As well as dealing with menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog, anxiety and joint pain, women can also experience changes to their hair when they hit a certain age.
According to Pamela Morrissey, owner of Sobe Brown hair salon in Cork, the hair and scalp can become dehydrated and undernourished during menopause, leading to hair loss, or thinning and dry hair.
“The circulation in the body slows down a little bit during this time,” she said. “The first place to be affected is the top of the head, the scalp.
Read more: I tried a TikTok famous product on my fine hair and it made it denser and stronger in a few washes
“The body doesn’t deem the scalp to be as important as other organs, so all the blood will flow to other areas of the body first. This blood contains all the nutrients you need for hair growth and strength.
“While you can take supplements, it can take 12 weeks for those supplements to reach the scalp. But if other areas of your body need those nutrients more, they will be diverted to this area, so the nutrients may never reach the scalp.”
Jumping jacks and tapping
Pamela recommends exercise to help improve circulation. “For people who don’t exercise, do 20 jumping jacks a day, just to get the heart pumping for even a minute. You are getting the circulation going across the body.”
Women can also tap their scalp with their fingers or even gently pull their hair to promote circulation. “You are calling the blood to the area by doing this,” she said.
“The hairline can often recede as a result of menopause. Just tap this area every day until it becomes a habit.”
Caring for the scalp
Menopause can also cause dryness in the body, including on the scalp. “Treat your hair like your skin, gently does it and less is more,” continued Pamela. “Use good haircare products – you wouldn’t cleanse your face with washing-up liquid and expect it to look brilliant.
“You can’t repair the hair that’s already there, but you can put products on your scalp to nourish the hair you will grow in the future.
“Anything you put on the scalp will be absorbed into the body.”
With this in mind she has created a hair oil, Sobe Super Food Hair and Scalp Oil, which is applied directly to the scalp.
“It contains camellia oil, borage oil and jojoba oil, it’s formulated for maximum effect,” said Pamela.
“You can also use coconut oil, castor oil, anything organic on the scalp to nourish and moisturise it.”
It is recommended to apply these oils twice a week. “The scalp has a transdermal effect, meaning that it can soak in those nutrients which then go directly into the bloodstream,” Pamela explained. “This way you are nourishing the area directly, rather than taking a supplement and waiting for it to go through your system.”
Accepting your hair
When it comes to styling hair during menopause, people should avoid “fighting” with their locks because their hair will be more delicate.
“People often try to change their hair type or texture, they want blow-dries and straighteners, but really they need to accept their hair the way it is.”
According to Pamela, 85 per cent of Irish women have wavy or curly hair. She said the golden rules of styling curly or wavy hair are towel dry after washing, then put products like curling cream or mousse into damp hair and brush it through. “Twist the hair and let it dry naturally.
“Don’t brush wavy hair after it has dried. If it is tangled, run your fingers through it and then retwist it.”
With regards to hair colour, she said there is a drop in melanin production as you get older, leading to paler skin. “You can get your colourist to paint a few gentle highlights at the front, they are known as barely there lights. They can bring a bit of colour to the face,” Pamela added.
To read our full menopause special, pick up a copy of the October issue of RSVP magazine, out now.
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