A quick intro and guidance request

[Curly_Jessica]

Hello all,

I'm super happy to be here in the community, I found it thanks to a YTuber whose video showed up in my recommendations last weekend. I've started taking "proper" care of my hair back in 2013 thanks to the natural curly hair groups and I finally got my hair down to elbow length (henna & 1 weekly wash + no heat ever). Yay! Then came a bunch of hormonal changes and I started loosing quite a lot of hair, to the point where I decided to cut it to shoulder length to mitigate the shock I had every time wash day came around and I felt like I was slowly but surely going bald.

Fast forward a few years, my hair is getting longer, but not thicker. I'm still washing once a week but have stopped using henna (just didn't re-order and went to using a phosphate free shampoo) but now my hair is limp and doesn't curl well compared to the years when I was using henna. My dilemma is that I'm going gray (I'm in my early forties) and I don't like the orange tint henna leaves behind + I'm pretty sure there must be other techniques to get back on track with my hair care routine that I'm just not aware of.

So with this, if anyone can guide me to a section of the community that deals with hair regrowth/care as it relates to hormonal changes and aging, that would be super helpful. Maybe those issues aren't as important as I think they are, but maybe I'm onto something so any insights are welcome.

Thanks!

[shelomit]

Howdy! Interesting that you had curlier hair with henna; a lot of people find that it relaxes the hair somewhat. (That's definitely true for me!) Best of wishes.

[lapushka]

My hair definitely turned wavier with henna, but it also became a heck of a lot more porous!

How old are you, if I may ask? Teen? Menopauze. Anything that can explain possible hormonal changes that could be causing this. Any changes (major) in your diet, such as gone vegan, perhaps? Just trying to figure it out.

Anyway, welcome!

[Sunrise_runner]

Welcome! I'm also a fellow curly henna head. You mentioned you're going grey and don't like the orange from the henna. Have you considered trying cassia instead of henna? It has a similar effect to the henna but doesn't have the orange stain. From my understanding the effects are less permanent than the henna so you would probably have to do all over applications each time you do it instead of just root touchups but it might be a good option for you.

[Curly_Jessica]

Hello Shelomit,

Yes my curls got really well defined and "sturdy" when I was using henna weekly. I also lived in a place where I had city water so that might play into it. When I moved to a house with well water, things changed.

[Curly_Jessica]

Hello lapushka,

I just turned 42 this year, so I guess I would fit in the peri-menopausal category? I haven't changed much to my diet but hormones being what they are, it might explain quite a bit. I have been adding MSM to my drinks about 3 years ago and it helped regrow the hair I had lost around my face, but the whole of my hair hasn't gone back to it's most thick. Anyway, there's no point in being nostalgic, I'm looking forward to learning and developing new hair care routines for this new chapter of my life.

Thanks for your kind words!

[Curly_Jessica]

Hi Sunrise_runner,

I hadn't heard of cassia! I'm going to look into it because one of the things I love about henna is the coating/strengthening effect. I didn't use to mind the tint because I'd mix it with coffee, but now that I have grey hair coming in, I want to transition and age gracefully so it's a nice opportunity to walk the talk.

Thanks for your advice!

[Lady Stardust]

Hello and welcome!

I can’t think of a specific thread regarding hormonal thinning, but there are certainly other people here affected by that.

Have you asked the doctor to do a blood test, to check whether anything else is going on? Sometimes thyroid can go out of whack, sometimes the changes that perimenopause bring can cause depletion in iron levels. It’s worth having a chat with your doctor, I think.

You might like the Salt and Pepper Thread! Lots of ladies and gents here have embraced the silvers and whites coming in. I’ve found it an incredibly supportive place and I don’t think I would have had the nerve to stop dying my hair without it.

[GoatLady]

Welcome! I'm sure you'll find lots of help and inspiration here.

[Curly_Jessica]

Hi Lady Stardust,

Thanks for your advice. I've been getting blood tests for my thyroid yearly for about 5 years now and there's nothing wrong. I'm in Canada so the healthcare system is setup in a way where I can't ask for every test under the sun. Anyway, I'll check out the S&P thread for sure. Thanks!