The Better Blog

Better not younger features a caucasian woman in her late 30s taking her right hand while having a pain expression as it might be a symptom of menopause.

5 Menopause Symptoms That Catch Women Most Off Guard

May 11, 2022

It’s typical that women have at least some knowledge of what to expect before getting their first period, having sex for the first time, and having a baby. However, preparation for menopause, a rite of passage every woman will experience, is practically non-existent. Most women report being caught off guard and surprised by the physical and emotional changes. In fact, it’s common for women to question whether a symptom is related to menopause or something else.

In the early stages of perimenopause, before your periods become irregular, it can be hard to sort out what’s menopause-related and what’s not. With at least 34 symptoms associated with menopause, and conditions like a thyroid problem with similar symptoms, it’s easy to see why there’s so much confusion. Classic symptoms like hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness and low libido grab the spotlight since they are the most frequent symptoms women experience. However, that leaves 30 other symptoms, many of which women are unaware. Which one’s catch women most off guard? Read on for my pick of the top five.

Better Not Younger features a woman who is Becoming a First-Time Mom in her 40s. She's at home looking at her growing belly and She's standing by a window with white curtains.

Becoming a First-Time Mom in Your 40s

May 02, 2022

More women than ever are choosing to become first-time moms at 40 and beyond. We've been hearing for years that 40 is the new 30, and the increase in women having their first pregnancy over 40 shows that 40 isn't too late for women who want to become mothers. (Some women even experience a miracle pregnancy after menopause!)

We hear a lot about shifting family dynamics in our 40s when we send our kids off to college. But what about those of us who waited until later in life to conceive? Or those of us who struggled with conception or full-term deliveries, and only became mothers for the first time in our 40s? Our families are changing, too, just in a much different way! Knowing what to expect when you have your first pregnancy over 40 can be hard because pregnancy content tends to focus on moms in their 20s and 30s.

So, we compiled some pros and cons of having a baby at 40, along with what first-time moms at 40 can expect during pregnancy. Read on to learn more about the benefits of having children later in life.

Why Age Transparency Is a Woman's Superpower

April 27, 2022

At Better Not Younger, we don't believe in the age taboo that a lady should never reveal her age, and the reason is in our name. We know that aging is a privilege, not something to hide, and we know that we become better (not younger!) as we age.

Unfortunately, we also know that ageism against older women is very real, whether in our lack of representation in Hollywood or in biases that creep into our workplaces. In fact, PBS NewsHour reported in 2016 that ageism against women in the workplace starts at 35 for women. Ridiculous!

We are here to tell you that age transparency is our superpower, as women. It's how we can support other women, push back on ageism against women, and change the conversation around aging. Age transparency means radical acceptance of ourselves as we age and living so fully that nobody can say that our best years are behind us!

A woman over 40 plucking facial hair growth at home before knowing other solutions for manopause related facial hair growth.

Unwanted Hair Growth During Menopause? Here’s Why

April 13, 2022

Hirsutism (HUR-soot-iz-um) is a condition in women that results in excessive growth of dark or coarse hair in a male-like pattern—on the face, chest and back. This unwanted hair is referred to as “terminal hair” and it affects roughly 5 to 10% of women. It is a common reason why women visit the dermatologist.

Hirsutism can be emotionally distressing. And although hirsutism doesn't cause physical complications, the underlying cause, which is a hormonal imbalance, can. Facial hair growth during menopause is typically caused by an increase in the ratio of androgen (testosterone) to estrogen. This does not necessarily point to a problem, but the increase in facial hair can be bothersome.

6 Biases Against Women’s Hair

March 25, 2022

As women, we put up with a lot of opinions about our hair, and this (often) unsolicited advice only increases as we age. We all know that age bias exists, and our hair is no exception. There's ageism in hair care, in advertising and in much of the media we consume.

So many "shoulds" are piled onto women, especially after 40: We should wear certain hairstyles "appropriate" for middle-aged women, we should cover our grays and we should chop off longer locks—and many of these have permeated the workplace as well.

If there's no one drowning out the judgment, this can feel overwhelming!

At Better Not Younger, we get it. Our company was founded specifically to push back on the belief that there's no market for quality, aging hair-care products. Newsflash: Women don't simply disappear after we hit menopause!

We compiled a list of past and present hair biases, including aging hair-care biases, that women have been hearing for far too long, plus our take on these false, outdated myths!

#AgingGratefully Made Easy

March 23, 2022

If you read the Better Not Younger blog regularly or follow us on social media, you probably know that we’re celebrating our 3rd anniversary this March! It's a milestone that we're proud of and incredibly grateful for. And since March is Women's History Month, we decided to talk about women aging gratefully. (No, that's not a typo!)

The notion of aging gratefully is particularly meaningful to our founder, Sonsoles Gonzalez: “For me, aging gratefully means taking a moment to thank and recognize the many people in my life that have cared for me, supported me and guided me—my parents, my mentors, my husband, my children and my friends. They have all played a huge role in shaping who I am today.”

So in the spirit of inspiring a little grateful aging among our community, we highlighted our favorite positive effects of aging. We're grateful for all of them. As 19th century mathematician Ada Lovelace said, "Strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." We couldn't agree more!

10 Benefits of Aging We’re Grateful for Every Day

7 Biases Women Over 40 Beat Every Day

March 14, 2022

We've all heard about the ageism and visibility gap that plagues women after 40. These biases are based on a variety of myths that boil down to women being "past their prime" once they hit that magic age of 40.

But we know that life doesn't stop at 40 for women. As we shared on our Instagram recently, "Age is just the number of years the world has been enjoying you!" Placing rigid restrictions based on age simply makes no logical sense. Every day women over 40 are reinventing themselves, changing the world and proving that age is nothing more than the number of candles on a birthday cake.

Read on to learn more about 7 biases that women over 40 beat every day and how to love yourself at any age!

Sonsoles Gonzozles, founder of Better not younger, poses with a black dress.

Breaking Biases: Better Not Younger’s 3rd Anniversary

February 28, 2022

With aging comes change, but it also brings benefits—like wisdom, confidence and above all, gratitude. It is these gifts of time that inspired Sonsoles Gonzalez to develop Better Not Younger three years ago—and she harnesses these blessings each and every day as she builds a hair-care brand that’s breaking biases around aging and what it means to be a woman in her 40s, 50s and 60s+.

Through Better Not Younger, Sonsoles and her team are pushing boundaries, championing age inclusion and diversity, empowering women and above all, normalizing conversations around menopause and female hair loss.

So who better to chat with than the founder and CEO herself! Better Not Younger has been on an extraordinary journey these past three years—and she’ll be the first to tell you that she owes it all to the amazing community of women who have inspired and supported the brand along the way.

Better Not Younger has made great strides in the clean hair-care movement through the development of plant-based hair products and sulfate-free hair care designed specifically for women over 40. With a mission to enhance—not conceal!—aging hair, Better Not Younger gives women access to high-quality clean hair products that are cruelty-free and designed to improve hair, scalp and inner health.

Keep reading as Sonsoles talks about her secrets to #AgingGratefully, becoming an entrepreneur and building a business in her 50s, and how she believes that it is absolutely possible to look better without looking younger.