Help! Menopause made my straight hair turn curly<\/h1>\n

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• Ellie shares her\u00a0tried-and-tested product recommendations for curly hair<\/b><\/li>\n
• READ MORE:\u00a0Experts reveal the overlooked menopause symptoms which no one talks about<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  When my resolutely straight hair suddenly started turning curly as I entered my 40s, I had no idea what could be causing such a noticeable change.<\/p>\n

  My nephew had always likened my thick, straight dark bob to Mowgli, the \u2018man-cub\u2019 raised by wolves in The Jungle Book.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  But, at 41, my locks were starting to look more like Moana\u2019s mane (another favourite Disney character) and were becoming harder and harder to control.<\/p>\n

  Where once I was blessed with glossy, need-little-attention locks, now there was serious work to be done each morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  In the past, I\u2019d been used to giving it a quick run-through with my fingertips and seeing it fall into place; now, it was stubbornly resistant to lying flat, even after a 20-minute blast with my 2,000-watt hairdryer.<\/p>\n

  
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  The change: Ellie\u2019s previously straight hair (left) and her now curly tresses<\/p>\n

  Brushing it \u2014 even with a gentle, wide-toothed comb \u2014 created an unmanageable mesh of frizz.<\/p>\n

  With personal grooming time in the morning at a premium, I adopted the favoured school-run-mum look: hair scraped back in a messy bun, big shades and a decent handbag.<\/p>\n

  As the months passed, my new-found curls continued to flourish. What was going on?<\/p>\n

  It turns out that changes in your natural hair type are a common occurrence when hormones fluctuate in midlife.<\/p>\n

  Even though I was still in my early 40s, I had started to experience peri-menopausal symptoms, such as poor sleep and anxiety, but I hadn\u2019t connected \u2018the change\u2019 to the changes in my hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  I thought menopause meant hair thinning or loss, not a full re-style.<\/p>\n

  \u2018Women do report their hair changing its natural texture in their middle years,\u2019 explains Dr Amanda Gemmill, a GP who advises on the menopause.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  \u2018The reduction in oestrogen can cause hair follicles to change in size, number and shape. If they change from being circle-shaped, which produces straight hair, to oval-shaped follicles, then your hair becomes curly.\u2019<\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

  Ellie was used to giving her hair a quick run-through with her fingertips and seeing it fall into place when it was straight\u00a0<\/p>\n

  Now I understood what was happening, I decided I\u2019d better learn how to style my bouncy new \u2018do\u2019. For this, I turned to curl guru Ester Hunter from @LunaCurlStudio.<\/p>\n

  Over a two-hour \u2018Curl Education\u2019 session, she explained how I needed to embrace a different grooming regime, starting with the revelation that curl care is more about hydration than expensive products.<\/p>\n

  Hair mustn\u2019t dry out before you\u2019ve applied the products, so Ester advised just patting hair dry after a wash, to keep it damp, and using a fine spritz of water from a spray bottle to ensure maximum moisture is locked in as you apply products.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  The same spritz technique proves effective in refreshing curls each morning, too.<\/p>\n

  \u2018Curly hair needs moisture over products,\u2019 she explains. \u2018Think 80 per cent water to 20 per cent products.<\/p>\n

  \u2018Curly hair tends to be naturally drier than straight because we brush it less, so our natural oils aren\u2019t regularly spread from the scalp downwards to coat the hair strands.\u2019<\/p>\n

  It was also time to make friends again with that most 1990s of styling tools, the diffuser.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  \u2018A must for curls,\u2019 says Ester. \u2018By spreading the air evenly and slowly, the diffuser helps to dry the hair gently, while encouraging its natural curl pattern to form.\u2019<\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

  Ellie learned that looking after curly hair is more about hydration than expensive products<\/p>\n

  Next up was the introduction of a silk sleep bonnet, because curls, apparently, hate to be rubbed against the pillow overnight and will repay you by being even more unruly and knotted in the morning.<\/p>\n

  While the bonnet is not a look recommended for date nights and I try to pop it on after my husband has nodded off, it is effective in prolonging shine.<\/p>\n

  With the right management, my thick curls can last a week with no washing. Previously, I\u2019d got away with little investment in hair care products, but now I have a number of curl-taming lotions and potions on my bathroom shelves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  Below are my tried-and-tested product recommendations if you, like me, find yourself in this hair-raising chapter of the menopause.<\/p>\n

  MAX IT WITH MOUSSE<\/span><\/p>\n

  Curlsmith Bouncy Strength Volume Foam (\u00a324 for 222ml, curlsmith.com)<\/span><\/p>\n

  A strong mousse provides a good foundation and maximises volume without weighing curls down.\u00a0Enriched with proteins, this should be used as a base before layering on other styling products.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  Run a satsuma-sized amount through hair, applying extra at the roots, then diffuse.<\/p>\n

  MESS-BUSTING JELLY<\/span><\/p>\n

  As I Am Curling Jelly (\u00a37.39 for 227g, Amazon)<\/span><\/p>\n

  For defined curls, this is a revelation. Made with aloe vera, sugar beet root and vitamin E, it locks in moisture and holds definition for days.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  A little goes a long way, so smear a pea-sized amount across your hands, then sweep through hair, from root to tip, before diffusing.<\/p>\n

  FRIZZ-FREE OIL<\/span><\/p>\n

  Aussie Lightweight Treat Mega Smooth Hair Oil (on offer at \u00a36.66 for 100ml, Boots)<\/span><\/p>\n

  With macadamia nut and coconut oil, this gives a shiny, frizz-free finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

  After diffusing, rub a little between your fingers, turn your head upside down and gently smooth through to separate clumps. Once upright, glide over to calm fly-away hairs.<\/p>\n

  Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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