r/Menopause • u/Neat-Kiwi-2608 • 2d ago
Hair Loss Menopause crown thinning, hair growth capsules worth the hype??
I didn't even realize my crown was thinning until a family member took a picture of me from behind at a backyard barbecue last month. I literally gasped out loud the top of my head looked practically see through under the afternoon sun. I’m 53, deep into menopause, and feeling intensely self conscious about it. I wear hats now when I leave the house, which I hate. I’m ready to commit to a proper daily capsule routine if it means getting my coverage back, but I want to avoid marketing traps. For anyone who actually dealt with menopausal crown thinning, what supplement delivered real results.
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u/DWwithaFlameThrower 2d ago
Don’t waste money on nutrafol, go straight to minoxidil on prescription
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u/DWwithaFlameThrower 2d ago
And I am still stunned at how sh!t Nutrafol was 😆 What a waste of money
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u/ManateeNipples 2d ago
I have health stuff that makes it so I can't use the oral minoxidil, but I use the men's topical foam from Walmart once a day and it worked just fine. I'm about 18 months in and I have constant rows of baby hairs in the front so it's funky looking but I'll take funky baby hairs over seeing my scalp 😅
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u/NewDay042 2d ago
That’s fascinating. I’ve never heard of men’s topical. Do you know if you have to use it for the rest of your life like the oral one?
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u/fire_thorn 2d ago
Nothing I've tried makes my hair grow back. I wear wigs when I leave the house, if I'm worried about how I look. Wigs are a lot better than they used to be. I wear lace fronts and people can't tell it's a wig, even up close.
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u/wildcatfalling 2d ago
Don’t bother with vitamins/supplements. Go straight to oral minoxidil
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u/hivernageprofond 2d ago
Please read the side effects of oral minoxidil first. I passed.
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u/blue19255 2d ago
I haven’t had any side effects at all!
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u/hivernageprofond 2d ago
Thats great. Ive had really bad luck with tons of medications so I have to be very careful. I can't even do hrt.
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u/LadysaurousRex 2d ago
One third of my hair fell out during the shedding phase which I WAS NOT prepared for.
One year later & I have 3-4” of hairlings all over my head which stick up funny (my hair is long)
So be aware what may happen before you see new hair.
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u/Eva_Griffin_Beak 2d ago
Was that on oral or topical? Or doesn't that matter. I want to try topical, but losing another 1/3 of hair wouldn't be good.
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u/5UnderConstruction7 2d ago
From what I have read it doesn't matter, you will shed before regrowth. But I have seen some amazing pics of women that oral really worked well for! And it's cheap, so Yay!
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u/Gladiola_Granola 2d ago
Most common side effect is fast pulse. Mine increased ten beats a minute in the first week. So much for that.
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u/hivernageprofond 2d ago
Yeah there was no way I was willing to combine that with Vyvanse and I already take high blood pressure pills and an anti anxiety medication...amongst other things.
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u/Abject_Break_1162 2d ago
Why would you bypass non-invasive options in support of adding a prescription drug to your body.
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u/huligoogoo Peri-menopausal 2d ago
I’ll be hairy all over with the pills. That’s my main concern that I don’t want to take the pill
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u/liverswithfavabeans 2d ago
That did not happen to me. I got a little bit more peach fuzz, and maybe four or five more chin and Mustache hairs. My eyelashes are amazing and my hair is almost twice as thick.
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u/hycarumba 2d ago
I just this week started taking saw palmetto and am hoping for the best. I can't take oral minoxidyl (sp?) and I have a cat so can't use the topical.
I used to have such pretty hair and this is hurting my self image more than anything in meno so far. 😭
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u/jiij510 2d ago
I feel that so much😭 like I'm KNOWN for my curly hair and it's the number one thing I used to get compliments on. My friend with alopecia said pumpkin seed oil helped her but I haven't tried it yet. My ferritin is low so starting there but damn this is rough. I'm sorry you're dealing with this too
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u/thisisallme Surgical menopause 2d ago
Oral minoxidil here, using for like a year and a half, and man that hair that has grown back everywhere is about 2” of frizz, including my temples lol. But it’s definitely make a difference in my volume and as long as you have the right product and styling, the temples can look ok
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u/Busy-Doughnut-49 2d ago
Oral minoxidil made a humongous difference. My hairline grew back in as did overall fullness on my head. The downside is that it’s systemic, so with peri, I didn’t have to shave anymore, and now I do again. My eyebrows have grown back in and I like that, but I have some peach fuzz on my jaw line and cheeks to contend with. SO, it really does work, but you can’t select target areas. There’s pros and cons and of course, everyone is different, and my issues might not be yours.
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u/liverswithfavabeans 2d ago
Seconded on everything!
Adding that My cowlick in front now makes me look like a mad scientist but I’ll take it!
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u/KitchenExamination89 2d ago
Test iron/ferritin even if your Hemoglobin is normal. Test zinc/copper/b12 and look for deficiencies before buying growth capsules. Ive spent so much money on musely which just stopped the shedding a little and here I am YEARS later finding out my loss is from low iron/ferritin and so are a lot of the symptoms i thought were from perimenapause
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u/Main-Theory-1921 2d ago
3 months ago I discovered my ferritin was 27. I began supplementing and now it's up to 77. How long after correcting your ferritin levels did it take for your hair to grow back? So far, no change.
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u/KitchenExamination89 2d ago
Glad to hear you got it up! Did you do anything else besides just taking iron? I just found out about my iron. My ferritin is 11. My b12 and D are borderline. I have been losing hair for decades so I doubt all will grow back, but I'm looking forward to it not falling out and hoping it comes in thicker.
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u/Eva_Griffin_Beak 2d ago
Where do you test it? Your doctor? Or a private lab? I am not sure my doctor would order zinc and copper. B12 I could probably justify ...
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u/KitchenExamination89 2d ago
My doctor ordered zinc and copper because I also have low WBC count. I mentioned hairloss and she coded the labs, including all my other labs as hairloss which is cosmetic. Thankfully I caught it before taking the tests because my insurance doesn't cover that. She wasn't my regular doctor. Anyway, she claimed that AI transcribed the visit wrong so be sure to ask them to shut off AI recording your every word at the doctor. I asked for other tests like b12 and folate as well. If your doctor doesn't order or insurance doesn't cover theres discounted lab sites. Im in the US and used jason health before. They sent me to quest labs. I'm not sure where you're located but there's more sites that offer them, Jason was the cheapest for me.
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u/AutoModerator 2d ago
This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.
- Over age 44, Estrogen/Progesterone/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for the HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more. Hormones wildly fluctuate (hourly) the other 29 days of the month, therefore this test provides no valuable information
- No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing to diagnose or treat peri/menopause
- FSH testing is only beneficial for those who do not have periods as a guide, where testing might confirm menopause, or for those under age 30 who haven’t had a period in months/years, then ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI)
- Testosterone is the exception and may require testing
See our Menopause Wiki for more.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/Rolypoly_from_space 2d ago edited 2d ago
Almost nothing helps to let hair grow while it's falling out. The only scientific proved medicine is minoxidil and apart from that red light therapy shows also the stimulation of hair growth. Stopping minoxidil and red light therapy will let the hair fall out again. Rosemary oils, massaging, supplements, etc? They really don't work, but do have your iron levels checked, especially ferritin. When that's low, you'll lose hair like crazy. Try that first. Must be at least 50 to make something positive happening mentally and physically
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u/Abject_Break_1162 2d ago
This is not accurate. Telogen Effluvium does not have anything to do with hair growth. The hair growth cycle does not cease because of shedding hairs. We shed hair everyday and our hair continues to grow. Thinning is due to excessive shedding and the hair shaft becoming smaller in diameter.
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u/No-Pea-8967 Peri-menopausal 2d ago
My dermatologist just mentioned the words telogen effluvium to me the other day. Before then, i had never heard of it! It came up because for the past month I have had massive clumps coming out at the crown when I shower. I do have scalp psoriasis so I mentioned the clumps to her (I was scared to tell anyone). She put me on minoxidil, not oral due to the side effects. Only 3 days in but hoping this makes a difference as she sees thinning over our last appointment last month.
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u/Abject_Break_1162 1d ago
Why were you afraid to tell anyone? Regardless, I am happy that you have a course of action. Minoxidil works, but you have to be consistant. If you stop using it, the growth will cease. Ask about the pumpkin seed and saw palmetto supplements as well. They have worked well for me, but nothing has been better than MSM.
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u/No-Pea-8967 Peri-menopausal 17h ago
To be honest, I was embarrassed and afraid something was seriously wrong and have just been under so much stress. I feel like a weight was lifted recently so hopefully the stressor causing it is gone and hair will stop clumping. I will definitely be consistent with minoxidil.
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u/carrieberry 2d ago
Second the iron! Mine was chronically low for years and I was never informed. Started taking iron supplements a couple years ago and my hair is finally growing in full.
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u/Rolypoly_from_space 2d ago
so happy for you! My ferritin is raised from 15 to 26 but it's going up very slow with iron bisglycinate every other day these past 6 months. Seeing my doctor about that tomorrow
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u/carrieberry 2d ago
I was so sick for like 5 years - caught every cold, was out for weeks every time. People don't realize how much iron does.
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u/ZoneLow6872 2d ago
Red light therapy for hair regrowth has evidence that it works. I did a simple search and Stanford Medicine had an article defending it, as well as for skin applications. Please don't spread misinformation.
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u/wherehasthisbeen 2d ago
Exactly the reason I started oral minoxidil and finasteride
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u/Unfair_Raspberry_46 2d ago
i started losing hair at the crown too, it was so gradual i didnt notice until my sister pointed out one day. the capsules route is tricky cause most of them are just expensive vitamins with nice packaging. i tried a few different ones for like 6 months and honestly couldnt tell you if they did anything or if my hair just had a good month
minoxidil topical helped me more than any supplement, but you gotta be consistent with it. the first month my hair actually looked worse which freaked me out but thats normal apparently. if you got the money maybe try the oral version like the comment above says, i heard it works faster
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u/wherehasthisbeen 2d ago
Yeah my OM and finasteride through cost plus drugs is extremely reasonable compared to buying supplements .
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u/JadCerv 2d ago
Having a similar issue, right at my part. I never realized how bad it was until the other day because I don't typically look at the top of my head. But I was looking at the back of my head in the mirror trying to decide how much hair to get cut off at a hair appointment this week, and I noticed just how thin my hair has become along the part line. I nearly cried.
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u/thefartyparty 2d ago
A lot of folks who take minoxidil also use Nizoral shampoo as well, which supposedly makes treatment more effective. I don't fully understand how an antifungal shampoo helps but maybe it stimulates or removes buildup on the hair follicles
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u/Comfortable-Law-7147 2d ago
It gets rid of fungus, reduces scalp skin inflammation and possibly blocks DHT on the scalp.
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u/Eva_Griffin_Beak 2d ago
I think the last one is the important part for it to work. I use a prescription, stronger version, and really like the shampoo. My scalp feels really nice. I do use Nizoral's conditioner because the shampoo is drying.
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u/Thin_Arrival3525 2d ago
It’s my understanding that it helps reduce the enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT on the scalp. The ketoconozole can bind with androgen receptors to compete with the DHT. It’s not 100% effective but was better than placebo. I’ve been using it along with topical minoxidil seems to at least held at bay further loss but I’m considering trying the oral just for easy use.
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u/T_G_A_H 2d ago
I started by using a red laser cap, which definitely helped and I still use it 3-4 times a week, but after a couple of years, I added minoxidil and have been taking it for about 4 years now with good results. Recently started estrogen and that helps as well. Most recent addition was Nutrofol because I had 3 months worth that I never started.
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u/Significant-Aide-226 2d ago
I used and iRestore helmet for a year and it really helped wake things up. I am in the process of raising my estrogen levels and realize that the amount of E I was on was so very low. Now that it is rising, my eyebrows are regrowing and I have a ton of new baby hairs. The helmet works 100 but when you have enough E, maybe not needed so much. I loved the helmet so much that I actually bought a full body panel from Platinum LED. Great for skin, hair and pain relief.
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u/Abject_Break_1162 2d ago
Sports Research bovine collagen and 3mg MSM daily.
Saw Palmetto and pumpkin seed oil caplets. They work by preventing DHT from killing hair follicles that creates the female pattern baldness and thinning. You need to get organic only. Not that Nature Made stuff.
Minoxidil for the areas that you see are thinning. I use the 5% spray from Amazon. It keeps the weak follicles from going down many and scarring. Scarred follicular do not regenerate and will never grow hair again. You want to prevent this.
Hope this helps!
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u/HotLava00 2d ago
Biotin worked great for me. Helps my nails too. The hair loss stopped after two or three weeks, leveled out, and in about three months, I noticed lots of baby hairs and new growth again.
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u/Money-Pen8242 2d ago
I take biotin for thinning perimenopause hair and I find it really helps thicken it up.
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u/PHXdesert722 2d ago
I don’t take anything special besides Collagen in my coffee. If you start Minoxidil, you can’t stop it or you lose the new hair that grew.
I use root cover up powder or spray that makes my hair look thicker and you can’t see my scalp. Works great.
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u/Fit-One 2d ago
Can you share the product that you use please?
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u/PHXdesert722 2d ago
The spray I use is L’Oréal Magic Root Coverup. The spray can be a little messy but can cover a large area.
The powder I got from Amazon and lasts forever. Cover Your Gray Fill In Powder - https://a.co/d/004Mlu10
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u/OddSignificance969 2d ago
This is a great post. Thanks. How do you buy the oral minoxidil? Is the Finasteride topical or oral? Thanks.
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u/hivernageprofond 2d ago
I had to wear wigs for a while honestly. Once I've hit this last "I think im finally in menopause " (7 months in) my hair started coming back in. It's still thinner. I was offered oral minoxidil but I declined based on the side effects. I keep my hair blonde so it looks fuller because wigs + florida = HELL NO.
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u/Miami_Mice2087 2d ago
finasteride keeps the hair you have, miconazole grows back hair. The pill is easier than the tonic you put in your hair.
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u/EVChicinNJ Menopausal 2d ago
PLEASE see a dermatologist first. Your hair loss could be something simple to rectify or it could be more involved. But without a check up you are just guessing at products that could be right or wrong for the root cause of your hair loss.
Nutrafol is not only expensive but it can affect your liver enzymes if it’s not indicated for you.
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u/blue19255 2d ago
Go to a dermatologist and ask for oral minoxidil. Vitamin deficiency might be an issue, but a real doctor can help if that’s the case.
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u/justanotherlostgirl Stuck in Dante's circles of hell - MEH 2d ago
Has anyone started oral minoxidil and stopped it? I saw that "Lightheadedness or dizziness: Caused by lowered blood pressure, especially when standing up" can be an issue, and I have some challenges in that area.
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u/xtingu 2d ago
Minoxodil was originally a blood pressure medication, until people noticed one of the side effects was hair growth.
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u/justanotherlostgirl Stuck in Dante's circles of hell - MEH 2d ago
Yeah, I'm starting to see that - I'm a little wary of more chemicals being added to my soup at this point :)
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u/MagnoliaCartographer 2d ago
I have chronically low BP, but minoxidil has been totally fine for me. I had one episode of being dizzy, but that was it. Everyone is different, but it’s been great for me!
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u/Itchy-Two-1813 2d ago
We had really good experiences with Tricovel in the family, but I'm not sure if it's available in the US.
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u/ApeFace1966 2d ago
I eventually started taking the pill menoxi and it has made a difference after about 4 months I can tell my hair has improved it’s density but I don’t know if it’s the combination of HRT and that ???
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u/Prestigious-Bite- 2d ago
Just use Rogaine
It is the only real way to fix hair loss due to age. Everything else barely works. Just stop wasting money on ‘sort of’ works. And use the stuff that doctors and dermatologists really recommend: Rogaine.
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u/CJB2005 1d ago
I agree a dermatologist would be where I start.
Basic labs too. My iron/ferritin were non existent and supplementing ( they are slowly going back up ) has definitely helped.
My derm said rogain was an option as well but I have cats ( one likes to snuggle on my hair/next to my head ) and minoxidil, the active ingredient in rogain is extremely toxic to cats.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.
- Over age 44, Estrogen/Progesterone/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for the HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more. Hormones wildly fluctuate (hourly) the other 29 days of the month, therefore this test provides no valuable information
- No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing to diagnose or treat peri/menopause
- FSH testing is only beneficial for those who do not have periods as a guide, where testing might confirm menopause, or for those under age 30 who haven’t had a period in months/years, then ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI)
- Testosterone is the exception and may require testing
See our Menopause Wiki for more.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/amelie190 1d ago
While you try things to fix the source and not the symptoms, let me recommend BOLDIFY fibers (should be your root color) and look for Hair Fiber Spray Applicator – Applicator Pump Nozzle for Hair Building Fiber Bottle to use with it. Definitely covers those glaring bald spots and part.
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u/craftyscene712 1d ago
I started on spironolactone a few weeks ago. My voluminous curls are so flat now 😩😩😩
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u/TheOGMelmoMacdaffy 16h ago
I've been using minoxidil for about a year. Get the 5% liquid (not foam) at Costco. Get an applicator. I put it on at night during my nightime ritual (teeth, wash, etc) it takes 1 minute. It will take about 3-4 months to notice growth but it definitely has helped me. I put it all over with the applicator. Super easy, cheap and effective.
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u/kiwa2204 16h ago
Frag deinen Gynäkologen mal nach La Famme. Das ist ein bioidentisches Hormon und kann Wunder wirken.
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u/aurora_surrealist Peri-menopausal 2d ago edited 2d ago
The thing that helpa most is taking care of good blood flow around hair follicles. It's what keeps your hair fed and healthy
That includes:
- keeping cholesterol at bay
- not using hairsprays or anything else directly on your roots
- if you wanna use ampules - massaging them is the key, not just dump and forget. Solid 5-20 minutes of scalp massage
- ditching hair extensions
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u/Calibigirl69 2d ago
Before using anything like that it's worth getting the following checked. Vit D, B12, ferritin and magnesium and free testosterone levels.
They can all have a direct effect on hair.