When I was 42 years old, I missed a period and thought I was pregnant.
But after a deep dive—including blood work—I found out a few days later that I was actually in the throes of perimenopause.
It was an emotional roller coaster, and I was in shock.
I remember walking out of the appointment, sitting in my car, clutching the steering wheel, and sobbing. Not just from confusion—but grief. I was mourning a role I didn’t even know I’d been clinging to: the deeply ingrained belief that my worth was somehow tied to youth and my ability to have children.
Suddenly, I stepped into a new, wildly confusing and overwhelming chapter of life. At the time, very few people were talking about it. Thankfully, that’s changing now.
Pretty quickly, I lucked out and found a provider who specialized in perimenopause and menopause care. She put me on hormone treatment (estrogen and progesterone), along with T3 medication for my sluggish thyroid.
By 46, I was fully menopausal (12 consecutive months without a period).
Over the years (I’m now 51), I’ve experienced it all—from night sweats, intense anxiety, hot flashes, and brain fog, to joint pain, heart palpitations, and more recently, hair thinning and extremely dry, thinning vaginal tissue.
It’s been a winding road—full more trial and error than I’d like to admit. But now, I feel strong, grounded, and more at peace in my body than I have in years.
Below, I’m sharing the three things that made the biggest difference for me—and I hope they help you, too!
This post focuses on next-level support—assuming you’re already prioritizing the essentials: sleep, movement, and nutrition.
game-changing menopausal support
#1 | Finally, Expert Menopause Care that’s Easy, Fast, and Affordable
One of the most common questions I get from women—in emails, DMs, and comments—is:
“Where do I even start?”
You know something is off. You might even suspect it’s perimenopause.
But you don’t know who to talk to, what kind of doctor to see, or how to get real answers.
And the truth is… most doctors aren’t trained in menopause care.
Only about 1 in 5 OB/GYNs receive any formal training in this area. That’s a huge problem—especially when more than 53 million women in the U.S. are currently in menopause.
That’s exactly why I’m so excited to share the amazing, next level, online resource, Alloy Health.
Alloy is redefining what modern menopause care should look like.
It’s everything you need, all in one place—without the confusion or overwhelm.
Think: hormone therapy, skincare, GLP-1s, and personalized care—all guided by menopause-trained doctors who truly understand what you’re going through.
What Alloy Offers
✅ Unlimited access to a licensed menopause expert (online, often same-day)
✅ Customized prescriptions: estriol skincare, different types of hormone therapy, glp-1’s, etc.
✅ Transparent pricing—no membership fees or hidden charges
✅ Fast delivery—mine arrived in under a week!
Alloy makes expert-level menopause care modern, accessible, and affordable—giving you fast, online access to real solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional concierge medicine.
I’m using Alloy for prescription skincare and vaginal estrogen cream. More on both below.
Don’t miss our amazing menopause guide here – FREE when you sign up for our email list.
My Personal Experience with Alloy’s M4 Skincare
After seeing such incredible results with vaginal estrogen, I was curious—and honestly hopeful—that using estrogen on my skin could offer similar benefits.
So you can imagine my excitement when Alloy’s M4 Skincare Bundle showed up at my door—less than a week after I signed up online. (It was SO easy!)
I’m currently testing Alloy’s M4 Face Cream and M4 Eye Cream, both of which contain estriol—a gentle but powerful form of estrogen that helps combat common menopausal skin changes like:
❌Dryness
❌Loss of elasticity
❌Thinning skin
Be sure to use code, BUSBEE to save $25 off your first purchase!
How I’m Using It
I use one pump of both the face and eye cream each morning and mix them with my peptide-based skincare. Because it’s such a small amount, it blends easily into your existing routine—even if you’re using a retinoid.
It takes about 12 weeks to see results, but I’m feeling really hopeful based on how incredibly well vaginal estrogen has worked for me. This just feels like the next natural step in supporting my skin.
Even if you can’t take systemic hormones, it’s worth asking your doctor about vaginal or facial estrogen. These are considered ‘local’ treatments, meaning they’re do not absorb into the bloodstream the way systemic oral or patch hormones do.
Use code, “BUSBEE” to get $25 OFF your first purchase! Yes, it requires a prescription—but the process was seamless. I received my skincare within a week!
#2 | Hormones Can Make a Big Difference—Have You Asked About It?
Let’s just say it—hormones has a PR problem.
Despite being one of the most effective tools we have for managing menopause symptoms, less than 10% of women in menopause are using Menopause Hormone Therapy.
Why? Mostly fear and misinformation—much of it stemming from the now-infamous WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study in 2002, which linked hormone therapy to increased risks of breast cancer and heart disease.
But here’s what most people don’t know:
•The average participant in that study was 63—well beyond the recommended age for starting hormone therapy
•Many already had pre-existing conditions
•And the type of hormone therapy used then is very different from what’s prescribed today
the truth
Leading experts, including The North American Menopause Society, now agree: for healthy women under 60—or within 10 years of menopause—Hormone therapy is not only safe, it can actually support long-term health.
Current research shows it can:
•Improve bone density
•Ease symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, and sleep disruptions
•Support heart health
•And even reduce all-cause mortality
In fact, in 2024, the FDA officially removed the black box warning from estrogen-only therapy—a huge milestone for women’s health!
my experience with Menopause Hormone Therapy
When I found out I was in perimenopause at 42, I started hormone treatment right away—estrogen and progesterone—under the guidance of a provider who specializes in menopause care.
I also take T3 medication to support my thyroid (another often-overlooked part of the midlife puzzle). For me, Hormones have been a lifesaver. It didn’t solve everything overnight, but it helped stabilize my sleep, reduce anxiety, improve my mood, clear the brain fog, and give me some sense of normalcy again.
You can get prescriptions for hormones through Alloy. While they do not perform blood tests, they have a really interesting approach to dosage without those labs. You can watch a video about that here.
Is Testosterone Right For You?
More recently, I added testosterone to the mix—just one click of cream per day, applied to each forearm. And, no joke, it’s had such a major impact, it’s almost like someone turned the lights back on!
Within a year, I completely revamped my business—and increased profitability by 180%! I just started seeing things more clearly again and operating on another level. I simply felt more like me again. The sneaky thing is the decline happened so slowly, I didn’t even notice, until I started taking testosterone.
what if you’re outside the “10-year window”?
Studies show the biggest benefits and lowest risks of hormone therapy are seen when it’s started within 10 years of menopause or before age 60.
But that doesn’t mean it’s off the table if you’re outside that window.
Low-dose, transdermal estrogen may still be a safe and effective option—especially when prescribed by a menopause-informed provider.
Bottom line: Don’t close the door on the conversation. Talk to your doctor first.
Hormone therapy is not a magic fix, and it’s not for everyone. But for many women—myself included—it can be absolutely life-changing.
#3 Let’s Talk Hair—Because Yes, It Is a Big Deal
Hair thinning was one of the most emotionally difficult symptoms of menopause for me. I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard—but it did.
There’s something about losing your hair that feels deeply personal. For many of us, hair is tied to identity, confidence, and femininity. So when it starts shedding or thinning, it can feel like another part of you is slipping away—and that’s hard.
Like everything else in this season, I’ve had to adjust, experiment, and figure out what works for me. And I want to share that with you too.
what’s helping me with my hair now:
•Less washing and heat styling (I wash every 3 days)
•Collagen peptides powder (mixed with water)
•Nutrafol (takes 3 months to see results – new growth is amazing!)
Alloy also offers minoxidil, the only FDA-approved ingredient for female hair loss! I told you they have everything. I haven’t gone the prescription route yet with my haircare journey, but that is for sure my next stop.
no need to white knuckle through menopause
People can try to tell you what menopause is like, but the truth is—you probably won’t pay attention until you’re in it.
It’s a massive transition—and one that most of us are not prepared for.
But you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through it.
You are not alone.
You’re not broken.
You’re not invisible.
You’re simply entering a new, exciting chapter.
And with the right support and the right care—you can feel like yourself again.
Maybe even better.
