FIFTIES THE MENOPAUSE MAKES IT BRITTLE

‘A decline in oestrogen during the menopause will leave hair follicles vulnerable in those with a genetic predisposition to thinning,’ says Glenn lyons, consultant trichologist and clinical director at the clinic.

‘Sleep deprivation can also have an impact as energy is directed towards keeping your body and essential organs functioning and your hair will be left wanting.

‘There are six or seven hairfriendly HRT treatments — the rest contain too much testosterone, or testosterone derivatives — so a chat with your GP about which HRT to go on is advisable.’

THE SOLUTION: in addition to seeing a GP to deal with any fundamental sleep or hormone issues, it’s worth taking a multi-vitamin, particularly if you’re not getting enough hairboosting vitamin B12, iron and zinc. Washing hair daily will help improve the texture and make it less dry, but it will also keep your scalp clean — a better environment for natural skin cell turnover.

YOUR VERDICT: lizzie Bailey, 53, works in retail, is single and lives in islington.

‘i’m going through the menopause and have just started HRT. i’m exhausted all the time — at night i get up every two to three hours — and i’ve lost hair density at the top of my head. it’s a harsh reminder that i’m losing my youth.

‘One of the most encouraging things the trichologist told me was that i should be washing my hair daily. As i started to lose my hair, i reasoned that washing it so often must be part of the problem. Having fresh hair is such a great pickme-up and i’m thrilled it’s helping my hair, rather than aggravating the problem.’