Hair + Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. It commonly lasts four to ten years. Hormones can fluctuate before they settle lower, so the changes you notice do not always move in a straight line.
The short version
When hair begins to feel less familiar, it can be tempting to search for a single fix. But this season is more nuanced. Changes in the hair cycle, the scalp environment, and the feel of individual strands can arrive together.
No two experiences look exactly alike. This page offers context, not a diagnosis.
What may feel familiar
Choose a topic to read more. There is no need to solve it all at once.
Changes in estrogen can mean hair spends less time in its growth phase and may feel less firmly anchored. More follicles can enter their resting phase at the same time, which can make shedding feel sudden rather than like a slow fade.
Natural scalp oil and the barrier lipids that help support the scalp can lessen during this season. Hair may feel drier, finer, more porous, or more prone to breakage.
Gray or lightened hair can also hold hard-water minerals more readily and look dull.
The relationship between estrogen and androgens can change in perimenopause. For women with genetically susceptible follicles, this may be one reason strands feel finer or a part feels less full.
Genetics, age, stress, sleep, and the everyday rhythm of life can matter too.
Changes in estrogen can mean hair spends less time in its growth phase and may feel less firmly anchored. More follicles can enter their resting phase at the same time, which can make shedding feel sudden rather than like a slow fade.
Natural scalp oil and the barrier lipids that help support the scalp can lessen during this season. Hair may feel drier, finer, more porous, or more prone to breakage.
Gray or lightened hair can also hold hard-water minerals more readily and look dull.
The relationship between estrogen and androgens can change in perimenopause. For women with genetically susceptible follicles, this may be one reason strands feel finer or a part feels less full.
Genetics, age, stress, sleep, and the everyday rhythm of life can matter too.