At first, Niecy Nash-Betts thought the fatigue she was experiencing was just fatigue. After all, the life of a sought-after actor in Hollywood can give you that — and Nash Betts’ career has recently reached new heights.
In 2022, the now 54-year-old won an Emmy Award for playing Glenda Cleveland in the Netflix limited series about notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Last year, she played a straight-talking therapist in the comedy-drama series Never Have I Ever, and most recently starred as Detective Lois Tyrone in the same writer’s new FX horror series Grotesquely, teaming up with Ryan Murphy. Served.
With such a professional schedule, it’s easy to think of fatigue as simply a symptom of hard work and burnout. “Every black woman I know is tired, so I thought that’s what I was dealing with,” she told Women’s Health.
Related articles
But as the fatigue progressed to hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats, Naschbetts realized something else was going on. Due to a combination of symptoms, she began to suspect menopause. And like many other women, she didn’t think to talk to her doctor about it.
This is a common story. Despite the fact that many doctors feel that this life stage is a time of major rebranding and that women should celebrate menopause, the reality for most doctors is more complex. Research shows that 37% of menopausal women feel shame related to their menopausal experience, and 83% associate stigma with their condition.
One of those symptoms in particular caught Naschbetts completely off guard. “My hair has become thinner and drier,” she says. But despite her surprise, hair problems are a common symptom of menopause. In fact, research shows that nearly 50% of menopausal women experience moderate to excessive hair loss. (Follicles are stimulated by estrogen, and when that hormone begins to decline during perimenopause, shedding and thinning can occur, especially around the temples.)
My advice is to make the most of the resources available. Don’t suffer in silence.
Not understanding the details of her transition was, in part, what led Nashbetts to partner with Versalie. Versalie is an online platform that serves as an educational resource for expert-backed content about this life stage (think guides and articles about symptoms). (occurs in menopausal skin). The site also serves as a marketplace for menopause-related products such as vitamins and supplements, hair loss treatments, and moisturizers for mature skin, but you can also connect with a trained clinician for personalized care if needed. You can also receive plans and prescriptions.
Nashbetts admits it was an invaluable resource when she was on her own journey. “At first, I suffered alone because I thought it was something you did,” she says. “But my advice now is to make the most of the resources available to you. Don’t suffer in silence.”
There was no easy solution to Nash Betts’ thinning hair, but hair growth supplements proved helpful. A product similar to the one used by Nash Betts, which contains biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12, and zinc, is available at Bursary. “While not a silver bullet, these vitamins and supplements may be helpful for patients suffering from hair loss,” dermatologist Noelani Gonzalez, MD, told Women’s Health. “Think of supplements as giving your hair the ingredients it needs to grow healthily.”
Ham Nutrition Hair Strong Supplement
But the most important and impactful change is that Nashbetts now has a support network that she hopes other women will build their own. “I have recommended Versalie to so many people,” she says. “Many of you are my good girlfriends. We are all similar ages and many of us experience all or some of these symptoms at the same time. Having a community offline and online That’s great.”
Danielle is the Senior Beauty Editor at Women’s Health. These days, her apartment is littered with beauty products, but when she’s not trying them all out, she’s watching ASMR facial videos on YouTube, binge-watching The Golden Girls on Hulu, and reading romantic comedies. You can see that there are.
