How Menopause Contributes to Hair Loss

Angela Fields [00:00:02]:

Reach out and find the groups on Facebook, there could be private groups where everyone in the group is dealing with hair loss. Join those groups, introduce yourself, start talking to the individuals. If you want a meetup group, go to the various sites where there are meetup groups to see if there’s a hair loss group right there in your own city. If you need to make that call to your dermatologist, make sure you can find a dermatologist that understands how you traditionally wear your hair so that they can best come up with the routine to treat you. 

 

Kevin Rolston [00:00:46]:

Welcome to HairPod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Rolston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. This episode is extra special because we are celebrating Women’s History Month and HairPod’s very first birthday. In our first year, we’ve made it our mission to break the stigma that surrounds hair loss by sharing powerful stories told by real people just like you. 

 

We’ve explored the science behind hair loss, the emotional impact it can have, and the solutions that help people feel like themselves again. We strive to tell stories that often go untold, and we hope that helps you feel a little bit less alone. Even though today’s topic impacts countless women, it isn’t talked about enough. 

 

Our guest, Angela Fields, is the founder of a curly hair product line. Her passion for holistic hair health comes from a personal place, as she has experienced hair loss herself. Through her own journey with thinning hair during pre-menopause and menopause, Angela Fields learned firsthand the challenges that come with hair loss, and now she uses her platform to educate and support women on their own hair journeys. 

 

Through her own journey with thinning hair during perimenopause and menopause, Angela Fields learned firsthand the challenges that come with hair loss, and now she uses her platform to educate and support women on their own hair journeys. Her experience with hair loss began as so many of ours do, looking into the mirror and seeing a little bit more scalp than she had before.

 

Angela Fields [00:02:33]:

A few years back in 2017, I was experiencing a widening part. 

 

So, you’re just seeing more scalp in between the hair, if you will. And so, that was in the pre-menopause, the perimenopause stage that I was experiencing. But it was also affected by I was exceptionally low in vitamin D after doing some type of lab work and working with my doctor. 

 

And so, supplementation really helped with bringing back the fullness of my hair at that time. How did you wind up getting diagnosed? How did you know that this might be a hair loss condition brought on by menopause? That is a very good question, because when I first noticed it, okay, I’m going to have to figure this out. But two weeks later, I was scheduled for my normal six-month evaluation with my primary care physician, and vitamin D is one of the standard things that she checked for in my labs every time I was coming in for a visit, at least at those six-month intervals.

 

And there was a huge drop-off in my vitamin D from the previous six-month visit when my labs were done and the vitamin D level was checked. I didn’t even really know that this was something she was doing all along, because my levels had been within range, so she hadn’t mentioned it to me. And when it showed up, she asked, and we started talking about fatigue.

 

We started talking about hair thinning and the widening of the part. And she said, absolutely. Both of those things could be hugely driven by vitamin D, even though at that point it was still pre-menopause. 

 

And so vitamin D supplementation, and it takes a while to really build your vitamin D levels up. And it’s not so easy as just going and spending time in the sun. We cannot get enough vitamin D from just laying around in the sun all day, even if we’re not wearing a sunscreen. 

 

So supplementation may definitely be needed. And so over time, that brought things back in line and the filling in of the hair again. And that was all you did, was just supplement with more vitamin D? Yes, with more vitamin D. Now, we also did some eye errand, but that was more because of the fatigue that I was experiencing as well. 

 

But yes, at that point, it was something as simple as getting my levels of vitamin D back up. So simply because you’re losing hair, it doesn’t have to be some complicated process to bring things back in line. We just have to evaluate what you’re experiencing. 

 

You know, what are your levels? It may involve some lab work. It may involve working with a doctor, but the solution could be very simple. And for me, that first time it was. 

 

Now, further into menopause, I was filming and I had leaned over to pick something off the floor to hold it in front of the camera. So now later I am editing the footage. And as I leaned over, I noticed I could see about a golf ball size area where I could see straight through my hair to my scalp. 

 

And so I’m seeing it on the video as I’m editing it. And it’s like, wow, OK, something’s wrong. So then visited the dermatologist and she started looking and was doing some things, checking some things, and she said, OK, so is you’re in menopause and that alone can cause hair thinning. 

 

But I also had a diagnosis of alopecia on top of just being in menopause and having the impact of the hormones. So that added a more it was more complicated. It was a more in-depth solution that was needed. 

 

And the type of alopecia that I had was known as CCCA. And this particular type of alopecia does cause scarring of the scalp, which can give you another hurdle that you have to cross over if you’re trying to address it or if you’re wanting to treat it to address it. And so that did involve some additional testing.

 

It did involve supplementation. So I started taking a variety of supplements, including Nutrafol as well as some additional vitamins, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin C, as well was added into the routine and then specifically addressing the scarring. So this is the scar tissue is something that blocks the scalp. 

 

And even if you are growing hair still, it can’t push through the scalp because of the scar tissue. So this particular treatment did involve working with scalp injections. And so it was a combination of a steroid and a pain reliever that was injected into my scalp in the areas of the thinning. 

 

And so you do this once a month for six months, then you wait three months to see if you’re going to be able to regrow hair. Cause again, you don’t know what’s happening underneath the scar tissue. After I went back in at that three month interval after waiting, I was thrilled because I had hair pushing through my scalp. 

 

So it meant that I could regrow hair. It just wasn’t getting through because of the scar tissue.

 

Kevin Rolston [00:07:40]:

Can you tell me what triggers the alopecia? Is it a genetic condition? Is it stresses? What, what makes that come out in somebody? Could it be dormant in a lot of people listening right now?

 

Angela Fields [00:07:49]:

You know, that’s a very good question. 

 

And there are many kinds of alopecia. So there are many causes of alopecia. And so the treatments vary as well. 

 

Sometimes it can be genetic. Sometimes it can be different hairstyles that you’re wearing. If you’re wearing styles that are too tight and it’s pulling on the hair. 

 

So you’re literally pulling your hair out by its root by wearing the tight hairstyles. It could have been some type of trauma or injury. When I a teenager, I was falling back on a bed and overshot it and hit the corner of the nightstand and split my scalp open right in the crown and then had to go through stitches and everything.

 

Okay. It could have been trauma from that particular injury that long ago that I had quickly forgotten about. You know, it was later that I remembered that this had happened.

 

So it has a variety of causes. It can also be illnesses or treatments for illnesses that can cause different types of alopecia. Yeah. 

 

So an alopecia itself is just an umbrella term to mean hair loss. Now you’ve got to figure out which type and then what’s the best course of treatment for you.

 

Kevin Rolston [00:09:00]:

Now you talked about a timetable. You start off talking about the vitamin D. You talked about other things you did. Can you walk me through that timeline? If somebody’s right there right now saying, okay, I’m getting ready to get started on my own treatments. How long did it take for you to start seeing the regrowth and getting to a point where you felt confident about your hair again?

 

Angela Fields [00:09:20]:

Absolutely. 

 

So one of the immediate things that I did, my dermatologist wanted me to start taking the Nutrafol. And when I got to, one of the things that I do is whenever I go through my shampoo, however I’m going to style my hair, I accumulate all of the hair that may be in my detangling brush, detangling comb. I’m using a trap on the shower to keep the hair from going down the drain because I want to get a measure of how much hair I lost during the course of that wash day. 

 

And so I take a quick picture of it with my phone. So I have a time and date stamp record of the hair that came out in my detangling comb, detangling brush. And just as I’m going through that process and what the intent is, is have something that can be compared over time. 

 

And so you know that you can make adjustments to it. So after I hit three months, that was a huge interval. The amount of hair that I was losing just from going through that wash day was cut in half. 

 

And so it’s not, by taking this picture, it’s factual. It’s non-emotional. You don’t have to think or wonder. 

 

You can just line up the pictures. And my shampoo volume was cut in half when I got to three months just from the Nutrafol. And then after we started seeing that I could indeed regrow hair, that’s where we added in some additional vitamins and supplements to the mix. 

 

So that was the first indication, that three months. And then with the injections that I was doing, after nine months after the start of those injections is where baby hairs were coming up through the scalp. And so I still see my dermatologist every three months. 

 

And we always take pictures of my hair, of the scalp. And when I look at where I was in October of 2022, when that diagnosis of alopecia came to where I am today, it is a huge difference. 

 

Kevin Rolston [00:11:16]:

Angela’s diligence and patience paid off. 

 

Once she learned some of the underlying causes of her hair loss, her treatment plan helped her improve her hair health and her hair growth followed. But as Angela said, hair regrowth can take a while. Looking back on her experience, there are a few things that Angela wishes she had known from the beginning.

 

Angela Fields [00:11:41]:

What I would do differently is I would have already been on some type of supplement because it is rare that we can eat a diet that is perfect enough for us to get all that entire range of supplementation, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, all these things from what we are eating. And because I had a history of low vitamin D and I knew that I really should have been on supplements all along just to fill in that void. And so I have the Nutrafol with what’s there. 

 

And then plus the additional supplements that I take, it’s just very important. And it does also help with the fatigue. So often women feel fatigue, but we keep going because we’ve got so many things to do. 

 

We’ve got people we’re trying to take care of. When we just keep going, we’re not paying attention to it. And we really should. 

 

Because again, fatigue itself is difficult to pinpoint, but you can start analyzing some things, checking some things. Because here I was, I could sleep on a dime at any minute when I was first going through the hair thinning and, you know, as far as my parts were concerned. And yet I wasn’t talking to the doctor saying, I am just exhausted all the time and I don’t know what’s wrong.

 

Right. For my six month eval. And see, maybe there are individuals that may not have access to that type of hair care, or maybe they’re not even realizing the value of running labs on a regular basis. 

 

And my doctor was on top of it. So yes. So I encourage seeing your doctor at least once every six months, and there should be a standard group of labs of blood work that your doctor is doing for you. 

 

And vitamin D should truly, should truly be one of those.

 

Kevin Rolston [00:13:23]:

Were there any other symptoms? You’ve mentioned the fatigue. You talk about the hair loss.Was there any other kind of tells that were happening that you weren’t observant to at this time? 

 

I had a lot of scalp itching where, oh gosh, why am I scratching again? Why am I scratching again? And that in itself could also be an indication you’re experiencing some hair loss. It could be an allergy, but it could also be hair loss. So it’s just something you should be mindful of. 

 

And especially if all these things are happening at the same time, that is also definitely a wake up call. You talked about some of the treatments you did, but there are also things you can do and just how you live your life. You’d mentioned diet, but getting the supplements along with it. 

 

You talked just briefly about sleep, stress management, things like that. Are there specific lifestyle changes that you also did to accompany all this that you would recommend for somebody?

 

Angela Fields [00:14:14]:

Absolutely. So that’s where we’re coming back into exercise because we’re all trying to manage our stress. 

 

Cortisol is a hormone and it’s distress hormone, but the stress hormone that can also cause hair loss. And there are other hormones that are a part of maturing. Some of them are increasing, some of them are decreasing as we’re aging, but maintaining a clean scalp so that you’re shampooing your hair on a regular basis and making sure you’re getting all the product residue, all of the dirt, sebum, all the different things that build up on our hair.

 

We need to clean our scalp and make sure we’re starting fresh and we should do that on a regular basis. And I’m talking that you’re at least getting that, you know, a shampoo at least every seven to 10 days. And you know, and black women may not shampoo their hair as frequently as others do, but trying to get it done at least every seven to 10 days, because letting that build up stay on your scalp could also be a cause of hair loss because of the presence of the hormone.

 

So you really want to make sure you’re doing that.

 

Kevin Rolston [00:15:20]:

Is there anything you’ve noticed that people are putting in their hair? You talk about what you’re leaving in your hair, but are there some things that people might be using on their hair, not realizing that day three, day four, it’s really causing a lot of damage.

 

Angela Fields [00:15:30]:

Yeah. 

 

And that’s when you’re talking about those tight hairstyles and when you’re wearing the glued in hairstyles. So every time you’re putting the hair in, you’re putting the glue right here over time, you’re going to experience hair thinning and then hair loss in that area, just from the weight from the glue. And then from the removal of it coming out of your hair. 

 

And so you want to minimize wearing those tight hairstyles, glued in hairstyles, anything that is traumatizing to the scalp into the hair. You really want to be on the minimal side and start trying to wear other types of styles rather than relying on the glued in styles in the tight hairstyles. But sleep, exercise, diet, you know, those things are all in there as well. 

 

Kevin Rolston [00:16:15]:

For many people, lifestyle changes can make all the difference. But for others, the road may be less clear. While it’s always a good idea to reduce stress, get better sleep and choose hairstyles that have a positive impact on long term hair health. 

 

There are many women out there who experience advanced hair loss and need to take a more targeted approach to their hair regrowth and overall health. But without the proper support, it can be hard to know where to begin.

 

Angela Fields [00:16:45]:

They should start at the same point. 

 

Is it the tight hairstyles? Doing an evaluation of what could be the root causes. Are you experiencing some type of illness? OK, then maybe one doctor has been treating that illness like lupus, for example. But maybe you need to add in a dermatologist to treat the hair loss. 

 

But also, is it style related? Maybe you need to start wearing some different types of hairstyles or different products. Should you be using a growth serum on your hair? Absolutely. You know, that can indeed help with the thinning. 

 

But sometimes it can just be the fear of I don’t even know what this could possibly be. So I’m kind of scared to talk about it. And you feel isolated and alone and you shouldn’t. 

 

There are options on social media for groups that are dealing with hair loss and just feeling that you’re not alone, that you’re not in isolation. There are some individuals you can talk to. There are also meetup groups that you can find across the country. 

 

And perhaps you can find one in your area where all of the women in the group are experiencing hair loss. And so maybe once or twice a month they get together. They talk about what’s going on, what’s happening. 

 

And so just lifting that feeling of isolation off that I’m not alone. And it hit me hard when I heard the words alopecia. It’s like, oh, no, not.

 

All right. And so that’s why I talk about it so that individuals don’t feel like they’re all alone. And when I am able to talk to someone or help someone through it, it’s just like a success.

 

And when they follow up, because I always want to hear back, how’s it going? Have things changed? Are they improving? And it is huge. It’s a victory. I mean, I’m feeling a victory too.

 

When someone says, yes, it’s working, it’s working. So even though you’re feeling that fear of stepping out there and wondering what it could be, go ahead and do that. Reach out to various groups, reach out to individuals. 

 

If you see someone in social media telling their story, I mean, reach out to them because they will respond to you. I assure you they will respond. And even the meetup groups can be something that can be helpful as well.

 

But you have opportunities to connect, to reach out. Don’t feel like it’s just you. I don’t want you to stay in isolation either. 

 

Where would you start with that connection process? What’s step one? Step one is search for hair loss on social media and whatever is your chosen platform. Is it YouTube? Is it TikTok? Is it Instagram? Is it Facebook? Reach out and find the groups. On Facebook, there could be private groups where everyone in the group is dealing with hair loss. 

 

Join those groups, introduce yourself, start talking to the individuals. If you want a meetup group, go to the various sites where there are meetup groups to see if there’s a hair loss group right there in your own city and that you can join the group and at the next meeting. Generally, these groups are meeting a times a month and you may not be able to make every session, but step out and go there and talk to individuals. 

 

If you need to make that call to your dermatologist, make sure you can find a dermatologist that understands how you traditionally wear your hair so that they can best come up with a routine to treat you. But you know, don’t stay in fear and don’t be stuck in that fear.

 

Kevin Rolston [00:20:20]:

Hair loss can feel like a lonely journey, but as Angela’s story shows, there is hope. 

 

With the right treatments, a supportive community, and a willingness to seek answers, it’s possible to regain both your hair and your confidence. Whether you’re just starting to notice changes or you’ve been searching for solutions for years, you’re already on the path to success just by being here. We want to thank Angela for coming on the show to share both her experience with hair loss and her expertise in hair health so that more people can get on the path to feeling and looking their best. 

 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month and HairPod’s first anniversary, we also want to thank you for being here with us. Together, we’re breaking down the stigma surrounding hair loss, one story at a time. For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app.

 

Thanks for listening to another episode of HairPod. Check us out at HairClub on Instagram or search HairPod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you’d share it with them. 

 

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