Hair is one of the first things people notice about us. So when it starts thinning, breaking, or changing texture in perimenopause, it hits differently.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Natalie Perkins from PAUZ Health and nurse practitioner Helen to finally have the conversation most doctors aren't having. What's happening inside the follicle, what the early warning signs are, and what works — and what doesn't — when it comes to your hair in midlife.

In this episode:

• Why declining estrogen and rising androgen activity shrink the hair follicle and what that means for your ponytail
• The early red flags to watch for (you can lose up to 40% of your hair before you notice it's gone)
• Why iron deficiency is the #1 cause of hair loss in women and the specific bloodwork you need to ask for
• How chronic stress disrupts the hair growth cycle and why recovery takes longer than you'd expect
• Evidence-based vs. snake oil: what the science says about minoxidil, red light therapy, pumpkin seed oil, biotin, and more
• When to handle it yourself and when it's time to see a dermatologist

Hair loss is not vanity. It's a quality of life issue and help exists.

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

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• Subscribe to our Substack
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to

Dr. Natalie Perkins (MSc., PhD)

Dr. Natalie Perkins is the founder of PAUZ Health, a platform built to help women get ahead of their health and out of the chaos and confusion of perimenopause. A seasoned strategist and leader in the healthcare sector, Natalie brings both the data and the lived experience. After finding herself lost when her own body started changing, she dove into the science, found the right support, and turned her personal journey into a powerful advocacy mission. At PAUZ, she's building the resource she wished she'd had: a place where women can find clarity, access, and real answers. As she puts it, “women may spend 40% of their lives in menopause. We deserve to be heard."

Helen Frederickson (NP, MSCP)

Helen Frederickson is a Nurse Practitioner and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner with 20 years of experience in primary care and colorectal cancer survivorship. Helen brings a collaborative, inclusive approach to midlife women’s health. She meets women where they are and provides comprehensive, evidence-based care to help them thrive through the perimenopause transition.

Links for this episode:

• Follow Pauz Health on Instagram
• Book at appointment
• Visit Pauz Health
• Read Pauz Health Blogs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your doctor offered you the pill for your perimenopause symptoms but said no to MHT. Why? It's one of the questions we get most.

Dr. Jen Zelovitzky is back to explain how these treatments differ and the factors that should be considered when exploring each of these options for symptom management in perimenopause. She also explains why the one-year-without-a-period rule shouldn't be the gatekeeper for your treatment.

In this episode:

• Why so many women are offered the pill but not MHT in perimenopause
• When the pill is the right tool, and why it can stop working as well
• How an IUD or progestin-only pill can be paired with estrogen
• Why there's no age or time limit on MHT
• What the Women's Health Initiative missed about women with symptoms
• What LOOP events are, why you might get them, and what you can do about them

Dr. Jen's bottom line: there is no woman out there who doesn't have an option. You deserve a good quality of life.

And don’t miss a LIVE This Is Perimenopause podcast recording with Dr. Jen Zelovitzky at the National Menopause Show on Sunday, October 18 at 2:10 p.m. on the podcast stage. We’re talking about Breast Cancer and all the choices available to survivors who are suffering with through menopause. This is just one of the incredible expert speakers lined up. Tickets are only $35/day or $45 for both days. Buy your tickets today!

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to cover next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky is a certified Menopause Specialist and the Clinical Director of Women’s Health at Medcan Toronto. Follow her on socials @DrJenZelo where she helps women better understand their bodies and advocate for their needs in the Canadian Healthcare system. She is also the mom of 2 amazing daughters and 3 fur babies.

Links for this episode

• Dr. Jen Zelovitzky on Instagram
• Medcan Women’s Health
• www.drjenzelo.ca
• Read Dr. Jen’s Blogs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where did this belly suddenly come from? And is a GLP-1 the answer?

Everyone's talking about GLP-1s, but few people actually understand how they work. Dr. Sean Wharton is an internal medicine physician, a pioneer in obesity medicine, and founder of the Wharton Medical Clinic. He's here to give us the facts.

Dr. Wharton explains what GLP-1s do in your body, why midlife belly fat is a health issue and not just a cosmetic one, and what to consider before you ask your doctor for one.

In this episode:

• What a GLP-1 is and how it works
• Why your body changes shape in midlife
• Why some women struggle with weight more than others
• When belly fat becomes a health risk
• What happens when you stop taking a GLP-1
• How to decide if a GLP-1 is right for you
• What to consider before you ask your doctor for one

Want to learn more? See Dr. Wharton live at the National Menopause Show on October 17 & 18 at the International Centre in Toronto. He’s just one of the incredible expert speakers lined up. Tickets are only $35/day or $45 for both days. Buy your tickets today!

Connect with Mikelle & Michelle at This is Perimenopause

• Subscribe to our Substack
• Become a TIP Insider
• Email us and let us know what you think of the podcast and what topic you want us to c
• over next.
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Instagram
• Follow This Is Perimenopause on Facebook

Dr. Sean Wharton

Dr. Wharton has his doctorate in Pharmacy and Medicine from the University of Toronto in

Canada. He practices internal medicine and is the director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a

community based weight management and diabetes clinic. He is an assistant professor at the

University of Toronto and adjunct professor at McMaster and York University. He is the lead

authour of the 2020 Canadian Obesity Guidelines, which has been recognized around the world

and has published many peer-reviewed articles in international medical journals, including lead

author on several New England Journal of Medicine articles Dr. Wharton is involved in advocacy to achieve health equity in medicine.

Links for this episode

Wharton Medical Clinic