Hair at 40’s

I really have a problem with my hair, my once shiny locks are now dull and straggly, every day when I take a shower I could see thousands of hair strands in my shower plug tray.

 Oh, I really freak out! What happened to my thick and lustrous hair? Am I going to be bald? I noticed these changes when I entered 40.

Waa…What will I do to my hair?
Wait...before that, I should understand what is happening to my hair, what is happening to my body. Here are some nice facts that I got online:

1. Blame it to the hormones hahaha! I learned that by time women reach in their 40s like me, I am entering the peri-menopause; this is the time when levels of estrogen start to fall slowly at first and then more rapidly as women aged. At peri-menopause and menopause stage, women’s hair follicles begin to die. This is the reason why my hair becomes drier and duller, my estrogen levels are declining.
2. Female pattern baldness.  It means hair loss is hereditary. I am now looking at the pictures of my older relatives and looks like we don’t have this pattern. 
3. Hair styling abuse, bleaching, dyeing hair and overuse of blow dryer, flat iron and curling iron will all start to take their toll when a woman reach 40s.
4. 4Emotional stress.  Because the stress sets our hormones out of balance.

So what should I do now?

1. First, I should shun away from stress hahaha!
2. And since my estrogen is declining, the clever remedy is to increase my estrogen level. I will incorporate estrogen-rich food in my diet such as: tofu, soya milk,  oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, chick peas, lima beans, edemame, apples, papaya, kiwi, oranges, bananas, spinach, squash, asparagus, cauliflower, corn, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and yams
3. Of course I will continue to exercise, but not zealously. Why? Because I’ve read a study that excessive exercise has been linked to a drop in estrogen levels.
4. I am a coffee drinker and was happy to find out that women who drink more than two cups of coffee per day may have higher estrogen levels than women who don't.
5. I have a shoulder-length hair and I’ve read that that my hair should be cut with layers because layers defined shape and frame the face. Also, I found out that a low, sleek ponytail is a polished look for 40s women. 
6. And since my hair gets brittle, I need a hot-oil treatment every week and trim my hair every two months.

I do hope these feats I will take will give remedy to my hair problem.