How to Support Healthy Hair

Menopause can feel like navigating a storm of symptoms—hot flushes, mood swings, sleepless nights, and more. Among these challenges, hair loss often gets overlooked, even though it’s a common issue. Research shows that 40% of women experience some degree of hair loss during or after menopause.

This can be particularly frustrating when you’re already dealing with a host of physical and emotional changes. Fortunately, with the right dietary, nutrient, and lifestyle modifications, you can minimize hair loss and support healthy, vibrant hair.

Understanding Hair Loss During Menopause

The primary cause of hair loss during menopause is hormonal changes. As oestrogen levels decline, the balance between oestrogen and testosterone shifts. This leads to increased conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can shrink hair follicles and shorten the hair growth cycle, resulting in hair loss.

Aging also impacts hair follicles, leading to fewer new hair strands and a shorter growth phase. Additionally, factors like certain medications, nutritional deficiencies, underlying health conditions such as thyroid disorders, genetics, stress, diet, and gut health can all contribute to hair loss during menopause.

Despite these challenges, there is hope. Adopting the right diet and lifestyle changes can significantly minimize hair loss and support hair health during this phase of life.

The Role of Protein in Hair Health

Protein is crucial for maintaining optimal hair health. It serves as a fundamental building block for the body’s tissues, including hair. Keratin, the key structural component of hair, nails, and skin, requires an adequate supply of dietary protein for its production. Without sufficient protein, your hair becomes weaker and more prone to damage and breakage.

Protein not only strengthens hair follicles but also supports the growth phase of the hair cycle, promoting longer, healthier hair growth. When your body lacks sufficient protein, it may prioritise other essential functions over hair maintenance, leading to hair thinning and loss. Additionally, low protein intake can cause hair to become brittle, dry, and more susceptible to shedding.

Best Foods for Hair Growth and Health

Maintaining a balanced, nutrient-rich diet is vital for supporting overall hair health. Beyond protein, specific vitamins and minerals play key roles in hair growth and maintenance:

– Vitamin A: Helps produce sebum, which moisturizes the scalp and keeps hair healthy. Good sources include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale.

– Vitamin C: Aids in collagen production, strengthening hair strands and improving elasticity. Citrus fruits, berries, and peppers are excellent sources.

– Vitamin D: Promotes the creation of new hair follicles. While sunlight is the primary source, foods like fatty fish and mushrooms also provide vitamin D.

– Vitamin E: Enhances scalp circulation, promoting blood flow to hair follicles. Sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, and avocados.

– Zinc: Supports hair tissue growth and repair and helps maintain proper function of oil-secreting glands around hair follicles. Zinc-rich foods include red meat, shellfish, legumes, and seeds.

– Iron: Delivers oxygen to hair cells, essential for healthy growth. Postmenopausal women should monitor iron intake, as they no longer lose iron through menstruation. Red meat, lentils, and spinach are good sources.

– B Vitamins: Support overall hair health and prevent loss, especially during menopause. Good sources include pastured eggs, almonds, cauliflower, legumes, and leafy greens.

Eat by the Plate for Hair Health

Combining optimal protein and nutrient-rich foods with healthy fats and antioxidants is key to supporting hair health during menopause. Healthy fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, are crucial for preventing hair loss and promoting growth. Omega-3s support sebum production, which hydrates the scalp and hair, and help reduce inflammation to create an optimal environment for hair growth. Foods rich in omega-3s include fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, and sardines.

Since getting sufficient omega-3s from food alone can be challenging, supplements like Omega Plus can provide a potent 1,000 mg of omega-3s in each soft gel, ensuring superior absorption and bioavailability.

Antioxidants from plant foods also help protect hair cells from damage. Vitamins like vitamin C and E, along with minerals like selenium and plant-based compounds found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, play a critical role in maintaining hair health.

Additional Strategies to Support Hair Growth During Menopause

1. Address Food Intolerances: Food intolerances can lead to inflammation and hair loss by preventing nutrient absorption and triggering autoimmune responses. Identifying and eliminating trigger foods can help support hair health.

2. Focus on Gut Health: A healthy gut is essential for processing and utilising vitamins and minerals that support hair growth. Maintaining a balanced gut microbiome also helps regulate hormones that impact hair health.

3. Manage Stress: Stress can increase hair loss by disrupting the hair growth cycle. Managing stress through yoga, meditation, and quality sleep is crucial for maintaining healthy hair.

4. Incorporate Resistance Training: Resistance training helps reduce stress and enhances blood flow, ensuring oxygen and nutrients reach hair follicles efficiently, which supports healthy hair growth.

5. Avoid Harmful Hair Practices: Minimise the use of heat-styling tools, harsh chemical treatments, and tight hairstyles to protect your hair from damage. Opt for gentle, natural alternatives.

6. Consider Interventions and Supplements: Saw palmetto and evening primrose oil are supplements that can improve hair density and reduce loss. Additionally, consulting a functional medicine doctor can help tailor a treatment plan to address specific needs, including the potential benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Navigating menopause and its accompanying symptoms, including hair loss, can be challenging. However, by making informed dietary choices, adopting a balanced lifestyle, and considering targeted interventions, you can minimise hair loss and support your hair’s health during this transitional phase.

Remember, taking proactive steps to care for your hair is an essential part of your overall well-being during menopause.

THANKS FOR READING!

Louise x

See more about Louise here.