HELP hair loss :(

[jnnfrch]

So I've lost around 2/3 to 75% of my hair now and I'm really starting to become fearful that this is something I'll just have to live with..

My doctor diagnosed me with Telogen Effluvium last year, my hair has started thinning and falling out since around August 2013, which she attributed to severe stress. My ferritin levels are also 33ng/mL which she said is within the normal range but I could do with getting it higher for my hair. My hair's breaking a lot more easily too and is generally just a shadow of it's former self; it's really starting to make me low and panic (I suffer with anxiety and depression already)

Has anyone experienced something similar or have any advice???

I'd really appreciate your help!

Jennifer

[Madora]

Sorry you are experiencing such stress, jnnfrch. Here is a link to the hairloss thread: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1124&highlight=Telogen+Effluvium

Good luck! Also, for what it's worth, you might want to double check how gently you use your comb (and your brush..if you use them).

[Panth]

Has your doctor just checked your iron levels, or have they also run a full panel of tests? Common causes of hair loss include deficiencies in iron, B12 or vitamin D and/or incorrect levels of thyroid and/or sex hormones. Getting all of these checked out would be a good first step.

Otherwise, have you any scalp conditions - itching? dandruff? etc. If you have any of these symptoms, you may have a scalp condition that can cause hair loss. Again, correct diagnosis and treatment by your doctor is essential, although we can give you some tips for treating and managing the more common scalp conditions.

Stress, unfortunately, can cause hair loss. You can attempt to alleviate this, though the methods will depend on the cause. Counselling, meditation, mindfulness technique, positive thought patterns can all be helpful, as can massage or just finding something enjoyable to do (e.g. a hobby or sport). Proper treatment of any mental (or physical) health conditions is key. A good diet, regular moderate exercise and a healthy sleep pattern will also likely be helpful.

Other than that, I think we'd need more specifics to be able to suggest things.

[Annalouise]

I'm so sorry for you.:flower: It's horrible losing hair I should know I have less hair than you.
I hadn't heard of your condition until now but webmd said that it could be triggered by diet, stress, surgery or anti-depressant medication.
And also by toxic exposure.

The thing I do about my thinning hair is I don't use any chemicals or detergents on it as this will dry out the little hair you have and it can also
irritate your skin and also these things are absorbed into the bloodstream. Your skin is your largest organ. (So that means choosing products that have natural ingredients that won't contribute to a toxic overload in your system if in fact, your liver is compromised and not processing toxins the way it should.)

You will have to pay attention to medications you are on. And I would either take a multi vitamin/mineral or I would speak to your doctor (if your the sort of person who goes to doctors) about blood tests and possibly supplementing.

I don't think there is a helluva lot a person can do when their hair starts thinning except try and figure out if anything is contributing to it (environmental toxins) or if there are nutritional defficiencies or medical conditions that are undiagnosed or untreated.

Also, its always wise to stay away from people who make you feel bad or who harm you emotionally or psychologically. This weakens the immune system as well.

Try to stay positive and hopefully it will pass. Be careful what you are putting on your skin.

About depression you should also try and find the root cause. Undiagnosed Celiac Disease causes mental illness.
As well there are other medical conditions that will lead to depression if not treated.

Good luck. And stay positive.

I've had hair loss and it could have been related to surgery for me and disease, as well as having envirnonmental illness or MCS.
And I had depression prior to being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
And STRESS is definitely a factor if you have any 'toxic relationships' in your life. Sometimes you have to x people out of your life if they
cause you too much stress so much so that your health is adversely affected. It's easier said than done I know.

And one other thing - keep your scalp CLEAN!!!! Don't let oils build up or dead skin. Don't put product on your scalp and leave it there. Just keep it clean as this is the best for the hair follicles.

And probably, last but not least, minimize mechanical manipulation of your hairs if they are prone to falling out
you don't want to encourage that by yanking on your hair with combs or brushes. It'll just make it come out more.

Just leave your hair alone if you can manage it.

[lapushka]

I experienced horrible hair loss when going through puberty. I expect something was going on with my hormone levels. I wouldn't know. But my hair came out in clumps and I even got bald patches. My mom got me a lotion from the pharmacist and some hair/vitamin pills. It straightened itself out in about a year. But that was puberty... I'm not sure what might be going on, but as Panth said, it's good to get a full doctor's check, a thorough one!

[jnnfrch]

Thanks for all your replies, it really is appreciated..

Panth: Thanks for your advice, I've had an all round blood test and everything else was fine, I was just low on Vitamin D and my ferritin levels were 33ng/mL, I've read they're supposed to be above 70???

My scalp is sometimes a little itchy and I don't really suffer from dandruff, maybe the odd little bit because its obvious (as my hair is dark brunette), my doctor has looked at my scalp and says it looks normal but won't refer me to a dermatologist/trichologist (and ive been to and asked 3 doctors about this: they all concur)

I'm having Cognitive Behavioural Therapy atm for the depression/anxiety/stress (ive had counselling before and i personally found it a bit useless) so hopefully thats a start on fixing the root of the cause..

Let me know if i can provide any more specifics too!

Annalouise: Thanks for sharing, I hope your hair is either at bay or on the mend! I'm not on any medication at the moment because I have had pretty bad reactions and bad side effects and I worry about the chemicals I put into my body.

What do you use to keep your scalp clean that isn't too processed???

I definitely need to start 2015 afresh I think with a "cull" of the bad in my life, people included.. :S scary..

Thanks for your advice

Lapushka: Thanks for replying! What lotion and pills did your mum get you?? Do you think they worked or did you change other elements of your lifestyle???

[lapushka]

Lapushka: Thanks for replying! What lotion and pills did your mum get you?? Do you think they worked or did you change other elements of your lifestyle???

I think what she got me didn't hurt, but the ultimate thing was... you know, hormones. I was extremely lucky, I think, that it turned around on its own, and I do think it did turn around on its own. The lotion's name I actually don't remember. This was almost 3 decades ago. But the vitamins were called "Pil Food".

[Annalouise]

Thanks for all your replies, it really is appreciated...

Annalouise: Thanks for sharing, I hope your hair is either at bay or on the mend! I'm not on any medication at the moment because I have had pretty bad reactions and bad side effects and I worry about the chemicals I put into my body.

What do you use to keep your scalp clean that isn't too processed???

I definitely need to start 2015 afresh I think with a "cull" of the bad in my life, people included.. :S scary..

Thanks for your advice



Well, to get through the bad MCS times I used Dr. Bronners peppermint liquid soap diluted in an herbal tea that I made. But I did get soap buildup as I have hard water so that is not an optimal routine unless you have soft water and follow with a tea rinse or vinegar rinse.
Now I use Aubrey's Organics shampoo's & conditioners. They are my 'go-to' for non-chemical products.
I used to be a cashier in a healthfood store and I would have ladies tell me how Aubrey's organics products helped them to grow their hair back after a massive shedding. I know it works for people who have health issues.
You don't have to use that brand though, there are many natural products with a soap based (versus detergent) cleanser that are gentle for people with thinning issues. I can give you more brands if you want options.

I did cognitive behavioral therapy when I was depressed too. I also had very adverse reactions to anti-depressants. Like the kind mentioned in the commercials: "this can also cause sudden death or heart attacks"...! lol Who on earth wants to take something that could kill them? Anyways...

[Panth]

Panth: Thanks for your advice, I've had an all round blood test and everything else was fine, I was just low on Vitamin D and my ferritin levels were 33ng/mL, I've read they're supposed to be above 70???

My scalp is sometimes a little itchy and I don't really suffer from dandruff, maybe the odd little bit because its obvious (as my hair is dark brunette), my doctor has looked at my scalp and says it looks normal but won't refer me to a dermatologist/trichologist (and ive been to and asked 3 doctors about this: they all concur)

I'm having Cognitive Behavioural Therapy atm for the depression/anxiety/stress (ive had counselling before and i personally found it a bit useless) so hopefully thats a start on fixing the root of the cause..

Let me know if i can provide any more specifics too!

Ok, if it was me I'd ask the doctor to prescribe supplements for both iron and vitamin D. You're unlikely to overdose on the latter and you need quite a lot to even begin to risk overdosing on the former. However, both low iron and low vitamin D can cause hair loss. Equally, low iron can affect your mood (as can low B12, if you have that).

Re. depression/anxiety/stress. Yeah, that's a difficult one. Counselling, IMO, varies wildly depending on your counsellor and yes, if they are not good or if you don't gel well with them then it can be pretty useless. I know many people find CBT good, so hopefully you'll find that helpful. Otherwise, my personal recommendations are to try to find some friends/family to talk to if at all possible - kind, supportive people who you trust. Try to eat properly and sleep well as this can affect your mood. Some people find regular moderate exercise to be very helpful. Otherwise, like I said -- hobbies. Probably you really don't feel up to that, but just having something regular, with like-minded people, a safe conversation topic, something to distract you and give you something positive to think about. It can be really valuable.