In her younger years, Tiffany Fitzgerald never gave much thought to the possibility of losing her hair.
Her hair had always been thick and black. She often wore it in a “giant ponytail” that made her instantly noticeable.
That changed after the birth of her fourth child in 2020, when the hair around Tiffany’s centre parting began to look thinner and more fragile. At first, however, she was not particularly worried.
Doctors attributed the change to postpartum hair loss, a common condition that typically settles within about six months.
Originally from Texas, Tiffany was then 44 and focused on caring for her newborn son. She had little time to dwell on changes to her appearance.
But a year later, after entering menopause, her hair loss accelerated dramatically. It would be another five years before she found a solution.
“It was just devastating,” says Tiffany. “I didn’t know what to do to fix it, and I didn’t know if it was just a phase or not.
“I’d always leave my hair in a ponytail or a bun so it wouldn’t come out. I was always walking around looking for stray hairs on the floor to clean up quickly.”
Before her hair began to grow back, Tiffany Fitzgerald says hair loss shattered her confidence and left her hiding from clients at work
Tiffany’s experience is far from unusual. YouGov polling shared exclusively with the Daily Mail shows that more than half of women have experienced hair loss within the past year.
Experts say female hair loss is particularly common during menopause because declining levels of oestrogen, a female sex hormone, can shorten the hair-growth cycle and leave hair looking thinner.
Despite this, YouGov found that just 12 per cent of women affected by hair loss had consulted a GP, with many concerned they would not be taken seriously.
“For many women, hair is closely connected to their identity, femininity and sense of self,” says London-based trichologist Hannah Gaboardi.
“So experiencing thinning or excessive shedding can be incredibly distressing.”
By late 2021, Tiffany’s condition had become considerably worse. She began seeing clumps of hair collect at the bottom of the shower, despite having dismissed the problem for months.
The extent of the shedding also began to affect her relationship with her husband. Tiffany says several intimate moments were disrupted by her hair loss.
“You can’t imagine how awkward it is to be in the midst of something and you see your partner brush your hair away because it’s falling on them,” she says.
“All of a sudden you lose your focus.”
Tiffany works in marketing, a role that regularly required her to meet clients in person.
As the hair loss progressed, she increasingly replaced face-to-face meetings with Zoom calls. She often wore a baseball cap during them or switched off her camera altogether.
However, it wasn’t until last year that Tiffany found the courage to speak to a doctor about her hair problems.
While visiting her gynaecologist, she mentioned the hair loss and he recommended a drug called minoxidil.
The drug – which increases blood flow to hair follicles – is one of the common hair loss treatments in the UK and US.
Studies show that, for many men and women, minoxidil can halt hair loss. For some, it can even lead to hair regrowth.
Tiffany Fitzgerald’s centre parting began to thin and turn wispy (left) after the birth of her fourth child in 2020, and returned just three months after using the new treatment (right)
In the UK, minoxidil is normally offered as a cream that is regularly applied to the scalp. Low-strength versions are available over-the-counter in most pharmacies – though stronger forms require a prescription.
But Tiffany ultimately chose to go with a pill version of the drug, which she purchased from the online pharmacy Hers.
She chose to do this because the £1 daily tablet also contains several vitamins, including vitamin C, zinc and vitamin B6.
There is some research that patients can suffer hair loss due to severe vitamin deficiencies.
Research published last year in the Annals of Dermatology found that people with forms of excessive hair shedding were more likely to have zinc levels below the normal range than those without hair loss.
Experts also say that the vitamins included in this pill may have a positive impact on hair health.
Ms Gaboardi, who is not affiliated with the product, says the blend of ingredients provides a ‘great way to keep your hair in the growth phase’.
Tiffany, pictured after her hair regrowth, continued to lose hair over five years before she found a daily pill costing less than £1 a day
Nutrients such as zinc are ‘essential for maintaining healthy hair growth, strength and texture,’ she says.
However, experts also say that, when minoxidil is combined with vitamin supplements, any hair growth is likely to be down to the drug itself.
Tiffany began taking the daily pill in June 2025.
For the first few months, she says she went through a ‘worrying’ period where her hair appeared to shed at a faster rate than before.
But once she got through that stage, the hair began to return. She describes the feeling as one of pure relief.
‘It wasn’t even like a “yay” or “hooray”,’ says Tiffany. ‘It was just a feeling of, “oh my gosh, it’s finally stopping. It’s slowing down”.’
Now she looks forward to styling her hair each day, particularly before a night out.
‘When you think you can’t do anything about hair loss you feel like you want to give up on everything,’ she says.
‘And now that it’s back, I feel much more confident’.
