Menopausal hair loss. What You Can Do

Around 40% of women over 50 notice some degree of hair thinning, and around 50% of women over 50 experience some degree of hair loss. 

Yet despite hair changes being common symptoms of the menopause, these aren’t often talked about, and many women struggle in silence.

In the Winter 2025–2026 issue of The Menopause Exchange newsletter, Neil Harvey RIT, chair of the Institute of Trichologists, discusses the causes and impact of hair loss and hair thinning at the menopause. 

He looks at what could be making the symptoms worse, along with the range of medical and non-medical treatments, such as medicines, HRT, nutrition and dietary supplements.

“Hormonal changes are the most common causes of hair changes at this time of life,” says Norma Goldman, founder and director of The Menopause Exchange. “But other things can make hair loss or hair thinning worse, such as thyroid conditions, iron deficiency, some medicines, and stress or anxiety. The good news is that there are effective treatments available for hair loss and hair thinning, so it’s important that women speak to their GP, menopause specialist or trichologist (a specialist in diseases or problems affecting the hair and scalp).”

The Menopause Exchange’s subscribers include women, men, healthcare professionals, complementary therapists, workplace managers, employees and journalists. Other articles in the Winter 2025–2026 issue of The Menopause Exchange quarterly newsletter include side-effects of HRT, menopause myths you might still believe, and CBT, systemic psychotherapy & mindfulness, as well as news, Ask the Experts Q&As and information about Norma Goldman’s webinars, talks and workshops.

The Menopause Exchange, which was established in 1999, is unbiased and independent and isn’t sponsored by any companies or organisations. Their free quarterly newsletter contains articles written by top UK medical experts, including menopause consultants, GPs, specialist menopause nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, complementary practitioners, a menopause counsellor and a pelvic health physiotherapist.

To join The Menopause Exchange, anyone can sign up for free at their website, http://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter (@MenopauseExch).

New BOHS guidance highlights the need to control cancer risks arising from Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions at work

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, and the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene, have published new Guidance for Occupational Hygienists on the Assessment and Control of the Health Risks from Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions (DEEEs). 

While the guidance provides professional information for experts, it should also help health and safety and other professionals understand the required approaches to control exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions.

Scientific experts are calling on employers who use diesel powered plant, equipment and vehicles to ensure that they understand the best way of controlling emissions or obtain expert competent advice to assist them.

“Diesel engines power significant parts of the UK economy. Whilst a transition to other power sources is best for the environment and for human health, it is not always easy to do so.” BOHS President-Elect, Sarah Leeson told That's Health.

“If diesel engine exhaust emissions are present in the workplace, they need to be controlled so that harmful exposures are reduced to as low a level as can be reasonably achieved. We have produced this guidance to help enable those responsible for health in the workplace to ensure that this is achievable.”

Research studies have highlighted that DEEEs create serious occupational health risks. DEEEs are associated with increased risks of cervical cancer in women, progressively increased risks of lung cancer as exposure increases, head and neck cancer, as well as laryngeal cancer, gastric and rectal cancers in drivers and oesophageal cancers in machinery operators. Short-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions can cause eye and respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea and dizziness.

It is estimated that occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions contributes to around 650 deaths each year in the UK primarily from lung and bladder cancer. Thousands more workers are thought to be exposed to diesel fumes as part of their daily work, particularly in construction, transport, logistics, warehousing, mining, manufacturing and maintenance activities.

The guidance supplements and provides updated information to complement the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance HSG187, Control of diesel engine exhaust emissions in the workplace – HSE (2012) reflecting advances in technology, current scientific evidence and continuing public health concerns.

Diesel engine exhaust emissions are a complex mixture of harmful substances and their composition varies depending on factors such as engine age, maintenance, operating conditions and fuel type, meaning exposure levels can differ widely between workplaces.

While ultra-low sulphur fuels, diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and new technology diesel engines (NTDE) have reduced some emissions, these measures have not eliminated risk, particularly where diesel-powered vehicles or plant operate in enclosed or poorly ventilated environments.

The new BOHS guidance is designed to help occupational hygienists and employers:

Understand the nature and variability of diesel engine exhaust exposures

Carry out effective measurement and assessment of the health risks

Identify and implement appropriate control measures

Reduce preventable cases of serious work-related ill health

BOHS CEO Professor Kevin Bampton commented, “It’s 14 years since the diesel engine exhaust emissions were declared to be cancer-causing and personal injury lawyers in the UK are now actively recruiting clients who think that they may have been over-exposed to emissions at work. 

"Controlling exhaust emissions is not only an environmental must and morally right as an employer, but it should be up there on the corporate risk register as something that could have a serious impact on the current and future balance sheet, if not managed correctly.”

https://www.bohs.org

SINGU acquires Synbiotix to expand healthcare facilities management capabilities

SINGU, a top European provider of cloud-based software for property operations and facility management has acquired UK-based Synbiotix. 

The acquisition strengthens SINGU’s presence in the United Kingdom and expands its healthcare capabilities, with a particular focus on supporting the operational and regulatory needs of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

Synbiotix is an established provider of specialised software solutions for healthcare facilities management with a focus on catering, compliance, infection prevention and control (IPC), as well as audit and governance processes. 

Its solutions support healthcare organisations in managing regulatory requirements efficiently, reducing operational risk and improving patient safety. 

Through the acquisition, Synbiotix adds a critical healthcare-specific component to SINGU’s building operations platform, and complements the existing Micad solutions.

Following SINGU’s acquisition of Micad in 2025, which expanded its space and asset management capabilities, the addition of Synbiotix further strengthens the Group’s integrated facilities management offering. 

Together, SINGU provides the core CAFM and maintenance platform, Micad adds space, compliance, and asset intelligence, and Synbiotix delivers specialist digital tools for a complete facilities management operation. Combined, these solutions enable healthcare organisations to manage facilities, catering, and operational requirements through a single, coordinated technology environment.

Paweł Malon, Group CEO, told That's Health: “The acquisition of Synbiotix significantly strengthens our position in the healthcare market and further establishes SINGU as a leading European provider of property operations software. 

"We are committed to building an integrated, end-to-end platform that drives value across complex property operations. I look forward to working with Mark Edell and his team to drive operational excellence and improve patient experience.”

Synbiotix will continue to operate within the SINGU Group, ensuring continuity for existing customers while gaining access to a scalable, cloud-based platform designed to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. 

The integration also creates new opportunities to develop Synbiotix’s solutions within a broader ecosystem and extend them to the existing Micad customer base—supporting seamless operations across more than 200 NHS Trusts and many other clients.

“Joining SINGU represents a strategic milestone for Synbiotix. We contribute deep healthcare expertise and many years of experience working with the NHS, while benefiting from the technological strength and scalability of the SINGU platform. This combination creates new opportunities to further develop our solutions and deliver even greater value to healthcare organisations,” added Mark Edell, Managing Director of Synbiotix.

The acquisition of Synbiotix forms part of SINGU’s continued growth strategy in Europe and underlines the strategic importance of the healthcare sector to the Group. It follows SINGU’s acquisition of Micad and net-haus in 2025, and reflects a targeted buy-and-build approach aimed at creating a leading, vertically integrated platform for mission-critical applications across property operations.

For more information, visit SINGU.com.

The Importance of Ginkgo Biloba as a Supplement

Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest tree species in the world and has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. 

Today, it remains a popular supplement, particularly for those interested in brain health, circulation, and healthy ageing.

Brain and Cognitive Support

Ginkgo biloba is most commonly associated with supporting memory, focus, and mental clarity. 

It is believed to work by improving blood flow to the brain, helping deliver oxygen and nutrients that are essential for healthy cognitive function.

Circulation and Antioxidant Benefits

By supporting healthy blood circulation, ginkgo biloba may help with overall vitality and wellbeing. Its antioxidant compounds also help protect cells from oxidative stress, which is linked to ageing and long-term health issues.

Easy to Take, Widely Available

In the UK, ginkgo biloba is available in capsules, tablets, and liquid extracts. It is usually taken daily, with benefits often becoming noticeable after several weeks of consistent use.

Safety Considerations

Ginkgo biloba is generally well tolerated, but it may interact with blood-thinning medications and should be avoided before surgery. Anyone with medical conditions or who is taking medication should speak to a GP or pharmacist before use.

In Summary

Ginkgo biloba is a well-established supplement that may support brain health, circulation, and antioxidant protection. While not a cure-all, it can be a useful addition to a healthy lifestyle when taken responsibly.

From Walls to Bloodstream: Are Decaying Conventional Paints a Source of Your Body's Microplastic Load? Free DIY Microplastics Audit Now Available

As the global scientific community raises the alarm over microplastics detected in human blood, lungs, and placentas, their attention is turning to another "hidden culprit" inside our homes: decaying conventional paints.

For decades, we've  coated our living and work spaces in "liquid plastics", acrylic and vinyl resins. Today, a landmark UK-funded documentary reveals the scale of the microplastic crisis, featuring Paint Zero®, a new bio-mineral coating to break the cycle of indoor plastic inhalation.

1. The "Triple Zero" Standard: A New Baseline for Health

Conventional paints rely on 20th-century "plastic film" technology, one that eventually becomes brittle and sheds for a variety of reasons. Paint Zero has skipped a generation of chemistry to offer one of the first indoor decorating paints to achieve a Triple Zero profile:

• Zero Microplastics: No synthetic polymer binders to decay into microplastic particles.

• Zero VOCs: Truly odour-free with no chemical outgassing.

• Zero Toxic Biocides: Natural mineral preservation instead of synthetic poisons.

By replacing petrochemical resins with a patented plant-protein and mineral-bound matrix, Paint Zero doesn't just beautify your walls, it hardens into a breathable stone-like coating by absorbing 12 grams of Carbon Dioxide every square meter.

2. Featured in the Official UKRI ‘Future Makers’ Film

Paint Zero’s ‘Triple Zero’ announcement coincides with the premiere of the UK-funded ‘Future Makers’ documentary on 21st January. The film features Paint Zero as a key alternative to conventional plastic paints, highlighting how the global paint industry is facing customer and regulatory pressures for change.

“Our mission was to create a paint that honours the health of the building and its occupants,” Ross Harling of Paint Zero told That's Health.

“By using minerals from the Earth's crust and plant extracts from the Farmer's field, we’ve created a coating that's vapor-permeable and entirely free of the plastics that eventually decay into tiny particles, impacting all of us. Paint Zero is, quite simply, nature on your walls.”

Paint Zero represents a "sea-change" for the paint world, cleaner, lighter, and fundamentally safer for human health- from raw materials to shipping, usage and disposal.

3. Launching the DIY "Hidden Culprit" Check

If you are concerned that the near-invisible shedding of aged paint polymers is already happening in your home or school, you can now take action.

Available today from www.paintzero.com, Paint Zero has launched the DIY Microplastics Audit. These simple screening tools allow families to quickly assess if the plastic paints on their walls have reached their decay point and may be shedding micro-fragments into the air. This audit is the first step in reclaiming a healthy, plastic-free environment for the next generation.

Paint Zero is based in Frome, Somerset and is the pioneer of 100% microplastic-free bio-technology coatings. Packaged as lightweight powders to be mixed with tap water, Paint Zero reduces transport emissions and eliminates throwaway containers through the use of bio-compostable pouches.

DSM Foundation responds to the updated review of ketamine use and harms from the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

Recent significant rises in the use of ketamine by young people, and in the harms it can cause, especially regarding bladder damage, dependence, and drug-related deaths, have led to increasing concerns for drug education charity the DSM Foundation.

In their student surveys, ketamine is consistently perceived as the most prevalent substance being used by 15-18 year olds, after alcohol, nicotine and cannabis, overtaking others such as cocaine and MDMA, and this has been part of a bigger picture of concern, with cries for help from parents, teachers and healthcare professionals from across the entire country.

Given this context, the DSM Foundation welcomes the publication of this updated review from the ACMD, commissioned by the government more than a decade after its previous review in 2013. 

This detailed, comprehensive, wide-ranging report on the current context in relation to ketamine provides valuable insights into what the specific issues are, and what the ACMD considers needs doing to address these – which is a lot. 

Although much of the attention surrounding the report will inevitably focus on the recommendation relating to its legal classification, we know that there’s so much more that needs to be done to reduce harm to young people, and this is reflected in the long list of recommendations detailed in the report.

Of course it's the recommendations relating to prevention, education, training, and harm reduction that are of most interest to a drug education charity like the DSM Foundation, because they know how essential this is as part of any response to drug-related harm – and they're already working very hard to enable young people to manage risks specific to ketamine, as part of the broader information, skills and strategies their work always integrates.

The charity has developed specialist content which covers the effects and risks of ketamine, identifying early signs of bladder damage and of possible dependence, as well as decision-making skills and strategies contextualised to ketamine, harm reduction and support seeking. Ketamine-focused workshops have been delivered by the DSM Foundation team in schools from the northeast of Scotland to the southwest of England, and information for young people and parents and caregivers can be found on the website. A free ketamine resource pack for schools will be made available shortly to download from the website, which will include a short staff briefing and resources for teachers to use with students in drug education lessons.

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE, founder and director of the DSM Foundation told That's Health: “As we’ve seen the prevalence of ketamine rising, and the numbers of young people coming to harm growing - and in ways quite unique to this particular substance - we’ve been so concerned to do all we can to work with young people to keep themselves safe.

"We’re all about supporting young people to make safer choices about drugs, but we know how many factors can mitigate against that for young people, and how important effective education is. We very much hope the government responds positively to the strong recommendations the ACMD has made in relation to education, and that a better understanding of what’s already available will lead to the development of more evidence-informed resources and programmes that will support young people, and the important adults in their lives, to reduce risk and harm, and to find support that really helps them should they ever find they need it.”

https://www.dsmfoundation.org.uk

Brownies’ winter sleepout to help older Cumbrians stay warm

A group of kind-hearted Brownies from near Carlisle have raised thousands of pounds to help vulnerable older people stay warm in winter... and they aren’t quite finished yet!

Since 2013, 1st Wetheral Brownies have supported Cumbria Community Foundation’s annual Winter Warmth Appeal, which gives out vital grants to older people to keep them warm and well through the colder months.

The Brownies have held a sponsored sleepout every winter at chilly spots across Cumbria, including Naworth Castle, Netherby Hall, Wetheral Priory Gatehouse and even in tents, on the shores of Windermere.

So far they have raised over £12,000 – and this week they will be digging out their thermals and doing it all again.

Twenty Brownies and Young Leaders from 1st Wetheral will be joined by 10 Brownies and Guides from Hayton to spend the night in a tipi near Brampton. This year’s theme is a Native American Adventure, and the girls have been making dream catchers and totem poles in preparation.

Their leader Janice Brown, AKA Tawny Owl, explained to That's Health: “We've been learning about Native American culture in preparation for our sponsored sleepout this week. 

"The girls have made dream catchers and lanterns, and we’ve been practising our campfire songs and tracking skills, which we will try out in the woods."

She explained why the Brownies support the Winter Warmth Appeal each year, which last winter gave out over £270,000 in grants, benefitting 1,570 vulnerable older people across the county.

“Sleeping out in the cold gives the Brownies a real understanding of what life must be like for older people who can’t afford to heat their homes in winter. So while we always have a lot of fun, the girls know the serious reason for the campaign and do their best to raise as much in sponsorship as possible. They love that the money helps older people in need right here in Cumbria.”

Andy Beeforth, Chief Executive of Cumbria Community Foundation, will be visiting the Brownies at their camp to thank them for their incredible fundraising efforts.

He said: “We have been running the Winter Warmth Appeal since 2010 and have raised in excess of £3m since then. I can honestly say there have been no more dedicated fundraisers in that time than our Brownie friends from Wetheral, and their wonderful volunteer leaders and helpers.

“Unfortunately, the need for the appeal is as great as ever. Every winter, as many as 500 older people in Cumbria die because they cannot afford to heat their homes and eat properly.

“Donations and fundraising by kind-hearted Cumbrians such as the Brownies mean older people won’t have to make the impossible choice of whether to heat their homes or put food on the table.”

The Winter Warmth Appeal is open for donations until March.

How to donate

Donate online: https://cumbriafoundation.enthuse.com/cf/cumbria-winter-warmth-appeal-2025

Donate by phone: Call 01900 825760 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Donate by post: Please make cheques payable to Cumbria Community Foundation, writing ‘Winter Warmth Fund’ on the back, and send to: Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Dovenby, Cockermouth, CA13 0PN.

Thanks to Special Event Tipis, Shake, Waffle and Roll, Darren Morgan of Talkin Adventures and Border Group Ltd for supporting the Brownies’ sleepout.