| "Dearest granddaughter, come close and look into my | | | | of cod liver oil or wheat germ oil every day for six |
| eyes." Grandmother Growth beckons and her voice | | | | weeks could help your hair. |
| grows deeper and more resonant. "Look deep into | | | | - Menopause sends lots of energy to the crown of |
| my eyes and acknowledge the beauty there. | | | | your head. That can overstimulate the scalp and |
| "Yes, my skin is wrinkled. My face is the face of age, | | | | cause hair loss (and/or headaches). Get your energy |
| and to many, that is fearful. But my beauty, like my | | | | moving with a scalp massage. Let your head calm |
| wise blood, now resides inside of me. Can you see it? | | | | down and your hair cool off. |
| Can you feel it? Can you look beyond the hair on my | | | | - Blow dryers, dyes, perms, and other harsh |
| chin?" she says grinning, flicking her fingers under her | | | | treatments damage hair and scalp. Rosemary |
| chin in a most unladylike manner. | | | | essential oil, a few drops rubbed into the scalp |
| "Can you forgive the places where my scalp shines | | | | several times a week, repairs the damage, increases |
| through? Can you find the truth of my beauty, the | | | | hair growth, and improves hair texture. Other |
| beauty of age, which is so different from the beauty | | | | essential oils which improve hair growth and reduce |
| of youth?" Her eyes grow fierce, but sparkle with | | | | hair loss include lavender oil, lemon oil, thyme oil, sage |
| amusement. "I know you can, for I know how | | | | oil, and carrot seed oil. You can mix 10-20 drops of |
| beautiful I am." | | | | any of these into 4 ounces of plain olive oil, infused |
| Grandmother Growth takes your chin in her strong | | | | burdock seed oil, or jojoba oil. Other essential oils said |
| hand and looks at you with eyes so intense you fear | | | | to reduce hair loss include birch, calendula, chamomile, |
| you may catch on fire. She commands: "When you | | | | cypress, rose, and yarrow. |
| look into your mirror, I ask you to look deep into | | | | - Avoid chlorinated water on your hair. A shower |
| your own eyes and to acknowledge your own inner | | | | filter is more important than a drinking water filter. |
| beauty. | | | | And cut down on the number of times you wash |
| "I know, I know, metamorphosis is changing you and | | | | your hair. Once every 5-10 days is ideal for healthy |
| you don't like it. Like a teenager, you peer and peer | | | | hair. |
| into the looking glass, noting every new wrinkle, | | | | - Avoid cayenne. Heroic herbalists say it increases hair |
| every hair on your face (and other new places). | | | | growth by improving blood circulation to the scalp. |
| Counting each grey hair as it grows. Worrying that | | | | But when there is hair loss, says Janet Roberts MD, |
| your hair seems to fall out by the handful. | | | | specialist in women's hair loss and member of the |
| "Dear one, my most precious child, take care, but do | | | | Oregon Menopause Network, there are inflamed |
| not fret. And do not tell yourself that you are | | | | follicles. Cayenne increases inflammation, ultimately |
| becoming ugly. I know it is difficult, in fact it may be | | | | increasing hair loss. |
| one of the most difficult tasks of your menopause, | | | | STEP 5A. USE SUPPLEMENTS |
| but you must recast your own opinion of beauty so | | | | - Dry, brittle, thin hair is often due to a deficiency in |
| that it includes old women who have hairy problems | | | | one or more of these nutrients: protein, vitamin A, |
| and live well with them - like you!" | | | | vitamin B12, vitamin C, iron, zinc, essential fatty acids. |
| Too much hair (on the chin), too little hair (on the | | | | Food and herbal sources of these nutrients are |
| scalp), falling hair, thinning hair, greying hair - no | | | | preferable to pills. |
| matter what the complaint, many women notice | | | | - Avoid hair weaving, a cosmetic treatment that |
| something happening to their hair during menopause. | | | | weaves replacement hair in with the still existing hair; |
| As hormone levels shift during the menopausal years, | | | | it actually causes more loss (by creating traction |
| hair responds to the changing hormones by changing | | | | alopecia). |
| texture, falling out, or by growing in "odd" places. | | | | STEP 5B. USE DRUGS |
| Here are remedies for those who want more hair, | | | | - Hair loss can be caused by drugs, including: birth |
| and for those who want less. | | | | control pills, anticoagulants, diet pills, thyroid |
| HAIR LOSS (ALOPECIA) & GREY HAIR | | | | medications; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs |
| STEP 1. COLLECT INFORMATION | | | | including aspirin, ibuprofen, and Aleve; |
| Menopause does not cause grey hair; taking | | | | cholesterol-lowering drugs such as clofibrate and |
| hormones doesn't stop it. Greying, thinning hair is a | | | | gemfibrozil; arthritis medications such as gold salts |
| normal part of aging. Women whose menopause is | | | | (auranofin), indomethacin, naproxen, sulindac, and |
| induced in their 20s and 30s do not suddenly go grey. | | | | methotrexate; beta-blockers such as atenolol |
| Hair loss at mid-life (androgenic alopecia) is more | | | | (Tenormin), metoprolol (Lopressor), nadolol (Corgard), |
| strongly linked to genes than diet or lifestyle. Those | | | | propranolol (Inderal), and timolol (Blocadren); and ulcer |
| of European origins are far more likely to experience | | | | drugs such as cimetidine (Tagamet), ranitidine |
| it than Asians, Native Americans, Africans, or | | | | (Zantac), and famoridine (Pepcid). And, of course, |
| African-Americans. Hair loss starts earlier and | | | | chemotherapy. |
| becomes more extreme on men's heads, but just as | | | | - Minoxidil (Rograine) dilates blood vessels, |
| many women deal with receding hairlines and balding | | | | encouraging baby-fine hair. Only the 2% solution is |
| patches. Roughly half of all women experience some | | | | approved for women. Of those who use it only 19% |
| hair loss during their menopausal years. Two-thirds of | | | | achieve even moderate regrowth; 40% have minimal |
| post-menopausal women deal with thinning hair or | | | | regrowth. Meanwhile, 40% of the women using the |
| bald spots. And no one likes it. Americans spend a | | | | placebo had regrowth! CAUTION: Side effects in |
| billion dollars a year trying to regrow their hair! | | | | women include unwanted hair growth on the face, |
| Normal hair loss (50-100 hairs a day) is gradual. | | | | heart disturbances, and dizziness. |
| Sudden unexplained loss is not normal. Events which | | | | - Fertile women are not allowed to use (or even |
| can trigger hair loss include pregnancy, childbirth, | | | | touch) finasteride (Propecia) for fear of the severe |
| menopause, severe emotional stress, rapid or | | | | birth defects it causes. This is probably a blessing in |
| profound weight loss, thyroid disorders, pituitary | | | | disguise, as the side-effects (loss of libido, lip swelling, |
| problems, malnutrition, iron deficiency, lack of protein, | | | | breast engorgement, birth defects) are not pleasant. |
| large doses of vitamin A, chemotherapy, radiation, | | | | Finasteride is completely ineffective in reversing hair |
| general anesthesia, chronic illness, scarlet fever, | | | | loss for postmenopausal women. Tell your men |
| syphilis, certain medications (see Step 5), and hair | | | | friends a dose of 0.2 mg (one-fifth the normal dose) |
| abuse including bleaching, permanents, tight braids, | | | | works just as well, costs less ($10 a month instead |
| tight pony tails, tight wigs, and tight hats. | | | | of $50), and is gentler on the liver. |
| (The National Alopecia Areata Foundation, 710 C St, | | | | - Hormones, including ERT, HRT, birth control pills, and |
| Ste 11, San Rafael, CA 94901 (415-456-4644) can | | | | anti-androgens (cypoterone acetate, spironolactone, |
| help you contact a local hair loss support group, and | | | | and fluramide) are used singly or in combination to |
| gather more information.) | | | | treat women with androgenic alopecia. |
| STEP 2. ENGAGE THE ENERGY | | | | STEP 6. BREAK AND ENTER |
| Homeopathic remedies for women with hair loss | | | | - Hair transplants can cover a bald spot but are far |
| include: | | | | less successful on women than on men. Micrografts |
| - Lycopodium: loss precipitated by hormonal | | | | do a better job of dealing with women's diffuse |
| fluctuations. | | | | pattern of hair loss. |
| - Sepia especially for menopausal women who have | | | | - "Scalp lifts" tighten the scalp, making hair appear |
| sweaty flushes and heavy bleeding | | | | thicker and fuller. |
| - Phosphoric acid: loss after grief or extreme | | | | HIRSUTISM/TOO MUCH HAIR |
| emotion, accompanied by exhaustion. | | | | STEP 0. DO NOTHING |
| STEP 3. NOURISH AND TONIFY | | | | A few brazen souls just grin and bear it. Seriously, |
| - Infusion of stinging nettle, 2-4 cups a day, | | | | does anyone else notice that extra hair? Ask a few |
| strengthens hair and checks falling hair with its superb | | | | people who will tell you the truth. Perhaps you are |
| supplies of protein, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, and | | | | making a mountain (beard/moustache) out of a |
| other minerals. Regular use restores thickness, body, | | | | molehill (a couple of extra hairs)? |
| shine and sheen to hair. If you have any infusion left | | | | STEP 1. COLLECT INFORMATION |
| over, pour it on your head and rub it into your scalp | | | | It is not at all unusual to find extra hairs growing on |
| for faster results. | | | | the chin, upper lip, breasts, and legs during or after |
| - "Every grey hair represents a day with too few | | | | menopause. It is thought that menopause makes |
| minerals," a wise woman said to me. Actually, the | | | | some hair follicles more sensitive to testosterone's |
| color of hair is produced by special cells which | | | | hair-promoting effects. However, sudden hair growth |
| gradually die as we age. But it is true that hair is | | | | can be caused by a tumor on the ovaries, thyroid, |
| loaded with minerals, and getting extra minerals may | | | | adrenals, or pituitary. |
| keep those color cells alive longer. To increase my | | | | STEP 2. ENGAGE THE ENERGY |
| mineral intake, and keep my hair healthy, I eat more | | | | Visualize a large mirror. Look at yourself in this mirror. |
| yogurt, drink more nourishing herbal infusions, prepare | | | | When you see something you don't like, ask the |
| more mineral-rich soups, use more herbal vinegars, | | | | mirror how you can change. Finish by telling your |
| and increase the amount of seaweed in my diet. | | | | image how much you love her. Repeat frequently. |
| - Lack of minerals, especially iron, can cause hair loss. | | | | STEP 3. NOURISH AND TONIFY |
| Yellow dock is one of my favorite iron-tonics. | | | | Oatstraw infusion tends to increase the activity of |
| - Natural hair dyes can cure the grey blahs. Henna | | | | testosterone; increased levels of testosterone |
| (Lawsonia inermis) is a plant that is easily purchased | | | | contribute to excess hair growth during menopause. |
| ready-to-use to change the color of your hair, and | | | | It's a long shot, but avoiding oats, oatmeal, and |
| you are not limited to carrot-top red. So long as it is | | | | oatstraw infusion may help eliminate or reduce those |
| not overused (less than four times a year) henna is | | | | extra hairs. |
| strengthening to the scalp and hair. Other natural hair | | | | STEP 4. SEDATE/STIMULATE |
| dyes include coffee, black walnut hulls, or infusions of | | | | - Natural bleaches, like lemon juice or sunlight (or both |
| sage or rosemary herb. | | | | together), are generally safe even for use on the |
| - Herbalist Amanda McQuade Crawford suggests | | | | sensitive skin of the face. |
| using lemon balm or lemon grass infusion as a hair | | | | - Shaving, plucking, and waxing are minimally invasive |
| rinse to prevent hair loss. | | | | means of removing excess hair. Such means may |
| - Burdock seed oil, one of the best selling hair tonics | | | | increase the rate of hair growth, however, or make |
| in Russia, is especially recommended for those with | | | | the texture of the hair coarser, or cause hair follicle |
| thinning hair or hair loss. Apply to your hair and scalp, | | | | inflammation and ingrown hairs. |
| leave on overnight and shampoo it out the following | | | | STEP 5B. USE DRUGS |
| day. Repeat as needed. | | | | - Hirsutism may be caused by corticosteroids and |
| - Just plain olive oil is also a tremendous hair tonic. So | | | | medications for high blood pressure. (Rograine was |
| is jojoba oil. Apply a handful of either to hair and | | | | originally a blood pressure drug.) |
| scalp, wrap well and leave on overnight, washing it | | | | - Drug treatments - which are 80% successful |
| out the next morning. | | | | according to one MD - include the corticosteroids |
| - I know you know, but let me say it again, exercise! | | | | prednisone and dexamethasone. Hormones, including |
| Yes, it can make your hair healthier too. | | | | birth-control pills and anti-androgens such as |
| STEP 4. SEDATE/STIMULATE | | | | spironolactone, are occasionally used. |
| - While some temporary loss of hair at menopause is | | | | STEP 6. BREAK AND ENTER |
| considered normal, something worse may be brewing. | | | | Electrolysis is expensive, painful, tedious, must be |
| Thin, dry hair is one of the first signs of an | | | | done several times over, and can cause scarring. |
| underactive thyroid. Hair loss is also an early sign of | | | | Most sources advise against home electrolysis. |
| lupus, an autoimmune disease. Chugging down a gulp | | | | |