April 8, 2024 • 26 mins
Menopause can often be a time of hair loss for women susceptible to the condition.
In this episode Bambi talks to Jan who shares her personal experience of hair loss during menopause.
The conversation is continued during the Did You Know segment where Bambi discusses the underlying causes of hair loss during menopause.
In this episode you’ll hear about:
- Why menopause can have a significant impact on hair loss
- Why menopause alone may not be the reason for your hair loss
- Some of the best first steps to take if you’re experiencing hair loss during menopause
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DISCLAIMER:
While Bambi is a former registered nurse with extensive knowledge on hair loss in women, she is not a medical doctor.
All information shared in this podcast is of a general nature.
Please see your GP or other medical professional for specific advice related to your circumstances.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hello ladies, are you struggling with hairloss?
I want you to know you're not alone.
Hi, I'm Bambi Staveley, former registerednurse, author, founder of Boost N Blend
and someone who probably just like you hashad first -hand experience with hair loss,
which is all covered in my latest book,Hair Loss in Women.
(00:23):
When I noticed my own hair thinning 15years ago,
I went looking for information and I wentlooking for products for women, just like
you and me.
But all I could find out there wasproducts made for men.
And most of the information I could findwas about male pattern baldness.
Well, that's not much help.
So I set out to change that.
(00:44):
I want to see women with hair loss talkingabout it and talking to each other,
sharing their stories from a place ofknowledge.
So join me.
as I meet some courageous women.
I'll share some information and we'lllearn together on the Hair Loss in Women
podcast.
(01:14):
Welcome back to the Hair Loss in Womenpodcast.
I'm Bambi and for this episode, we'retalking about something we all go through
and that can have a huge impact on thehealth of our hair and that is menopause.
It can have such a great impact reallywhen you add perimenopause into the
picture because this period of changelasts or can last for many years and
(01:38):
things probably won't be the same everagain.
So I'm going to talk about that a littlemore in our Did You Know segment after our
interview where we meet a woman from ourhair loss community, Jan.
Jan has her own story around hair loss andmenopause, so I hope you find some benefit
from this conversation.
(02:04):
Welcome to the podcast, Jan.
Hello.
Thank you so much for joining us.
I do really appreciate it because it takestime out of your day and there are lots of
women out there who will really appreciatelistening to your story.
So let's get started.
So I know you started losing your hairaround the time of menopause, but I want
(02:25):
to learn a little bit about what washappening before menopause.
So what was your hair like when you wereyounger?
Well, I didn't really pay an awful lot ofattention to my hair when I was very
young, but in my adult years, I've alwayshad very fine hair, but I had a lot of
fine hair and I could pretty much do whatI wanted with my hair.
(02:48):
So I guess I was never really focused onit other than styling it before you go
out.
Yeah.
So it was, you didn't really think aboutit.
It wasn't something that was
playing on your mind.
And isn't that so funny?
Cause that's the same for so many of us.
Hair was just something that grew out of,grew out of our head and we didn't really
(03:08):
think anything of it.
We, yeah, we wanted it to look nice.
So then what happened to your hair then asyou were going through menopause?
Well, to be honest, I didn't initiallyconnect my hair loss to menopause, but
around 51 when I started to go throughmenopause,
(03:29):
I would be sitting at my dressing tableand when I got up, I would notice some
dark patches on the carpet, which is alight -coloured carpet.
I'd run my hand across and I would haveseriously a significant amount of hair in
my hand.
I mentioned it to my husband on manyoccasions, but I didn't make the
(03:52):
connection until, oh, I guess,
maybe when it was a bit too late, butbecause perhaps there was things I could
do.
But I just became aware that my hair wasgetting very thin over a period of time.
And I have to say, it wasn't a long time.
It happened probably within 12 months.
And over the years, I'm now 68, it's justgot thinner and thinner.
(04:16):
So I probably got more scalp than I've gothair, but I'm fortunate enough that I
still do have some hair.
So, you know, it was, it was,
It kind of is a, I mean, I was a businesswoman, so I dress in business suits and
looking smart and professional was prettyimportant to me.
(04:40):
And my hair, to be honest, I was alwaysself -conscious about, and it did kind of
let me down.
But you kind of learn to try and live withit as best you can and your use of hair
lacquer and pulling it in differentdirections.
So that's.
That was what happened.
Right.
Okay.
And have you, or at any point in thoseyears since you first noticed this, have
(05:05):
you done anything around blood tests tosee if there's anything else going on?
I have regular blood tests for otherthings and there's never anything that's
shown that I'm lacking in something thatwould impact directly to my hair.
So I have other things, but nothing thatreally would cause my hair off.
(05:26):
Obviously I've talked to my hairdresserabout it over the years.
She now just says, I've got old hair, butI've got old hair and not much of it.
So, you know, we have to learn to workaround it.
Okay.
Yes.
Well, well we do.
And that's, that's, that's the case for somany of us.
(05:47):
Yes.
It's interesting with the potentialunderlying causes that.
that there are so many of them.
And that's the complicating thing aboutfemale hair loss is trying to find if
there is something that you could rectify.
It's very difficult because doctors in themain don't know what to look for other
than the obvious things.
(06:07):
So yes, I hear you.
It's a conundrum and a puzzle for so manyof us.
So how are you feeling about your hairthese days?
A lot better, I'm pleased to say.
got your hair fibers, which help a greatdeal.
I don't really go out without them, to behonest.
(06:28):
I guess my self -esteem has improved.
I've always been a confident person.
But when you go out and you put a niceoutfit on and you put your makeup on and
then your hair, I know it's a bit of acliche, but it does make you feel a bit
self -conscious.
(06:49):
Now I'm feeling
a lot better about where I'm at.
My hair hasn't changed.
It's just being able to work with it in adifferent way.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So how did you find out about Boost andBlend then?
How I found out about it?
Well, I play golf and so my hair doesn'tlook very good at the beginning of a round
(07:14):
of golf.
After wearing a hat and in the heat, itlooks worse afterwards.
By then, there really is little you cando.
A friend who I thought was quite bravereally approached me while we were having
a drink after golf and she just quietlywhispered in my ear.
I have to be honest, she said, you've gotvery fine hair, you've got thin hair.
(07:39):
Have you ever thought of using a productto help, which I hadn't?
And she said she uses Boost and Blend,which I have to say I smiled at because I
said, well, you don't have the same issuesas me.
And she says, I do.
She's got gray hair.
I doubt her hair is as extreme as minefrom a thinning perspective, but
(08:01):
nonetheless, she assured me she used it.
Now I have to say I was a little bitembarrassed about her raising it.
But now I'm eternally grateful to herraising it because that was a Friday
evening.
I looked on the website of Boost N Blendat the weekend, pondered it and my husband
said, what have you got to lose?
(08:21):
Why don't you give it a go?
So I did.
I just bought one product and just asingle product and I started to use it.
It took me a little bit to get used toapplying it, but honestly, I mean, it's...
It really does make a massive differencebecause it hides my scalp.
(08:44):
When I saw the colleague, she said, youneed to blend it in a bit more, you need
to put a little bit more on.
And I thanked her profusely.
And now whenever I go out, even to golf,even though I wear a hat, I still wear it
because when I take the hat off, they stayin place.
And it's very hot out there.
(09:04):
I walk the golf course, so it's 18 holesof walking in sometimes quite windy
weather, heat.
So it's hard to keep your hair lookingnice anyway, but I can take the hat off.
I carry a little bottle, but I've neverused it because we always stop for dinner
on a Friday just to top it up.
And I've never actually needed to do that,I'm pleased to say.
(09:28):
So now I go out and look, my hair's nevergoing to be thick and
you know, masses of hair, but I feelcomfortable.
I don't feel embarrassed and I don't thinkpeople are looking at me, not for the
wrong reasons anyway.
Yeah, yes, exactly.
It's interesting that, that you say thatyou carry around the small bottle because
(09:50):
I did that for a long time as well.
I always had a small bottle in my handbagjust in case I needed to top it up.
And like you, I've never really had toeither.
I mean, I wouldn't go out without it.
So.
I hear you.
What about before you had the conversationwith your friend about hair fibers, who
(10:12):
knew about your hair loss or had youtalked about it with anyone?
No, I hope that people don't notice to behonest.
I've never talked about it.
I don't, it didn't even really talk aboutit to my sisters.
I think it was pretty self -evident that,
I had hair loss.
(10:32):
At first I thought it was alopecia, but Iwas advised that wasn't the case.
But one girl did come up to me again aftergolf and I was truly offended and did ask
if I would consider getting a wig and shesold wigs.
(10:53):
I found that very uncomfortable and veryembarrassing.
It just made me feel worse because Ithought, so everyone knows.
But now I don't think people will reallyfocus on it because you can't see the
scalp, which used to show through.
And my hair, and my sister -in -law, whenI was overseas last year, made a few
comments, isn't there anything you can dowith your hair?
(11:14):
Now I'm probably less embarrassed with herbecause she's family, but nonetheless, I'd
rather she hadn't mentioned it because Igo home and then I feel bad.
And I think I said, you know, I'd say tomy husband, what can I do?
I can't do anything about it.
I just have to work with it as best I can.
But now it doesn't look quite so flateither.
It's not just covering the scalp.
(11:35):
It doesn't look quite so flat.
It just makes me feel like it's got alittle bit of body and it holds the style
a little bit more.
So I'm just eternally grateful both to myfriend and obviously to the product and
yourself for coming up with such a grandidea.
I I know people say it's life changing.
(11:58):
It's not going to change my life per se,but at the same time I can walk tall and I
just feel good about myself.
Yep.
I hear you.
So I've always, I've been careful in thispodcast not to come across as being
someone who's just here to promote Boostand Blend because I want people to hear
the stories and to get help in the waythey want to get help.
(12:21):
But you do make me think about howimportant it is to talk about it because
it does help so many women.
It's how I get out the door myself.
So I understand how it feels.
So yeah, so thank you.
I mean, I don't want to, um, this isn't apodcast about Boost and Blend.
It's about women with hair loss, but ofcourse we've found something that helps
(12:43):
and that just, you know, that just makesme feel great.
And I'm happy that it makes you feelgreat, which is fantastic.
So.
Is there anything you'd like other womento know, especially those who perhaps are
already struggling with hair loss, buthaven't yet gone through menopause?
Well, I guess the first thing, there's somany different causes as you've already
(13:05):
mentioned for hair loss and I'm not amedical person, so I can't comment on
their particular hair loss.
But if they've been through the channelsto check that it isn't some underlying
health cause.
and it's not going to change like mine, myhair isn't going to grow back, then I
(13:26):
think, look, why not give it a go?
Why not give Boost N Blend a go?
I often come out of the bathroom and sayto my husband, look, look, look, because
it sounds a bit cliche, but it really iskind of like a bit of magic.
I would just recommend that you've gotnothing to lose and plenty to gain.
(13:49):
So give it a go.
Yeah.
Well, that's right.
I mean, I think we all try everything wepossibly can.
I know I have tried many, many, manydifferent products, lots of different
styling products and lots of differenttypes of shampoo.
I think like every woman with hair loss,we've tried all the products out there.
(14:11):
And I think we get very sick of seeing onour Facebook feed or wherever a whole
bunch of things that are just,
rubbish, products that are saying thatthey'll regrow your hair and showing a
before and after of somebody who's had sixweeks of this product and suddenly their
hair's come back.
And it just makes me so angry to seepeople taking advantage of women with hair
(14:36):
loss.
And I feel like they're trying to takeadvantage of me because it's on my
Facebook feed, so I'm seeing it.
There are things we can do.
There certainly are.
We can get blood tests.
We can get to the bottom of our underlyingcauses.
If there's a trigger,
then we know what that trigger was andhopefully after a trigger, hair will grow
back.
So there's all sorts of things we can do,but there are no magic potions that we can
(14:58):
just sprinkle on and our hair will growback, other than of course the medical
ones, which we know about like minoxidil.
So thank you, Jan.
Thank you for being so open and so honestand thank you for sharing your story,
including the fact that it has been alittle bit embarrassing because it has for
me too.
I think it has for a lot of women outthere.
(15:19):
It really can be embarrassing and it'sreally nice of your friend, what a lovely
friend, to come up and say something toyou.
I guess she was coming from a place whereshe was in the same boat as you and she
was already using a product.
She was wanting to be kind to you and passit on, but do that moment when you think,
hang on a sec, this is not a goodconversation.
(15:40):
But of course it can turn out in afabulous way and it has for you.
That's really great and I'm so happy tohear that.
So thank you so much for your time and forsharing your story.
We all appreciate it very much.
(16:13):
and we share with other women in ourlives.
Remember, if you have a story to share,you can share it too.
Right on this very podcast, so please getin touch.
You can reach me at bambi @ boostnblend.com.
Let's now turn to today's Did You Know?
Something Jan touched on, and that'smenopause.
(16:41):
Menopause gets blamed a lot for hair loss.
So let's uncover what's really going on.
Have you been through it?
Well, if you have, you know the impact onyou.
Perhaps you've got friends who are goingthrough it or have been through it and you
know the impact on them.
Or maybe you're currently right in themidst of it, quite right in the throes of
(17:02):
menopause.
And then you may be battling with bothmenopause and hair loss.
Or maybe it's in your future.
And given that you have hair loss now,it's a very daunting thought to think that
you may end up at some point in the futurein menopause and struggle with hair loss
again at that time as well.
(17:22):
I went through menopause at 38, veryyoung, it was surgically induced and I was
at the time put straight on HRT.
And all was going really well actuallyuntil a very well -meaning GP changed the
HRT I was on as I approached 50.
And that change triggered my first bout ofhair loss, something I have battled with
(17:44):
ever since.
And menopause is difficult to navigate atthe best of times, whatever your symptoms,
whatever your situation.
And of course, you're not alone.
As we age, our estrogen levels drop.
In fact, did you know that they start todecline at around 40?
And that can be, for some people, the verybeginning of perimenopause.
(18:08):
But
oestrogen is important for our brain, forour memory, our skin, our bone density,
cardiovascular health.
There's so much relies on the oestrogengoing around our system.
So at around 40, some women will see theirhair starting to thin, but that will
(18:28):
depend on how sensitive to a drop inoestrogen you are.
So if you had a very noticeable orworrying hair loss post -pregnancy, for
example,
or if you noticed hair loss with acontraceptive pill change, then that will
often signal a future sensitivity and thatcan happen during menopause or
(18:49):
perimenopause.
But I do want to say though that thedifference between postpartum or post
-pregnancy hair loss is usually, or undernormal circumstances, the hair following
that time and that drop in estrogenreturns to its former glory.
because the estrogen also returns.
But of course, hair loss during menopausedoesn't because the estrogen just
(19:13):
continues to drop.
But it actually doesn't have to be thisway.
Hair loss during menopause may not becaused by menopause itself.
It may be caused by something else.
So let's look at some of the other thingsthat may be causing your hair loss.
So firstly, our skin loses its elasticity.
(19:34):
It gets dry and that is happening to ourscalp.
as well as the rest of our body.
So keep the moisture up to your scalp.
And as I've mentioned before, when wecovered hair washing, your face and your
scalp need the same kind of treatment.
So massage your scalp and use good qualityproducts, just as you do with your face.
(19:56):
But as we now know, there is no one simpleanswer or solution to female hair loss.
So if it started with menopause orperimenopause,
It could have been triggered by the dropin estrogen, but you also need to look for
other underlying causes because as we allknow, there is usually more than one
(20:16):
factor at play.
We've actually talked about that quite abit.
So some examples of some of the otherthings that could be at play.
So not to just blame menopause by itself.
If you're over 50, for example, and youprobably would be, then you may have
started some new medications.
You might have some other health,
problem or something else going on andyou've started a new medication and some
(20:41):
medications can have really terrible sideeffects and some of those side effects can
impact hair growth.
And that leads me to talk about gut healthbecause some medications can affect your
gut health and we know that gut healthissues can affect your hair.
So it is a very big issue for women withhair loss and one of the problems is
(21:04):
malabsorption.
where the gut doesn't absorb thenutrients.
So you might be eating well, but your gutisn't absorbing the nutrients properly.
And that means that they're not gettinginto your bloodstream, which means they're
not getting to your hair follicles.
Or you might have irritable bowel, orperhaps you've been on a crazy diet.
Maybe you've been on a diet because youput on weight due to menopause, and so
(21:26):
you've tried something new or a new diet,and that has depleted your nutrients.
And of course,
As I said, medications can affect yourhair.
Medications can also affect your gut.
So if you've been on a long -termmedication and perhaps the drop in
estrogen is now impacting your hairgrowth, that's something else to consider.
(21:47):
And another thing to think about isthyroid issues, which is more common as we
age.
Perhaps you don't eat well, or maybe youdon't eat whole foods enough.
A lot of people say, oh yeah, I eat well.
Well, do you only eat whole foods?
Do you eat nothing that's packaged?
Because packaged foods, unfortunately, arefull of hidden salt, sugar, hidden
(22:09):
preservatives and additives.
And in fact, there've been quite a numberof longitudinal studies that have been
done in the Americas and in Europe, whichhave linked eating more ultra -processed
food to quite a number of health risks.
And those sort of health risks that theyhave identified include,
increases in obesity, high blood pressure,type 2 diabetes and even dementia.
(22:33):
And as we know, obesity, perhaps type 2diabetes, systemic inflammation, these
things can affect your hair as well.
So that all comes back to those terriblehidden preservatives or the hidden salt or
sugar or just the fact that you eat toomany packaged foods and not enough whole
foods.
(22:54):
So when women say to me that they have ahealthy diet,
and that their diet couldn't becontributing to their hair loss, I always
suggest that they take a really good longlook at exactly how much of that healthy
diet contains those processed and packagedfoods.
We know about fast foods, we know aboutthe sugar and salt in fast foods, but I
(23:17):
guess we're more in tune with fast foodsbeing an issue and less so with packaged
foods and packaged goods.
So as you can see, the answer once again,
is not simple.
Menopause can contribute to hair loss, butit may not be the main cause.
And if your estrogen is low, well, speakto your doctor to see if you're a
(23:38):
candidate for HRT or one of the morenatural alternatives like phytoestrogens.
But you know, you really need to look atthe whole picture.
Don't just think menopause.
Think about the underlying causes.
Think about other triggers likemedications, illnesses.
Look at all the triggers that we'vepreviously covered and are covered in my
(24:01):
book, Hair Loss in Women.
There are so many triggers and underlyingcauses.
And yes, menopause might be one of them,but as you know, not everyone going
through menopause loses their hair.
So there has to be more.
You have to look further and deeper.
And just remember that female hair loss ismultifactorial.
(24:22):
So,
You kind of have to put on your detectivecap and you need to dig deep to figure out
which of the multitude of factors thatthere are out there could be affecting
you.
So that brings us to the end of today'sepisode.
I hope you got a lot out of this week'sspecial look at menopause.
There's so much to talk about though whenit comes to menopause.
(24:45):
I've really, look, I've really onlyscratched the surface here.
There really is so much and I'm sure youall know this so much, but
You know, do some research.
There's more about it in my book, HairLoss in Women.
There's also a lot on our website atburstandblend .com, but there is a lot of
information out there about menopause.
So please keep looking, keep digging, lookfor what it might be that might be
(25:09):
contributing to your hair loss.
Don't just say it's menopause or it'shereditary and that's it.
Keep looking, keep digging.
There's way more going on and you'll findit if you keep looking.
Of course, as in all of these episodes,the advice given is of a general nature,
so please check with your doctor for yourspecific health advice.
(25:34):
I'll be back next week with another storyfrom someone living with hair loss and
I'll have some more tips and tricks tohopefully help you all a little too.
So until next week, as I always say,kindness is beautiful.
So wear it every day.
Thanks for joining me on the Hair Loss inWomen podcast.
(25:57):
And a big thank you to the women who sharetheir stories here and with others in
their community.
One of the hardest things about hair lossfor women is that we don't talk about it.
So if you do want to hear more, pleasesubscribe to the podcast.
And if you like what you heard, why notleave a review?
Positive reviews will help other women tofind this podcast too.
(26:20):
You can also find out more in my book,Hair Loss in Women.
This podcast has been recorded in Sydney,Australia and is produced by Pod and Pen
Productions.
Hello ladies, are you struggling with hairloss?
I want you to know you're not alone.
Hi, I'm Bambi Staveley, former registerednurse, author, founder of Boost N Blend
and someone who probably just like you hashad first -hand experience with hair loss,
which is all covered in my latest book,Hair Loss in Women.
(00:23):
When I noticed my own hair thinning 15years ago,
I went looking for information and I wentlooking for products for women, just like
you and me.
But all I could find out there wasproducts made for men.
And most of the information I could findwas about male pattern baldness.
Well, that's not much help.
So I set out to change that.
(00:44):
I want to see women with hair loss talkingabout it and talking to each other,
sharing their stories from a place ofknowledge.
So join me.
as I meet some courageous women.
I'll share some information and we'lllearn together on the Hair Loss in Women
podcast.
(01:14):
Welcome back to the Hair Loss in Womenpodcast.
I'm Bambi and for this episode, we'retalking about something we all go through
and that can have a huge impact on thehealth of our hair and that is menopause.
It can have such a great impact reallywhen you add perimenopause into the
picture because this period of changelasts or can last for many years and
(01:38):
things probably won't be the same everagain.
So I'm going to talk about that a littlemore in our Did You Know segment after our
interview where we meet a woman from ourhair loss community, Jan.
Jan has her own story around hair loss andmenopause, so I hope you find some benefit
from this conversation.
(02:04):
Welcome to the podcast, Jan.
Hello.
Thank you so much for joining us.
I do really appreciate it because it takestime out of your day and there are lots of
women out there who will really appreciatelistening to your story.
So let's get started.
So I know you started losing your hairaround the time of menopause, but I want
(02:25):
to learn a little bit about what washappening before menopause.
So what was your hair like when you wereyounger?
Well, I didn't really pay an awful lot ofattention to my hair when I was very
young, but in my adult years, I've alwayshad very fine hair, but I had a lot of
fine hair and I could pretty much do whatI wanted with my hair.
(02:48):
So I guess I was never really focused onit other than styling it before you go
out.
Yeah.
So it was, you didn't really think aboutit.
It wasn't something that was
playing on your mind.
And isn't that so funny?
Cause that's the same for so many of us.
Hair was just something that grew out of,grew out of our head and we didn't really
(03:08):
think anything of it.
We, yeah, we wanted it to look nice.
So then what happened to your hair then asyou were going through menopause?
Well, to be honest, I didn't initiallyconnect my hair loss to menopause, but
around 51 when I started to go throughmenopause,
(03:29):
I would be sitting at my dressing tableand when I got up, I would notice some
dark patches on the carpet, which is alight -coloured carpet.
I'd run my hand across and I would haveseriously a significant amount of hair in
my hand.
I mentioned it to my husband on manyoccasions, but I didn't make the
(03:52):
connection until, oh, I guess,
maybe when it was a bit too late, butbecause perhaps there was things I could
do.
But I just became aware that my hair wasgetting very thin over a period of time.
And I have to say, it wasn't a long time.
It happened probably within 12 months.
And over the years, I'm now 68, it's justgot thinner and thinner.
(04:16):
So I probably got more scalp than I've gothair, but I'm fortunate enough that I
still do have some hair.
So, you know, it was, it was,
It kind of is a, I mean, I was a businesswoman, so I dress in business suits and
looking smart and professional was prettyimportant to me.
(04:40):
And my hair, to be honest, I was alwaysself -conscious about, and it did kind of
let me down.
But you kind of learn to try and live withit as best you can and your use of hair
lacquer and pulling it in differentdirections.
So that's.
That was what happened.
Right.
Okay.
And have you, or at any point in thoseyears since you first noticed this, have
(05:05):
you done anything around blood tests tosee if there's anything else going on?
I have regular blood tests for otherthings and there's never anything that's
shown that I'm lacking in something thatwould impact directly to my hair.
So I have other things, but nothing thatreally would cause my hair off.
(05:26):
Obviously I've talked to my hairdresserabout it over the years.
She now just says, I've got old hair, butI've got old hair and not much of it.
So, you know, we have to learn to workaround it.
Okay.
Yes.
Well, well we do.
And that's, that's, that's the case for somany of us.
(05:47):
Yes.
It's interesting with the potentialunderlying causes that.
that there are so many of them.
And that's the complicating thing aboutfemale hair loss is trying to find if
there is something that you could rectify.
It's very difficult because doctors in themain don't know what to look for other
than the obvious things.
(06:07):
So yes, I hear you.
It's a conundrum and a puzzle for so manyof us.
So how are you feeling about your hairthese days?
A lot better, I'm pleased to say.
got your hair fibers, which help a greatdeal.
I don't really go out without them, to behonest.
(06:28):
I guess my self -esteem has improved.
I've always been a confident person.
But when you go out and you put a niceoutfit on and you put your makeup on and
then your hair, I know it's a bit of acliche, but it does make you feel a bit
self -conscious.
(06:49):
Now I'm feeling
a lot better about where I'm at.
My hair hasn't changed.
It's just being able to work with it in adifferent way.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So how did you find out about Boost andBlend then?
How I found out about it?
Well, I play golf and so my hair doesn'tlook very good at the beginning of a round
(07:14):
of golf.
After wearing a hat and in the heat, itlooks worse afterwards.
By then, there really is little you cando.
A friend who I thought was quite bravereally approached me while we were having
a drink after golf and she just quietlywhispered in my ear.
I have to be honest, she said, you've gotvery fine hair, you've got thin hair.
(07:39):
Have you ever thought of using a productto help, which I hadn't?
And she said she uses Boost and Blend,which I have to say I smiled at because I
said, well, you don't have the same issuesas me.
And she says, I do.
She's got gray hair.
I doubt her hair is as extreme as minefrom a thinning perspective, but
(08:01):
nonetheless, she assured me she used it.
Now I have to say I was a little bitembarrassed about her raising it.
But now I'm eternally grateful to herraising it because that was a Friday
evening.
I looked on the website of Boost N Blendat the weekend, pondered it and my husband
said, what have you got to lose?
(08:21):
Why don't you give it a go?
So I did.
I just bought one product and just asingle product and I started to use it.
It took me a little bit to get used toapplying it, but honestly, I mean, it's...
It really does make a massive differencebecause it hides my scalp.
(08:44):
When I saw the colleague, she said, youneed to blend it in a bit more, you need
to put a little bit more on.
And I thanked her profusely.
And now whenever I go out, even to golf,even though I wear a hat, I still wear it
because when I take the hat off, they stayin place.
And it's very hot out there.
(09:04):
I walk the golf course, so it's 18 holesof walking in sometimes quite windy
weather, heat.
So it's hard to keep your hair lookingnice anyway, but I can take the hat off.
I carry a little bottle, but I've neverused it because we always stop for dinner
on a Friday just to top it up.
And I've never actually needed to do that,I'm pleased to say.
(09:28):
So now I go out and look, my hair's nevergoing to be thick and
you know, masses of hair, but I feelcomfortable.
I don't feel embarrassed and I don't thinkpeople are looking at me, not for the
wrong reasons anyway.
Yeah, yes, exactly.
It's interesting that, that you say thatyou carry around the small bottle because
(09:50):
I did that for a long time as well.
I always had a small bottle in my handbagjust in case I needed to top it up.
And like you, I've never really had toeither.
I mean, I wouldn't go out without it.
So.
I hear you.
What about before you had the conversationwith your friend about hair fibers, who
(10:12):
knew about your hair loss or had youtalked about it with anyone?
No, I hope that people don't notice to behonest.
I've never talked about it.
I don't, it didn't even really talk aboutit to my sisters.
I think it was pretty self -evident that,
I had hair loss.
(10:32):
At first I thought it was alopecia, but Iwas advised that wasn't the case.
But one girl did come up to me again aftergolf and I was truly offended and did ask
if I would consider getting a wig and shesold wigs.
(10:53):
I found that very uncomfortable and veryembarrassing.
It just made me feel worse because Ithought, so everyone knows.
But now I don't think people will reallyfocus on it because you can't see the
scalp, which used to show through.
And my hair, and my sister -in -law, whenI was overseas last year, made a few
comments, isn't there anything you can dowith your hair?
(11:14):
Now I'm probably less embarrassed with herbecause she's family, but nonetheless, I'd
rather she hadn't mentioned it because Igo home and then I feel bad.
And I think I said, you know, I'd say tomy husband, what can I do?
I can't do anything about it.
I just have to work with it as best I can.
But now it doesn't look quite so flateither.
It's not just covering the scalp.
(11:35):
It doesn't look quite so flat.
It just makes me feel like it's got alittle bit of body and it holds the style
a little bit more.
So I'm just eternally grateful both to myfriend and obviously to the product and
yourself for coming up with such a grandidea.
I I know people say it's life changing.
(11:58):
It's not going to change my life per se,but at the same time I can walk tall and I
just feel good about myself.
Yep.
I hear you.
So I've always, I've been careful in thispodcast not to come across as being
someone who's just here to promote Boostand Blend because I want people to hear
the stories and to get help in the waythey want to get help.
(12:21):
But you do make me think about howimportant it is to talk about it because
it does help so many women.
It's how I get out the door myself.
So I understand how it feels.
So yeah, so thank you.
I mean, I don't want to, um, this isn't apodcast about Boost and Blend.
It's about women with hair loss, but ofcourse we've found something that helps
(12:43):
and that just, you know, that just makesme feel great.
And I'm happy that it makes you feelgreat, which is fantastic.
So.
Is there anything you'd like other womento know, especially those who perhaps are
already struggling with hair loss, buthaven't yet gone through menopause?
Well, I guess the first thing, there's somany different causes as you've already
(13:05):
mentioned for hair loss and I'm not amedical person, so I can't comment on
their particular hair loss.
But if they've been through the channelsto check that it isn't some underlying
health cause.
and it's not going to change like mine, myhair isn't going to grow back, then I
(13:26):
think, look, why not give it a go?
Why not give Boost N Blend a go?
I often come out of the bathroom and sayto my husband, look, look, look, because
it sounds a bit cliche, but it really iskind of like a bit of magic.
I would just recommend that you've gotnothing to lose and plenty to gain.
(13:49):
So give it a go.
Yeah.
Well, that's right.
I mean, I think we all try everything wepossibly can.
I know I have tried many, many, manydifferent products, lots of different
styling products and lots of differenttypes of shampoo.
I think like every woman with hair loss,we've tried all the products out there.
(14:11):
And I think we get very sick of seeing onour Facebook feed or wherever a whole
bunch of things that are just,
rubbish, products that are saying thatthey'll regrow your hair and showing a
before and after of somebody who's had sixweeks of this product and suddenly their
hair's come back.
And it just makes me so angry to seepeople taking advantage of women with hair
(14:36):
loss.
And I feel like they're trying to takeadvantage of me because it's on my
Facebook feed, so I'm seeing it.
There are things we can do.
There certainly are.
We can get blood tests.
We can get to the bottom of our underlyingcauses.
If there's a trigger,
then we know what that trigger was andhopefully after a trigger, hair will grow
back.
So there's all sorts of things we can do,but there are no magic potions that we can
(14:58):
just sprinkle on and our hair will growback, other than of course the medical
ones, which we know about like minoxidil.
So thank you, Jan.
Thank you for being so open and so honestand thank you for sharing your story,
including the fact that it has been alittle bit embarrassing because it has for
me too.
I think it has for a lot of women outthere.
(15:19):
It really can be embarrassing and it'sreally nice of your friend, what a lovely
friend, to come up and say something toyou.
I guess she was coming from a place whereshe was in the same boat as you and she
was already using a product.
She was wanting to be kind to you and passit on, but do that moment when you think,
hang on a sec, this is not a goodconversation.
(15:40):
But of course it can turn out in afabulous way and it has for you.
That's really great and I'm so happy tohear that.
So thank you so much for your time and forsharing your story.
We all appreciate it very much.
(16:13):
and we share with other women in ourlives.
Remember, if you have a story to share,you can share it too.
Right on this very podcast, so please getin touch.
You can reach me at bambi @ boostnblend.com.
Let's now turn to today's Did You Know?
Something Jan touched on, and that'smenopause.
(16:41):
Menopause gets blamed a lot for hair loss.
So let's uncover what's really going on.
Have you been through it?
Well, if you have, you know the impact onyou.
Perhaps you've got friends who are goingthrough it or have been through it and you
know the impact on them.
Or maybe you're currently right in themidst of it, quite right in the throes of
(17:02):
menopause.
And then you may be battling with bothmenopause and hair loss.
Or maybe it's in your future.
And given that you have hair loss now,it's a very daunting thought to think that
you may end up at some point in the futurein menopause and struggle with hair loss
again at that time as well.
(17:22):
I went through menopause at 38, veryyoung, it was surgically induced and I was
at the time put straight on HRT.
And all was going really well actuallyuntil a very well -meaning GP changed the
HRT I was on as I approached 50.
And that change triggered my first bout ofhair loss, something I have battled with
(17:44):
ever since.
And menopause is difficult to navigate atthe best of times, whatever your symptoms,
whatever your situation.
And of course, you're not alone.
As we age, our estrogen levels drop.
In fact, did you know that they start todecline at around 40?
And that can be, for some people, the verybeginning of perimenopause.
(18:08):
But
oestrogen is important for our brain, forour memory, our skin, our bone density,
cardiovascular health.
There's so much relies on the oestrogengoing around our system.
So at around 40, some women will see theirhair starting to thin, but that will
(18:28):
depend on how sensitive to a drop inoestrogen you are.
So if you had a very noticeable orworrying hair loss post -pregnancy, for
example,
or if you noticed hair loss with acontraceptive pill change, then that will
often signal a future sensitivity and thatcan happen during menopause or
(18:49):
perimenopause.
But I do want to say though that thedifference between postpartum or post
-pregnancy hair loss is usually, or undernormal circumstances, the hair following
that time and that drop in estrogenreturns to its former glory.
because the estrogen also returns.
But of course, hair loss during menopausedoesn't because the estrogen just
(19:13):
continues to drop.
But it actually doesn't have to be thisway.
Hair loss during menopause may not becaused by menopause itself.
It may be caused by something else.
So let's look at some of the other thingsthat may be causing your hair loss.
So firstly, our skin loses its elasticity.
(19:34):
It gets dry and that is happening to ourscalp.
as well as the rest of our body.
So keep the moisture up to your scalp.
And as I've mentioned before, when wecovered hair washing, your face and your
scalp need the same kind of treatment.
So massage your scalp and use good qualityproducts, just as you do with your face.
(19:56):
But as we now know, there is no one simpleanswer or solution to female hair loss.
So if it started with menopause orperimenopause,
It could have been triggered by the dropin estrogen, but you also need to look for
other underlying causes because as we allknow, there is usually more than one
(20:16):
factor at play.
We've actually talked about that quite abit.
So some examples of some of the otherthings that could be at play.
So not to just blame menopause by itself.
If you're over 50, for example, and youprobably would be, then you may have
started some new medications.
You might have some other health,
problem or something else going on andyou've started a new medication and some
(20:41):
medications can have really terrible sideeffects and some of those side effects can
impact hair growth.
And that leads me to talk about gut healthbecause some medications can affect your
gut health and we know that gut healthissues can affect your hair.
So it is a very big issue for women withhair loss and one of the problems is
(21:04):
malabsorption.
where the gut doesn't absorb thenutrients.
So you might be eating well, but your gutisn't absorbing the nutrients properly.
And that means that they're not gettinginto your bloodstream, which means they're
not getting to your hair follicles.
Or you might have irritable bowel, orperhaps you've been on a crazy diet.
Maybe you've been on a diet because youput on weight due to menopause, and so
(21:26):
you've tried something new or a new diet,and that has depleted your nutrients.
And of course,
As I said, medications can affect yourhair.
Medications can also affect your gut.
So if you've been on a long -termmedication and perhaps the drop in
estrogen is now impacting your hairgrowth, that's something else to consider.
(21:47):
And another thing to think about isthyroid issues, which is more common as we
age.
Perhaps you don't eat well, or maybe youdon't eat whole foods enough.
A lot of people say, oh yeah, I eat well.
Well, do you only eat whole foods?
Do you eat nothing that's packaged?
Because packaged foods, unfortunately, arefull of hidden salt, sugar, hidden
(22:09):
preservatives and additives.
And in fact, there've been quite a numberof longitudinal studies that have been
done in the Americas and in Europe, whichhave linked eating more ultra -processed
food to quite a number of health risks.
And those sort of health risks that theyhave identified include,
increases in obesity, high blood pressure,type 2 diabetes and even dementia.
(22:33):
And as we know, obesity, perhaps type 2diabetes, systemic inflammation, these
things can affect your hair as well.
So that all comes back to those terriblehidden preservatives or the hidden salt or
sugar or just the fact that you eat toomany packaged foods and not enough whole
foods.
(22:54):
So when women say to me that they have ahealthy diet,
and that their diet couldn't becontributing to their hair loss, I always
suggest that they take a really good longlook at exactly how much of that healthy
diet contains those processed and packagedfoods.
We know about fast foods, we know aboutthe sugar and salt in fast foods, but I
(23:17):
guess we're more in tune with fast foodsbeing an issue and less so with packaged
foods and packaged goods.
So as you can see, the answer once again,
is not simple.
Menopause can contribute to hair loss, butit may not be the main cause.
And if your estrogen is low, well, speakto your doctor to see if you're a
(23:38):
candidate for HRT or one of the morenatural alternatives like phytoestrogens.
But you know, you really need to look atthe whole picture.
Don't just think menopause.
Think about the underlying causes.
Think about other triggers likemedications, illnesses.
Look at all the triggers that we'vepreviously covered and are covered in my
(24:01):
book, Hair Loss in Women.
There are so many triggers and underlyingcauses.
And yes, menopause might be one of them,but as you know, not everyone going
through menopause loses their hair.
So there has to be more.
You have to look further and deeper.
And just remember that female hair loss ismultifactorial.
(24:22):
So,
You kind of have to put on your detectivecap and you need to dig deep to figure out
which of the multitude of factors thatthere are out there could be affecting
you.
So that brings us to the end of today'sepisode.
I hope you got a lot out of this week'sspecial look at menopause.
There's so much to talk about though whenit comes to menopause.
(24:45):
I've really, look, I've really onlyscratched the surface here.
There really is so much and I'm sure youall know this so much, but
You know, do some research.
There's more about it in my book, HairLoss in Women.
There's also a lot on our website atburstandblend .com, but there is a lot of
information out there about menopause.
So please keep looking, keep digging, lookfor what it might be that might be
(25:09):
contributing to your hair loss.
Don't just say it's menopause or it'shereditary and that's it.
Keep looking, keep digging.
There's way more going on and you'll findit if you keep looking.
Of course, as in all of these episodes,the advice given is of a general nature,
so please check with your doctor for yourspecific health advice.
(25:34):
I'll be back next week with another storyfrom someone living with hair loss and
I'll have some more tips and tricks tohopefully help you all a little too.
So until next week, as I always say,kindness is beautiful.
So wear it every day.
Thanks for joining me on the Hair Loss inWomen podcast.
(25:57):
And a big thank you to the women who sharetheir stories here and with others in
their community.
One of the hardest things about hair lossfor women is that we don't talk about it.
So if you do want to hear more, pleasesubscribe to the podcast.
And if you like what you heard, why notleave a review?
Positive reviews will help other women tofind this podcast too.
(26:20):
You can also find out more in my book,Hair Loss in Women.
This podcast has been recorded in Sydney,Australia and is produced by Pod and Pen
Productions.
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