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In today’s episode, I share my personal journey with hair health, from dealing with postpartum shedding to navigating perimenopause, and how stress, hormones, and gut health have affected my hair over the years. Nutrafol, which I’ve used since 2018, helped me regain my hair’s thickness and shine. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Isabel Raymond from Nutrafol, who explains how their products target the root causes of hair loss, from gut issues to hormonal imbalances. We dive into the importance of a holistic hair care routine through all stages of life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • What is hair shedding
  • The root causes of hair shedding
  • The hormonal impact on women’s health
  • How to create a supplement routine to support your hair (and overall) health
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This podcast is intended to educate, inspire, and support you on your personal journey towards inner peace. I am not a psychologist or a medical doctor and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional.

dear gabby #228 Oct 14, 2024 manifesting

how hormones affect your hair

The following podcast is a Dear Media production.

Hey there. Welcome to Dear Gabby. I'm your host, Gabby Bernstein. And if you landed here, it is absolutely no accident. It means that you're ready to feel good and manifest a life beyond your wildest dreams. Let's get started. Welcome back to Dear Gabby. Welcome back, my friends. Today is a very interesting episode.

We're talking about a topic that's really important to me. And it's a topic that people ask me about all the time because I've shared very openly about my journey through postpartum and my journey with perimenopause and my journey with my physical well being. And one of the things that I've bragged about is my hair and how I've gotten it back after a lot of hormonal upheavals.

And so I wanted to give you a full episode sharing with you exactly what it is. happens to our [00:01:00] hair hormonally or with any kind of nutrient deficiencies and the ways that we can get back on track. And as a listener, you probably know that I've been on quite a journey with my hair through hormonal fluctuations in the postpartum period.

And throughout this journey of all this hormonal upheaval, there was one product in particular that just blew my mind, and that is Nutraful. And it's my favorite hair growth supplement, and I've been using it since 2018. Today I'm really excited because I have Nutrafol's head of clinical and medical affairs on the show.

And this is Dr. Isabel Raymond. Isabel actually began her career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries before moving into the wellness space where at Nutrafol she oversees the brand's rigorous clinical testing processes and medical research publications. And she has both a master's and PhD in biochemical science and has authored over 80 publications on everything from aesthetic medicine to dermatology, sleep disorders, and of course, hair health.

So if you care about your hair and you are seeing changes in your [00:02:00] hair, this is your episode. I break it down for you. We get nerdy. It's excellent. Enjoy the show. Welcome back to Dear Gabby, my friends. Welcome back. Today we're talking about a very important topic to me, which is hair.

Hair. This has been something I've been diving so deep into and I went on this hardcore journey of really resurrecting my luscious hair. And there is one brand in particular that has got me there and that is Nutraful. And I've been using the product since 2018 and I'm obsessed because it works. And so I went as far as saying, I got to talk to the doctors and the people.

Senior people here at this company so that I could bring in the conversation more deeply. So today I'm sitting down with Dr. Isabel Raymond, and she is the senior vice president of clinical and medical affairs at Nutrafol, the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand. And her role is to oversee [00:03:00] Nutrafol's rigorous clinical testing.

All right, here we go, Isabel. Isabel, welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. You're talking to someone who's obsessed with what you're obsessed with. So this is an exciting conversation for us today. Can I tell you a little bit about my hair journey before we start? Do you hear so many hair journeys?

At the airport every day. All the time. I walk into any store and people start talking about Nutrafol and I said, is there something on my back? And they said, no. Yeah. I said, I work for the company. Yeah. Every day. I get that because if anyone's, if I ever have a girlfriend that's like postpartum or perimenopause and they're having thinning hair, they're having some shedding, the first words out of someone's mouth that's in the room is, are you taking Nutrafol?

Correct. It's the it brand for hair. And I'm so, so impressed. I'm thrilled that you're here because I have such a heroine's journey of my new triple hero. You're my heroes. So what happened for me was I went through my postpartum period. It was rough for me. And prior to postpartum, even I had some shedding because I was having gut issues.

So [00:04:00] ladies, and we'll talk specifically to the ladies and the men, but my demo is a lot of ladies. Ladies. you may have shedding because of not absorbing all the nutrients. We can get into that. Okay. Then I went through the postpartum period where I was all that shedding. I went from the luscious pregnancy hair, which was just epic to just that shedding instantly got on neutrophil.

And let me tell you, within like months, maybe a month or two, I started seeing the thickness and I started seeing my hair just come back to what it really was. And I've been out ever since. I then, this is just the, this is the latest stage of the journey. About five months ago, I went really hardcore into perimenopause and I'm 45, so it's right on time.

Mm hmm. And just hit over the head with perimenopause. I still get my periods, but they were so erotic. Now they're back on track prior to getting on HRT, which we can slightly talk about, but really go back to the Nutrafol. So in the process of really balancing my hormones, I've also gotten to this place where my hair is back on [00:05:00] track because of Nutrafol.

Thank you. And now I've just recently learned that Nutrafol actually has a product specifically for hair thinning during menopause called Women's Balance, which I definitely need. Exactly. And it's so funny because I feel like you just walk through all the root causes and what the product stands for.

It's not just, let's address one thing. We all know that hair thinning, hair shedding is one of those things that's affected by several root causes. And so just by touching each one of them, which you seem to have gone through every one of your demographics. Exactly. I was like, gut health, And then we went to postpartum and then we were pairing many of us.

Yeah. No, I am your poster child because, and I'm also your poster child because I think my hair looks great right now. I mean, I haven't had my hair this long since I was in my early thirties, since my wedding. It looks beautiful. It's rocking right now. And I got to give you the credit. Okay. So here we are.

We're talking about hair. Yes. Let's go back to these specific archetypes that I've mentioned. First, what happens when our [00:06:00] microbiome is off? What happens to our hair? So yeah, if you go back and think about what a hair follicle is, I'm going to take you all the way back. Take me back. Just understanding hair growth and hair shedding, for example.

And so we know that it's not just one factor that's going to improve it or, or make it worse. It's going to be a multitude of things, including your guts, your stress, your hormones, your lifestyle, all of these things are going to affect it somewhere or another. So it's important to really hit all of them and hit them, especially at a time of your life that you may have a little more hormonal issues Or more stress in your life or more gut issues.

And so really it's understanding the link between we talk about a lot about the gut skin access, but there's also the gut hair access where you will not be able to have the nutrients going to your follicle. If your gut is all messed up, we know that's true for everything. The interesting about hair follicle is that it's its own little organ.

It's its own little thing that grows and requires. More than other organs in your body, and it has like immune privilege. And so it's really [00:07:00] protected. And so it's going to be one of those organs that we keep when we're really stressed. But at some point, if that balance is off with stress or other things, then we'll start seeing shutting.

And so it'll happen all of a sudden, maybe a long time after. a stressful event or any events in your gut. And so sometimes it's very hard to pinpoint what caused me to get to the situation with my hair. So looking at the entire body, we're not just looking at, Oh, hair follicle, you need a drug or something.

And for women, we know there's not a lot of drugs out there, right. That are FDA approved. And so I love what the founders came up with. They really wanted to look at a different approach, understanding all of these things that can affect your hair follicle, your hair growth, your hair shedding, and put it all in one.

I want to get into that because What I have found is that it's not just about the supplement, but it's also about the full routine. Right? It's like we have our beauty routines with our face and we have our dental hygiene routines and we have our fitness routines. But what I learned [00:08:00] through these periods, I also have another period that I forgot to mention, which is connected to the gut, which was also stress.

Yes. And I went through chronic stress, which was affecting the gut. But all of that combined over time. led to shedding. So I am, I'm your core adopter. And that's why I love that you guys have now come out with the shampoos. And then I do this scalp mask. Yes. Okay. I've been doing it now once a week. Is that correct?

You can use it a few times a week. Yeah. Okay. So maybe I'll start using it more. I'm giving my son a bath and I take out my neutrophil mask and you put it on different sections of your scalp. You leave it on for five or six minutes. Look, I'm your poster child. And yeah. It starts to feel literally almost, and correct me if I'm wrong, like clay almost, like lifting out the impurities.

Is that correct? Yeah, it just, it's a really nice mask that, and the way it was built really was to not disrupt your scalp microbiome, right? Because we talk about the gut microbiome, but there's also the skin and scalp microbiome, whatever is on there. If you have a healthy microbiome, you don't want to strip it.

You don't want to use harsh products, which we do on a [00:09:00] daily basis, thinking about the lifestyle and products and all those things. And so really this mask is there to clean without stripping. And it's a scalp mask, everybody. So, God, I love the scalp mask. And what happens for me is I actually feel it. I feel it like cleansing.

It's working for me. And then I wash my hair and condition my hair with your shampoo and conditioner. And my hair just feels clean. I actually have noticed. more thickness in my scalp, particularly as a result of using it. So yeah, because it's the approach is yes, you know, grow our hair from within, right?

With all the supplements and nutrients that our hair needs and also address the root causes that can affect the growth. But if you don't treat it, if you don't, use a product or, um, don't look at it from an external standpoint. It's not going to help either because you can clog the pores. You can, you know, affect your follicle at the, at the scalp, and that's not going to help your growth.

So we're really trying to look at an internal approach as well as an outside approach. Yeah. Now I agree with you. And I think that when [00:10:00] we start to have these hormonal changes and we start to have these aging changes, they are depressing. And so to have tools that are. Also, really good for your body.

Hello, my friends. When I'm working out or taking a walk outside, I like to listen to other people's podcasts. And I recently checked out this one called Misunderstood, the ADHD in Women channel. This is a collection of podcasts. By women, for women, with ADHD, aka me. That's such a good podcast. And get this, it was just literally like they were talking to me.

For decades, women with ADHD have been overlooked and undiagnosed. And finally, we're beginning to get the guidance and the support that we need. Misunderstood features three original shows from Understood Podcast Network. They offer candid conversations and advice. And they just really are giving me exactly what I need.

They give [00:11:00] tips from an ADHD coach. Analysis Paralysis brings you personal stories and practical tips. ADHD and rejection sensitivity. It's hosted by the psychologist who explores the intersection of ADHD and just everything. And sorry I missed this. Setting boundaries in relationships with ADHD. This is the one that really blew my mind.

So, If you are someone who has ADHD, ladies, listen up, this is going to help you. And for me, it's been really valuable to have my husband listen to this because it's giving him a sense of understanding why I act the way I am, why I don't always pick up on things as quickly, or why I may be thinking about a million things at once, and that's really cool because I need that understanding.

So to listen to Misunderstood, the ADHD and women channel, just search for Misunderstood in your podcast app that's spelled M I S S U N D E R S T O O D at the ADHD in Women channel. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I'm obsessed with makeup. [00:12:00] And one of my favorite products to use is Thrive Causemetics.

Their products are packed with clean, skin loving ingredients. And so someone that has to wear makeup often, I really care about the product being clean. And it's also for any skill level. They make it easy to do your makeup like a pro. Thrive Causemetics has uncompromising standards in terms of ingredients, and they use all the products that I love, and it's good for my skin.

Their makeup and skincare products are all certified 100 percent vegan and cruelty free. And their liquid Lash extensions mascara is to die for. Every time I wear it, people are like, what's going on? They compliment me. And I just love it because it lasts all day without clumping, smudging, or flaking. It makes my lashes just look long like extensions.

It's super easy to remove, and the flake free tubing formula dramatically lengthens and defines your lashes from root to tip. I also love the eye brightener because It's like a shadow highlighter combo and there's 16 buildable shades. But [00:13:00] Thrive goes even further. Thrive Causemetics, they're behind eight major causes, including those impacted by cancer, domestic violence, abuse, and veterans and education organizations.

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Okay. So let's get into the science a bit more. Yes. I want to talk about the ingredients, biotin, all the vitamins. Talk to me about what the key ingredients are and why we need them. Yeah. So thank you for that. So I think when the company first started, it was a formula for men, a formula for women, because we know that men and women have different needs when it comes to their hair.

And also the mechanisms are a little [00:14:00] different and it really is the all around approach. Instead of looking at the hair follicle, as I'm going to treat this with a drug, I'm going to take an internal approach. And it really, address all of the root causes that may affect the hair. So the gut microbiome, like you talked about earlier, stress, hormones, lifestyle, oxidative stress.

So all of these ingredients not only address the hair follicle, but they address the root cause that's going to influence your hair growth. And that's really the approach. So it's looking at the ingredients that people may not have heard of before. And so that was a big challenge entering the medical community with ingredients that were that are not, they don't have a lot of research on them sometimes, or they don't quite understand them.

And so really bringing that rigor to an area to say, these ingredients will affect your hair growth. And industry disruptors you were because now everyone's talking about it. They were. And the thing is, they're very much pioneers and I respect them so much because I remember going to dermatology conference.

I come from a pharma background. And so I came from very heavy drug studies and medical devices and working in skin cancer and all these things. And they were like, do you want to join the company and do his supplements for [00:15:00] hair? And I said, do I want to keep my career? But in the same time, this holistic approach that now everybody's talking about, everybody's on the bandwagon.

So they were way above. So the issue when you're ahead of your time, you have to do a lot of convincing and, and that's been fun though. And I think I really commend them for doing that and really looking at hair growth and looking at any type of condition, really, when you think about it from this functional medicine approach, that There are other factors within your body that are going to lead to this consequence of having that hair thinning, hair shedding.

And that can be anything related to hormones, to stress, to gut, to lifestyle. And so approaching all of those, so then looking at ingredients. So saw palmetto, for example, no, let's talk about that. So this is great for women. I perimenopause. Like I'm going to pretend like Dr. Bernstein is here today. Okay. So just kidding.

I'm not a doctor people, but saw palmetto. That's really good for, it's an androgen. blocker. Is that correct? Yes. Yes. Okay. Talk to me because like women in perimenopause, we have these experiences, like you can be like [00:16:00] sweaty or stinky and all these different hair thinning, lots of gross things. How does this help?

So I love this. So we have a product, like you said, for menopause. And what I love about it is when I said earlier, we have a formula for men and for women, and they came with over 21 ingredients, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, and all the things that you know are good for you with the addition of these botanicals that have been studied for to improve hair growth or to help with the root cause that it's going to affect.

And so as women in their 40s were going to see dermatologists, the derms would say, take the men's version because there's more saw palmetto in it. And that's the difference between the two men and women. And so we could have said, great, menopausal women use the men's version.

There's more sub palmetto, so that will help with the hormonal imbalance. But instead, the company said, no, let's develop a product specifically for menopausal women. Give them the right amounts, not just take a men's product, slap on a new label on it and call it a day. So not only are we going to develop a product, but also try to understand what are the root causes for women going through menopause, which was really [00:17:00] ahead of their time to do that.

And to add ingredients not only that would help with hair growth, but also help with menopausal symptoms. So we added the maca, we added s saxanthin, and so I love What's s saxanthin? It is a very high, it's an antioxidant. It's a very potent antioxidant, one of the highest ones you can get. Okay. So I'm taking all this separately.

Like I have my maca in my smoothie and I have my saw palmetto supplement. I need to get the menopause. Get the menopause and you'll get it all. Okay. Cause I'm then I'm taking my, my, my neutrophils is totally a separate thing. Okay. So I need the menopause and that will have all of this. Okay. Now, if I were to take my maca in my smoothie and my menopause supplement, is that too much maca?

We'd have to look how much is in your supplement. Okay. Yeah. The maca definitely helps. with hair. So I think again, we can look at the amounts, the servings and see, you don't want to like overdo it. And also you want to simplify it. If you can have one product that has all of the market that you need, then that would be great.

So we can talk about that after. I do want to simplify. Yeah. I think that's that this is [00:18:00] excellent because more is not better. I think what people need to understand is sometimes you mentioned biotin earlier, like, Oh, you have all these supplements out there that, Oh, take all of this biotin and it'll help your hair growth.

And actually it turns out there's not. a lot of studies. Actually, there's zero studies that have shown efficacy of biotin with hair loss. Is biotin in the product still or no? Yes. So let me just go over. So the reason why biotin is known to improve hair growth, when you have a biotin deficiency. Okay. That is very rare in our society to have people who have a biotin deficiency, but it's so ingrained in our brains that we need to have biotin.

We need to have biotin. And so when the first products came out, we had biotin in at the amounts that dermatologists would recommend. So it really had to be in there. So the issue with biotin is that it's now known to affect some lab tests. So we have a whole paper on that, just try to explain what to do if you take biotin, you stop taking it eight hours before.

But so there's kind of like a pushback with biotin. And so we developed a newer vegan product that does not have biotin in it just to be able to answer to those who don't want to [00:19:00] have it. Wow. You got a lot of products on the market now. Yeah, we do. We came from two to. Gosh, I don't even know now. And we have skin and we have hair.

We have vegan women's balanced postpartum. So are there any other ingredients that are really crucial that we want to talk about just to close the loop on that? I think so. We talked about maca, saw palmetto. I think ashwagandha is one of them as well. So yeah, it's just for stress. But I guess it's the idea of finding these botanicals that will have a clinical effect on the root cause.

Turmeric. Yes. Tumeric's in there. And then we've got this new one that, what was it that you said that it's really an antioxidant? Astaxanthin. Astaxanthin. But the best one is, I will say, is a Maldivian dragon head. That is the, I know, it sounds like a character out of a House of Dragons or something, but it is one of those ingredients that in our vegan product that has been shown to improve collagen, without providing collagen.

So people want vegan products, you have to take out all the collagen, you have to take out all the keratin, because there's no such thing as a vegan collagen. It just doesn't exist. And so this is a product that [00:20:00] will help stimulate your own collagen within, and we have studies to support that.

So it's very And you have a collagen supplement that I put in my coffee. Yes. Yes, I do. The powder. Yes. It's delicious. My coffee tastes delicious. I don't really taste the collagen. Okay. So I clearly have done my homework because I'm really, I'm using every one of these products, but I want to know for the person who's out there, let's talk first and foremost, they they're either in that stress state or having gastro issues or their perimenopause or their menopause or they're in postpartum or something else.

And they're seeing their thinning of their hair shedding. I mean, I went through one period, but it was just shedding. I've lost my mind. It was terrifying. It was just a hormonal upheaval. So what's step one, take this, take the supplement or choose which supplement is right for you. I, I think we always want to try to see if there's not another cause behind it, right?

So we'll always say, please go visit your dermatologist to see if there's a, if there's a medical cause behind it, because that could be due to [00:21:00] other things that, that supplement's not going to address. But I think when you, especially when you're, you're going so quickly, I think when people start noticing, yeah, that if you're, there's a difference between losing, Shedding so much hair and then freaking out and saying, Oh my God, what is normal, right?

So trying to understand what is normal in hair thinning, hair shedding and what becomes a lot. So if you don't wash your hair for a week thinking that you're not going to shed all those hairs, you've shed about a hundred to 150 hairs a day. So if you don't, if you don't wash your hair. And then you wait a week, then you're going to have a lot more hair coming out because they should have come out when you're washing it three days ago.

Or brushing it for that matter. Or brushing it. So that kind of comes out. So that can be a little bit scary. So I think it's really understanding what's been going on with you. Are you drinking? Are you stressed? Are you sleeping? All the things because knowing that your hair is a representation of your health.

So I think it's a really good check to be like, wait, what's going on with me? What am I doing? When am I deficient? Am I taking care of myself? And so this really helps to be able to replenish and help where you will need hair growth takes a long time. It's not going to happen overnight. Whatever you [00:22:00] do, the cycle of hair growth is really long.

So you are going to see Changes within the first three months and more at six months. So it's a long as we call it the journey for a reason because it doesn't happen overnight. You're not going to see changes you want to see, you know, your hair improvements and hair growth. It takes time. Yeah. And yeah, of course, like anything you have to have follicular activity to have it regenerate.

And I think that's where we want to make sure that we can provide information to people who are going through this because it's very scary. Right? It is scary. And it's, hairs are, it's related to beauty, it's related to health, and when we start having issues with it shedding or even not growing as fast as we want it to, it starts affecting us.

And so there's a lot of products that promise all of these things out there. So really we want to make sure that we understand, that we, share why these things are happening so you can not only address your hair, but your health in general. But also we wanted to do studies to show that it's going to work and when it's going to work to set those expectations because there's so many things out there.

There's so much noise [00:23:00] saying, Oh, do this and your hair will grow back in a week. And that's just, that's not even possible. Yeah, that's not even possible. And so that's the hard part. So really saying, stick with this. This is going to be a journey. It's going to take a time. And what else are you doing?

Because we can provide a supplement that's going to help you, but you need to also understand what's going on with your body and treating it well and eating right. And all the things, exercising, meditating, all these things, knowing that stress is going to affect your hair and your gut's going to stress your, you know, it's going to affect your hair.

So, you know, best what you're doing. So here are all the root causes that we have identified and let's help you through them. I love that because it's rooted in that holistic approach in that we have these, this whole cycle of health that we have to be addressing and what we're eating, how we're sleeping, how we're living.

And are we supplementing? And as you go through menopause, you know, all of a sudden everything changes. Everything you've been doing for the [00:24:00] last 15 years has been working well for you. All of a sudden it all goes to hell. And so you're like, what's going on? And I was watching one of the things, there's this amazing menopause movement going on right now.

And I heard one, one of these amazing women say, you know, what are the symptoms of menopause that you didn't know about? Someone said the most offensive one is my hair loss by losing my hair or in my hair falling out. And it's like, why, of all the things I have to deal with, why are you adding this on top of it?

So I think it's one of those things that if we can easily explain why this is happening, so you don't feel like you're doing something wrong and you know, there is at some point, you know, You do need some supplementation. You need some support to help because that's the spirit of your life that you need a lot.

When I take any kind of supplement, I like to know that whatever it is, it is backed by research and science and that is why I love Novos core. This is an incredible drink mix with a blend of 12 ingredients to target the 12 root causes of aging. Isn't that amazing? And [00:25:00] Novos core, just take it with a glass of water and just add your favorite, add it to your favorite smoothie, whatever you want.

And here you are, you're doing something great for yourself. It's easy and it's supporting your health. What I really love about Novos core is that it is not just about looking good or preventing wrinkles. It's really, Doing all that, but it's also boosting your energy, improving your focus, and your cognition.

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Isn't that amazing? And Novos core, just take it with a glass of water and add it to your favorite smoothie, whatever you want. And here you are, you're doing something great for yourself. Add Novos to your routine and feel the difference. Check out novoslabs.com/Gabby and use code Gabby at checkout [00:26:00] to get 10 percent off your first month subscription.

That's novoslabs.com/Gabby Use code Gabby for 10 percent off. That's novoslabs.com/Gabby. Use code Gabby for 10 percent off. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. These days with so much going on in the world, we're just experiencing a lot of energetic upheaval.

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It's a condition called hypoactive sexual desire disorder, or HSDD, which in regular people terms translate to frustrating low libido. HSDD impacts 1 in 10 [00:28:00] women. Women who used to enjoy sex but suddenly don't anymore. And they can't figure out why. For women who are hearing this message, who are saying, wait, that's me, Your obstacle?

It just became a detour in the right direction. That's because there is now an FDA approved option for certain pre menopausal women to address HSDD. It's called ADDyi, and it's the number one prescribed treatment for HSDD, aka frustrating low libido. During clinical trials, ADDyi was shown to improve desire, reduce stress from low desire, and increase the number of satisfying sexual events.

Wanna learn more? Head over to Addyi's website addyi.com to see if Addyi is right for you. That's addyi.com. Addyi or Banin is for premenopausal Women with acquired generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder HSDD, who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past, who have low sexual desire, no matter the type of sexual activity, the situation or the sexual partner.

The low sexual desire is troubling to them and is not due to a medical or mental health problem, problems in the [00:29:00] relationship, or a medicine or other drug use. Addiy is not for use in men or to enhance sexual performance. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink 1 2 standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your Addiy dose.

Wait at least 2 hours after drinking before taking Addyi at bedtime. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is also increased if you take certain prescriptions, over the counter or herbal medications, or have liver problems. Low blood pressure and fainting can happen when you take Addyi, even if you don't drink alcohol or take other medicines.

For Do not take if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Addyi. Allergic reactions may include hives, itching, or trouble breathing. Sleepiness, sometimes serious, can occur. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and dry mouth. See full PI and medication guide, including boxed warning, at addyi.com/PI. Or call 844 PINK PILL. Addyi. That's Addyi.com.

Okay, so we've talked a lot about the products that Nutrafol is formulating and the scientific approach, but I also want to talk about the research, which is really the focus of [00:30:00] your role and expertise. So tell me more about what the company is doing there and how what Nutrafol is doing is different.

Absolutely. So I came in, so I mentioned earlier, I came from a pharma background. I have a PhD in biomedical science. And I've always done research. I started studying dreams, actually sleep and dreams. And I went through a cardiovascular and I've gone through every medical type of company. And when I was approached by the founders to join the company, they said, would you like to come and do studies on supplements?

And it was one of those things that I didn't know if it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing, because I thought it was interesting. But also I know that the connotation behind supplements is they don't have to have studies behind them. Well, you can put a product on the market with that is safe, et cetera, but you don't necessarily have to do clinical studies on your full formula.

You don't need to show efficacy. And so I was like, how, what people don't really take it seriously. So how do I do this? And so when I joined, we probably had three studies that we had started and I looked at them and I was like, wow, this is actually pretty good because they're. applying more of a Western [00:31:00] approach or more of the scientific backed method that we know for other, for drugs, for example, or medical devices.

And we're using it for supplements, which was something that not a lot of companies do because it costs a lot of money. It's time consuming, it's expensive and it's risky and you don't have to do it right. We're left to our own devices as a supplement company to say, well, how much are we going to invest in this?

And so for me, it was very interesting that they said, come on in. And I have never had so much freedom. and money to be able to study our products like I do with this company, which is so just committed to it. I found they're so committed to it because will this help people? And I think it really helps the fact that I came in, we were doing this menopause study and I understood the importance because I'm like, wow, this is the first step.

Is this the first study that we have on menopausal women and hair thinning with a supplement? And it turns out we're going back in time. And yes, because menopausal women aren't really studied. There's very little data on it. We've been ignored. We have been ignored so long. We've been ignored as women in general in [00:32:00] medical studies.

They give people like an hour of menopause data. Training in medical school, like insane that if that, but not so women in general have been underrepresented because they're just assuming that we're just small men with different sexual organs and that's it. But really as women, we're very different and now there's a movement towards us and I hope it goes on.

But for us being the first and only to this point, I would like not to be the only anymore. We want more research on us and we want to make sure that we see ourselves in studies because I think what it does is it normalizes the condition. You see yourself as a woman being studied, you matter, you are represented, and you don't feel so crazy afterwards.

Oh. So I think it's not just Because you think you're going to lose your mind. It's not just about, I'm glad that we're showing the product works in the population that it's intended. Which already is a big deal, but then I think the impact of that is beyond just about the product beyond the company.

It's about being part of a movement to make women matter [00:33:00] and that I'm at the forefront of that. I think it's been like the one of the best. opportunities I've ever had because it allows us to be creative. It allows us to really study, to be able to say anybody who would take this product, they will see themselves in our studies.

Yeah. We don't just stick with your one and done. We have now done, we have over 23 published papers. It's been very busy. What was the most surprising thing that you found in your research? I think so for the menopause paper, I will say the minute that study, I came in, it was already in motion and it happened during COVID.

And so we were at the end, we're like, we don't know what's going to happen because we have this pandemic going on. We're still recruiting. We stopped to finish because it's a one year study. And I still hadn't started taking the supplement because I was very wary because I was like, really, is this really going to help?

And so until I saw the data and worked with the PIs, the principal investigators who are dermatologists and seeing those results. And we were all flabbergasted because the [00:34:00] extent of how it worked and the happiness and the, they saw, you know, we saw objective hair growth, which is great. You know, we see all these check measurements.

It works great. But like how people react to it and how they're grateful for it. And, you know, Putting that out in the world, I think, was just amazing. What were some of the results that you saw beyond the hair? So we saw improvements in hair growth, quality too, because as you get older, it's not so much.

People talk about growth, but like, to me, hair health is not just about the growth, because you can grow really long hair, but if it looks like crap, like, it's not going to help you. It's quality. The quality, and as we go through menopause, the quality changes. So all of those were great, being able to see the blinded investigators looking at improvements compared to placebo.

So to me, it was, this is the kind of study that's done for drugs. That we are doing. So we're applying that methodology to give us that credibility that I think supplements need so much, but beyond that, there's no supplements that had that kind of credibility, but they don't. And so to me, it was crazy, but at least if I can bring in that legitimacy to say this will work for you, not only it'll work in general, but it'll work in the population of postpartum.

It'll work in the [00:35:00] population of plant based. It'll work in a population of menopausal women, I think is really important. And so beyond that, I think everyone. I don't think there's one person in our studies who did not continue on the product. Get me on it. I need the menopause product. We'll find you some.

What is the, maybe you can't narrow this down, but what is the most important ingredient in the product, particularly the supplement? I will say there's we have star ingredients, but there's more. It's not just one because if it was one, it wouldn't mean that it's a mono. It is a one side approach. Yeah.

It's all of it. And it's all of it working together. It's all of it attacking each one of the root causes. I would say like the star ones would be your curcumin. Your ashwagandha, your saw palmetto. But then again, it depends on you and your, I think probiotics we have pre and post and probiotics. I think that is crucial.

If you don't take ours, take one. Eat kimchi. Oh, I didn't realize you guys had your own [00:36:00] probiotic. We have a, it's called hair biotic. Yeah. So it's, oh my god. Is it specific to hair? Is it just a probiotic? It's a probiotic. Okay, cool. 'cause it's understanding, it was like making that connection between that your mi microbiome, your, your microbiome affecting is affecting your hair.

Yeah. And so, and your teeth and everything, people don't think about the mouth microbiome. And no, it's so important. So I think what's important is when you are, when you put a product out there, it has to come with education. Because I think once you understand why things are happening to you, it's easier to be able to find solutions versus giving something without explaining why.

So I think part of, The education behind a supplement for hair is talking about how stress affects hair. It's talking about how your gut will affect your hair. It's talking about how your hormones will affect your hair, especially during menopause. You're not expecting it. I think there's so many things we're expecting.

We talk about hot flashes and the very stereotypical symptoms of menopause, but Hormones will affect your hair. It'll affect the thinning, the miniaturization, and it'll appease the stress, understanding what's going on. [00:37:00] Understanding. Exactly. Now, if women are on HRT, hormone replacement therapy, can they feel confident taking the menopause supplement as well?

So the studies that we did in menopausal women, we included women who are on HRT if they had been on a stable dose for at least six months. So it's not an exclusion. So I say when we start, when we do studies, we want to make sure that we control every variable possible to make sure that the effect we see is because of the product.

That makes a lot of sense. So we wanted to not don't start anything new. So if you're on a stable dose, And you've been on it for six months, then you can be part of been on estrogen and progesterone for four months now. I have noticed a lot of thickening in my hair. Is that a common thing? Because there's estrogen receptors on your hair.

So yes, that's why when you're pregnant. Is the hormonal hair thinning a result of loss of estrogen or more than that? There's, so there's a couple of things. There is, because of course it can't be that simple. There's the estrogen that's going down. And so you have less estrogen. Think about when you're pregnant.

Your hair was amazing, right? Because you are estrogen [00:38:00] helps to stay in the antigen phase, which is the growing phase longer. So you have more hair and antigen. And as you decrease estrogen, then you start seeing a little bit of that go away. And then you see that androgen dominance, right? So all of a sudden your hormones are all over the place.

So when you have a dominance of androgens, so the testosterone and DHT, Then that affects the hair focal. That will put more hair into the telogen phase to get you out of antigen and the estrogen that's usually affecting that or mitigating it is gone. So it's the combination of every hormone. Yeah. So no wonder you see all these changes happening.

So again, being able to balance that out, either through, you know, taking HRT because yeah, estrogen is like the oil in your body. I mean, if you see, if someone gave me the best analogy is if your car, if your body's a vehicle, estrogen is the oil and if there's no more oil. Nothing is going to work. No, you're going to crash.

And that includes your hair. That includes your hair. Yeah. So the medical landscape is so [00:39:00] focused right now on women's health. It's such an amazing thing. Menopause is in the zeitgeist. Hair health and the quality of hair health. And so why are you excited to be part of that? I'm excited for a couple of reasons is I've been listening to a lot of you, a lot of your podcasts to prepare for this.

And I'm learning about manifesting and being okay with it. What's happening to me? And I was always so fighting for I want to become this and I was going in the wrong direction, I strongly believe so when this opportunity came along, I wasn't sure, but I said, Yes, let's just go for it. And yes, and accept it.

And I think what it's led me to is realizing how important it is to have it. Women leading clinical research of products specifically designed for women. Yeah, because we have a perspective that may not always be be known by our male counterparts. And so I think having that voice then allows for things to be studied, that weren't studied before and allows for the visibility of women to be out there.

And, and I think what that does, it [00:40:00] normalizes a condition. It makes you feel a lot better knowing and that you're seen and that we're thinking of you and that we're going to provide something for you that will, that you don't have to, you don't have to do your research.

I think my goal in to not only doing our studies is to put it out there. For women to not only be heard, but to know that there's someone who cared enough to make a product for them and study it. And I think there's, as you go through menopause. There's not a lot out there. No, not and and it makes you feel like oh, I'm not gonna say anything because there's nothing out for me so if this opens up more women coming out and more women being part of these companies or even like the Physician doctors who are just talking about menopause how it's a normal part and we deserve better Being part of the we deserve better and contributing to that is why this matters to me so much I love everything you just said because One, the people doing the studies on women should be women, we hope, right?

Whenever possible. And I think that the, all the effort that you guys have put [00:41:00] into showing the research, giving the data, helping women feel seen and heard is, it matters so much because there's always the next hot supplement, but if that supplement has the data and the research to back it, and if a woman who has experienced it full first full stop, yes, that's, that's everything.

That's everything. And hopefully we're leading the charge here. We want to be pioneers and we want more companies to follow suit and be an example of it's doable. And it's worth it. It's worth it because you will get the returns in terms of like people believing you and giving the legitimacy to supplements into your products.

So worth it. And especially for women, you know, this is what I can expect. And so if I don't see that I can go ask people at least it gives data. Data is wonderful. Data is necessary. Yes. This was so helpful. Thank you. And I'm obviously so passionate about it and I'm excited for our audience to feel seen in this conversation, particularly the women, because men, we have a lot of support in this area, but women, we don't.

And to feel seen and to [00:42:00] recognize that I've lived all the stages for them, so I can speak with a lot of authenticity about the stress, the microbiome, the postpartum, and the perimenopause. So yeah, I, I'll wait two months to be full six months on my HRT, and I'll get on the menopause product. And in the meantime, I'll keep taking my Thank you so much for this.

I really appreciate it. You're so lovely. Oh, And you have such a good vibe. And it's so cool to talk to you. And it's, I'm just so grateful. Thank you.

If you made it to the end of this episode, that means you're truly committed to miracles. I'm really proud of you. If you want to get more Gabby, tune in every Monday for a new episode. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of the guidance or special bonus episodes. Your experience of this show means a lot to me, so I really want to welcome you to leave an honest review.

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Hi there, Gabby here. This podcast is intended to educate, inspire, and support you on your personal journey towards inner peace. I'm not a psychologist or a medical doctor and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from a psychological or medical condition, please seek help from a qualified health professional.