Gabrielle Union recalls when she felt 'less of a woman'

Even when Gabrielle Union began to notice changes in her body and mood, menopause was the furthest thing from her thoughts. At the age of 37, the Perfect Find actress began experiencing a change that she didn't comprehend.

She tells People magazine, "I just felt off, I think that's probably the most accurate way I could describe it." Union was also informed that she was going through perimenopause following a complete blood test, even though she had no idea what that meant.

The period known as perimenopause denotes the natural transition a woman's body goes through to reach menopause, the end of her reproductive years.

“I was just like, not me. I just left the club. That's like an old woman thing,” she quips.

After experiencing a great deal of "isolation" as a result of her symptoms, Union is now 51 years old and is looking back on her path to make other women who are experiencing similar things feel less alone.

The Mayo Clinic lists perimenopause symptoms that can manifest gradually, including irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues, vaginal and bladder issues, loss of bone density, elevated cholesterol, and more.

“Around my mid 40s is when the symptoms were like, hey girl, we're here,” Union says.

She acknowledges that hair loss has been her largest challenge, which may be particularly challenging for someone in the spotlight.

“All of it can feel very isolating and you can feel like less of a woman, especially as a Black woman where our hair is our crown. There's literally the CROWN Act and I'm like, uh, my crown looks more like a barrette at this moment,” she says with a laugh.