Understanding the FACTS about Dry Scalp and Menopause

You don’t have to be 50 years old to know all about menopause and dry scalp. The truth of the matter is that they often come together, so the more you know about menopausal symptoms, the better off you are. The changes going on inside your body affects your hair, scalp, and skin.

Menopause can affect you in many ways. Expect the hair to become dull-looking, dry, brittle or thin. It could be a combination of the usual hot flashes, facial hair, and mood swings. Yes, there are loads of symptoms not many look forward to having.

The hormonal changes are gradual but very noticeable. The hair’s natural pH balance is thrown off, so it starts to dry out. This is because there isn’t enough sebum or natural scalp oil being produced to keep the dryness and itchiness away.

Although the problem can be fixed, finding the right formula can be challenging. This guide will discuss dry scalp and menopause but, more to the point, tell what you can do about it. There are ways to get relief from an extremely dry scalp after menopause, so keep reading.

Dry Scalp After Menopause

When menopause sets in, your estrogen levels go down. Estrogen helps to keep the hair hydrated and nourished, so it’s voluminous and vibrant.

Estrogen produces collagen and the oils that help your skin to remain healthy. When they don’t, the skin becomes dry and wrinkles form. The oil glands in your skin will likely become smaller, so little oil is secreted.

The result is dry skin because your body can’t stay hydrated. This is one reason why hydrating from the inside is so important, so drink the recommended amount of water each day. You should also seek ways to protect your hair on the outside as well.

Hair Care and Menopause

• You should protect your hair from pollutants and chemicals with an HSI Professional Argan Oil Heat Protector.
• Put on a scarf or hat when out in the sun or cold weather for extended periods. Don’t go outside with wet hair. Air dry your hair when possible to prevent breakage.
• Buy anti-aging shampoos and conditioner duos. The brand you choose should contain ingredients that are accommodating to growth and strength.
• Stop adding chemicals to your hair, such as perms and color. These products make the hair even drier.
• On a regular basis, apply deep-conditioning treatments to lock in moisture.
• Eat a well-balanced diet so you receive the nutrients necessary to aid in preventing hair loss.
• Exercise to stimulate blood flow and circulation

Menopause is natural and the consequences arise due to certain imbalances long before menopausal symptoms set in.

Thyroid Hormone

Something women overlook is their thyroid. You should have it checked as your levels can decrease during menopause. You may be surprised to find out that low levels can have an impact on your hair and skin.

You should get a thyroid function test as it could be the cause of dry scalp during menopause. After all, it is associated with hypothyroidism. Low levels of the thyroid hormone can be unsafe.

Vitamin Deficiency

Dry scalp and hair after menopause or during the change could be linked to one or more vitamin deficiencies. If the doctor has ruled out other medical reasons, then you could need to supplement your diet.

Of course, you will need to discuss the possibility of taking certain minerals or vitamins with your physician before you start taking them.  Nevertheless, you need to consume adequate amounts of nutrients each day to give your hair and skin a much-needed boost.

Stop Smoking

You should know smoking wreaks havoc on the skin, but what about the hair?  Tobacco reduces estrogen levels in your body. Quitting smoking could eventually relieve dry scalp after menopause. It will undoubtedly correct your estrogen levels faster than other remedies, but it can take your body time to adjust. You may intially find that the problem is slightly worse, but that will subside.

Why Does Menopause Make the Scalp Overly Dry and Itchy?

The hormonal changes that impact the skin also affect the hair and how it grows. It makes sense when you think about the hair follicles being a part of the skin’s anatomy. With this said, hormonal changes influence the condition of your skin.

As women age, the hair’s texture changes. The once soft head of hair now becomes dry and brittle. The hair shafts start to thin as another one of the consequences of menopause. The natural process to replace oils slows and the new hair growth is drier. It also lacks shine and volume.

The possibility of baldness is not as common for women as it is for men, but it can happen. To curb any thinning, you should avoid chemicals like perms, relaxers, and hair dyes. Beef up your meals with nutrients.

How Does Menopause Change the Texture of the Hair?

When women reach a specific age, they usually stop producing as much scalp oil. The experts estimate about 10% less for every ten years of life. Because of this, the hair is drier, and the texture becomes grainy, making the strands easy to break.

In fact,  the hair starts to lose its ability to snap back as a consequence of menopause. This problem is somewhat easy to deal with and it starts with what you put inside of your body. Are you getting enough of the right foods?

You should make sure you’re getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C, and E, of course. Add to that anti-oxidants and calcium-based foods and water. Water is very healthful to the skin and hair, so drink the amount required to stimulate the organs and blood supply.

• Important: Women should also change their shampoo brands as they get older. You should be using a gentle shampoo plus a rich moisturizer and conditioner, such as Alterna Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner Duo. This will help to keep the hair soft and manageable. Also, if you routinely use a hair dye and get a perm, stop doing one of them as they do more harm than good.

What Happens During Perimenopause?

Perimenopause is a time during menopause that your hormones are off balance and testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone levels fluctuate. Estrogen levels start to taper off about six months or a year before the menstrual cycle stops.

When estrogen levels drop off past a particular point, your monthly cycle will end. After a year without a cycle, you have officially reached menopause. During the following year, estrogen levels continue to drop. Fortunately, the risk for developing specific kinds of cancers are lower now.

However, it also is a time to be concerned about other changes. Collagen levels are lower during menopause, so the need for sun protection is higher. Thinning hair, dry scalp, and wrinkles are possible during this time along with other burdens like an inactive lifestyle.

Your sleep patterns will change and so will nutrition needs. This will likely effect perimenopause because you will not be able to get rid of toxins in the body as naturally anymore. Another concern is some people develop an itchy or dry scalp during menopause. Fortunately, there’s help available.

Home Remedies for Dry Scalp During Menopause

There are numerous products on the market which claim to be the best. However, not everyone can be number one especially if the developers are using synthetic ingredients. You should read the label before buying another product.

In fact, because people don’t know who to trust, they’ve gone to making their own products at home and applying home remedies.

Here are some of your options:

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is super-popular and with good reason. It’s great for an itchy, dry scalp. It has the anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties you’re looking for to reduce the need to scratch. You can use a shampoo containing tea tree oil or add some to your current shampoo.

However, if you want to apply tea tree oil directly to your hair, that’s fine, too. You should dilute it first before applying it to your scalp or skin.

Here’s a quick outline:

1. Dilute the tree oil, two or three drops, with vegetable oil.
2. Massage this into your scalp to loosen grime on the scalp and unclog follicles. It will also stop the itching.
3. Leave the oil on your scalp for a couple of hours then rise out with a gentle shampoo and cool water.
4. Repeat regularly for the next couple of weeks.

If you’d rather stick to your shampoo, it’s not a problem but only if it contains selenium or zinc. These are the ingredients that will reduce signs of dandruff and help heal dry hair. If you want to do a deep conditioning treatment, go for it.

Avoid all heated styling tools when you can and do use a protectant when you have to be outside for extended periods. The sun is only good in brief increments. Remember, blow drying your hair and scalp is damaging as well as over-washing your hair, but you can’t go without cleaning your hair.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Certainly, if your scalp is in good health, so is your hair. In this case, you have to maintain it because healthy just doesn’t happen magically. What’s good for dry scalp is Apple Cider Vinegar. It’s an excellent choice as a superior cleanser and treatment for dry scalp during menopause.

It’s know to give the hair body and sheen while reducing the risk of hair loss, scalp itch, and dandruff. It destroys bacteria and fungus that clogs the hair follicles. What makes apple cider vinegar good for dry scalp?

There are many reasons:

• Treats scalp psoriasis by exfoliating the surface layers
• It contains anti-septic and virus killing enzymes that cause an itchy scalp
• The anti-viral solution reduces inflammation
• Reduces flaking
• Opens pores, minimizes the urge to scratch
• Helps to correct pH balance, so the scalp is free of dandruff and stops itching
• Removes product buildup and helps to soothe and strengthen the hair
• Contains vitamins like B1, B6, A, and C
• Heals scalp wounds and cleans the scalp

Shampoo

In the beauty industry, there’s an old saying that reminds us hair trends follow new skincare regimes. So, with this in mind, anti-aging shampoos, hairstyles, moisturizers, and conditioners started popping up everywhere. The word “renewal” was tossed around in connection with the brands, too.

Since people are living longer, the products they use must match people’s needs, including the hair. Most women want to defy time and fortunately, restoring their hair’s assets is easy to achieve. You don’t have to go to the extreme to have younger-looking hair anymore.

Although developers can’t do much about mother nature, they can bottle man-made solutions to dry scalp. Shampoo brands containing cetyl alcohol and dimethicone (silicone-based lubricant) help to take years off aging locks. The two ingredients replenish dehydrated strands and bring back luster.

The best hair care advice here is to use a conditioner when you step into the shower even when you don’t shampoo. One of the best shampoos to use for aging or menopausal hair is Alterna Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner Duo.

Conditioning Treatments

Dry hair is typical of a woman going through menopause. It’s because of the drop in estrogen. However, it’s nothing you can’t overcome. Start by choosing the same conditioner brand as your shampoo brand, but always use the name and a product rich in moisturizing properties.

Making a decision can be confusing as there are new and improved versions all the time. It’s best to pick up a protectant and a leave-in conditioner while you’re at it because you’re going to need a deep conditioner about once a week. Always add conditioner to freshly washed wet hair.

Make sure that your hair isn’t dripping water when you apply the conditioner. It should be wet, but not excessively wet. Gather enough in your hand to spread evenly throughout your hair and scalp. Some people like to cover their hair with a plastic cap or towel.

In fact, it will help hold in heat naturally. If you prefer, sit under a dryer for about twenty minutes to help lock in moisture. Next, rinse your hair, of course, with cool water. This will close the pores so now, you’re safe to style as normal and if you’re blow drying your hair, use the lowest setting.

Heated Styling Products

Before dry hair becomes an issue, you should already know what shampoo brand your stylist is using. Not only that, but you should also know if she’s at least using the blow dryer correctly or not. Wrong handling will dry out the hair and strip it of its radiance and color.

The rule of thumb is to hold the dryer at least 24inches away from your scalp. However, you don’t need heat to style. You should only use straightening irons and flat irons on healthy hair, but even still, use should be limited to around two or three times a week.

Supplement your hair care regimen by using deep-conditioning treatments to lock in moisture and make the hair shine beautifully.  Use a leave-in conditioner to help control frizzy hair and protect it as well.

Always use a protectant on your hair to shield it from the heated styling tools and the sun. You will do well to purchase the HSI Professional Argan Oil Heat Protector.  Spray it on before you apply heat to your hair. It can be used on any hair type.

Why Has My Hair Gone Frizzy During Menopause?

If you’re going through the change and are having hot flashes, the chances of your hair frizzing up are high. It may sound crazy, but your hair changes as well when you heat up and start to sweat. Your hair takes on new texture and thins out as you age.

The woman who had thick, curly hair as a child won’t have the same head of hair as an adult. It will be even more different by the time she turns 50 or 60 years old. Your hormones play an essential role when it comes human behavior, and they affect the skin and hair in many ways.

Time, unfortunately, changes the texture of your hair. Hair changes every six years or somewhere in between, according to the owner of Christo Fifth Avenue Salon, Christo, expert stylist and inventor of Curlisto hair products. Preventing frizz is easy when you embrace moisture, so seal your locks.

You must protect the other layers as well. To find a compatible shampoo and moisturizer, you must first look at what your stylist uses on your hair.  Does she use a serum or a pomade? How does she dry your hair? These are considerations to take into account when you do hair at home.

Why Does Menopause Make the Hair Dry and Brittle?

During menopause, the hair takes on many changes. It can dry out and become brittle. There’s not much sign of new growth at this time either. The probability of hair loss is greater but there are steps to take that could stop your hair from falling out like avoiding hair dyes and heat.

When the hair dries out, it’s easy for the strands to become thin as well and lifeless. In short, menopause changes the way your hair looks and feels. Surprisingly, the hair’s curl pattern changes as it becomes more curly. Because the hair is thinning, the scalp become much more visible.

Because of hormonal changes which occur, your hair care routine should be modified to meet a strict hair care regimen. As progesterone and estrogen levels drop, the texture of your hair changes. Use a gentle shampoo on brittle hair and refrain from washing every day.

• Tip: For those who regularly wash every day, reduce times to twice a week. Follow up shampooing with deep conditioning treatments. It may be a good idea to add essential oils to your regime to help the hair maintain luster and manageability. Stay away from chemicals and watch what you eat and drink.

Healthy hair is vibrant, bouncy and shiny. Your hair will need a little more attention now that it’s going through the change of life, too.

The one thing that helps more than any other solution is hydrating the hair. Keeping the tresses hydrated means more to the hair than you know. But when you combine oils, vitamins and minerals into the equation, the results are that you get moisture plus manageability, shine, and strength.

Give your hair natural components like herbs and oils especially for the skin and scalp. Remember the things that dry your hair and skin like the sun, coffee, and tea. Stay away from them unless you’re doing a home remedy with the brew from the tea leaves or coffee grounds.

Moisturizing the hair is of the utmost importance during menopause. Use products containing Biotin, vitamins A, E, and D. Blow drying is a no-no unless you’re using the lowest setting and only using it a couple of times a week. Prolonged weakening or damages make require a dermatologist.