When Your Body experiences Change, Should Your Hair Routine also change?
Ok let's be real! How many times have you felt like “My hair never used to do this…”? We have a way of expecting our hair to behave exactly the same throughout our entire lives. We find a shampoo we love, establish a routine, discover a few reliable styles and think, Okay, we got this! Then one day the curls aren't curling quite the same, the scalp feels different, the strands seem drier, there's some thinning here and there, or there’s a little more hair than usual coming out on wash day. And what do we do? Probably blame the products, and buy new ones. Have you ever considered that your hair isn't the only thing that's changed? Maybe your body has?
Our bodies evolve, so our hair care routines should be allowed to evolve too. Hormones change. Health changes. Medications change. Nutritional needs change. Stress levels change. We are humans experiencing pregnancy, postpartum recovery, perimenopause, menopause, andropause, and aging. All of those internal changes can influence the environment in which our hair grows. Your hair isn't “acting up", it's adapting. And your routine may have to adapt with it.
Fluctuating Hormones Change the Conversation
For many, one of the first clues that something has shifted internally may actually show up in their hair. Especially for women during perimenopause. Estrogen and progesterone begin fluctuating before eventually reaching much lower levels after menopause. At the same time, the relative influence of androgens can become more noticeable. Hormonal changes, aging and genetics can all contribute to changes in hair density, diameter and growth.
You may start noticing that your hair feels finer than it once did. Your part may appear wider. Your scalp may feel drier. Your strands might break more easily or suddenly require more moisture than they did ten years ago. Your products may not have changed but you have. This may be the season to reassess! How much tension are you putting on your hair? Does your current routine still provide what your hair currently needs? Is there regular evaluation of your scalp?
Although it shouldn't be presented as a treatment for hormonally driven hair loss, scalp massage can be a relaxing inclusion to your routine and helps with blood circulation to your follicles. Protein can be helpful when the hair needs reinforcement, but balancing moisture with protein is just as important. Additionally important is that significant thinning shouldn't automatically be written off as just "getting older". A dermatologist or qualified healthcare professional can help rule out other contributors such as thyroid disorders, patterned or genetic hair loss, low iron or other nutrient deficiencies.
Pregnancy & Postpartum:
Your Hair Is Riding the Hormonal Roller Coaster Too
Pregnancy can create one of the most interesting hair experiences. Higher estrogen levels can keep a greater proportion of hairs in the growing phase for longer, so some people notice fuller or thicker-looking hair during pregnancy. Baby arrives and a few months later you may be standing in the shower thinking: EXCUSE ME?! Who authorized all this shedding?! 😭.
Postpartum shedding commonly becomes noticeable a few months after delivery as hormone levels shift and many of those hairs transition through the growth cycle around the same time. For most people, this is temporary but it doesn't make seeing all that hair shedding any less alarming. This is not the time to punish your hair with aggressive detangling or hide a vulnerable hairline underneath extremely tight extensions. Gentle detangling, low-tension styles, regular cleansing and conditioning, and patience with regrowth become especially important. Nutrition also matters during postpartum recovery. Your body has just done something extraordinary and has its own recovery needs, particularly if you're breastfeeding. If shedding seems excessive, persists longer than expected, creates bald patches or comes with other symptoms, speak with your healthcare provider. And give those edges some grace. They are trying their best!
Men Age Too—and The Hair Notices
We talk a lot about women's hormonal changes, but fellas, you're not getting left out of this conversation. Hair changes with age in men as well. The most common form of hair loss in men is androgenetic alopecia, or male-pattern hair loss. Genetics and the sensitivity of certain follicles to dihydrotestosterone, better known as DHT, play major roles.
That distinction matters because it's not simply that men “have too much testosterone.” Certain genetically susceptible follicles respond to DHT by gradually miniaturizing, producing progressively finer and shorter hairs.
Aging itself can also affect hair characteristics, including density, pigmentation and growth. This is why waiting until an area is completely bare before asking questions isn't the best strategy. Acknowledge changes early! Has the hairline started moving backward? Is the crown becoming more visible? Are strands becoming progressively finer? This may be the time for a scalp and hair evaluation....not six hats and denial lol.
A good routine still matters: consistent scalp cleansing, avoiding excessive buildup and unnecessary tension, balanced nutrition and addressing changes early. Patterned hair loss may require medical evaluation and evidence-based treatment, so good grooming alone isn't always the answer.
Prescription Medications: Don't Forget What's Happening Inside
We've talked about this before, but it deserves a place in this conversation.
Some medications can contribute to hair changes in certain people. One mechanism is telogen effluvium, where a trigger causes more hairs than usual to transition toward the resting and shedding phases of the hair cycle.
Other medications or treatments can affect hair through different mechanisms. Chemotherapy, for example, can affect rapidly dividing cells within actively growing follicles and may cause anagen effluvium. Hair changes have been reported with medications from several categories, including some anticoagulants, retinoids, beta-blockers, antidepressants and hormonal treatments but individual medications differ considerably, and most people taking a particular medication will not necessarily experience hair loss but can experience changes in texture and density.This is awareness—not fear. Please don't stop taking a vital medication because you notice shedding.
Instead, document what you're seeing.
When did the shedding begin? When did you start the medication? Was your dosage changed? Did anything else happen around the same time like illness, surgery, major stress, weight loss or hormonal changes? Bring that timeline to your physician or dermatologist. They can help determine whether the medication could be contributing and whether another explanation should be investigated.
And please be just as careful with supplements and herbs. “Natural” doesn't automatically mean interaction-free. Herbs and supplements can interact with prescription medications, so adding a handful of remedies without discussing them with your healthcare provider can create a completely different problem.
Your Routine Should Serve the Body You Have Now
Here's what you should take away from this: You don't owe your old hair routine loyalty. The routine that worked at 25 doesn't have to work at 45. The routine you followed before pregnancy may not serve you postpartum. The products you loved before menopause may not provide enough conditioning afterward. The routine you had before a new diagnosis or medication may need another look. Changing your routine doesn't mean you've failed at taking care of your hair. It means you're paying attention to your body. And that's what holistic hair care is about.
So before you purchase another product, take a moment and check in with yourself:
What has changed in my body over the last few years?
Have I adjusted my hair routine to support those changes?
Have I noticed changes in density, texture, moisture, shedding or scalp health?
Am I treating the symptom, or trying to understand the source?
And conclude with:
What is my hair asking from me in this season of my life?
Maybe the answer is more moisture.
Maybe it's less tension.
Maybe it's a trim.
Maybe it's rest.
Maybe it's a conversation with your doctor.
Maybe it's accepting that your hair is evolving right along with you and that's okay! We are learning how to care for ourselves through every version of who we become.
Comments