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Shona
June 12th, 2013, 03:15 PM
Hello LHC! I have been a bit of a lurker on the forums as of late, and haven't really contributed to anything. My hair growing had been going wonderfuly, I was mircotrimming once a month and plodding along quite happily to mid-back.

But more recently my hair has taken a turn for the worst. This past month my hair has been shedding more than I have ever seen in my life, and it's really starting to worry me. At first I ignored it and thought it would stop, but now I can't stand combing my hair as I know I'll be able to see all the hairs that are just falling out in clumps. I have recently had a health scare, but it turned out to be a false alarm, and all my tests have come back 100% fine (it was a possible thyriod/hormonal issue, which could have explained the hair loss).

So now I know from a health perspective nothing is wrong with me, but I still sit here with clumps of hair around me which clearly signals a change. My hair is feeling dry also, and it is starting to feel scarily thin (for me). Is it possible that depression or nutrution could be the possible problem(s) here? I have not been seeing the sun/outside as much as I'd like to these past few months, and have been feeling fairly low, and not eating as well as I used to. I would love to know if some of you believe that this is causing my hair loss, or do you believe this could be just a natural shedding and it will stop? I feel scared, and now understand the stress that some people go through while a shed is happening.

I hope some of you could give me your words of wisdom and help me cope with my shedding!
S x

cranberrymoonz
June 12th, 2013, 03:36 PM
Don't worry. It's better for you AND your hair;)

Shedding may be caused by a lot of things: stress, diet, overall health, hormones... I'm not an expert, but for now I'd recommend to start eating better and to relax a bit.

Best of luck!

Kherome
June 12th, 2013, 03:52 PM
Sounds like you could be lacking in Vitamin D?

HintOfMint
June 12th, 2013, 04:45 PM
In addition to nutrition, hormones, stress...etc., what's your hair routine? Like what do you use to wash your hair, how often... etc.

Shona
June 12th, 2013, 05:20 PM
Thank you Kherome, I will take that up with my doctor, and see if I need to be taking supplements.

HintOfMint, I use Aussie to wash my hair once a week, and condition with coconut oil. I use extra virgin olive oil as a pre-wash treatment every now and then. I clarify once every few months (or when I feel I need it) with baking soda. I never use heat on my hair or use any other products on it apart from the ones I have listed, so I'm quite stumped about why it has suddenly become very dry. This routine has worked on my hair for the past year with no problems. It's just a sudden change in hair health all in all!

spidermom
June 12th, 2013, 06:00 PM
My hair didn't respond positively to baking soda at all; it immediately dried my hair out. Perhaps it took some time before it dried your hair out. But I don't think that would cause the shedding. It's usually something that started 60-90 days ago and could be any number of things, from grief to poor nutrition. Take care of you and your hair will respond.

winship2
June 12th, 2013, 08:10 PM
I'm not really knowledgeable about these things, but you may need a Vitamin D supplement if you haven't been seeing the sun (I'd guess you pretty certainly do), and you already know you should be eating better and treating yourself better. Within reason, you're only going to do good for yourself if you make those changes. As far as the thyroid thing goes, it's my understanding that there are various ways of thinking about thyroid adequacy, and the emphasis can be on TSH, T3, or T4. It might be worth making sure you understand exactly what was tested for and deemed adequate, and whether another way of considering thyroid health would also come back 100%. (This is coming from hearing about a friend's very difficult experience getting her thyroid problems diagnosed and treated.) As you say, between the dryness and shedding, it certainly seems like something is happening. I'm sorry you're going through this, and I wish you good luck in treatment.

jacqueline101
June 12th, 2013, 10:05 PM
I'd say stress is a major factor. I'm speaking from my experience and a change in care routine.

melusine963
June 13th, 2013, 03:14 AM
Have you started oiling your scalp by any chance? This works very well for some people with a dry scalp, but causes a lot of shedding in others.

redsiren
June 13th, 2013, 03:19 AM
Sounds like you could be lacking in Vitamin D?

My thoughts exactly:)

alexis917
June 13th, 2013, 04:18 AM
I agree with trying a Vitamin D supplement.
I never spend much time in the sun, and when I do, I have some serious SPF going on.
Plus, dairy isn't my thing and I'm vegetarian, so it can't hurt to take vitamins.
I take GNC's Green Women's Active- it's like an all-in-one.

Stress wise, I shed a lot when I'm anxious.
When I was prone to panic attacks, I would go to the local Buddhist temple for the group meditations.
Even if you're not religious (like myself) or belong to another religion, it's a very relaxing experience.
If you don't have one near you, just set aside time every day to clear your mind- same principle.

I hope your issue is resolved soon!

Firefox7275
June 13th, 2013, 04:57 AM
Hello LHC! I have been a bit of a lurker on the forums as of late, and haven't really contributed to anything. My hair growing had been going wonderfuly, I was mircotrimming once a month and plodding along quite happily to mid-back.

But more recently my hair has taken a turn for the worst. This past month my hair has been shedding more than I have ever seen in my life, and it's really starting to worry me. At first I ignored it and thought it would stop, but now I can't stand combing my hair as I know I'll be able to see all the hairs that are just falling out in clumps. I have recently had a health scare, but it turned out to be a false alarm, and all my tests have come back 100% fine (it was a possible thyriod/hormonal issue, which could have explained the hair loss).

So now I know from a health perspective nothing is wrong with me, but I still sit here with clumps of hair around me which clearly signals a change. My hair is feeling dry also, and it is starting to feel scarily thin (for me). Is it possible that depression or nutrution could be the possible problem(s) here? I have not been seeing the sun/outside as much as I'd like to these past few months, and have been feeling fairly low, and not eating as well as I used to. I would love to know if some of you believe that this is causing my hair loss, or do you believe this could be just a natural shedding and it will stop? I feel scared, and now understand the stress that some people go through while a shed is happening.

I hope some of you could give me your words of wisdom and help me cope with my shedding!
S x


Nutrient deficiencies are certainly linked to shedding, ditto they are linked to mental health issues. You don't need the sun for bioavailable vitamin D, oily fish is an excellent source, especially herring, pilchards/ sardines and mackerel. Canned oily fish in tomato sauce is great if you are not up to cooking or preparing complex meals, just make a sandwich with wholegrain pitta bread, serve with some canned beans or lentils, mash with some low fat soft cheese (Philadelphia type) and have as fish pate or to stuff a vegetable. Ideally eat the crumbly bones because they are mineral rich.

Oily fish is also an excellent source of long chain omega-3s which are critical in mental wellbeing, complete protein, many other vitamins and minerals which are beneficial to both hair and production of our 'happy hormones'. Supplements do not substitute for a balanced diet - they are intended to supplement it - they work synergistically and in opposition so you can do more harm than good randomly supplementing individual micronutrients or small groups. If you are suffering with anxiety or stress look at your intake of magnesium rich foods - pumpkin seeds are easy, as is very dark low sugar chocolate (cocoa powder is jam packed with nutrients).

Shona
June 16th, 2013, 05:30 AM
Thank you so much everyone for all your help! I have started taking a Vitamin D supplement, and eating better foods. I'm hoping that my heavy shedding will soon come a hault in the near future.

Silverbrumby
June 17th, 2013, 05:05 PM
Did you go off or on birth control recently? It can effect some women with a bout of shedding. Nothing permanent mind you.

Anje
June 17th, 2013, 06:14 PM
Do make sure that your health and eating are sound. Basic, rational supplements generally aren't a bad idea, though they won't make up for a lack of good fats and protein, obviously. If you feel like something is wrong with your health, do continue to pursue it.

All that said, certain things are generally known to increase shedding in many people. Going off hormonal birth control, for one. Stress is another, and it's been pointed out to me on this forum that stress-related shedding trends to strike about 3 months after the stressful event. That held true for me, almost 2 years ago.

Sarahlabyrinth
June 17th, 2013, 06:58 PM
I had a major shed this year 3 months after separating from my husband. Thankfully it has now stopped but it will take a long time to regain my former thickness. Be kind to yourself, eat as well as you can, get some exercise/sun, and see where that takes you.

Silverbrumby
June 17th, 2013, 07:18 PM
I'm sorry SarahL. I also had several stressful events. My two fav. uncles died this year, my beloved pooka (cat) who owned me for 16 years, my mother-in-law and multiple issues with my sons IEP at school and now he's going in for testing at Kaiser Pscy. Dept. Four years ago I had a horrible online/real life stalker issue which caused a massive shed.

Sarahlabyrinth
June 17th, 2013, 07:32 PM
I'm sorry SarahL. I also had several stressful events. My two fav. uncles died this year, my beloved pooka (cat) who owned me for 16 years, my mother-in-law and multiple issues with my sons IEP at school and now he's going in for testing at Kaiser Pscy. Dept. Four years ago I had a horrible online/real life stalker issue which caused a massive shed.

Thank you Silverbrumby. Normally I deal with stress by breaking out in an itchy rash and nosebleeds - I would rather have those than a shed. Shedding is just the worst thing as it takes so long to regain thickness, also when you are in the middle of the shed it feels as though it is never going to stop. I'm sorry for what you had to go through, that is just so awful!

Quahatundightu
June 17th, 2013, 09:57 PM
Just thought I would add since I didn't see anyone else mention it, I had shedding caused by going on / off hormonal birth control. Just another thing to consider for everyone trying to figure out why they are shedding.

az_sweetie01
June 18th, 2013, 08:17 AM
I just wanted to share that stress and nutrition has been a huge factor in hair loss for me. The last 4 years or so have been a bit of a roller coaster for me and I've lost a lot of hair, I believe, through stress. Fish oils and getting adequate vitamin D has been extremely beneficial for me. Best of luck :blossom:!

nobeltonya
June 18th, 2013, 02:34 PM
Stress could be a big issue. Do you oil at all? Or try combing [not brushing] when it's wet.. I do lately in the shower with conditioner and a really wide-tooth shower comb. :disco:

vindo
June 18th, 2013, 04:00 PM
You have received lots of good advice, so I just wanted to add a few things.

- Some people don't make as much Vitamin D as others. My levels were in the lower normal range when I was losing lots of hair, I upped my Vitamin D from 2500 IU over 5000 IU to now 10 000 IU, and it has only gotten me to the normal range (not too high surprisingly) and it decreased my shedding immediately and then stopped after about 3 months.

- Stress means the body can release stress hormones that trigger hair loss. You can double check this by going back 3 months before it started. Were you under lots of stress then?

- Same for nutrition, if you started eating badly about 3 months ago, it might be a factor too. There are many ways of eating unhealthy, but a few are notorious for triggering hair loss. 1. Too little calories, resulting in fast weight loss, 2. Too little carbs, 3. Malnutrition due to a heavily processed diet, heavy in grain products and dairy. The problem with that is that if you eat 70% grains and dairy, you won't get enough vitamins from meat, veggies or fruits!

One last note;
Your hormones can still be off, but the right test was simply not done. Mostly doctors will order a standard test only.
Watch your body for symptoms of hormonal imbalances like acne, fatigue, irregular menses, PMS, new skin problems in general, breast tenderness, hot flashes, joint pains or simply google symptoms.

Was prolactin tested? Very important since it can cause strong shedding.

Vijikanth
June 21st, 2013, 12:56 PM
This exactly is my problem too. past couple of months am dreading to wash my hair. Normal hair combing is bringing out lot of hair. After washing if I comb, I feel so stressed seeing long locks just coming out in clumps. I tried few shampoos. Combinations of conditioners and shampoos. Still no effect. It was pathetic. Usually I have heard people saying stress causes hair loss. But my hair loss is causing lot of stress for me. Previously also there was hair loss. But the volume of hair coming out is alarming. I almost thought of going short again. I can see am gaining length. But losing thickness. No way am going for a compromise for length with thickness. Basically am very comfortable with my hair routine and eating habits. I lead a stress free life. this hair loss is seriously the only stress now...:(

PolarCathy
June 21st, 2013, 12:59 PM
I recommend garlic pills or garlic conditioner. Also raw tomato juice stops shedding instantly (meaning the first time you use it as a hair pack then rinse it out) except for most people it comes back after a few days... but you could give it a try.

Vijikanth
June 22nd, 2013, 09:38 AM
I read a post about Fenugreek seeds. Soak a table spoon of it in water over nite and and drink the water for a month. It helps with shedding. Also the paste made of Fenugreek can be applied to the hair and scalp which is a good conditioner. And help0s in re growing of the hair. I have just started these. Hope I gain more thickness. Am really really stressed seeing all my long hair coming out. Am past 3 years. Cant afford to lose this much..

natural_shine
June 24th, 2013, 07:05 AM
1-eat lots of meat, the best for hair is fish. Make sure you eat lots of it.

2-eat fruits. and vegetables, they help too, but fruits help the most (this I've noticed on mysels)... especially bananas and pineapple.

3-high quality salmon oil capsules. The kind made out of wild alaskan salmon. It's better than other kind of fish oil capsules. Stops hair fall within a day and f you take them long term, they promote a lot of new hair growth too.

tigereye
June 24th, 2013, 07:25 AM
Stress for me too. Mind you, could be the lack of vitamin D too. I usually get stressed in winter since its mid-year, winter exams and end and start of a semester, so my vitamin D from sun-exposure also its lowest at that time of year, especially with being fairly far north in wet old Scotland.

EDIT: Also, I'm über-sensitive to SLS, to the point that my dandruff and dry, itchy-scalp (which I'd had for years) suddenly turned nasty and my scalp started scabbing where I was itching and my hair shed massively. After a couple of weeks of SLS- and cone-free, the shedding stopped and my scalp totally healed up.
Another thing is that my scalp hates is oil. It doesn't produce a lot naturally and hates anything else. When I coconut oil, I only ever do it from about half-way down my neck, down.
Baking soda is also really harsh. I don't know if it would cause shedding though.