Older women swap old 'snagging' straighteners for ones that 'glide through hair'

Menopause is a natural process that woman go through in their late forties or early fifties, or sometimes earlier. But just because it happens to every woman it doesn’t mean it’s any easier to deal with, or that women even fully understand what’s happening to their bodies.

Hot flushes and night sweats are among the most common symptoms of menopause, which is when periods stop due to lower hormone levels. But women often experience a plethora of other symptoms which aren’t necessarily spoken about as much, including hair loss and thinning hair, making styling it stressful.

This month is Menopause Awareness Month, with World Menopause Day celebrated around the globe on October 18th, and Mirror readers can get a £70+ saving on a hair product that one customer, who said their hair got finer during menopause, was able to use and didn't leave her hair feeling 'stressed'.

The KEEO Genius Pro+, which normally costs £299, is discounted for Mirror readers who use the code MIRRORKEEO, giving them a discount of £70+. The code expires on October 31 2025. The KEEO Genius Pro+ is discounted to £249, a £50 saving and with the code, the price drops down to £224.10, an extra 10% off of £24.90 - taking the total saving to just over £70.

Styling thinning hair can be challenging and something that could be overlooked by customers is 'mechanical tension', like pulling on hair to curl or straighten it, says one hair expert.

KEEO Genius Pro+ discounted for Mirror readers

Mirror readers who use the code MIRRORKEEO get a discount of £70+. The code expires on October 31 2025.

Trichologist Kate Holden explains: "Heat and chemicals are often the first things we blame - and for good reason. But another major cause of damage is mechanical tension: pulling, clamping, or dragging the hair with tools or styling methods that apply too much physical force. Over time, this tension weakens the cuticle, leading to breakage, thinning, and frizz - especially in fine, ageing or hormonally fragile hair."

That's where the KEEO Genius Pro+ comes into its own, as the brand says it is the "first styling tool to let users personalise both heat and tension". It has patented smart-glide contoured plates which run cooler to reduce stress on hair and which cushion hair strands with a protective air gap, instead of squashing them flat. As a result, the brand says hair can glide through with "up to 70% less tension than traditional straighteners", so users can still get a sleek result, without the damage. For a bit of bounce, shoppers can also style soft curls and waves, all gently done.

Holden says: "KEEO gives users control - not just over temperature, but over tension too. Its contoured plates glide through the hair, reducing stress on the fibre by up to 70%. For those experiencing hormonal changes or hair that’s thinning with age, this kind of technology offers a gentler, more considered way to style - without compromising on results."

What's more, in an independent 30-day consumer trial which had 100 participants, the brand says results included 92% of participants saying their hair looked and felt healthier using KEEO, while 89% said KEEO was their preferred product over their current straighteners.

A well-known name in the haircare and styling space is ghd, with their original straighteners costing £108 from Boots. They use "upgraded single-zone™ technology to style at the optimum styling temperature of 185ºC" and switch into automatic sleep after half an hour of non-use.

Elsewhere, for a hair styling set on the lower end of the budget, Argos has the Remington Style Essentials Gift Set for £34.99. This is a hairdryer and straightening combo. The straightener heats up in thirty seconds, and has one temperature setting, while the 2000 watt hairdryer has two speed settings and a 1.8 metre cord.

On the KEEO website, there is no shortage of reviews. One KEEO customer, named Susan, said: "As my hair got finer through menopause, I thought straighteners were off-limits. KEEO is the first tool that doesn’t leave it feeling stressed - it actually looks fuller and healthier."

On Instagram, one customer, whose handle is aliash_style, said in a post that they experienced "less stress on my hormonally fragile hair" and added that before using the KEEO Genius Pro their hair was "shedding at an alarming rate", adding: "I was basically a Labrador. Breakage was common & I needed my straighteners more often to create any kind of sleekness . A vicious cycle as the heat & tension were undoing some of the good work of supplements and HRT." But they added: "Using the @keeohair Genius Pro Plus means I can control the heat and tension depending on my hairs ‘mood’ that day. Less stress on my hormonally fragile hair."

So the other specifications of the KEEO Genius Pro+, like the fact it has three heat settings, are perfect for fragile hair. Additionally, after 35 minutes of not being used, it will switch off automatically and it also has a 2.7 metre cord which swivels, so those hard to reach back areas of the head can be styled with more ease.

For one customer, they didn't quite achieve the look they wanted as they said: "This seemed a lot gentler on my hair which is very damaged. Didn't give me the super straight locks I'm used to but would be great for an every day use."

But someone else named Anna said they are "honestly this is the best hair tool I’ve ever used. It delivers exactly what it promises with effortless styling and zero tension. It barely even feels like I’m straightening my hair, yet the results are flawless."

The hair styler is available from KEEO.