Elaine Welteroth, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and Project Runway host, has had her own hair journey and is now sharing it with other women. She’s recently partnered with Nutrafol for the “Shed the Silence” initiative, which provides a social forum for women experiencing hair changes to connect. Welteroth says her experience helped unlock a different side of her identity.
“Initially, the cause of my hairline breakage was the wear and tear of glam for work. After I had a baby and experienced all the changes in my body that come with it, I think I was affected by postpartum breakage.” Despite her hair being so closely tied to her signature look, Welteroth says she continued to maintain a positive outlook. “There’s a fine line between caring for your hair and obsessing over it,” she says. “Letting it go allowed me to see myself in a new light. I took it in stride and found new ways to style my hair…it also helps to have a sense of humor about it.”
A New Hair Hope
Welteroth says Nutrafol helped to preserve all of her healthy new growth. Through the initiative, she aims to break the silence surrounding hair struggles. “It was a little shocking to see all the breakage popping up along my hairline almost out of nowhere but I felt somewhat prepared for it psychologically thanks to all the outspoken mamas online who have shared their journey through hair issues so candidly,” she shares.
“What kept things in perspective was focusing on the fact that, in terms of all the changes, the good definitely outweighed the bad. So, I took it in stride and found new ways to style my hair to disguise the breakage that looked that grown out baby hairs that me and my glam team nicknamed ‘teenage hair’ lol. It helps to have a sense of humor about it. Meanwhile, I got back on my supplements and have been carefully nursing my fragile edges back to life.”
“Shed the Silence,” first introduced by Nutrafol in 2022, aims to shed light on the physical and emotional impact of female hair thinning. Its mission is to make coping with hair struggles a more openly discussed and accepted topic. “It helped normalize what used to seem like this scary, sad thing,” Welteroth adds. I was able to view it as just one of the many changes I was going through as a new mom. Hair issues are completely normal. As we age and our body goes through changes, so does our hair. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. But it’s also a sign to tune in and give your body any nutrients it may be lacking. It’s important to be gentle and nurturing with yourself throughout the process. And to remember it’s just hair! You are so much more than your hair.”
