Hair is one of the first things people notice about us. So when it starts thinning, breaking, or changing texture in perimenopause, it hits differently.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Natalie Perkins from PAUZ Health and nurse practitioner Helen to finally have the conversation most doctors aren’t having. What’s happening inside the follicle, what the early warning signs are, and what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to your hair in midlife.
In this episode:
- Why declining estrogen and rising androgen activity shrink the hair follicle and what that means for your ponytail
- The early red flags to watch for (you can lose up to 40% of your hair before you notice it’s gone)
- Why iron deficiency is the #1 cause of hair loss in women and the specific bloodwork you need to ask for
- How chronic stress disrupts the hair growth cycle and why recovery takes longer than you’d expect
- Evidence-based vs. snake oil: what the science says about minoxidil, red light therapy, pumpkin seed oil, biotin, and more
- When to handle it yourself and when it’s time to see a dermatologist
Hair loss is not vanity. It’s a quality of life issue and help exists.
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Dr. Natalie Perkins (MSc., PhD)
Dr. Natalie Perkins is the founder of PAUZ Health, a platform built to help women get ahead of their health and out of the chaos and confusion of perimenopause. A seasoned strategist and leader in the healthcare sector, Natalie brings both the data and the lived experience. After finding herself lost when her own body started changing, she dove into the science, found the right support, and turned her personal journey into a powerful advocacy mission. At PAUZ, she’s building the resource she wished she’d had: a place where women can find clarity, access, and real answers. As she puts it, “women may spend 40% of their lives in menopause. We deserve to be heard.”
Helen Frederickson (NP, MSCP)
Helen Frederickson is a Nurse Practitioner and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner with 20 years of experience in primary care and colorectal cancer survivorship. Helen brings a collaborative, inclusive approach to midlife women’s health. She meets women where they are and provides comprehensive, evidence-based care to help them thrive through the perimenopause transition.
Links for this episode: