Dani Harmer shares shocking insight into perimenopausal hair loss as she admits she's got bald patches & severe thinning
SHE'S been open about battling perimenopause at the age of 36, in the hope of helping others.
And one of the main symptoms former child star Dani Harmer has been struggling with is the amount of hair she's been losing.
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Dani is most famous for playing Tracy Beaker in the TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's beloved books - with her dark curls one of the character's most identifiable features.
So when her locks started falling out in huge clumps, Dani panicked that she was losing her "identity".
During an interview on ITV's This Morning, Dani said of the hair loss: "I think this is what I'm struggling with the most because for me, my hair's my identity - it's kind of what I'm known for.
"So to be losing it is... I'm not a vain person at all.
"But it's thinning and I'm having bald patches and yeah, it's starting to affect my self-esteem.
"I come across very confident but behind closed doors, it's definitely taking its toll, for sure."
Dani shared a picture of the amount of hair that had come out during her last wash the day before, as she said that "this is it improved".
"Gosh look at the clumps that are coming out!" host Ben Shephard commented.
"It was almost double the amount a month ago," she added.
In a bid to halt the hair loss, Dani has been taking supplements and gummies, as well as oiling her locks, which she said has helped improve the situation slightly.
I've always had very thin hair but perimenopause made it worse -my little secret from Amazon fills in my bald spots
Mum-of-two Dani was joined by Dr Zoe on the This Morning sofa, as she said she's decided to speak out about her perimenopausal experience to try and help others.
"I just wanted to be open about it because obviously I am on the younger side of it and, even though I think it's rare, I don't think it's that uncommon - especially looking through my comments," she said.
"And so I just wanted to be quite open about it, because actually I had quite a good experience with my GP.
"So I just wanted to make people aware that you know going to the GP can really, really help, because I was just having such awful symptoms and I needed help with it."
And in the comments of a TikTok video This Morning shared of the interview, people quickly praised Dani for speaking out.
"Perimenopause is not spoken about enough. My body has literally just shut down, it's not easy," one sighed.
The 13 symptoms of perimenopause to look out for
DURING perimenopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels begin to fluctuate.
This is when it's common to experience difficult symptoms like mood changes, irregular periods and hot flushes.
It can also lead to hair thinning and loss as hormone levels affect the hair growth cycle.
The condition usually affects women in their 40s but can sometimes begin in the 30s - it's less common but not unusual.
Here are some of the most commonly experienced symptoms of perimenopause to look out for:
Incontinence and bladder problems
Changes in your menstrual cycle
Hot flushes and night sweats
Headaches
Dizziness
Vaginal dryness
Weight gain
Joint and muscle pain
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling depressed
Experiencing mood swings
Brain fog
A loss of interest in sex
"There needs to be more awareness of perimenopause," another added.
"I went to my GP at 38 having done extensive research before going," a third said.
"I went with a list of over 20 peri symptoms, yet she wasn't convinced.
"I asked her to take my age out of the equation and asked her if it sounded like perimenopause. She said yes. She gave me HRT.
"Ladies, please fight your corner!"
"I feel exactly the same about my hair," someone else admitted.
"So glad she has spoken about this and raised awareness," another said.
"Perimenopause can start in mid 30s or even early 30s. I was diagnosed with early peri at 34, after two years of awful symptoms that came out of nowhere.
"Hopefully, in the future, HRT and treatments will become more easily available for anyone who needs them, regardless of age."
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