When I first noticed my hair was shedding wildly at the age of 38, I did not expect that perimenopause hair loss would be to blame.
The combination of my symptoms, however – a loss of my periods, hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, severe, and new anxiety – soon led me to the doctor, where she somberly announced that my labwork resembled that of a fully menopausal woman.
“It’s like you’re not just going through the change, but you’ve passed over the threshold,” she whispered.
That was a fun day, but I was also glad to have some answers. Perimenopause hair loss can be a real symptom, but hair loss can also be a symptom of other serious health conditions, so if you are experiencing new or worsening hair loss, be sure your first step is to schedule a visit with a primary doctor or a dermatologist. They can help assess the hair loss, do testing, and rule out some potentially treatable causes.
In my case, my doctors and I surmised that my hair loss was caused, in part, by perimenopause and further exacerbated by stress and some weight loss I had undergone. For a long time, however, I didn’t know what was causing my hair loss, and the entire experience was extremely stressful and terrifying.
If I’m being honest with you, it consumed my life. I was constantly watching videos and falling down Reddit holes, imagining my life half-bald. To this day, my algorithm still feeds me reels about wearing wigs.
What Does Perimenopause Hair Loss Look Like?
Everyone is different, of course, but the first symptom of my perimenopause hair loss looked like extreme shedding. Where I would once lose a few strands in the shower or notice some hair on my brush, I was losing handfuls of hair basically any time I touched it.
All my clothes were constantly coated in tons of hair, which was unusual for me. Running my fingers through my hair would result in a fistful of hair falling out. I then developed circular bald patches along my part and had lots of thinning on the front hairline and sides. (You could see my scalp when I had my hair in a ponytail or pulled back.)
This all happened over a period of about six months, and I was terrified the entire time. I did visit several doctors to try to get some help, and because perimenopause was my root cause, starting hormone therapy was my first course of action.
With any type of hair loss, knowing what’s causing it is the first step to treatment, so again, it’s very important to see a doctor. My doctor was also able to guide me to some evidence-based, at-home solutions and products, and I’m thrilled to report they do seem to be working. I no longer have bald patches and I have small “peacock” hairs sprouting up everywhere that my kids make fun of.
Along with seeing a doctor, here’s what has helped my perimenopause hair loss.
Nutrafol
Starting at
$83
from
Again, I want to stress that it’s important to talk to a doctor about your hair loss and before starting any type of supplement or medication, but my dermatologist recommended that I start taking Nutrafol. Unlike the four tablets daily recommended by the company, however, he told me I could take just one pill per day.
Taking one pill daily is so much easier and cheaper, and I have noticed a true difference in my hair growth. I do the Subscribe and Save on Amazon because it’s the cheapest option, and that way, I never run out. I still take Nutrafol every night, right after I eat dinner. (It’s recommended to take it with food.)
Minoxidil
$20
from
When you go down the perimenopause hair loss rabbit hole, you will find a whole lot of people trying to sell magical hair growth products. Let me save you some time, energy, and money: The only true proven hair regrowth treatment that exists is minoxidil. Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine, but it’s available over-the-counter for anyone – women included – to purchase.
Again, I am going to urge you to talk to a doctor before starting minoxidil because even though it’s OTC, it can have some risks, especially if you have any heart or blood pressure problems, so get cleared before you try it.
I started minoxidil at the recommendation of my dermatologist, and he was very clear that even though “women’s” formulas are marketed at 2% concentration, I should use the men’s 5% only. The 2%, he claimed, is worthless, and the 5% has countless studies to back it up.
During the height of my hair loss, I applied the minoxidil at night along my part, front hairline, and back of my head and rubbed it in. Now that my hair is growing back, I have discontinued the use, but for certain types of hair loss, you will need to continually use minoxidil or your hair will fall out again. Check with your doctor for how long you should use it.
Derma Roller
Derma rolling is also a proven effective remedy for some types of hair loss. It helps increase the blood flow to the hair follicles, encouraging growth. It’s also inexpensive and easy to do at home, so I picked up a $7 derma roller from Amazon and added a twice-weekly derma-rolling routine to my scalp.
Alcohol Spray
Derma rolling involves finely puncturing your skin, so it’s also very important to keep the needles clean and sanitized. It’s recommended to spray the derma roller with alcohol after each use to keep it germ-free, so I added this easy alcohol spray bottle to my cart with my derma roller to make it simple to remember.
Scalp Massager
Regular scalp massage also has been proven to be associated with hair growth, so I picked up a scalp massager to keep in my shower and use it every time I’m lathering up. The key to scalp massage for hair growth is that you have to do it a lot, so keep that in mind, but I figured any bit would help.
Scalp massagers are also very inexpensive and, as a bonus, feel like a luxurious treat to use, so it’s self-care no matter which way you look at it.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy has been studied and shown to have a positive impact on hair growth. There are fancy red light hair hats and brushes you can buy, but I figured if I was going to invest in red light therapy, I wanted something I could also use on my face, so I chose to buy a red light therapy mask.
I chose this one because it was highly rated on Amazon and more affordable than a lot of the other options. I use it regularly on my face and just strap it onto my scalp on other nights while I read in bed. This is my disclaimer that I cannot tell you if that is doctor-recommended or even effective, but that’s personally what I do, and my hair is regrowing, so hey – I can believe it’s doing something, right?
Cute and Colorful Headbands
Last but not least, I want to express that hair loss is something that is deeply hard to experience. I had no idea how hard it would be until I faced it, and at times, I was embarrassed by how devastating it was for me. It’s just hair, right? There are people with far bigger problems in the world!
But still, there is something about hair loss that can be profoundly emotional. I have two family members who are cancer survivors, and both swore to me that the hair loss was somehow harder than the cancer itself, so I guess what I’m saying is, if you’re dealing with hair loss, however you feel about it is valid.
For some people, solutions and products will help, and I encourage you to talk to a doctor until you find someone willing to work with you. In the meantime, what helped me on hard days was finding products to hide my hair or at least make me feel more comfortable. I avoided looking in mirrors, wore a lot of baseball caps, and picked up these wide headbands for the days I just couldn’t deal.
I still keep the headbands in my bags for “bad” hair days, and it’s a great reminder to be thankful for the hair I do have and the fact that no matter what you’re currently walking through, there is always a tool or solution that can help.
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