Hair loss questions :/ (really worried)

[Miss.Carton]

Hello all, I'm still relatively new here and have some questions about hair loss.

I am 18 years old and I would say that my hair is medium thick (the individual strands are really thin though), but I'm really concerned about my hair getting thinner as I get older. My mom's hair was somewhat thick as well when she was younger but now it's so thin to the point where you can see her scalp quite easily. My sister (half-sister) had thin hair when she was younger and now (she's 30) her hair is SUPER thin. However, both my mother and sister use harsh products on their hair and smoked (my mom quit though) while I only use natural hair products and eat really well and am very active and healthy.

I just want to be proactive and try to prevent as much hair loss as possible since I'm really worried it's genetic :/ I've already noticed my hair looking thinner and that I'm losing a lot of hair in the shower and in my comb, but I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid.

Is there any possible way to prevent future hair loss at all? (I'm desperate) And is there any possibility that I might not lose my hair :S

(p.s. I've seen online that people tend to lose more hair around fall time. Is this true??)

[beautifulending]

Welcome to TLHC!


You could try castor oil and scalp massages but thin hair is partly genetics. As far as your mother and sister having thin/thinning hair, part of them having thin hair could be how they care for it(i.e.ripping a brush while wet,tons of heat,bad hair products etc.)


Don't stress about your hair(stress can make you shed more). Eat healthy, exercise and baby it. :bounce:

[Katze]

Yes, shedding more in Fall (and Spring, for some people) is normal. On average we naturally shed about 100 hairs a day, so if you bother to count them (I put mine on the shower wall) you will see that 100 hairs is really a lot of hair that sheds normally!

We have hair loss like that in my family too. My mom always said that my grandmother permed and dyed her hair too much; I think she also had borderline thyroid issues since she was a compulsive overeater and sugar addict. My mom is also a carb addict and has thinner hair, but also believes that 'fine' means 'thin' and blowdries and styles quite aggressively every day.

Hair type, and terminal growth, taper, things like that, sadly ARE genetic and we can't change them. A lot of times here at LHC one can get the impression that everyone can have long hair if you just do enough to it. I don't think this is possible for some of us.

However, with good care, I've gotten my thin-at-the-ends, severely tapering hair (see album) to be thicker than it would, so that I no longer have hair loss at the temples. I have a lot of baby hairs all the time, but these hairs mostly do not grow longer than 2-3 inches or so, since they shed a lot. I eat well and exercise moderately (physical activity every day)

I am still recovering from a massive shed after DD (3 1/2) was born, and am now pregnant again, so am planning to do something radical if I shed again.

My hair will never be waist (my original goal), I don't think, but I have been able to get the most out of what I do have.

[Jorja]

Is there any possible way to prevent future hair loss at all? (I'm desperate) And is there any possibility that I might not lose my hair :S


Hi Miss Carton :) There's so much useful information on this site that will protect your hair and help it grow. The more growth and less breakage, the thicker your hair will be. Eating well like you are is really important I think. Take photos now of your hair and you can use them for comparison in the future.

You may not necessarily take after family with hair type. My mum has medium fine hair and I have thick coarse hair that sheds like a cat at the vets.

Mostly don't worry you're young and healthy and starting young to look after your hair, at your age I dyed it black then tried to remove it with domestos and water.

Welcome to LHC :)

[Madora]

Hello all, I'm still relatively new here and have some questions about hair loss.

I am 18 years old and I would say that my hair is medium thick (the individual strands are really thin though), but I'm really concerned about my hair getting thinner as I get older. My mom's hair was somewhat thick as well when she was younger but now it's so thin to the point where you can see her scalp quite easily. My sister (half-sister) had thin hair when she was younger and now (she's 30) her hair is SUPER thin. However, both my mother and sister use harsh products on their hair and smoked (my mom quit though) while I only use natural hair products and eat really well and am very active and healthy.

I just want to be proactive and try to prevent as much hair loss as possible since I'm really worried it's genetic :/ I've already noticed my hair looking thinner and that I'm losing a lot of hair in the shower and in my comb, but I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid.

Is there any possible way to prevent future hair loss at all? (I'm desperate) And is there any possibility that I might not lose my hair :S

(p.s. I've seen online that people tend to lose more hair around fall time. Is this true??)

You inherited your hair from your mother's father and from your father's mother (per Dr. George Michael, famed long hair guru).

That being said, how you take care of it will determine how much of it you will have as you age.

A healthy diet is paramount plus good water intake.

Using gentle products is a must, plus NOT overdoing oiling and treatments. "Less is more" applies to hair care too. The less stuff on your hair, the less it attracts lint and dirt, enabling you to stretch washes. Hair should be washed when it needs it..not every other day.

Keep away from bleach, dyes, hot irons/curlers/straighteners. Air dry your hair.

Avoid ponytails like the plague.

Wear your hair up to protect the delicate ends. Trim as needed.

A silk pillowcase cover will help protect your ends at night.

Above all, detangle gently and slowly, in small sections, with a wide tooth comb. Be patient and your hair will reap the rewards!

[virgo75]

Agree with all the good advice given so far: take care of it, don't worry too much.

Besides genetics there may also be other health factors involved in the thinning like thyroid issues, stomach/intestinal/digestions issues, depression/stress, medications taken for various illnesses, etc. I'd pay closer attention to those possible health problems than the thinning hair because well, you want to be healthy. But they also contribute to hair health/loss.

My mom always kept her hair long, and it still is. It's thinned drastically over the past 5 years or so. We finally figured out that 5 years ago was when she started having consistant stomach problems and began taking Prilosec daily. I only recently saw on the internet that it can cause hair loss.

[Silverbrumby]

Hello all, I'm still relatively new here and have some questions about hair loss.

I am 18 years old and I would say that my hair is medium thick (the individual strands are really thin though), but I'm really concerned about my hair getting thinner as I get older. My mom's hair was somewhat thick as well when she was younger but now it's so thin to the point where you can see her scalp quite easily. My sister (half-sister) had thin hair when she was younger and now (she's 30) her hair is SUPER thin. However, both my mother and sister use harsh products on their hair and smoked (my mom quit though) while I only use natural hair products and eat really well and am very active and healthy.

I just want to be proactive and try to prevent as much hair loss as possible since I'm really worried it's genetic :/ I've already noticed my hair looking thinner and that I'm losing a lot of hair in the shower and in my comb, but I'm not sure if I'm just paranoid.

Is there any possible way to prevent future hair loss at all? (I'm desperate) And is there any possibility that I might not lose my hair :S

(p.s. I've seen online that people tend to lose more hair around fall time. Is this true??)


Besides the mechanical things you can do for the hair once it's grown you can also help by eating well, not smoking, exercise, scalp massages, watch as you get older that you don't become deficient in iron, vitamin d, or thyroid. Maybe even ask you mum about her last test results for thyroid, iron and vitamin d. It can't hurt her to get them tested when she next goes in for tests.

[dulce]

Try not to worry for the future,it may not happen.If it does the deal with it then.There are so many variables and no -one can predict the future or what meds you may have to take or what illnesses you may develop with age.It's such a waste of valuable energy.Concentrate on a healthy lifestyle now and gentle hair care now is my advice.

[dulce]

Both my parents had all their hair till they died yet I am getting hair loss..so that surprised me.I didn't see that coming.

[Miss.Carton]

Thank you all very much for the advice :) I'll just have to pray that I inherited my grandma's hair (which is still really thick!)

[Miss.Carton]

You inherited your hair from your mother's father and from your father's mother (per Dr. George Michael, famed long hair guru).

That being said, how you take care of it will determine how much of it you will have as you age.

A healthy diet is paramount plus good water intake.

Using gentle products is a must, plus NOT overdoing oiling and treatments. "Less is more" applies to hair care too. The less stuff on your hair, the less it attracts lint and dirt, enabling you to stretch washes. Hair should be washed when it needs it..not every other day.

Keep away from bleach, dyes, hot irons/curlers/straighteners. Air dry your hair.

Avoid ponytails like the plague.

Wear your hair up to protect the delicate ends. Trim as needed.

A silk pillowcase cover will help protect your ends at night.

Above all, detangle gently and slowly, in small sections, with a wide tooth comb. Be patient and your hair will reap the rewards!
Thanks for the tips! I didn't know about the ponytail thing. Is it because ponytails pull to much on your hair? I'm very active so I tend to wear ponytails a lot but I guess I'll be switching to braids :P