Hair thinning is well known as a perimenopause symptom, but two other changes surprise many women just as much: greying that seems to speed up, and a texture that suddenly feels different, frizzier, drier, coarser, or simply harder to manage than the hair you have known your whole life. Both are real, both are linked to the hormonal shift of this stage, and both are worth understanding rather than just fighting with a new conditioner.
Why Hair Turns Grey Faster
Hair colour comes from pigment cells in the hair follicle. These cells naturally become less active with age in everyone, which is why hair greys over time regardless of hormones. But perimenopause can accelerate the process for some women.
Oestrogen influences the hair follicle and its pigment-producing activity, and falling oestrogen, combined with rising oxidative stress in the body as we age, is thought to contribute to pigment cells losing activity faster during this stage. Genetics still plays the largest role in when and how much you grey, but many women do notice a distinct speeding up of grey hair specifically during the perimenopausal years, not a slow, even progression.
Why Hair Texture Changes
This surprises women just as much as greying, and sometimes more. Hair that was straight can become wavier or frizzier; hair that was manageable can become dry, rough, or prone to breakage; curls can loosen or tighten. This happens because:
The hair follicle itself changes shape. Hormonal shifts can subtly alter the shape and structure of the hair follicle, and since the follicle’s shape determines whether hair grows straight, wavy, or curly, texture can genuinely shift.
Oestrogen supports moisture and shine. As it falls, hair, like skin, tends to become drier, less glossy, and more prone to frizz and static, simply because it holds less moisture.
Hair becomes thinner in diameter. Individual strands often become finer in perimenopause, and finer hair behaves differently, it can feel more prone to tangling, frizz, and a loss of the body it used to have.
What Helps
Adjust your hair care to your new texture. This is the single most useful shift. Hair that has become drier or frizzier usually needs a richer, more hydrating shampoo and conditioner than you used before, and may tolerate heat styling and frequent washing less well. Treating your current hair rather than your old hair’s routine makes a real difference.
Deep condition regularly. A weekly deep-conditioning treatment or hair oil massage (a well-loved tradition in many Indian households, with coconut, almond, or amla oil) supports moisture and can ease frizz and dryness.
Be gentle. Finer, drier hair is more prone to breakage. Gentle detangling, wide-tooth combs, less aggressive heat styling, and silk or satin pillowcases reduce friction and damage.
Support hair from within. A diet with enough protein (hair is largely protein), iron, and vitamin D supports hair health generally, and correcting any deficiencies, checked with a simple blood test, can help. This overlaps with the same nutrition that supports the rest of your perimenopausal body.
Choose your relationship with grey hair. Some women embrace their greys, which has become an increasingly celebrated look. Others prefer to colour it, using henna or other dyes, and gentler, more nourishing colour options can help offset the extra dryness of coloured hair at this stage. Both are entirely valid choices, and neither says anything about your health.
Manage expectations kindly. Hair changes in perimenopause are a real, hormone-driven shift, not a personal failing or something to fix at all costs. A little grief about a changing part of yourself is normal, and so is simply adapting your routine and moving on.
When to See a Doctor
Routine appointment if hair changes are significant, distressing, or come with noticeable thinning or shedding, so an underlying cause, such as thyroid problems, low iron, or vitamin D deficiency, all common at this age, can be checked.
Routine dermatology visit if you want tailored advice on products or treatments for your changing texture, or if scalp irritation or unusual hair loss accompanies the change.
Greying and changing texture are simply hormones doing what they do to hair, the same way they change skin. With the right care for the hair you have now, rather than the hair you used to have, most women find their way to a routine, and often a look, that suits this stage of life well.
The Second Spring is an information resource, not a medical provider. For personal advice, speak with your doctor or gynaecologist. Write to us at thesecondspringofficial@gmail.com
