Editor-in-Chief Katy Sunnassee talks thinning hair and the products that could be helping her to regain her mane in her monthly column.
Hair today, gone tomorrow (I’m sure I’ve used that for a headline about hair loss at least once, maybe more!). It’s a subject we’ve returned to a fair few times in this magazine, because hair thinning is becoming ever more prevalent, especially at midlife. And I know I’ve written about it already – at least I think I have, excuse my perimeno brain – but I’m returning to it as our cover star, Gabby Logan, talks all things hair health in her interview, including how she found both the thickness and texture of her locks diminishing once she reached perimenopause.
Wearing thin…
My hair thinning began in my late 30s. I know these things don’t happen overnight, they are gradual, but I do distinctly recall one day putting my hair into a ponytail and thinking ‘Hmm, this feels thin’. Where once I’d wrap a scrunchie around twice, now it needed a third twist. Where once my ponytail felt the thickness of a 50p, now it was 5p.
Looking in a bathroom mirror with bright lights on, I saw my scalp through my hair, whereas in the past my fine-yet-dense mane created complete coverage. I also became conscious of my widening parting and crown – all the more noticeable due to dark hair – which my then-boyfriend, now-husband could see, as he’s taller, and would point it out (and no, this isn’t another “character assassination” – his interpretation of my previous sleep divorce column – just in case he’s reading this too!).
He wanted to help by paying for me to do health tests to determine whether I was lacking in vitamins and minerals or perhaps my hormones were out of whack. I did blood tests, urine tests, and a stool test (yes, pooing on a paper plate and putting it in the post) to check gut bacteria and parasite status. I can’t remember the results of those tests, but I do recall taking zinc and being told I needed to sort out my gut and quit sugar (usual story).
New growth
Fast forward 10 years, and having dabbled with hair-growth supplements, although not for long enough to see improvements, my hair is still no thicker. But (drum roll)… I have recently seen baby hairs sprouting through, and my hair is falling out much less than it did last year, which is a start. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen my “hair fall” story updates showing the tangled clumps that come out while brushing and washing (sharing is caring!), which were excessive, I thought.
But, over the past few months, the amount has reduced a lot. So, what am I doing? While I can’t accurately pinpoint one solution, as I try lots of things at a time, I put it down to a) daily collagen sachets (currently Kollo or Revive Collagen), and b) Scandinavian BioLabs Shampoo and Conditioner plus their Bio-Pilixin Serum. You can literally feel the shampoo and serum working as they make your scalp tingle. I’ve only recently started these so I’m sticking with them to see whether they’re the holy grail of hair solutions that so many women need…
To read more about my hair shedding/growth journey and what’s in the above products, join my free Substack newsletter at katyperimenopause.substack.com and follow me on Instagram!
