Does the menopause make your hair go crap?

[Cinammoncake]

Perimenopause really. Hair is like straw, seems to have gone from fairly straight to quite wavy as well pretty much always looks crap and is just so dry. What should I do?

Mine started changing at 35. I use Superdrug’s pre shampoo elasticiser for precisely 20 minutes, then normal conditioner after washing, then leave in conditioner, then Tesco serum.

Yes, I think hormone levels do make a difference. Make sure you get a decent moisturising treatment like Olaplex at the hairdresser's.

Yes, in my experience. It’s one more crappy thing to add to the hormonal shitshow. Moisturise treatments and good diet help to an extent. I use a nourishing shampoo and occasional oil treatments - I massage Marula oil in, leave for a while then wash out.

Mine has gone from rod straight to totally curly.

Sadly, yes. Fortunately it is the only negative impact that I have had to deal with. My hair is much thinner than it used to be.

Mine is getting really fine. And I have fucking alopecia to start with - no fair!

Yes. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer and Plantur 39 shampoo are helping a bit.

Not necessarily Cinammoncake...my hair has always been very fine but thin (not a lot of hair), then since MP it has thickened heaps so I've had to learn how to cope with more hair and choose a style that I could never have in the past.

Even the hairdresser cutting my hair a few days ago commented on it and asked if I had done anything special, but the answer was 'no'. Just the usual shampoo and conditioner every second day or every day in really hot, humid weather.

It's still perfectly straight and shiny, just more hair in general so I'm really pleased. Just hope this continues and it proves everyone is different. ;-)

That's great windyrose glad it's not crap for everyone!

Thanks for all the tips and sorry to all you who are also suffering. Where do you get Marula Oil awkwardsquad and is there just one Tesco serum fluffycloudland ?

I've tried the Phillip Kingsley elasticiser and that did nothing for me. Going to try some of your tips and also I've been thinking about olaplex for a while so am going to give that a go.

It's amazing that hair changes from straight to curly isnt it treesandsea ! Do you do curly girl method? I don't know whether to try that because mine seems to be curly underneath and straight on top

Might reconsider my diet and water intake as well as my skin is also dry. What with that and the wrinkles and weight gain I do get days when I feel like not even bothering to make an effort. Oh the joys of menopause eh.

The Marula oil is The Ordinary brand but there are several different sorts of nourishing oils you can use, argan oil and jojoba for example, and you can get them in wholefood shops. I’ve also used a Josh Wood hair oil that I got in an advent calendar, and that was lovely.

I don’t remember to use them often enough though!

I use the marula oil on my face too. Feels v nice.

Thanks awkwardsquad

Mine is better post-menopause than it was in peri-menopause (doesn't fall out as much or go greasy within the day) but not as good as it used to be before I was anywhere near menopause.

Mine went as oily AF... then as a result of all the oil I developed seborrheic dermatitis which made my bastard hair fall out in clumps. It hasn’t really recovered. It’s now thin and shit.

TBF my hair has always been thin and shit, and now it’s even thinner and shitter

God yes. It’s like straw no matter what I use. Olaplex made no difference at all.

Perimenopause is hard enough isn't it, without the crap hair!

I have long hair. Even in perimenopause it was lovely and shiny. Now I can never make it shine. Its just like course, dull strands. It has also become wavy whereas it used to be pretty straight.

Mine is better - it was too greasy when I was younger, now drier in a good way so I don't have to wash so often.

So many grey ones though

Yes! Mine has gone straw like and frizzy - awful. Have been buying kerastase to combat it!

My hair awful now..noticeably so in the last 6 months. So many loose strands and like straw.

Mine has too. Started using Kerastase.
Got if from look fantastic on the internet

It's cheaper.
But my hair feels a lot better now. X

I have the worst combination of thin fine hair & menopause.

Found these 6 months ago and they are helping , got noticeable new growth.

www.vitabiotics.com/products/perfectil-hair-crush-gummies?variant=29084032794693&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H3ZTlAAWIQ9847hgG8Q7uzNZAjRduWtDJON2mydd2COebmhxHBCsC0aApVZEALw_wcB

It could be Peri but it could be other things. I thought I was peri but blood tests showed my thyroid was low as was my iron. My hair has definitely improved since both those issues have been sorted out but of course it’s taken a long time, a couple of years, for hair to show the improvement. Well mine does as it grows so slowly.

My hair went from waves to very dry, curly and frizzy. But now it's back to waves and much more manageable. Turned out I was anaemic, and using much gentler shampoo, using the cur,y girl method, helped my hair and scalp.