I Am Not My Hair, But I Don’t Want it to Fall Out Either: A Menopause Hair Story
Hair Story is the book I wrote that launched my career as a hairstorian.
Let me just begin by saying, hair is my thing. And I mean that in a professional way. No, I’m not a hairstylist, I am an author.
Twenty years ago, I co-wrote a book called, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. As the title implies, Hair Story is a book that chronicles the history, politics, and culture of Black hair from 15th century Africa, to 21st century America. After the book came out in 2001, I continued to write articles, book chapters, and an updated version of Hair Story that was released in 2014. Because of my expertise in the Black hair space, I’ve given dozens of interviews and appeared in a bunch of documentaries where I am asked to share how and why hair is so meaningful to Black people. Because at the end of the day, hair really is meaningful to Black people. And it has been for hundreds of years, which is why what I’m about to share is particularly painful.
I’m losing my hair! (cue the violins). Yes, me, the woman whose career was literally built on Black hair, is losing her Black hair. Where I once I had a head full of thick, kinky hair that grew like a weed (once I stopped chemically relaxing it), it is now thinning, graying and making me very, very unhappy. Of course, I know now that the current (sad) state of my hair is most likely due to the bloody hell of perimenopause.
Why Does Menopause Make Hair Go Thin?
Even though I like to refer to myself as the Oprah of Menopause, it’s not because I’m a menopause expert. I’m just as clueless as the next woman watching her body betray her in the name of hormones and aging. But I am a trained journalist and a chronic problem solver, so I wanted to understand why, seemingly overnight, at age 48, my long thick dredlocks began to thin and my hair line seemed to start receding at age 50.
The short answer is, hormones. A more detailed answer comes from Healthline.com:
“Research suggests that hair loss during menopause is the result of a hormonal imbalance. Specifically, it’s related to a lowered production of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones help hair grow faster and stay on the head for longer periods of time. When the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, hair grows more slowly and becomes much thinner. A decrease in these hormones also triggers an increase in the production of androgens, or a group of male hormones. Androgens shrink hair follicles, resulting in hair loss on the head. In some cases, however, these hormones can cause more hair to grow on the face. This is why some menopausal women develop facial “peach fuzz” and small sprouts of hair on the chin.”
Just to recap, when women enter the menopausal journey and we start to produce less of the sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, it is very likely that we will notice less hair on our heads and more hair on our chins! That seems grossly unfair, does it not? And apparently, research suggests that hair thinning is not uncommon. I’ve seen statistics that say two-thirds of women across all racial and ethnic groups, experience hair thinning during perimenopause and after menopause.
And, one final note, fluctuating hormones are indeed the most common cause of hair thinning for women of a certain age, but it is possible that high levels of stress, certain medical conditions - like alopecia or a thyroid disorder - extreme dieting, certain medications, or having low levels of certain nutrients could be causing the problem as well. So, if you’re worried, be sure to check with your doctor to see if it’s something other than menopause causing your hair to thin.
I Shall Not Covet My Sister’s Hair
Watching my hair thinning because of menopause has been difficult, but I keep trying new styles to lessen the pain.
I am not a jealous person by nature. I actually learned in my early 20s that coveting thy neighbor’s wife, or whatever the Bible instructs one not to covet was really good advice. And I can honestly say that I don’t spend any of my emotional energy wishing I could have what other people have. Until now. This hair thinning thing has turned me into a green-eyed monster of envy, coveting the thick, long hair of women in their 40s and 50s. I find myself being hyper vigilant these days, looking at other women my age and wondering how they’ve managed to keep such thick, healthy hair. Is it genetics? Vitamins? A weave, maybe?
I asked my sister, who is three years older than me, with chemically straightened hair, how she’s managed to keep her hair so thick and long? I mean presumably we have the same genes, so we should have the same propensity to lose or maintain our hair. Right? Wrong. Just as you can have two brothers, one bald and one not, sisters don’t have to have the same DNA cocktail or the same experience with menopause. Everyone menopauses differently. (sigh).
But, my sister did admit that she’s been taking these supersonic Skin, Hair and Nails vitamins from Costco. Since I live in Spain now, and we don’t have a Costco in my region (yet), I decided to try some local hair vitamins. So far, I haven’t seen a difference. But I wanted to know if there really is something women can do to reverse the hair thinning process or at least slow it down.
How Do We Stop the Hair Thinning Process?
I am not doctor or any kind of medical expert, so take what I am about to say with a grain of salt. After doing a buttload of research and asking a lot of questions, I have come to the conclusion that there is no magic cure for menopausal hair thinning! It seems like hair thinning is just another part of the female aging process we have to accept. That being said, luckily menopause-related hair thinning does slow down over time. So, complete baldness is not the final chapter.
Newsflash, there is no magic vitamin for thinning hair due to menopause.
In the meantime, these are some suggestions that experts give that might help retard the hair thinning process and/or lessen the impact.
Eat a Healthy Diet - High in Protein and Healthy Nutrients
Exercise and Drink Water
Stop using harsh chemicals and heat on the hair and stop wearing hairstyles that put a lot of stress on the hair like tight ponytails, braids, or any type of hair extension.
Massage the scalp regularly to help stimulate hair growth.
Stop taking any drugs/medications that may be contributing to hair thinning (Obviously discuss this with your doctor first.)
Interestingly, I can’t find any legitimate medical source online that recommends taking those expensive Hair, Skin and Nails vitamins. And when I asked my doctor, she said, they couldn’t hurt, but there’s no real science that says they’ll help. I’m taking them because I am remaining forever hopeful.
Going to Extremes for Thicker Hair
Some women are opting for hair replacement surgery, where hair follicles from the back of the head are transplanted to thinning areas. This was a surgical procedure generally thought of to treat male pattern baldness, but more women are now opting for it. It tends to be quite expensive in the United States and insurance will not cover it. But hey, it is an option.
Other medical treatments for treating hair thinning gaining in popularity include laser treatments, blood plasma transfusions, and drug therapies. I’m not ready for any of those though. They just sound too invasive, costly and quite frankly, painful. Too painful when I could just get a wig, a scarf, or a hat to cover up my thinning hair. Or, I may just have to embrace the change and find the beauty in a super short, tiny Afro. I rocked that look once long ago in my 20s. I suppose I could do it again.
After all, I am not my hair. I just like to talk about it.
Stay tuned as I continue on with my learning to embrace my (thinning) hair journey. If I find a magic solution, I’ll be sure to share it here.
In the meantime, enjoy this live version of India Arie singing, I Am Not My Hair!