Is this growth?

[raingirl]

I posted a thread a few months back about my suspicions of severe anemia over 10+ years causing my hair thinning and volume issues. I went to the doc and in December she advised me to take a fairly new kind of iron supplement called Feramax. It's unique as it actually goes through the wall of the stomach/intestine and binds right in the blood stream versus having to bind and compete for iron receptors on the stomach and intestinal lining. Also, you can have it with dairy! YAY!

In the last few weeks I've noticed that my crown area, which is where it was thinnest, was feeling fuzzy, knotted, and just odd when my hair is dry. The rest of my hair feels fine normal.

Could this be new growth? I can't get a good look to see if there are tiny hairs growing in and by feel I'm not 100% sure if it feels thicker. It just feels...fuzzy...?

Anyone had the same feeling with hair growing back in?

[melusine963]

It might well be. I'd be very careful detangling, and see how it feels in a month. If it's new growth it should be fairly obvious by then.

[Naiadryade]

It sounds like it's probably new growth to me! But I've never had the experience myself of having lots of hair grow back in, so I'm just guessing...

What caused your anemia? Was it diet? I was borderline anemic for 5 years or so after I went vegetarian, until I started including lots of dark leafy greens and nettle tea in my diet.

[raingirl]

It might well be. I'd be very careful detangling, and see how it feels in a month. If it's new growth it should be fairly obvious by then.

Will do. I've been using a comb only lately. It feels better after combing and seems the worst if I air dry and before I comb it.


It sounds like it's probably new growth to me! But I've never had the experience myself of having lots of hair grow back in, so I'm just guessing...

What caused your anemia? Was it diet? I was borderline anemic for 5 years or so after I went vegetarian, until I started including lots of dark leafy greens and nettle tea in my diet.

We don't know what is causing the anemia, but a likely factor is very heavy periods. I've been on iron supplements though for years (since I was 18 and first diagnosed with anemia) and they've never been able to work to get my iron up. If this works, it will be the first time it has ever! My iron was so low at my blood test in December that both my counts were under 10 - hemoglobin which is free circulating in the blood to carry oxygen and my iron stores, ferritin, were both dangerously low. I have a requisition to do more blood work in March to see what the results are. The lab also mentioned that my blood cells were smaller than normal in my last test, so in March I will be tested for Thalassemia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassemia) as well, which is a blood disorder that prevents iron/hemoglobin from working properly. I may also be tested for Celiac as well, as that can also cause chronic iron deficiency anemia that doesn't get better with iron supplements.

[jacqueline101]

It sounds like new hairs.

[arcane]

I had a massive shed last year and when it started growing back in I too had the "I think it's kinda thicker but I can't tell" experience. After a month or two I had a lot of visible flyaway hairs that are now just getting long enough to be contained. Be prepared for the messy hairdos all the time look. :)

[raingirl]

Thanks everyone. I swear, if this is new hair coming in I might have to hug my doctor! I've been dealing with this for so many years without a fix. If this new supplement actually works for me and that was the cause, I may have to have a party and start worshiping the doctors that created this new type of iron!

[renia22]

Do you measure your circumference? Maybe measure it now and then measure it again in 6 months, and see what you get?

[raingirl]

I've only measured circumference once last year and it was about 1 inch (my hair is very thin). I will keep testing it every few months to see if it gets thicker!

[MsBubbles]

When my hair grew back in after three big sheds in 18 months, I had this fuzzy, prickly kind of growth sticking through the rest of the hairs that were soft. This was especially noticeable if I felt around my part(ing) and front hairline. So yes, I think you may have regrowth there! Exciting!

Now they are about at chin-length and I can see them all sticking out like light 1970's feathering.