Menopause is a unique chapter in life. It begins in midlife and is accompanied by a series of hormonal changes that can affect everything from sleep to mood to hair.
When it comes to hair specifically, the drop in estrogen and progesterone levels that occurs during menopause can cause natural changes that increase the effects of DHT (a hormone involved in hair follicle miniaturization) and deprive hair follicles with vital nutrients needed for their growth. But by combining diet and supplements, you can give your hair exactly what it needs to grow through menopause.
Below, we'll take you through the top five nutrients for healthy hair growth during menopause, along with the best foods to get them. Along with changing your diet, a supplement like Iconique Collagen is a great way to get all those nutrients (and more!) to take charge of your hair health during menopause.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D's role in keeping our body balanced extends to healthy hair. This vital nutrient helps reduce the inflammatory response, support a healthy immune system and help balance blood sugar levels.
When these three elements are not in harmony, a number of health issues, including impaired hair growth, can occur.
Vitamin D also helps the body properly absorb other important nutrients such as zinc, selenium, iron and calcium which influence hair health.
Where to find it? Vitamin D is found in foods such as salmon and other fatty fish, mushrooms, fortified animal and plant milks, pork (especially chops), and eggs.
Vitamin C
A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C helps protect our body's cells against damage caused by oxidative stress. This is especially important as we age and our internal levels of oxidative stress increase.
Collagen, which is essential for strengthening and supporting our hair follicles, can be damaged by this stress. This has a double impact on hair during menopause, when our ability to produce collagen and respond effectively to oxidative stress naturally declines.
Vitamin C helps us produce collagen and fight cell-damaging stressors. Vitamin C has also been found to have a significant effect on decreasing sensitivity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone linked to slowing hair production and regrowth.
Where to find it? The best foods rich in vitamin C are guava, kiwi, bell pepper, tomato, papaya, strawberry, broccoli, kale and orange.
Collagen
We now know that natural collagen production declines as we reach menopausal age, but it is even more affected by menopause itself.
This phenomenon is partly due to the decline in estrogen, which normally works to protect and strengthen the production of several components of the skin, such as collagen.
Due to lower collagen production, many postmenopausal women report sudden aging of their skin. This decrease in collagen can also impact scalp repair, as well as the repair of blood vessels, which are essential for delivering nutrients to hair follicles.
When choosing a collagen intake, studies show that hydrolyzed collagen (which has been partially broken down from its whole form) is easier for our body to absorb.
Hydrolyzed collagen has also been shown to improve skin hydration, elasticity, firmness and texture in postmenopausal women when taken regularly, especially with other dietary supplements.
Where to find it: Foods that contain collagen include bone broth, salmon, and eggs. Dietary sources of collagen are rarer, so Iconique Collagen is a great way to get this nutrient. The hydrolyzed collagen used in Iconique Collagen is bioavailable (meaning more easily absorbed) and sustainably sourced from the scales of North Atlantic cod.
Iodine
Iodine and thyroid health go hand in hand, as iodine helps control thyroid function and is essential for making our thyroid hormones.
A lack of iodine has the power to shut down thyroid hormone production, which dramatically impacts metabolism, mood, energy, and hair growth.
When it comes to hair health, balanced thyroid hormones are needed to signal hair follicles to grow and continue growing. Thyroid hormone problems are usually associated with thinning and brittle hair.
Thyroid health deserves special attention when we reach menopause because, with age, the efficiency of iodine uptake and the amount of thyroid hormones created by our body decreases.
For our thyroid to function at its best, it is recommended to consume adequate amounts of iodine (150 mg per day for adult women).
Where to find it: Foods containing iodine are seaweed, navy beans, ocean fish, seaweed, lima beans, cow's milk, cheese and eggs.
Zinc
Zinc, which impacts everything from DNA synthesis to collagen production, keeps the hair growth cycle running at its best. When zinc is in short supply, oxidative stress, inflammation and DNA damage are likely to increase.
This is why zinc is so essential during menopause, a time when the body is already facing increased oxidative stressors and producing less collagen. Zinc plays a role in hair health by turning food into fuel for the hair growth cycle.
Also, adequate levels of zinc are essential to stimulate hair formation. Low levels of zinc can hinder hair growth, leading to hair whitening and increasing hair loss.
Where to find it: A number of zinc-rich foods can be added to your diet, including oysters, meat, lentils, hemp seeds, lentils, rolled oats, and shiitake mushrooms. Daily zinc intake should not exceed 40 mg, unless otherwise advised by a physician. You can get an effective dose of 25mg of zinc by taking Iconique Collagen.
With love, The Laboratoires üma team.
