u/GenX50PlusF

The closer I get to menopause, the more difficulty I have keeping the skin on my arms moisturized. I’ve been using the same Trader Joe’s unscented lotion (my soap is also unscented) and my upper arms have the same bumpiness as when I was a kid and often didn’t “eat right.”

And my lower inner arms have developed a rash out of nowhere! A cluster of tiny pink patches like eczema or dermatitis, which I haven’t had since my early 20s when I was on birth control pills. I started HRT back in November.

Is anyone else having skin problems at this stage of life?

I’m trying to isolate the cause but I do eat a lot healthier than I did when I was younger.

So now that I am in my mid 50s, and well into peri, I can’t help but notice that my hair is not as full as it was when I was in my 40s. Mind you, I’ve always had straight, baby fine hair which was a struggle back in the day when the teenage mentality was the bigger you could make your hair, the better. But when I look at pictures of myself then and even 10 years ago, I can’t deny that my hair is definitely thinner now. I wish I could have the hair of my late teens, 20s, 30s or even my 40s.

Lately, I’ve been obsessively looking at my scalp and hair in the mirror to determine if my part has widened. I wouldn’t say that but my already thin and fragile strands are definitely thinner and more fragile. I have been wearing it shorter because the ends over the past few years became scraggly. I hate my current haircut and would like the layered bob to grow into a nice even lob that’s not too transparent at the ends. IYKYK

It seems my strands have been coming in thinner but still evenly cover my scalp. For now. Though I don’t have a bald spot per se or noticeable scalp exposure yet, my scalp is incredibly irritated and more sensitive than usual. But it can’t be a sunburn because I haven’t been outside much. It sure feels like one, though.

One thing I remember about my 30s is that I became sober curious and after a year of abstinence, I was rewarded with some Old Hollywood style natural waves. Thicker and more voluminous than ever before. Admittedly, I fell off the wagon in my early 40s after resentments got the better of me and as perimenopausal rage took hold toward the end of that decade, I was once again drinking more than I care to admit. I rationalized that it was “just wine,” which I enjoy, so I didn’t want to hear that alcohol and menopause don’t mix well. That said, I think I found my motivation, however stupid or shallow it may sound, to once again stop drinking: My hair. And overall self image.

As much as I hate to admit it, the amount of drinking I have been doing has probably undermined my efforts to manage my perimenopause—The HRT and nutritional supplements and improved diet but with alcohol on board. So I’ve got a few days behind me without drinking and a commitment to give myself and my hair some TLC. I have been looking into natural DHT blockers as nutritional supplements since they say DHT (a form of testosterone, I think) is what causes menopausal hair thinning and loss. Plus ways to style it without damaging heat and harmful chemicals.

TLDR: If you’ve dealt with thinning hair and scalp irritation, what helped ease the discomfort of the sunburn sensation and restore your hair to its former glory?