Dr Elise Dallas

Dr Elise Dallas Helping you demystify menopause
We're just getting started! See me
'Ask Dr Dallas' in Chat Magazine

Two weeks ago today, at this time, my mother’s soul left us.It’s hard to put into words how this feels, as I still can’t...
02/06/2026

Two weeks ago today, at this time, my mother’s soul left us.

It’s hard to put into words how this feels, as I still can’t quite believe she has gone.

Every time I take a photo of my boys, I go to send it to her. Every time something happens, I reach for the phone to call her. Every time I go back to our family home, I expect her to scurry to the door, wrap me up, and hold me close. Tomorrow I go back to work, and that daily call to her won’t be there.

We had 10 weeks with her, and we devoted that time to being by her side, all of us sleeping in the room, caring for her until the very end, just as she had done for us our whole lives.

Throughout it all, she remained full of energy - humorous, kind, and completely herself. She lived her life fully, unapologetically, and with no regrets.

“I’ll always be with you,” she told me.

For now, I’m just soaking in the love she gave me, and how incredibly lucky I am to have had her.
❤️

I’ve been quieter here for a while, and to those who know why and reached out - thank you, it’s meant so much.Two months...
14/05/2026

I’ve been quieter here for a while, and to those who know why and reached out - thank you, it’s meant so much.

Two months ago, on the anniversary of my father’s death, we were told my mother has late-stage cancer and she didn’t have long. It’s completely unraveled my world.

She is my unconditional love, my compass, my best friend - and she’s faced all of this with humour and grace, still making us laugh and sharing her wonderful, mischievous stories. She’s told us she’s had a full and happy life. Being surrounded by family (thank goodness for my siblings) and friends has meant everything, and I’m so proud of how loved she is.

We’re trying to see this as a gift of time, caring for her at home. I’ve been balancing that with family life and work, but I’ve reached the point where I need to step away and be fully present with her. I’ll also be stepping back from social media for a while, though I may share occasionally if it feels right.
I’m not posting for sympathy - just to explain my quietness, and to say if you’re juggling caring, parenting, work and grief, you’re not alone. I really see you.

To those who’ve been through similar, your strength means more than you know.

I’ll be back with evidence-based menopause, hormone, midlife and weight information when I can - we need it more than ever.

For now, my family comes first.

Sending love to anyone experiencing similar loss ❤️❤️❤️

24/04/2026

Testosterone headlines again this week — and a lot of the coverage felt alarmist.
I spoke to The Times to bring some clarity.

Prescribing has increased, but it’s still

18/04/2026

When sleep is short:

• Hunger hormones get dysregulated (↑ ghrelin, ↓ leptin)
• Insulin resistance worsens, so fat storage increases
• Decision‑making drops and cravings rise for a quick energy fix!

GLP‑1 medications work in part by restoring appetite signalling.

Sleep does that naturally.

So if you’ve only got a small amount of weight to lose - especially in midlife -
sometimes the answer isn’t eating less or pushing harder…
…it’s going to bed.🛌

We're you shocked by this I would love to hear? ⬇️

10/04/2026

Menowashing at its finest!

Menopause CAN affect hair — but not in the way shampoo companies would have you believe.

Most “menopause shampoos” do nothing for the real hormonal changes happening at the hair follicle.
They’re cosmetic, not clinical.

So what actually helps with menopause‑related hair issues?
What is evidence‑based:

✅ Topical minoxidil 5% – strongest evidence for improving density
✅ Oral low‑dose minoxidil – a prescription option used when topical isn’t tolerated (requires careful medical supervision)
✅ Ferritin (iron) optimisation – aim for >100 -150 for healthy hair growth
✅ Correcting B12, zinc, and Vitamin D
✅ Thyroid checks – an underactive thyroid can mimic menopausal hair loss
✅Managing androgen‑related sensitivity – supporting the follicle when it reacts to hormonal shifts (a common cause of finer hair + shedding)
✅ HRT – can help maintain hair calibre for some women
✅ Low-level laser therapy – emerging evidence for supporting the growth phase
✅ Anti-inflammatory scalp care – ingredients like ketoconazole, salicylic acid, or ciclopirox help calm scalp inflammation and reduce excess yeast on the scalp, both of which can worsen shedding
✅ Adequate protein (yes protein again) + overall nutrition

These all target the hair follicle, not just the hair fibre.

And this is exactly why shampoos can’t treat menopause‑related hair changes — no matter how expensive, how fancy the packaging, or how “Meno‑branded” they are.

I’m genuinely curious…
👉 What “menopause” products have YOU seen that feel like pure menowashing?
Drop them in the comments — let’s call it out together⬇️👇⬇️👇🤦‍♀️

01/04/2026

🚨 Midlife women: the screening we never talk about — but should

We hear so much about breast checks and cervical screening… yet bowel screening barely gets a mention. And it needs one.

Bowel cancer is not just an older person’s disease anymore.
📈 Cases in 25–49‑year‑olds have risen by more than 50% in the last 25 years in the UK — and the trend is still climbing.
👩 Around 20,600 women are diagnosed every year.

It runs in my family, and my husband (a bowel cancer surgeon) sees younger and younger patients. Too many are diagnosed late because symptoms get dismissed as IBS, haemorrhoids, stress, or postpartum changes.

What this means for you:

1️⃣ NHS screening
FIT kits arrive automatically from age 50, every 2 years.
(I’ll get mine when I turn 50 next year 🎉)

2️⃣ Earlier NHS testing?
Not routinely — but your GP can arrange a FIT earlier if you have symptoms, iron‑deficiency anaemia, or a significant family history.

3️⃣ Private screening
You can start earlier. Many experts now recommend qFIT from age 45 because of rising early‑onset rates.
I already include bowel screening in my Holistic Midlife Check because early detection saves lives.

Your midlife takeaway:
✨ Don’t just think breast and cervical — think bowel, too.

A simple qFIT test can pick up tiny traces of blood long before symptoms appear.

👉If you’re 45+, it may be worth starting now.
👉If you’re 50+, the NHS will invite you automatically.
👉If you have symptoms or family history — don’t wait.

Save this so you remember what to ask your GP And share with a woman who hasn't got this on her list and needs it!

Have you had yours??? Tell me below if this was on your radar ⬇️

This has been hard for me to post. Recently, we found out that this will be our last Mother’s Day with my beautiful mamm...
17/03/2026

This has been hard for me to post.

Recently, we found out that this will be our last Mother’s Day with my beautiful mamma.

It was totally unexpected and it's hard to put into words how heartbroken I feel.

Life has a strange way of bringing the right people at the right time. The day after we found out, I had a patient who had lost her mother to the same illness. She reminded me to see the short time we have left as a gift, and her words have stayed with me. I’ll be dedicating as much of my time to her as I can.

Even though this is the “natural order,” and l'm a “proper grown up” turning 50 next year, I'm devastated beyond words.

But I’m drawing strength from the incredible women around me who have faced losses far beyond what feels bearable.
You give me strength without even realising it. Thank you for showing me what resilience looks like and for holding space in ways you probably don’t even know you do.

And if you’re lucky enough to have a good mamma still with us, hold her close. None of us knows what’s around the corner.

Here we are last Sunday laughing at my eldest son wishing me 'Happy Valentines" 🤦‍♀️🙄❤️

If you’ve felt this way and feel able to share what helped you, I’d be grateful to hear it. 🙏

Today is a a real milestone for menopause care in the UK.This is the first neurokinin‑targeted treatment ever recommende...
11/03/2026

Today is a a real milestone for menopause care in the UK.

This is the first neurokinin‑targeted treatment ever recommended for NHS use with hot flushes and night sweats when HRT isn’t suitable — finally giving around 500,000 women another option.

Hot flushes and night sweats can be utterly life‑disrupting — stealing sleep, draining energy, and affecting mood, work, relationships and exercise.

For women who can’t use HRT, the lack of alternatives has been a persistent and frustrating gap.

Fezolinetant is a once‑daily, non‑hormonal medication that works on the brain pathways that drive flushes and night sweats. It’s a genuinely effective option and a much‑needed addition to our toolkit — especially for people who can’t, or don’t want to, take HRT.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve sat in NHS menopause clinic wishing we could offer this. It’s an awful feeling — knowing there is an option, knowing the impact, but being blocked by access.

In private practice, I’ve already seen what happens when that barrier is removed as it's been available since early 2024. Women who’ve been waking drenched in sweat for years suddenly sleeping through the night. Energy returning. The fog lifting. Being able to exercise again. Feeling like themselves again.

As with any medication, it’s always about weighing up the benefits and risks for you — especially after certain cancers — depending on your symptoms.

But today really does matter.

It means more choice, fairer access, and — finally — another NHS option for the women who’ve been waiting.

And honestly… I’m delighted it’s finally here.

Would this be something you’d consider? Have you found a non‑hormonal option for hot flushes that genuinely works for you? I’d love to hear your experience ⬇️

❌ Myth 3: Ill health mainly happens at the end of life.✔️ Reality: The highest health and economic burden for women is b...
11/03/2026

❌ Myth 3: Ill health mainly happens at the end of life.

✔️ Reality: The highest health and economic burden for women is between ages 20–50 — not 50–70.

In my poll, most of you guessed the burden peaks later in life.

Totally understandable — we’re conditioned to associate “ill health” with old age.

But the data tell a very different story.

Women experience the greatest load of illness, disability, and economic impact in early and mid‑adulthood. This is the window where multiple systems collide:

• Reproductive health conditions
Endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, PCOS, infertility, pregnancy complications — these account for a huge share of women’s years lived with disability before age 50.

• Autoimmune disease
Around 80% of autoimmune conditions occur in women, and most begin between 20–50.

• Mental health
Depression and anxiety peak from the late teens to mid‑40s, with women affected at twice the rate of men.

• Chronic pain
Migraine, IBS, pelvic pain, musculoskeletal pain — all disproportionately affect women in their 20s–50s.

• Pregnancy, postpartum and early perimenopause
Major health events, often under‑researched and under‑treated, cluster in this same age range.

And all of this happens during the decades when women are working, raising families, and often caring for others.
The economic impact is enormous — lost earnings, reduced productivity, career interruptions, and increased unpaid labour.

This is the real peak burden.
This is where investment is needed.
Not at the end of life.

Women are 51% of the population. There is nothing niche about us.

👇 I’d love to know — did this surprise you? Drop your thoughts in the comments.⬇️

Women’s health is so much more than vaginas, periods, or menopause. It spans every organ, every age, every lived experie...
09/03/2026

Women’s health is so much more than vaginas, periods, or menopause. It spans every organ, every age, every lived experience.

And one thing I love about women: we amplify each other. We share what we learn and pass on the intel that makes us stronger.

So this week I’ll be sharing essential insights about the health of women—across cardiology, dermatology, colorectal health, breast health, vulval health and more. Because the more we know, the stronger we become.

💡 Myth‑Busting Women’s Health — Series Introduction

❌ Myth 1: Women are healthier than men because they live longer.

Reality: Women live longer but spend more years in poor health—especially after menopause.
Their biggest long‑term risks are heart disease, osteoporosis, frailty, and dementia, often in combination.
The goal isn’t living longer—it’s living well longer.

❌ Myth 2: Women’s health = sexual or reproductive health.

Reality: Women are not little men. Every system—heart, gut, brain, bones, skin—behaves differently in women.
Reproduction matters, but focusing only on that ignores the conditions that drive the majority of women’s lifelong health burden.

❌ Myth 3: Ill health mainly happens at the end of life.

Reality: The highest health and economic burden for women is ages 20–50, not 80+.
Despite this, only ~1% of health research funding is dedicated to women.
Women are 51% of the population—there is nothing niche about us.

Daily myth‑busting from each specialty coming this week.

Any myth you want dispelled? Or what was the biggest shock you learnt about women's health? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

❤️

Address

1 Welbeck Street
London
W1G 0AR

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr Elise Dallas posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dr Elise Dallas:

Shortcuts

Share

Category