Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast

Episode 40: Women and Hair Loss: Causes and Solutions

PROMOTIONAL CODE: USE “HOTFLASH15” to get 15% off ALL products from Philip Kingsley.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

There are a number of changes for women in midlife: menopause, empty nest, career changes, relationships evolve, but the one thing that seems to really shock us is hair loss . Women can have female pattern baldness, genetic predispositions to hair loss, hair thinning, hair shedding and scalp issues. Trichology, a science of the hair and scalp, was designed to help women dealing with these issues find solutions. Lisa Caddy is a trichologist based in London, and she uses her expertise in hair and scalp treatment to help women find the best solutions to their individual hair problems. She currently works at Philip Kingsley, a hair treatment center with locations both in London and New York. As the brand’s ambassador and education manager, Lisa has made multiple appearances as a presenter on the QVC shopping channel. On this week’s episode, Lisa shares insight on the basics of trichology, how menopause can influence hair loss, how to find the right hair products, and why our hair starts to change as we age. 

Lisa Caddy:

Lisa Caddy is a Trichologist that works at Philip Kinglsey in London. Starting at the company in 2004 in the sales team, Lisa has worked hard to become a qualified Trichologist and is now the Philip Kingsley Brand Ambassador as well as the Philip Kinglsey Education Manager. She has made numerous appearances on the QVC shopping channel as a presenter. After two years of studying at the Institute of Trichologists, she was awarded with a Credit by the Board of Directions for outstanding work. She then spent another two years studying to obtain a Membership of the Institute of Trichologists. Lisa is also currently a member of the Royal Society of Public Health. With personal experience of hair loss herself and having a certificate in Life Coaching, Lisa understands firsthand the physical and emotional tolls hair loss can have, and she uses her knowledge to educate and help others find effective ways to treat their hair care issues. 

Reasons for Hair loss:

Philip Kingsley website states: “Hair loss and hair thinning in women can be caused by a wide number of factors. These include everything from an improper diet, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, chemotherapy, poor health, traction alopecia and trichotillomania to hormonal imbalances, menopause, genetics, follicle sensitivity and stress.” We talk to Lisa about a number of these causes and how they play a role for midlife women.

Types of Hair Loss:

• Androgenetic Alopecia
  • Most common type of hair loss
    • Affects more than 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States
  • Hereditary
  • Can be managed with medication or surgery
  • Commonly Known as Male Pattern Hair Loss or Female Pattern Hair Loss
    • Male Pattern Hair Loss
      • Hair loss can begin any time after puberty and progress over years or decades
      • Starts above the temples and continues around the perimeter and the top of the head, often leaving a ring of hair along the bottom of the scalp
      • Many men with Male Pattern Hair Loss eventually become bald
    • Female Pattern Hair Loss
      • Hair slowly thins all over the scalp, but hairline usually doesn’t recede
      • Can cause hair to thin dramatically but rarely leads to baldness
      • Many women experience this as a part of aging 
      • May begin any time after puberty
• Telogen Effluvium
  • Occurs when large numbers of follicles on the scalp enter the resting phase of the hair growth cycle
    • Causes hair to fall out all over the scalp without new hair forming
  • Does not generally lead to baldness
  • Usually triggered by medical event or condition
    • Childbirth, surgery, thyroid imbalance, fever
• Anagen Effluvium
  • Rapid hair loss resulting from medical treatment such as chemotherapy
  • After chemotherapy ends, hair tends to grow back on its own
• Alopecia Areata
  • Autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out without new hair growing
  • Can affect adults and children
  • Hair loss can begin suddenly and without warning
  • Treated with medication that may help hair regrow
• Tinea Capitis
  • Also called scalp ringworm
  • Fungal infection of the scalp that’s a common cause of hair loss in children
  • Causes hair to fall out in patches, sometimes circular, that leads to bald spots that may get bigger over time
  • If diagnosed and treated early with medication, most children have great hair regrowth
• Cicatricial Alopecia
  • Also known as scarring alopecia
  • Rare type of hair loss in which inflammation destroys hairs follicles and causes scar tissue to form in their place
    • Once scar tissue forms, the hair doesn’t regrow
• Lichen Planopilaris
  • A type of alopecia that occurs when a common skin condition called lichen planus affects the scalp
  • May cause dry, flaky rash on the skin that causes hair on the scalp to fall out in clumps
  • Affects more women than men
  • Medication may be used to stop hair loss
• Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
  • A type of cutaneous lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin
  • Can lead to inflamed sores and scarring on the ears, face, and scalp as well as hair loss
• Folliculitis Decalvans 
  • Inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of hair follicles
  • Cannot be reversed but can be treated with medication
• Dissecting Cellulitis of the Scalp
  • Causes pustules or lumps to form on the scalp
  • Can also cause scar tissue to develop, destroying hair follicles and causing hair loss
• Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
  • Typically occurs in a receding hairline pattern and may also result in hair loss in the eyebrows and underarms
  • Most commonly affects postmenopausal women
• Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia
  • May occur as result of hair products or styling techniques that damage hair follicles
  • Frequent application of oils, gels or pomades can also cause this condition
  • May be reversible after stopping use of products

Philip Kingsley has a wide variety of products and services that help both men and women with hair and scalp issues. Trichotherapy is a process developed by the company that has offered real help to those suffering from hair loss.

In this episode, we discuss…

• [0:01] Introduction
• [0:25] Guest Introduction
• [2:54] Start of the Interview
• [3:03] What is a Trichologist?
• [3:43] Hair Loss V.S. Hair Thinning
• [5:07] Pregnancy and Hair Loss
• [6:23] Menopause and Hair Loss
• [8:15] Pros and Cons of HRT and Hormone Supplements
• [9:37] The Role of Genetics in Hair Loss
• [11:46] Hair Loss Treatments
• [13:39] Hair Loss Myths
• [16:28] Ingredients to Avoid in Shampoos and Conditioners
• [18:22] Tricks to Finding the Right Shampoo and Conditioner for Your Hair
• [19:28] Stress and Hair Loss
• [20:45] Hair Texture Changes During Menopause
• [22:07] Body Hair
• [23:53] Dyeing Hair and Hair Loss
• [25:14] Brushing Your Hair
• [26:15] Why Hair Turns Grey
• [27:27] Philip Kingsley
• [29:20] Hair Products for Children
• [30:42] Figuring Out What Products Work for Which Person 
• [32:00] Hair Care and Cancer
• [33:56] Dry Shampoo
• [35:16] Philip Kingsley and Telemedicine
• [36:46] Post-Menopause and Hair Loss
• [38:41] Closing Thoughts
• [40:22] Outro

Useful Resources:

Lisa’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/lisa_pkingsley/?hl=en]

Interview with Lisa I [https://www.philipkingsley.com/blog/post/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-trichologist.html]

Philip Kinglsey I [https://www.philipkingsley.co.uk/]

Types of Hair Loss I [https://nyulangone.org/conditions/hair-loss/types]

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