tried progesterone cream? That can help with hormone related hair loss.

Yes, I’m 50 and my hair has definitely thinned. I tie it all back now because it looks so lank when it is down.

Mine is less thick than it was but there is still a lot of it. 40% hair loss is quite extreme and yo should probably have thyroid hormone, vitamin, iron levels and so on checked.

I lost loads, at about 20 pc loss I had a weave. It's growing back now, having got my nutrition right

I've lost lots of hair... it's very upsetting. I always had a great head of hair and now you can see my scalp through it at the front. I'm on HRT to control other symptoms and one of the side effects is hair loss 🙈

Yes I did, but HRT has helped it massively. So much thicker.

I had very thick hair, I'd estimate I've lost about 25% and I'm late 40s on HRT. Mine is wavy so less easy to see but my ponytail is smaller and I can see my scalp more easily.

Yes I've lost about 20% of it unfortunately.

My hair has got a lot thinner and falls out all the time, it is very upsetting. Been through breast cancer so can't do HRT, seriously considering extensions not for length but for volume.

There's all sorts of hair pieces you can get now too if you don't want extensions, as they will further damage thin hair. I wear a halo hairpiece when I want thicker hair

Thank you, very helpful, I will look into Halo.

Can highly recommend, that's why I went for a weave. About two inches longer than my hair. After six months my hair was longer so I got a longer one etc. only for the thickness.

I have just had a look at Halo website and there is quite a lot on offer and don't know where to start. Would be very grateful if you could please advise what you have and would recommend, thank you.

Hair toppers are great and can be either attached like extensions, or clip in. One great benefit is they disguise your scalp, yet without the weight of a full wig

Yep, I shed loads. HRT has helped slow this down, but minoxidil is what has helped re-grow it. There are "women's" versions, but I just use the men's once a day.

My hair has become brittle and has thinned.
I’m one week into using Waterman’s shampoo and conditioner to see if that helps but I think it’s a 3 month wait to see if it’s working.

I lost about 25% a couple of months after having a Mirena fitted. The Mirena has been great otherwise so I've kept it. I've just had a topper made which was expensive but looks good. Better than my original hair which had changed texture since entering perimenopause.