Is "menopause hair" a thing?

[StalkedByACat]

I used to have easy-to-tame, straight-ish with a very slight wave, hair. For years I have worn it in a short-to-medium bob which I had cut every 3 months or so. Any random shampoo would do and a simple blow-dry with a round brush would make it presentable.

Now I'm 50, have gradually noticed that no matter how carefully I blow dry, within half-an-hour the hair gets simultaneously unflatteringly flat/thin-looking in some areas, yet with weird unflattering waves in other areas. Also it is more greasy at the roots but more frizzy elsewhere. Yesterday evening we took a family selfie at the end of a day out and I was somewhat horrified by my generally haggard appearance, of which the worst was my flat-yet-wavy-yet-frizzy hair.

Are there any magic products or a better hair-care regime?

Generally hair can thin out and get dryer due to menopause.
I know mine def did! You might just need to experiment to see what works.

I used to get away with any old shampoo/conditioner and got away with washing once a week coz my hair didnt really get that greasy. Now its even dryer though!
I still wash about once a week but now use a moisturising shampoo, a hair mask for about 10 minutes and finish with a leave in conbditioner.
I think Ive managed to maintain the same level of rats nest on my head I had before.😆

Menopause hair is definitely a thing.

Mine is thinning. You can see my scalp through it.
What to do? Not sure, try a few different shampoos and or conditioners.
Get a wig?
Invest in many hats?
I've gone for noticing and just not caring enough.

Mine did but it is also thyroid related. Have you had your thyroid checked?

Mine sheds everywhere like a cat. I used to have a to wash it everyday due to greasiness, now it’s 2-3 times a week. The split ends are like a crown now but I have always had long hair and I don’t want to cut it short. I use the Pantene menopausal hair mask once a week and straighten if I’m trying to impress. I used to have iron straight hair, now it’s full of random kinks and the odd section that is full on wavy. It’s bonkers.

Haven't even thought about my thyroid!

And yes to the increased shedding!

I've never been one to care much about appearance, but this deteriorating hair behaviour is starting to get me down. The greasy/frizzy/wavy sensation actually feels irritating on my head, don't know how else to describe it, so I find myself constantly fiddling with my hair/scalp. Which is probably making things worse!

I will google for this Pantene menopausal hair mask.

I'm like the OP. Poker straight hair for the last 50 years, now I have a wavy bit on my left hand side. Not a good look when you have a sharp bob 😔 my hairdresser says it's probably caused by the menopause!

Yes, it's a thing. Ask me how I know...

I'm considering letting my hair grow longer, so I can tie it up tightly and not have to look at the wavy/flat greasy random bits!

I didn't know Pantene did a range for menopausal hair (didn't know anyone did tbh!) Is it any good, SBFC?

I menopaused over 10 years ago, and my hair was okay apart from it sheds every autumn. (Weird! Comes out by the brushful, then by late winter it stops and gradually goes back to normal.)

But in the last two months it's turned into a crinkly fright wig, and not just at the ends. It's so dry I can pour neat argan oil on it and it barely makes a difference.

So, following something I read on the internet 😃I'm going to try replacing my expensive hair brands with a sulphate-free shampoo, alternating with a silicone/silicone-free mask. With dry/coloured hair apparently it's best to limit the use of silicones, rather than go cold turkey. Every so often you're supposed to use a 'clarifying' shampoo to get rid of any silicone residue.

Hope this helps OP, and good luck to us all!!

My hair was the thing that always allowed me to get away with those ‘ugly’ days. I could kind of hide behind it/let it be the exhibitionist whenever I wasn’t looking or feeling my best.
Now my hair IS the ugly day… and both my face and my hair now fight over whose turn it is to hide.

Taking notes from posters!

Mine is ridiculously greasy now when it wasn't before.

I use paraben and sulphate free shampoo,no conditioner and Fairy liquid monthly to keep it under control.

I'm 46 and my hair has definitely thinned substantially. Like the other poster said you can see my scalp as my hair is very blonde.

Advice I've been given is sulphate free shampoo, scalp scrub, avoid dry shampoo if you can. Clarifying shampoo once a week.

Sorry but this really made me laugh 😬😂

I also have menopausal hair 😢

Yes my meno hair is a mess. I've gone from long smooth shiny hair to dry, brittle, frizzy at the back and thinning.

I've just booked a gp appointment to get blood tests. Pretty sure I'm low on vit D and iron which can cause hair thinning, but it's probably just crap meno thinning hair. Also want to get thyroid checked out.

Have also just purchased some sulphate free shampoo and conditioner after reading this thread. I got this with matching conditioner.

amzn.eu/d/1XNvuH8

For 3.95 I'll give it a try too. It's coming Wednesday so I'll update on Thursday.

My shampoo is coming Wednesday too. The conditioner is coming Thursday.

It's cheap enough even if it isn't any good.

HRT appears to have reversed my thinning menopause hair 🤞

Revolution Beauty do a ceremide shampoo, conditioner and hair mask that have turned my menopause hair from a frizzy untamable mess into something much more manageable for not much money.

Revolution Haircare 5 Ceramides + Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Lock Shampoo it's called. I can't do links lol

Mine went really frizzy during peri. I got fed up and shaved it off. Stuck with a number 2 ever since. Best decision I've ever made 😊

Hair becoming curly/wavier during menopause is quite common, maybe you could embrace it? Try investigating some of the 'curly girl' hair methods.

Be careful - tight pony tails etc can damage the hair and increase hair loss.
I'm peri, have started going grey and the texture of my hair is changing. I've embraced my wavy curls for the last couple of years, mostly to give my hair a break from heat, to try to improve its condition.

If I had actual wavy curls, I might be tempted to just embrace them. It's the sad combination of flat areas, frizzy-standing-out bits, patches that curl inward, patches that curl outward (making parts of my head look like they've caved in)... plus added limp greasiness. Honestly, I don't remember being this greasy in my teens!

I'm not even slightly bothered about starting to go grey - I've never coloured my hair and won't be starting now, it's the bizarre shapes/texture and the difficulty in managing the hair that are upsetting me

Ha, I always had sleek, flat hair, a glossy auburn, worked in a swishy bob, worked in a funky short bob, hairdressers referred to it as 'quality hair'... Did I appreciate it? Did I fu...

Then my menopause was heralded by frontal fibrosis alopecia (where the front inch or two recedes), but the back remains thick and bushy and wide and dry (despite being greasy at the roots) - the old Triangle of Doom shape.

I'm currently trying Aussie Moisture Something shampoo, then Garnier coconut hair food liberally through as a conditioner (not on the scalp), then Extraordinary Oil after (ditto) - more than I think I need - it's quite a psychological adjustment to be ladling oil into it after a lifetime of greasy hair! And 99% of the time, I twist it up into a sort of French pleat.

And I'm looking for a new hairdresser as my current one doesn't even look at my hair before washing it, wants to use straighteners on it though I rarely do, and the 'consultation' goes thus - Me: 'Can you sort of blend the fringe with longer lengths down into the sides?' Hairdresser: 'Yes.' [gives me a short, ruler-straight fringe so I look like the lead singer of The Vapors...] 💇‍♀️😭

Tried it, hair feels thicker, less scalp on show. However I'm not keen on the smell or the way my hair feels, sort of a rough smoothness. Very difficult to explain.
But each to their own. It's not exactly a huge expense if you wanted to give it a try. It does what it says, not the company's fault I dont much like it.