The beauty world’s understanding of what happens to a woman’s body during perimenopause and menopause continues to gain momentum, with research and development teams as well as cosmetic chemists exploring ways to ease and treat symptoms. The focus has most certainly been on skin.
However, the menopausal period is well known to affect hair too.
Why then, you may wonder, are shampoos labelled for use during menopause not landing on retail shelves at the same rate as skin cleansers and creams aimed at the same audience? Because, similarly to the issue of hair loss during this period of hormonal fluctuation, the other main issues – loss of thickness and strength – are inherently intertwined with the ageing process itself.
As we get older, hair naturally grows slower, sheds more, becomes finer and is more prone to breaking. It’s a process mirrored in the effects of menopause on the hair and scalp. “During menopause, a woman’s body undergoes significant hormonal changes, particularly a decrease in oestrogen levels,” explains leading trichologist Sofia Baig, who has a clinic at the Gielly Green salon in Marylebone and consults for scalp health experts Monpure. “This decrease can lead to a shorter hair growth cycle and thinner hair strands. So special care may be needed to promote hair growth and strengthen the hair follicles, preventing further hair loss.”
It’s inevitable that haircare marketed for women going through perimenopause and menopause is on the horizon (marketing departments have to earn their keep, after all). But looking for formulas and ingredients that will address needs such as thickening if hair starts to feel finer, or strengthening if snapping off is becoming a problem, will serve your locks just fine for now. “Shampoos specifically designed to add volume or thickness can help create the appearance of fuller hair,” advises Baig. “Use gentle formulas that promote hair strength and resilience and can help fortify the hair shaft and reduce breakage. I also recommend looking for shampoos that are sulphate-free, as sulphates can be drying to the scalp and hair, exacerbating these issues.”
Read on for our top shampoo picks to keep hair strong and thick during the menopausal period.
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Living Proof Restore Shampoo
Only a little of this thick and creamy shampoo is all that’s needed to work up a rich lather, even on longer lengths. Free from sulphates, silicone and parabens, the formula is designed to quickly improve hair health and repair damage, making it easier to fight snapped-off lengths and split ends that can accompany menopause.
It contains Living Proof’s unique technology, developed in collaboration with world-leading biotech labs, that forms a protective, smoothing shield around every strand of hair. Despite being incredibly gentle, this shampoo will wash away dirt, oil and any build-up of styling products so it feels exceptionally clean but still soft and conditioned. You’ll find your fingers glide through your hair once rinsed, even before you pick up the conditioner bottle.
Buy now £27.00, Living Proof
FEKKAI Super Strength Shampoo
This shampoo says luxury on every level. The bonding technology works to strengthen fragile lengths, as repairing and protective actions give instant anti-breakage benefits and boost elasticity. The texture is also indulgently sophisticated, while the scent is an elegant blend of creamy woods, almonds and tonka bean.
The formula is packed with Camargue rice water that strengthens and nourishes, a vegan alternative to reparative keratin, anti-pollution edelweiss extract and a rice protein to protect against damage from the sun. All are ideal for fortifying hair during menopause. Sulphate and silicone-free, one wash will make hair feel soft and look sleek and shiny.
Buy now £20.00, Sephora
ilapothecary Head Space Shampoo
If an irritated scalp during menopause is causing issues on top of thinning hair, this shampoo, packed with a powerhouse blend of natural ingredients is perfect. It’s incredibly gentle to help ease inflammation but lathers up luxuriously and soothes as it deep cleanses thanks to aloe vera.
Other ingredients not only have practical benefits but their scent can help with hormonal issues too. Mint encourages blood flow to the scalp, encouraging hair growth as it cools the skin and clears a foggy mind; lavender boosts relaxation and strengthens hair follicles which in turn helps prevent hair loss. Massage into the scalp and hair for a few minutes to let the refreshing formula work its magic on your locks and your mood.
Buy now £38.00, ilapothecary
Monpure Strengthening Silk Protein Shampoo
With an unusual jelly-ish texture and addictive herbal fragrance, this shampoo combines premium care for hair with trichologist-driven scalp care. Easily removing dirt, oil and product residue, hair feels clean on par with using a clarifying shampoo, but without the overly drying feeling they can leave.
Vegan silk peptides, meanwhile, create a ‘second skin’ around strands and on the scalp to lock in nourishing moisture while keeping out damaging pollution and irritants. A vegan keratin also helps strengthen hair follicles, encouraging thicker, fuller growth and better hair health over time, including during menopause.
Buy now £36.00, Monpure
Dove Pro-Age Shampoo For Brittle Hair
For hair that has become finer and is also becoming prone to breakage during the menopausal period, this is a well-trusted and well-priced buy. It’s specifically aimed at tackling brittleness by plumping hair full of moisture thanks to a special serum infused into the shampoo that repairs the surface as it makes lengths softer and more pliable.
This in turn helps to strengthen hair and reduce the ability for it to snap off when you’re rinsing or applying conditioner afterwards. Fans say it leaves thinning and fragile locks looking and feeling thicker and fuller quickly, while long term, hair is healthier and more resilient. The soft floral scent gets the seal of approval too.
Buy now £5.79, Amazon
JVN Hair Embody Daily Volumising Shampoo
As thinning and increasingly finer hair is a key concern for many women during hormonal fluctuations, volume will be the prize goal and this shampoo delivers it in buckets. The clear gel formula lathers up and rinses away easily leaving a fresh, clean feel without being harsh on hair or scalp so fine hair looks full and bouncy, while aloe leaf juice will soothe any irritation and infuse in plenty of moisture.
Caffeine has been added to the volumising formula too for a stimulating action that helps boost healthy, denser hair growth. The sophisticated fragrance – think sandalwood, jasmine and bergamot – plus the cool, recyclable packaging with so-easy-to-dispense pump, make this an even bigger must-try.
Buy now £18.00, Space NK
John Frieda PROfiller+ Thickening Shampoo
Providing a double whammy of adding volume and helping prevent breakage, this shampoo uses micelles to gently lift grime and residue from styling products away from the hair, ready to be rinsed through. At the same time, it deposits a specially developed bond-building ingredient around strands that repairs and strengthens them, helping to minimise snapping and keep lengths looking denser.
Inspired by ingredients in skincare too, hyaluronic acid adds hydrating moisture to encourage plumpness, while biotin strengthens strands further and reduces hair loss. Formulated without sulphates, hair looks fuller and thicker after one wash.
Buy now £8.99, Boots
Philip Kingsley Density Hair Thickening Shampoo
Formulated to be ‘kneaded’ into the scalp for 60 seconds before lathering up with more water and rinsing clean, this shampoo tackles every hair issue that menopause contributes to. Exfoliating beta hydroxy acids gently cleanse the scalp to create an optimal environment for hair growth and less breakage (hence the initial ‘kneading’ instruction), as pea peptides and polymers give an instant volumising effect to hair so it looks fuller from the first wash.
The formula also works to strengthen locks from deep within the hair’s central cortex, optimising long-term results to keep thickness at its maximum. The subtly refreshing scent has a great pick-me-up quality that adds to the premium feel too.
Buy now £27.00, Amazon
Grow Gorgeous Volume Bodifying Shampoo
Formulated without sulphates, parabens and silicone, this shampoo targets the flat look that hair made finer by menopause can have. Working to plump up lengths and add visible volume, it uses stimulating caffeine to kick start roots at the scalp, pea peptides to add body and fullness, plus rice protein to make hair more manageable with a shinier finish.
Added sweet almond oil and allantoin (a natural chemical compound found in many plants) give a deep conditioning boost too, helping to prevent future breakage. You’ll need to use a generous amount to get the desired foaming effect, but the rejuvenated lift and volume are worth it.
Buy now £14.00, lookfantastic
Hair Proud Revive & Repair Shampoo
Teaming up potent skincare actives and natural ingredients, this shampoo is mild enough to use every day if hair is fragile during menopause, but will leave it beautifully clean and refreshed without feeling stripped. Vegan and paraben-free, it uses niacinamide plus a complex of vitamins and proteins to help repair damage and build back strength.
You’ll also find locks looking and feeling smoother as it seals down hair cuticles, helping to ward off split ends and snapped lengths, encouraging hair to grow longer too. In a rich gel texture that isn’t overly thick and with a yummy apple scent, this won’t break the bank if hair needs to be washed daily but you still want strengthening benefits.
Buy now £7.95, Hair Proud
Verdict
Living Proof haircare is highly regarded amongst beauty aficionados with good reason. The technology behind it is groundbreaking and every formula I’ve tried is a winner, including the Restore Shampoo. A little goes a long way, so it’s rich without weighing hair down and deeply cleansing but leaves a conditioned rather than stripped sensation when you rinse.
Lengths immediately feel smoother and tangle-free, meaning you’re less likely to cause any breakage as you run conditioner through your hair with your fingers afterwards. The delicate, perfume-worthy scent has a hint of uplifting citrus, making this shampoo feel even more luxurious and pampering while giving the best care to your hair.
