In this blog post, I will share with you what I did to slow the progression of my thinning hair without taking prescription medication. I’m not a hair expert, nor do I claim to be. As always, you should consult with your medical provider. Now, if you want to take medication, that’s perfectly fine! I hear it really helps! I’m currently not in a position to spend $100 or more per month on it. Learn more about my financial journey here.
I’ve always loved my hair (still do). It has been my favorite and best physical feature, too. However, when I turned 44 years old, I noticed I had started losing a lot of hair again. The first time was after giving birth to my firstborn. After each delivery, I would experience temporary hair loss. The key word is temporary.
By the end of 2023, I was already experiencing a little hair loss. Around the same time, I had surgery to remove my right ovary due to a tumor the size of a lime (thank God it was benign)! My hair continued to fall out. However, it was at an alarming rate. I attributed my hair loss to that, my surgery. But months went by, and my hair didn’t seem to slow down.
I consulted with my OBGYN, and we both agreed that I was most likely going through perimenopause. Great. I can deal with that, but losing so much hair for such a long period was something I didn’t want to accept. Below, I list what I did to slow down the progression of my hair from falling out at such a rapid rate without taking prescription medication.
This post offers ideas that may help with hair loss for women over 40.
Hair Loss For Women Over 40
1. Hair Vitamin Gummies
I started taking hair vitamin gummies. These gummies were specifically marketed for hair since they have biotin in them, unlike other multivitamin gummies. My favorite, which I found to be most effective, was Sugarbear Vitamin Gummies.
I took Sugarbear vitamins consistently for 10 months. Although these gummies didn’t help with new hair growth, they helped with hair loss. You can purchase them by clicking this link here from Ulta.
I noticed a significant difference in regards to less hair falling out. When I first started taking these vitamins, I was extremely impressed. I would suggest taking them for at least 3 months to see the benefits. Give the vitamins some time to provide their benefits.
The taste and texture aren’t too bad. It’s sweet and chewy without much of an aftertaste. At $29.99 per bottle for a month’s worth, I thought it was a more affordable option than prescription medicine.
As mentioned above, I only took it for 10 months. After 10 months, however, I noticed a lot of my hair started falling out again. This is when I switched to a new hair vitamin. That was Lemme Glow Gummies. This, too, is sold at Ulta, which you can click here to purchase.
I thought my body had gotten “used” to the Sugarbear gummies, and I needed to try something new. I did prefer Lemme Glow’s taste and texture over Sugarbear.
Lemme Glow does a decent job of decreasing hair loss. There wasn’t a significant difference in the amount of hair loss when compared to Sugarbear. If I had to choose between the two, though, I’d most likely go back to Sugarbear. Perhaps this is just because I took it for a longer amount of time.
I only took Lemme Glow for 3 months and switched to another brand. I got tired of spending $30 per month on vitamins.
The last vitamin brand I ended up sticking with is Nature Made Hair, Skin, and Nails. This option is more affordable at around $13 a bottle. Currently, CVS is having a sale, buy one get one off which you can purchase by clicking here.
This also helped with slowing down hair loss, and it’s a great alternative to the two above. But I’ll be honest: it’s not my favorite. My favorite would probably still be Sugarbear. However, I am curious to give Lemme Glow a longer try.
In my opinion, biotin, along with proper vitamins, is beneficial in helping slow the progression of hair loss for women over 40. Again, I’ve noticed these hair gummies mainly help with preventing a lot of hair loss but don’t help much with new hair growth.
2. Minoxidil
When it comes to hair loss for women over 40, minoxidil is another good option. A girlfriend suggested minoxidil to me. After researching multiple brands, I ended up purchasing the SheaMoisture 2% Minoxidil Topical Solution UPS Women’s Hair Regrowth Treatment.
I noticed new hair growth within the first week! It was pretty drastic. The only annoying part was that you needed to apply this topical to your scalp twice a day. Most days, I’d either forget to apply at all or only remember once for the day. If you’re able to stay consistent and committed to the application, I highly recommend using this topical, which I’ve linked here for you. In my opinion, minoxidil works as long as you follow the directions.
When you apply this to your scalp, be careful not to get any on your face. You don’t want peach fuzz growing in unnecessary areas. I usually applied it by starting with the very top of my head and moving forward towards my forehead. I felt that if I used the bulk of the product near the back, when I got to the front, I’d have less product to worry about dripping down my face.
3. Green Veggie Shakes
This is the most affordable option in regard to helping with hair loss for women over 40. which helped with decreased hair loss and provided the most overall benefits. I used to drink green veggie shakes consistently every day for 7 years!
When I stopped, I noticed I started to lose my hair, and when I picked back up, my hair loss slowed down again. When it came to veggies, I was such a kid. I knew I needed to get my daily servings of vegetables, but the thought of eating raw vegetables all day felt arduous. My thought process was to be as efficient as possible. And that’s when my green veggie shakes started.
This is what I used to put in my veggie shakes:
Base:
Spinach or Kale or a mix of both
2 carrots
Water
Frozen banana
Frozen berries
Add-ons:
Ginger
Beets
Cucumber
Dates
Flax seeds
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Alternatives for water:
Coconut water
Milk
Protein shake (my least favorite)
As you can see, there was nothing special that I’d add to my shakes other than the seeds, which sometimes I’d either skip or alternate or mix, depending on what I had.
I definitely noticed the benefits in my hair and skin. I relied on this shake for energy, too. At the time when I was drinking them, I used to have a four-hour round trip commute. These shakes ensured I wouldn’t get tired behind the wheel. Now that I work from home the majority of the time, drinking these shakes again has not been a priority, but it really should.
However, I don’t have scientific data on the benefits of this shake in helping with the decrease of hair loss. In my experience, I’ve noticed that after just a week of drinking these shakes, my hair loss slowed down. Give this shake a try and let me know what you think.
4. Sleep
I honestly feel that getting a healthy amount of sleep is also beneficial in slowing down the progress of hair loss. Now, none of these tips are cures for hair loss. People lose hair for many different reasons, whether that’s genes or stress, However, these tips are things I’ve done for myself to help with slowing down hair loss.
I noticed that when I get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep consistently for a week, I have less hair on my pillowcase. If that week, my sleep is off, I see a lot more strands of hair on my pillowcase. My skin also starts to show the signs of less sleep as well. So, try your best to get a good night’s rest, and get to bed early if you can.
Click here if you want to check out my other blog post 9 Tips To Fall Asleep Easier. I share ideas that may help you fall asleep faster so you can get a good night’s rest.
These are just some tips that might help with slowing down hair loss for women over 40.
Other things I did to help with slowing down hair loss were to change my brush to something more gentle like the UNbrush, which I’ve linked here, and switch my hair ties to silk, which you can find linked here.
The UNbrush is great for brushing both wet and dry hair. I feel like it doesn’t pull at my hair like other brushes can do. Plus, the bristles are softer on my scalp. Another benefit is that it doesn’t collect dust or residue that may be caused by dry shampoo or oils in your scalp or hair.
I switched to silk hair ties because they feel gentler on my hair, too. When I pull them out of my hair after wearing a ponytail all day, they don’t leave an indent like other hair ties do.
Some people also use hair oils to help with their hair. I recently purchased Loveorie’s Hair Growth Oil and cannot speak on it since I haven’t used it consistently. Maybe after using it more consistently and for a longer period, I’ll be able to report back. I just checked their site and noticed that it’s sold out. Maybe that’s a good indication that it works.
So, there you have it! Some ideas I’ve implemented that helped me and may help with hair loss for women over 40.
Remember, hair loss is different for everyone. What helped me might not help you. Again, these are just some ideas and not cures. As always, consult with your medical provider because hair loss could be due to many things, such as genes, lifestyle, hormones, stress, illnesses, and so much more.
Regardless of the reason or your hair situation, know you are worthy of a life filled with abundance and joy. As long as you prioritize your health and well-being, you are beautiful.
As always, thanks for reading!
Love, Sutivi.
Leave a Reply