Thinning Hair. First I Freaked Out, Then I Did These Things That Work. By Dish Stanley

A few months ago, which was a few months shy of me turning 60, I noticed a lot of hair coming out in the shower and when I brushed it. And not just for a couple of days, but for a couple of months. I had my annual physical around that time and discussed it with my Primary Care Physician. After answering a battery of questions, she surmised it was most likely (yet another) symptom of menopause. “God, help me,” I said over-dramatically. “I have gotten in shape, lost a bunch of weight and bought myself a number of pretty new date dresses. All to buck up for turning 60. And now I’m losing my hair?”

Yes, in the scheme of things (which included, as I’ve written in piece My Tits Contain MulTITitudes, which chronicled my four-month period of breast stress from failed mammograms and a sonogram before a biopsy came back negative) thinning hair shouldn’t feel like such a big deal.

But it really did. 

No other symptom of menopause made me feel so vulnerable - so much as if I was losing my very womanhood - the way it did to glance down in the shower and see my long strands of blonde hair stranded on top of the drain. I couldn’t shake the fear that with it, my femininity was going down the drain, too. “Oh my god, it’s over,” I remember thinking.

"Do I need va-va-voom hair to feel like a woman?" I wondered.

While I know intellectually that my identity as a woman is not encapsulated in my hair, I still took some practical steps to address the hair loss. Here they are, and though it’s only been about five months, they’re really helping. As much with how my hair looks as how I feel, which is pretty. Again. Thank god.

I started using 5% Minoxidil. I get the extra strength and apply it about 3-4x a week (using the dropper that it comes with) along the top and crown. I rub it in a bit once on my scalp. I buy this version (yes it’s for men but my PCP said to use it because it is stronger). I’ve started seeing a lot of hair regrowth where I apply it.

The biggest knock on the minoxidil is that you have to keep using it forever. Dr. Alan Bauman, one of the country’s pre-eminent hair restoration specialists, says: “Hair loss is a chronic and progressive condition, so any therapy treatment needs to be continued over time.” If you stop using minoxidil, you will revert back to the hair loss you had before you started it. For me, that means I’ll use it forever — it’s made that much of a difference. I don’t use it every single night - I apply it 3-4x per week. The other knock is that it’s messy. You get used to it, and it’s a small price to pay, for me.

Certain popular brands, like Hers, are offering minoxidil serums mixed with other hyped hair-boosting ingredients, but based on my research in all of these serums it is the minoxidil that is the true, tested workhorse. So being able to get a five-month supply on amazon for under $30 is a no brainer. And it comes in bottles small enough to travel with.

I started using Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray. My stylist recommended this, as does instagram sensation Greg Hill (more on him below) and then, when I walked into my local Blue Mercury store and said I was looking for a “hair thickening spray” the saleswoman who walked me over to that section of the store went right to this Oribe and handed it to me, saying “You want this one. The Oribe is the best.” 

The thing is, I’m not a hairstylist. In fact, before this (as I note below). The Oribe Maximista spray is very, very thickening. Originally I found it hard to work with — as if I couldn’t pull the brush through my hair. My stylist holds it at least 10 inches from my head and sprays from roots to ends, but that was unworkable for me. Here’s the Oribe’s video on how to use it. What I do: I lightly spray it (a couple light squirts) down my part and then focus on lifting my roots with my Dyson, using the round brush application. That works for me, but if you find the spray too thick, I recommend the Oribe Grandiose Plumping Mousse, also a hair thickener and a little easier to use. Apply the mousse only to your roots.

I bought the Dyson Airwrap Blow Dryer. When the Dyson first came out I thought some of my friends had lost their minds spending over $500 on a blow dryer. At the same time, I wondered how my friend Mary’s hair looked so beautifully blown out every time I saw her (and never put the two together). I figured she was going to a blow dry bar a few times a week. It was too well done for her to have done it at home, I thought.

Then one day after my hair started thinning I was walking through Nordstrom’s just at the moment that a Dyson pop-up station went up. Since there was no line, I figured “heck, I’ll see what all the fuss is about.” The sales person sprayed my hair with water and began showing me how to use the various applicators. 

It was an incredible improvement over any look I’d ever achieved. It was then that I understood the power of the Dyson. And how my friend Mary’s hair looked so good. I learned how to use the Dyson from that sales person, but there are plenty of video’s on the Dyson site here. And also, Greg Hill has specific tips on using the Dyson on his Instagram here, like How to Get Your Dyson Curls to Last All Day. It helps give my hair volume, gives me the ability to style it (easily) different ways and the style lasts. I love my Dyson.

I finally learned how to blow my hair dry. I’ve written about him before, but I learned how to blow my hair in a way that adds volume by watching this Instagram sensation Greg Hill. On Instagram he’s bygreghill “Master Hair Stylist, hair educator and #blowdryexpert.” It turns out, I never knew - really - how to blow my hair dry. I did the simplest blow dry possible, which consisted of bending over at my waist, aiming the blow dryer at my roots, and then standing up straight and running a brush through it from front to back. That was pretty much it. And for sure, it wasn’t until stumbling on this encouraging, calm and soothing British stylist that I actually learned how to get the va-va-voom look I’m rocking now. 

He starts so many of his consultations with “What can I do for you today?” And then he listens. He really listens. And he’s so encouraging and kind. I mean, people even complain that his videos are too long because of all the time he spends listening to his clients (mostly women), making them feel important and validating their concerns and questions. I mean, take this one:

"So I find that as I’m aging, it feels like it’s much thinner … "

I started taking Nutrafol: Jury Is Out. Honestly, I don’t know whether it’s working yet; the jury is out. The pills are big, and you have to take four, and for six months (at least) before you know whether they are working. So I started with nutrafol and we’ll see. Have any CRUSH Readers found that Nutrafol has made a difference? I’d love to hear about it. Please send me a note at Dish@PrimeCrush.com. Thanks.

Finally, I made an in-person appointment for a consultation with hair restoration expert Dr. Alan Bauman. See the piece on The Good Life podcast episode featuring him immediately below. I haven’t gone yet — it’s not until November, but I’ll report back then.

Have you tried something for hair loss / thinning hair that works? I’d love to hear about it. Write me at Dish@PrimeCrush.com. Thanks!

The Good Life Podcast Episode on Thinning Hair for Women

Michele Lamoureux Interviews A Leading Doctor in Hair Restoration By Dish Stanley

Dr. Alan Bauman is one of only 200 doctors in the world to hold a certification from the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHS). He runs Bauman Medical, which has treated 34,000 patients. He is known for his speciality in hair transplantation, and about 40% of his patients are women. In this episode Dr. Bauman tells us what causes hair loss in women and how to address it.

“For women, if you go get a blowout or you get your hair done, you feel like you can take on the world … hair is sooo personal, it makes somebody feel good about themselves, there’s a vulnerability that occurs … it would be helpful to understand hair.” - Michele Lemoureux on The Good Life

Female Pattern Hair Loss Is Not Taken Seriously or Understood As Well

The first thing women notice is not bald spots, but overall thinning of hair (less thickness, smaller ponytail). Most people go to their dermatologist when they have hair loss, but dermatologists are not necessarily sensitive to spotting the overall thinning in hair that marks the beginning of hair loss for women. Dermatologists are not experts in hair loss/restoration - doctors with the ABHS certification do. They have access to tools and experience that allows them to give better diagnoses and to understand and track results.

There are many contributors to hair loss, and it’s important to understand cause in order to really address:

Here’s What You’ll Learn..

Dr. Bauman shares the major things you should be aware of, but to get the details and better understand the science and data, listen to the episode.

The Most Important Thing: Take Action Early. If You’re Noticing Hair Loss Or Thinning: Don’t wait to address it. “Time is follicles,” he says. 

Pulling and Tugging While Blow Drying, Tight Braids, Hair Extensions. Can be a risk factor for some people because repeated pulling out, damaging or plucking degrades hair.

Coloring Your Hair. He will never say that women should stop coloring their hair but take the time to notice if there is any irritation to your scalp. And you may want to speak with your colorist about whether she or he is using treatments that are as sensitive as possible to the scalp. 

You Can Protect the Hair You Have. Note that hair loss is a chronic and progressive condition, so any therapy treatment needs to be continued over time. But start now because at the very least you can protect what you have.

Make Sure You Have a Healthy Diet. Get enough protein and nutrients; many people lose hair when they begin a calorie-restrictive diet (such as, they start on a GLP-1).

Supplements And Nutraceuticals Are Effective for Hair Growth. B vitamins (biotin) are important to hair growth, certain nutraceuticals help with stress.

Medications and Lasers Help with Hair Growth. He’s an advocate of minoxidil (a hair growth stimulant) for women; there are at-home lasers that help with hair retention.

The Good Life Host Michele Lamoureux Talks with Dr. Alan Bauman Episode 325.

The Crush Letter
The Crush Letter is a weekly newsletter from Dish Stanley curating articles & intelligence on everything love & connection - friendship, romance, self-love, sex. If you’d like to take a look at some of our best stories go to Read Us. Want the Dish?