unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Erica Kelly, board-certified dermatologist, Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and founder and director of UTMB's Cosmetic Dermatology Division — and the first physician who ever connected the dots for Mary Claire between estrogen, collagen, and what happens to women's skin in midlife. Dr. Kelly explains why so many women feel their skin change almost overnight in their 40s and 50s — the sudden dryness, sensitivity, sagging, easy bruising, and acne all at once — and the mechanism behind it: women lose around 30% of their skin's collagen in the first five years after menopause, while estrogen receptors throughout the skin lose the hormone that kept the barrier, moisture, and elasticity working.
Dr. Kelly walks through what's really happening layer by layer — why skin gets rough and pores dilate, why moisturisers you've used for years suddenly cause reactions, why acne and wrinkles show up together, the truth behind itchy ears, hyperpigmentation, and rosacea — and the "your face has gotten too small for your skin" anatomy of midlife sagging. Then it's the evidence: what the research actually shows about systemic hormone therapy and skin aging, her deep dive into topical estrogen creams (including why she uses estriol on the face and how long results take), and the skincare ingredients worth your money — why retinoids and sunscreen are "light years ahead of everything else," plus the honest verdict on hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, vitamin C, exfoliating acids, peptides, and growth factors. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.
Guest links:
Dr. Erica Kelly at UTMB Health Aesthetics https://utmbhealth.com/aesthetics/about/erica-kelly
Dr. Erica Kelly (UTMB Health) https://doctors.utmbhealth.com/profile/005428
Books:
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z
Never miss an episode—sign up for The 'Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The 'Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, board-certified family physician, founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, and bestselling author of Forever Strong — this time with the practical roadmap for building muscle in your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. Dr. Lyon explains why your first meal of the day matters most and why 30–50 grams of protein at that meal can change your body composition on its own. She breaks down anabolic resistance — why the diet and training that worked at 20 stops working at 58 — and the research showing it's reversible: women over 60 got no muscle response from 15 grams of protein, but at 30 grams responded just like 20-year-olds.
They get specific: what a 50-gram breakfast looks like, why two eggs won't stimulate aging muscle, how essential amino acids and creatine fill the gap, why the protein RDA is a floor rather than a target, the truth about red meat and saturated fat, the honest state of the evidence on hormones and muscle, and Dr. Lyon's warning about GLP-1 medications and accelerated sarcopenia. Plus: why progressive overload should really be progressive stimulus, where a woman who has never lifted should start, and why getting bulky isn't the risk — becoming frail is.
Guest links:
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Website) https://drgabriellelyon.com/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/drgabriellelyon
Books:
"Forever Strong," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4VSDWQ2
"The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL32CJ81
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z
For full show notes, please visit: [BIT.LY LINK]
Never miss an episode—sign up for The 'Pause Life Newsletter: https://thepauselife.com/pages/newsletter
Medical Disclaimer: The information, including opinions and recommendations, on this platform is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Mary Claire Media, LLC, the unPAUSED podcast, and The 'Pause Life are not medical organizations. Medical advice or medical diagnosis cannot be provided to you through the platform, any associated website, or customer portals. Using this platform does not establish a patient-physician relationship.

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, board-certified family physician, founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine, and bestselling author of Forever Strong, to explain why skeletal muscle — not body fat — determines how well women age. Dr. Lyon shares the case that changed her career: a patient in her mid-fifties who had done everything she was told — dieting, cardio, the food pyramid — yet showed signs of accelerated brain aging. The problem wasn't her fat. It was her muscle.
Dr. Lyon explains why muscle is the body's largest site for glucose disposal — meaning low muscle mass can cause insulin resistance and prediabetes even in lean women — and why muscle quality, not just quantity, drives the metabolic dysfunction usually blamed on obesity, yet still isn't measured in routine care. She and Dr. Haver dig into why 60–70 grams of protein a day isn't enough to protect muscle through perimenopause and menopause and why women should aim for closer to 100 grams alongside resistance training, how sedentary muscle lowers your carbohydrate tolerance before blood sugar and insulin become dysregulated, and the myokines — including BDNF — released when muscle contracts that support brain health, metabolism, and long-term independence. Dr. Lyon's takeaway: resistance training and adequate protein are the two things women actually control as they age, and no hormone therapy can make up for them if they're missing.
Guest links:
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Website) https://drgabriellelyon.com/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyon/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gabrielle-lyon-00175a1a8/
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/drgabriellelyon
The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show (Apple Podcasts) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-gabrielle-lyon-show/id1622316426
Books:
"Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Strong-Science-Based-Strategy-Aging/dp/B0C4VSDWQ2
"The Forever Strong PLAYBOOK: A Six-Week, Science-Based Plan to Sharpen Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Get Healthy at Any Age," by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon https://www.amazon.com/Forever-StrongTM-PLAYBOOK-Science-Based-Strengthen/dp/B0FL32CJ81
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

In this solo episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver tells the truth about hair loss in women over 40 — a medical condition with real, identifiable causes, not a vanity complaint to be dismissed as stress or aging. She breaks down the biology of the hair growth cycle and the hormonal mechanism driving midlife thinning: as estrogen declines, androgens like DHT take over at the follicle, shrinking it with every cycle. She walks through the five most common causes of hair loss in midlife women — female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium (including the dramatic shedding triggered by illness, surgery, stress, and rapid weight loss on GLP-1 medications), iron deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and nutrient deficiencies and medications — plus the red flags, like bald patches, a receding hairline, or scalp scarring, that need a dermatologist immediately.
Dr. Haver then details exactly how to advocate for yourself: the full lab workup to request (and why ferritin must be checked even when standard blood counts look normal), what to bring to your appointment, and the treatment options that actually work — from correcting deficiencies first, to topical and oral minoxidil, finasteride, spironolactone, PRP, microneedling, and laser therapy. She gives the honest answer on whether hormone therapy treats hair loss, which supplements have real evidence behind them, why biotin is unlikely to help without a true deficiency, and shares her own experience with both female pattern hair loss and a post-illness shed. The episode closes with a practical five-step action plan for documenting your hair loss, requesting the right tests, and getting the workup you deserve — because your hair is a vital sign.
Resources:
Download the FREE Midlife Hair Loss Guide https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-midlife-hair-loss-guide
Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Substack) https://drmaryclairehaver.substack.com/
Books:
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z

In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and founder of Pivotal, to talk about her call for a "menopause revolution" — including the $215 million in new funding for women's health she announced in her New York Times essay, bringing her total investment in women's health to more than $600 million in two years. Melinda opens with the numbers driving her urgency: nearly one in three women over forty has menopause symptoms severe enough to disrupt her life, only about one in four gets treated, fewer than a third of OB-GYN training programs teach menopause at all, and just five cents of every dollar spent on medical research goes to women's health.
Melinda shares her own story — how, despite what she calls unbelievable privilege and access to the best health care in the world, it took three doctors to get the right care for her symptoms, and how chronic insomnia and brain fog left her doubting herself walking into meetings with world leaders and CEOs. She and Dr. Haver trace how the Women's Health Initiative halted research, education, and hormone therapy almost overnight, why the health care system was built for men's bodies by default, the racial disparities leaving women of color to suffer most with the least treatment, and the new research she's funding through Wellcome Leap into women-specific heart disease and microvascular diagnostics. The episode closes with Melinda's concrete advice for every woman who wants change: advocate for yourself at the doctor's office, educate your friends with credible information, contact your representatives, and vote — because midlife shouldn't be an off-ramp, but one of the most vibrant chapters of a woman's life.
Guest links:
Melinda French Gates (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/@melindagates
Melinda French Gates (Instagram) https://www.instagram.com/melindafrenchgates/
Melinda French Gates (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/melindagates/
Melinda French Gates (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindagates/
Melinda French Gates (X) https://x.com/melindagates
Pivotal https://www.pivotal.com/founder
Moment of Lift Books https://www.momentoflift.com/
Melinda French Gates at the Gates Foundation https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/leadership/melinda-french-gates
Books:
"The Next Day," by Melinda French Gates https://www.melindafrenchgates.com/
"The New Perimenopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://thepauselife.com/pages/the-new-perimenopause-book
"The New Menopause," by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/B0CKBZ4K1Z