You Asked, Stacy Answered: All Things Menopause

[AthletaWellTeam]

In honor of World Menopause Day, TV host turned CEO Stacy London joined us on AthletaWell for an exclusive "Ask Me Anything" on all things menopause.

Stacy's company State of Menopause offers skincare, beauty, and health products to make "the change" easier. She is also the former co-host of TLC's What Not to Wear.

Check out @StacyLondon's replies -- from weight gain to hair loss and everything in between, no topic is taboo.

Share your menopause wisdom in the comments below!

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Disclaimer: Even though you may receive advice, insight, or guidance from experts in the AthletaWell Community, please note that this is not medical advice and we always recommend speaking with your doctor.

[JamesO82]

Stacy,

Wow!  I am thoroughly impressed with your company and offer to share information with women far and wide about menopause.  I am a nurse practitioner and am in the Navy.  I wished I had had a place to turn to when I had questions.  My poor husband was buying pregnancy tests about every 6 weeks at one point.  No one told me that my periods would be coming further and further apart from one another.  Educating women about their specific health care needs for their age is my favorite work activity.  Well done friend!  

V/r,

Betsy 

[StacyLondon]

Betsy, I am so in love with you. First off, let me just say that clearly we are aligned in terms of our mission. It is never about the product. It is all about what products can do. And based on that, education is first and foremost in my mind. And I love the idea that we are so expansive at this stage of life that we are starting to recognize recognize. We should not be ignoring middle age. We should be reveling in it. @JamesO82 

[enlhayden]

Hi! I am 50 and my periods are just starting to become irregular. But hair loss is happening pretty fast in the last 6-12 months. Any suggestions to stop and or grow it back. My hair line is receding🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you!!

[StacyLondon]

@enlhayden So most people don't know that it is not the complete cessation of your period. During perimenopause, you will have your period and it will eventually start to disappear. Irregular periods as you get to 50 is a sign that you are in perimenopause, but it is not the definitive answer. Hair –  if you are starting to lose hair, that probably means that you are experiencing some sort of hormonal deficiency. The first thing I would say, however, is before you get any blood tests or any hormonal panel work done, go and see your dermatologist. There is something like prescription minoxidil available. There are overthecounter products like Great Shampoos and Conditioners from State of Menopause and other companies that promote and strengthen promote hair strength and softer texture.

[carocaropilates]

I'm 52, in perimenopause  and had irregular periods for years (now on an IUD). I've had hot flashes but that's it. My question: How do I know whether I need to "do something" about menopause. I hear other women saying "get on the hormones sooner, it's better" but I don't seem to have any symptoms that make me feel I need to take any immediate steps.

[StacyLondon]

Then don't. The one thing I would say is you gauge what to do about menopause based on how you feel. This is a bio individual experience, and if you are not suffering from symptoms right now, then there is no reason for you to do anything except live your life. @carocaropilates 

[ikt]

Hi! Also, what type of IUD do you have? Unless it's copper, then it's got hormones.

[CarolinaF]

Closing in on 58 I feel like I sailed through menopause pretty smoothly with only the occasional hot flashes when I'm sleeping. My question is more about aging. How do I find that balance between wanting to look my best and accepting how I look? I spend a fair amount on serums and facials and hair products but do I really need to spend on lasers, peels, injectables to show that I haven't "given up" on my looks?

[StacyLondon]

@CarolinaF There is absolutely no one right answer to this question. My feeling is you always want to stay on the side of accepting your age, but looking good for it. You never want to try and look younger than you are. I hope that's helpful.

[ReneeG84]

Hello I have had a very hard time with weight as well as hair loss I have tried numerous items and still can’t get my hair to grow back I have had to shave my hair down to nothing and have some spots that are just skin trying to figure out what I need any advice ? Cynthia G.

[StacyLondon]

@ReneeG84 First, I'm sorry that you've had a rough go of it. I do very much understand and sympathize that hair loss and weight gain can both be difficult issues as we age. This is not just menopause related - these are aging issues. The one thing that I would say is,  your dermatologist is going to know better than I what kind of medicine is best for promoting hair growth. I do think that probably prescription is going to be the way to go with severe hair loss. And again, this may also be due to stress and fluctuating hormones. It may take a little while for your hair to come back. 

In the meantime, I really recommend stimulating your scalp for hair growth and taking care of your mental health as well because this can be very nerve wracking. If you feel like you want to play with wigs, I really, really recommend that as a fun, creative way to get around what makes this emotionally difficult. And I would try that and see if you have any fun with it.

[redehoyos]

How is it diagnosed, is it only on change of or an irregular cycle, or lack of? Are there lab changes you begin to see, are there labs we could request during our yearly visits to PCPs or OBGYNs? 

[ReneeD96]

These are great questions that I hope we dig into: 1. My PCP and OB/GYN told that me official menopause is when we’ve gone one year without a period. So every time, we don’t have a period for a few months & then we do…i’m assuming “the clock” on the one year starts over. 2. I was just having this conversation with an older relative around why / when she decided to get a hysterectomy ..she shared that her labs did start changing over time, but she finally had a doctor who took the time to show her how her pap smears where changing over time that indicated she should really consider getting a hysterectomy. These are things that women should be talking about (e.g., what are indicators that we should start or stop taking hormones, consider a procedure, other options besides a hysterectomy, etc). My apologies for the long response, but we shouldn’t be going through all of these similar things in silence. ❤️

[StacyLondon]

@redehoyos These are all excellent questions! The way that doctors are moving towards diagnosing issues surrounding menopause is really by the issues themselves. So yes, you can request blood tests to see what your hormone levels are, but it's much more what you are experiencing that may be causing discomfort in the quality of your daily life. Once you start to notice those symptoms, that's what you should go to your doctor with and say you want help in at least mitigating them or treating them in some way. I would say the second step would be to ask for blood tests where you can see your hormone levels and discuss that with your physician.

[marianna16]

Hi Stacy! I was always such a huge fan of What Not to Wear so thank you for all those years of wisdom about self care and fashion. Now onto menopause…..my two big challenges are weight gain in the belly area and an overall lack of motivation and energy. Is this about balancing hormones and if so, how do we do that? Thank you, Mar

[StacyLondon]

@marianna16 I would say absolutely. If you are in midlife and you are coming to menopause chronologically, chances are the weight gain around the belly, which is really body weight redistribution, is probably due to hormonal fluctuation as well as fatigue and lack of motivation. 

All of these things can absolutely be caused by hormonal fluctuation. The most important thing is to take these issues to your doctor and discuss them or your care practitioner and discuss what other potential issues could be causing either of these things besides menopause to rule them out. Once you can see where your hormones are through blood tests, your doctor can probably make good recommendations about whether or not you can go on hormones based on your health profile. And if you can, chances are both of these issues will see some kind of resolution or mitigation once you're on them.

[balance4me]

Hi Stacy!! I don't feel super clear on when I should start thinking about or preparing for menopause? I feel like no one really talks about it until it's happening. How early is too early?

[StacyLondon]

@balance4me This should all be talked about in terms of our lifespan, our entire lifespan, from periods to pregnancy to postpartum to infertility to menopause. These are all issues that fall under the same roof and really should be taught at the same time. There is no early enough time to learn about menopause because there are so many things that you can do to mitigate the experience of menopause if you know about it ahead of time, not when you're in the middle of it. Things like strength training or taking the right supplements for bone, cardiac and brain health are going to be exceptionally important if you know about them ahead of entering perimenopause. So wherever you are right now, take a second and start doing some homework.

[kj36928]

How can I best dress for my body? Between weight gain and hot flashes, I can't find clothes that make me feel comfortable

[StacyLondon]

@kj36928 Oh, boy, do I hear you. Layer, layer, layer, layer. This is the most important thing. And you also want to be wearing natural fabrics. So cottons and  silks are a lot better for breathing than anything that's made with, a polyester or blend. And certainly, I understand very much that when you're having hot flashes, you can soak through your clothes no matter what fabric they are. But at least clothes like cotton and clothes that do have some wicking to them, like athleisure, can be very helpful when you're experiencing hot flashes. 

I also recommend using our cooling spray and having it on you at all times. 

The other thing is that when you start to see changes in your body, it does take a second. I call it weight whiplash. When we gain weight or lose weight, our brain takes a second to catch up. So it's very important to kind of really tune in to the way your body looks now and work with what you have, not what you had, and accept where you are  so that you can move forward. If you gain weight around your midsection, then you have to look for ways how to highlight the smallest part of your waist, which is going to be right below the rib cage..and if you don't know that from what not to wear, come on.

[ikt]

Empire!!!!😂

[GB-Simon]

What would you tell yourself before you started menopause?

[StacyLondon]

@GB-Simon Learn about menopause.

[surfingob]

Do you have any supplements you love to help navigate symptoms?

[StacyLondon]

@surfingob When it comes to supplements, I do love many of the ones that Wile Women makes like the ones for hormonal eating, the ones that they make for burnout relief and I love the ones that they make for perimenopausal support. Bonafide also has a great probiotic that is for the vaginal biome.There’s also a company called Seed that makes an overall intestinal probiotic that I think is very helpful for people in perimenopause.

[lauren]

I've heard of menopause gift baskets and want to give my aunt one. Any ideas of what I should put inside? I think its so cute and shows my support.

[StacyLondon]

@lauren That is such a great idea and what a wonderful way to tell somebody how much you care about them! We have kits at State of Menopause and have a “For a Friend” kit if you just wanted to get something little for your aunt. But I highly recommend any of the kinds of products that you will find on our line on Kindra's, line on Womaness’ line on Wile Women's line or JoyLux's line that feel like they are both directed and specific to menopause as well as being nonhormonal in nature.

[Shellywoman]

Hi Stacey,

Some women are asking about hair growing in less than desirable places, but I struggle mostly with hair loss. My texture is different and I am shedding something awful. I wear am estrogen patch despite my best efforts to avoid it, but it does not seem to help in this arena. I'd love your thoughts.

[StacyLondon]

@Shellywoman I definitely suggest talking to a dermatologist about minoxidil and other hair growth prescription products that could be right for you. If the hair that you have has changed texture, then I really do recommend at least looking at the hair care options you're using right now. At State of Menopause, we have a shampoo conditioner, scalp oil, and hair mask, all of which are about changing texture in the hair. I highly recommend it. If you're looking for something to smooth your hair, make it a bit shinier and keep the texture full of moisture. Which is part of what makes our hair change texture is that it gets drier. So use our products or look for products that are humectants, that pull moisture from the air and allow your hair to have more body and look more full.

[BubblyMom]

I don't think I'm quite in peri-menopause yet, but definitely going through some kind of change. the dramatic hormonal shifts i now get during my period are INSANE and I honestly don't know how i'll make it through the next 8-10 years of periods! I can't be on hormonal birth control any more because I was getting head aches and my doctor was concerned about an elevated stroke risk.

Any tips from you or this group on how to manage symptoms? It's migraines, major night sweats, and extreme fatigue on the 2nd/3rd day. I finally have some awareness around it so I'm able to manage my mood swings, but the physical symptoms are challenging. I basically just go to bed at 8 pm and try to sleep it off. 

[lam_9801]

I have been in perimenopause for a couple of years.  I'm on the younger side of things. I am 44.  I have endometriosis and my lower back pain has been really bad lately.  I went in to get everything checked out and my bloodwork the day I had it done indicated that I was menopausal. My periods have been spaced out periodically over the last couple of years. I know that the bloodwork results are only a snap shot in time for that day.  I understand, but as my hormones are shifting so is weight around my mid-section/backside and legs.  I really haven't gained weight, but its just settling in different spots.  Are there any specific ways to adjust to this shift mentally as well as physically?  I've been in athletic shape my entire life and not really feeling great about my mid-section despite the planks and other workouts I've tried.  I am already gluten free and dairy free. I don't eat a lot of sugar or processed food accept for the occasional cookie binge when I get my period. 😉

[Rere]

Hi, looking forward to this session! Two questions, will the symptoms of peri menopause go away once you actually over the hump and in menopause. Second, can you start any hormone therapies before you are in full menopause?

[AthletaWellTeam]

Reminder that TOMORROW at 9:30am PST, @StacyLondon will come and reply to your questions! Set your calendars to see what she has to say on all things menopause 😁