You may find that your ponytail no longer feels as full as it used to, or you may have noticed more hair on your hairbrush or on the shower floor.
Whatever the signs, it can be alarming to realize that your hair is thinning. For me, now 53 years old, it was a bit like finding my first gray hair – a terrible shock. I immediately wanted to do something about it.
The first thing you need to know is that it is completely normal. “Eighty percent of women will experience some form of hair loss by the time they are 50,” says dermatologist Dr. Ophelia Veraitch, one of the UK’s leading hair loss experts.
But why does it happen? “Fluctuating hormone levels, stress, using too much heat when styling, over-coloring the hair or having low iron levels,” she says.
The good news is that there are ways to slow the loss and even restore thickness and volume…
The dermatologist
‘Book a dermatologist rather than a trichologist if you have any concerns,’ says Dr Veraitch.
‘Dermatologists have at least twelve years of medical training and specialize in scalp, hair and skin, which not everyone realizes.
According to dermatologist Dr. Ophelia Veraitch, eighty percent of women will experience some form of hair loss by the time they are 50 (stock image)
‘A trichologist is someone who has taken a short course in scalp and hair and not necessarily medical training.’
For an accurate diagnosis, prescribed medications, and help with lifestyle changes, a dermatologist is the best choice.
The lifestyle changes
“The first thing to check is your thyroid function,” says Dr. Veraitch. ‘An underactive or overactive thyroid can cause hair loss, which will usually affect the entire scalp, rather than just in one spot. Your doctor can prescribe medication if necessary.’
Stress also makes hair loss worse. Eliminating sources of stress is easier said than done, but a yoga class or a luxurious evening bath can at least help alleviate them.
Other lifestyle changes that have worked for me include replacing tight elastic hair ties with silk or velvet hair scrunchies, and being much less rough with my hair when washing.
Stylist Zoe Irwin says that shampoo is mainly intended to clean the scalp and that it is really not necessary to use it on the hair.
The OTC solution
‘Recovery with minoxidil for women or for men (from £25.95, boots.com), works,’ says Dr Veraitch.
The downside is that it can initially cause more hair loss before it starts to improve things, as it essentially pushes out dormant hair to encourage new, stronger hair to grow.
Typically, you need to use it for four to eight months to see results.
For those who no longer want to experience hair loss, even if it is temporary, Dr. Veraitch a range of hair growth tonics (from £260, drophelia.com).
These contain melatonin and finasteride instead of minoxidil, which can be just as effective and do not cause further excretion.
The supplements
‘There are indications that iron, zinc and vitamins D and B can make a difference in hair loss. But they are needed in high doses,” says Dr. Veraitch.
If your iron levels are low, you can ask your doctor about starting iron medication.
You can also try an over-the-counter high-dose zinc tablet such as Viridian Balanced Zinc Complex (from £9, viridian-nutrition.com) – but take it at a different time of day to the iron: they lose their effectiveness if taken together.
Better You Vitamin D Oral Spray (from £9.45, betteryou.com) is a good over-the-counter option for vitamin D.
The adjustments
Two successful clinical treatments for hair growth are polynucleotide injections – a form of DNA derived from fish that can stimulate hair growth – and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) therapy.
PRF hair restoration uses growth factors from the patient’s own blood to stimulate hair regeneration.
Prices for polynucleotides start from £400 per treatment, while PRF therapy starts from £900 (drjoneydesouza.com).
The hair styling tips
The key is to be gentle with all hair styling. Celebrity hairstylist Luke Hersheson says, ‘If a client has thinning hair, I recommend keeping blow dryer use to a minimum. Let it air dry 80 percent and then blow dry it into shape at the end.’
Hersheson’s new Multitasker styler (£195, hershesons.com) looks like a hot brush, but uses thermal heat that’s kinder to hair than a hairdryer.
Hairdresser to the Princess of Wales, Richard Ward, told me that ‘long, heavy bangs work really well for fine hair and suit most people’.
“Long layers can also add body and bounce to thinning hair,” he says.
Sam McKnight’s Hair Cool Girl Superlift Volumising Spray (£26, sephora.co.uk)
The thickening spray
Investing in the right products can make the difference. Hair by Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl Superlift Volumising Spray (£26, sephora.co.uk) is one of the best products I’ve tried to boost fine, thinning hair. When used before blow-drying, hair looks thicker and blow-drying lasts longer.
Or try Absolute Collagen Hair Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner (£28 for both, absolutecollagen.com).
It made a difference to my thinning midlife hair after one wash, leaving it looking thicker, sleeker and really shiny. I highly recommend it.