Hair Loss in Women: What's Really Going On - and What You Can Actually Do

For a lot of women, the first sign is subtle. More hair on the shower floor. A slightly different hairline. A texture that feels like it's shifted. And often, a creeping sense that acknowledging it makes it more real.

Monique McMahon - hair colourist, salon owner, founder of MCM Beauty, and Vogue Australia's expert on menopausal hair loss - has these conversations constantly, both on the salon floor and with the broader community she's built around honest hair health.

"Even with clients I've been doing for 20 years," she says, "when their hair starts to thin or their hairline begins to recede, these are really emotional moments."

So we thought it was worth having the conversation properly. Monique recently sat down with Simone Abaron - trichologist, naturopath, and founder of Apotecari Bio Active Haircare - to talk honestly about what's driving hair loss in women right now, what the science says, and what you can actually do about it - from the inside out.

It's Finally Being Talked About

According to Simone, the conversation around hair loss in women isn't new - but the openness around it is. More women are recognising what's happening, and the wider cultural conversation around perimenopause and menopause is finally catching up. For such a long time, both have been treated as things you quietly manage rather than openly discuss.

That shift matters. Because when women can name what's happening, they can start doing something about it.

It's Not Always Hormones

While perimenopause and menopause are among the most common drivers of hair thinning in women over 40, they're far from the only ones. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, seasonal changes, post-pregnancy shifts, a change in thyroid function - all of these can trigger hair loss. And the timing makes it confusing.

"What makes it tricky," Simone explains, "is that hair loss typically happens three to six months after the stressful event. So by the time your hair starts falling out, the crisis feels like it's behind you. People often don't connect the two."

She experienced this herself - significant stress before a major business launch, and then the hair loss arriving later, a second wave of challenge on top of an already hard time.

Monique sees the same pattern regularly.

"The trauma happens," she says, "and then the hair trauma happens. And then you're re-traumatised all over again."

Texture Changes Are Part of the Picture Too

Hair loss isn't always dramatic. Often the first signs show up as a shift in texture - hair that feels drier, finer, or less resilient than it used to. For women heading into menopause, Simone says this is very common: everything starts to feel more dehydrated, skin and hair together. The internal shift happens first; the hair is just the part you can see.

Something as seemingly unrelated as a vitamin D deficiency can also drive texture changes - which is why Simone always says the investigation needs to start from the inside out, not the outside in.

What Hairstylists Are Actually Noticing

The salon chair is a surprisingly important place in this conversation. Hairstylists see their clients every six to eight weeks, often across many years. They notice changes in density, texture, and scalp condition that can go completely undetected in daily life.

"Hairstylists are often the first to detect when something's going on," Simone says. "You're intimately attuned to what's happening with a client's hair and scalp — you're probably seeing more than her closest friends are."

Monique is thoughtful about how she raises it. "I never want to immediately ask, 'Are you going through perimenopause?' — that can really unsettle people." It's always about opening a door gently, not handing someone a diagnosis.

Where to Start

Both Simone and Monique agree: the first move is internal.

"The first thing I always recommend is getting blood tests done," says Simone. From there, the path looks different for everyone. Some women explore HRT or bio-identical hormones if the timing is likely perimenopausal or menopause related, others work with nutritional or herbal support to help balance what's shifting. "None of those paths is more right than another - it's about what works for each individual."

Monique takes the same multi-pronged approach to her own hair health.

"Blood work with my GP, looking at diet — protein, iron, omega fatty acids for moisture and hydration. And then externally, I've been using a scalp serum and a shampoo with peptides for about three months now."

The Case for Peptides

Peptides are having a real moment in hair care right now. As a trichologist, Simone is well placed to explain why the science genuinely stacks up.

"At their core they're short chains of amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When you look at the structure of hair and scalp, it's essentially amino acids - so the logic is straightforward: you're replenishing the fundamental building blocks of the hair fibre itself."

What matters is knowing which products are doing the work, and how to use them. That's where professional-grade formulations earn their place. Not all peptide products are equal, and choosing the right one - from a brand that's done the science- makes a genuine difference.

The Christophe Robin Fortifying Ritual

This is exactly the thinking behind the Christophe Robin Fortifying Ritual - a professional-grade range formulated specifically for weakened, fragile, or thinning hair, and one Monique recommends with real conviction.

The Fortifying range works from the scalp out, supporting the hair fibre's structural integrity while addressing the scalp environment that healthy growth depends on. It's the kind of at-home ritual designed to complement what your GP, naturopath, or trichologist is working on from the inside - bringing the same level of intention to your wash-day routine that you'd bring to the rest of your health.

Monique has been using it herself. "I've been using a scalp serum and a shampoo with peptides for about three months now," she says. The results - stronger, more resilient hair - are exactly what the Fortifying Ritual is designed to deliver.

Shop the Christophe Robin Fortifying Ritual at MCM Beauty →

Want to hear more from Monique on the Fortifying Range and scalp health? She joined the Salon Rising podcast to talk through exactly this - available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

It's the Starting Point, Not the End Point

Simone closes the conversation with something worth sitting with. In many Asian cultures, she points out, women become more revered as they age - not less visible.

"We're not great at that in Western culture yet. But these conversations are changing that. Recognising what's happening in your body isn't something to fear. It's the starting point for doing something about it."

That's exactly why we're having this conversation - not to alarm, but to inform. Not to make hair loss feel like something to hide, but like something you can understand and take charge of.

If your hair has felt different lately - in texture, density, or just behaviour - the right products and the right information are a great place to start.

Shop the Christophe Robin Fortifying Ritual →

Explore the full Christophe Robin range at MCM Beauty →

Simone Abaron is a trichologist, naturopath, and founder of Apotecari Bio Active Haircare. Monique McMahon is a hair colourist, salon owner, and founder of MCM Beauty.