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For me, middle age has brought several humiliations and many joys. But standing over a sink to count the number of hairs that had come out of my brush in a morning has to be one of the most unsettling aspects.
For the record, there were 201. And why did I count them? Because I searched online for ‘how to tell if your hair is falling out’ – and according to Dr Googlinganything over 100 strands was cause for concern.
To be honest, I already suspected that I was losing more hair than I should (we all lose a certain amount every day, and this could be anywhere from 50 to 100 strands).
Not only did my ponytail start to feel pitifully thin, but I also noticed some changes to my hairline, especially at the temples where you could see my scalp.
Since I’ve always taken a good head of hair for granted, it was a shock to realize how much I was losing. I panicked, desperate to find the cause of the loss and, more importantly, how to prevent it from getting worse.
Could it be my hormones? I’ve been on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for a few years, but recently added a testosterone cream to the mix, hoping it would boost my libido and mood.
Could this be causing the outflow? Not wanting to stop using the cream, I decided to reduce the dose, even though the menopause clinic that prescribed the cream assured me that it was unlikely to be the culprit.
Not only did Charlotte Kemp notice that her ponytail was starting to feel pitifully thin, but she also noticed some changes in her hairline, especially at the temples, where her scalp was visible.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how angry the hair loss would make me—or how susceptible it would make me to the flood of “miracle cures” touted on my social media feed. Once the algorithm figured me out – another menopausal woman with “scalp anxiety” – I was flooded with messages about products.
I tried a viral seaweed shampoo and conditioner, which claims it helps support “scalp balance and hair vitality.” Well, don’t bother. Not only did I find the smell unpleasant, it made my hair limp and dull – not thicker.
Then I massaged rosemary oil into my temples every night, after reading posts swearing it would work. Again, no noticeable change and my husband hated the smell. “It’s like lying next to a leg of lamb,” he tutted.
I traded my hairbrush for a wide-toothed comb to prevent breakage, invested in a silk pillowcase to reduce friction while sleeping, and spent a fortune on bone broth in the hopes that the collagen and amino acids would boost my hair growth.
After two months and discouraged that I was still losing a lump every day, I was skeptical when I saw one £75 serum from Swedish brand Sweed claims to ‘revitalize the appearance of fuller and thicker hair’ in four to six weeks.
But with a list of vegan ingredients that promise to nourish hair follicles and stimulate growth, it seemed worth a try.
In addition to hyaluronic acid and pumpkin seed oil to hydrate the scalp, the serum also contains keratin (the fibrous protein that makes up hair, skin and nails), peptides (short chains of amino acids that help stimulate collagen production) and biotin (a B vitamin that promotes hair growth).
And, crucially, there are no parabens (preservatives) or sulphates (which produce foam), both of which carry potential health concerns. The formula is also free of prostaglandin analogues, a synthetic hormone found in eyelash and hair growth serums.
So far so good, but when the bottle arrived I couldn’t believe how small it was – for £75 you only get 6ml. But it is easy to apply. The vial has a rollerball applicator that allows you to cover the areas where your hair is thinning.
I did this every night for four weeks. The serum is odorless and leaves my scalp feeling soft without making my hair greasy. A month later, I was encouraged to see baby hairs sprouting along my temples, along with some stiff regrowth along my parting.
Keen to consolidate my gains, I went to trichologist Anabel Kingsley at her clinic in Mayfair for a hair exam.
Fortunately, there is regrowth everywhere on my head, she says, and not just at my temples.
Perhaps my decision to cut back on the testosterone helped – a deep dive into the research suggests that a postmenopausal dose should be well balanced. Low testosterone can cause hair loss, just like too much testosterone can.
What about the serum? Well, it hasn’t done any damage and whether the new growth at the hairline is coincidental or not, it’s important to support it.
Fortunately, blood tests rule out deficiencies in vitamin D, iron, or ferritin (a blood protein that stores and releases iron when needed), and my hormone levels are in the right range. Anabel suspects that changing my HRT caused the hair loss, but my hair is recovering.
Charlotte used Sweed every night and after four weeks she was surprised to see baby hairs appearing along her temples, along with some stiff regrowth along the partitions.
Charlotte was advised by trichologist Anabel Kingsley to treat her new baby hairs with the utmost love
“Menopause affects everyone’s hair, and fluctuations in hormone levels can have an effect,” she says.
The most important thing is that I treat my new baby hairs with the utmost love, says Anabel.
She suggests a regimen of weekly deep-conditioning scalp and hair masks, twice-daily gelatin supplements, and nightly Philip Kingsley head drops.
And, she emphasizes, it’s also important to wash my hair more regularly. Desperate about the amount of hair going through the plug, I limited washing the hair to once a week – wrongly assuming that the more I washed it, the more hair I would lose.
Anabel says the opposite is true. Washing regularly – once a day or every other day – is better for my hair and scalp. Otherwise, a buildup of dry skin and oil causes flakes around the follicle, which strangles the hair cuticles, making the hair weaker, which can increase hair loss.
I leave her clinic determined to wash my hair every other day and pay more attention to my diet (Anabel said you need plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates to support hair growth).
I may have to get up earlier to wash my hair and make a volumizing breakfast. But if it keeps those precious locks coming, sound the alarm.
YOU CAN ALSO TRY
SOFTENING THE SCALP
For a deeper root cleanse, I really recommend a shampoo brush. Using it to massage shampoo into the scalp in small, circular motions will remove dirt and product buildup from the harder-to-reach areas at the back of your head. Champo shampoo brush, £16.50, champohaircare.com
TAMING BABY HAIRS
While it’s encouraging to see growth, baby hairs are a nightmare to style. For those with a Dyson hairdryer, the supersonic flying attachment is a godsend.
You glide it over the loose growth and gently encourage the hairs to lie flat instead of sticking up at 90 degrees, which makes it look like you’ve been electrocuted.
The Dyson is designed to be gentler on hair, but if you don’t have one, use the lowest heat setting on your hairdryer to avoid damage. Dyson Supersonic Flyaway attachment, £30, dyson.co.uk
