HELP!!!!!!! Hair thinning, need any advice!

[BonnieRay]

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am 28 years old and have had super long hair for years. It is down to my butt and I had a LOT of it. As of late (first noticed on the 29th of May) it seems a hell of a lot thinner. It's really scaring me! I haven't tried anything different or anything but my head which is usually heavy from the length and weight of my hair is no longer heavy and the headaches I was no stranger to due to heaviness has ceased. I went to a doctor to get my thyroid checked and just got my results back and my thyroid and everything including my b12 levels are fine. I really am depressed over this. I'm OBSESSED with hair and take really good care of it to make sure none of this happened. What can be the cause? It is also not hereditary on either side of my family. In fact my father who is 65 has more hair than anyone I've seen in my life. I thought it could have possibly been a side effect of chondroitin which is a supplement that has been known to cause hair loss but I asked two doctors and given that I only taken them 10 times and products that can cause hair loss has to be used for months to cause it and the fact that it's a very clean supplement and that I didn't take enough of it that it wasn't the cause (doctors words) Here's some more information to help rule out other possible causes

I only wash it once a week because using dry shampoo on it between days 3-7 to keep it looking clean

I only use hear tools (dyer and straightener) on the day I was my hair, and rarely ever in the summer

I do not wear my hair in tight ponytails ever because it looks awful on me plus it's not good for your hair

I've been taking ultra biotin 10,000 mcg, super B complex for over a year or two now and the biotin has always helped with the growth immensely. A few days ago I added bamboo silica and MSM to my regimen because I've heard it works wonders

I use prell shampoo to get out the dry shampoo and such when I wash my hair and then either dove or john Frieda shampoo and conditioner which I've never had a problem with either

I use its a 10 miracle silk leave in conditioner with sunsilk hydra tlc 24/7 leave in, it's a 10 silk smoothing balm and aveda damage remedy on my hair when I wash it

I NEVER EVER put conditioner or any of my leave in conditioning products on my roots at all

I use a thermal heat protector when I use my heat tools (kqc thermal heat protector)

I've been on the birth control tri sprintec for 5 years with no problem so I don't think it's from that

Here's a few questions. Is it possible that stopping biotin can cause hair loss? I stopped taking it (not all together) but a few days I'd skip it for about a week or two but then started taking it again

Is seasonal hair loss a real thing? I feel like this happened so suddenly unless it just took me a while to notice but i feel like it happened in the course of a week. If it is does it cause hair to feel thinner and does it get thicker again? Any information would be appreciated

Could it have been from aspartame? I've been drinking coke zero for 7 years and recently stopped seeing it could cause hair loss

Is it possible to be imagining it? Can your mind trick you into thinking it's worse than it is if you constantly stress over it?

All of this stress can not be helping it at all I've just never had this problem and have no idea what to do.

can anyone tell me anything about MSM and silica? Have you used it? What are the results. Any and any information and those supplements or what could possibly be causing hair loss PLEASE let me know

[lapushka]

I thought it could have possibly been a side effect of chondroitin which is a supplement that has been known to cause hair loss but I asked two doctors and given that I only taken them 10 times and products that can cause hair loss has to be used for months to cause it and the fact that it's a very clean supplement and that I didn't take enough of it that it wasn't the cause (doctors words) Here's some more information to help rule out other possible causes

I take chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine for my joints as well - I have noticed no hair loss from it.

If I were you I'd lay off the biotin. What you're taking is *way* too much. You are overdosing on it.

And yes seasonal hair loss is a *thing*. It is real, I have mine in spring and fall. Mostly in fall. But overall it shouldn't thin out your hair. By the time you notice significant thinning (have you ever kept an eye on your ponytail circumference - that might put your mind at ease), you have lost more than a week's worth added shedding.

[gthlvrmx]

Here is a link about the biotin: http://igorsbelltower.blogspot.com/p/infamous-biotin-rant.html
I used to take biotin as well, but I might have been taking the largest amount I could find which is not best. We get most of our biotin from the food we eat so there is no need to add more to your body. Have you tried measuring your ponytail circumference? If you measure it once and then wait a few weeks and measure it again after you feel you shed more, maybe you can see a difference in thickness. I don't advise to measure your circumference often, though, because sometimes people get over worried over the numbers that change for different reasons.
For the heat tools, even if you use the a protector, the heat will cause damage which can lead to breakage. Yes, you also might be noticing your hair thickness more by worrying about it, but if you feel it's an issue, speak to a dermatologist or doctor. I am unsure which would be best, but I am assuming a dermatologist can help.

[BonnieRay]

I haven't measured it just because I know I will obsess over it until the point of insanity. I haven't seen any more hair loss than usual which is odd it just lost its bulk. I don't have any bald spots but I definitely feel like it's thinner. or a lot less heavy. Will stopping booting cause more to fall out? Should that be done gradually or all at once?

[lapushka]

I'd stop the biotin *right* away. It's not a medicine you need to wean off of. And what you're taking is WAY too much, so stopping it is going to be nothing more than beneficial.

[BonnieRay]

Thank you so much!!!! I'm shocked because of how much it made my hair grow �� I also had to pluck my eyebrows and shave so much more too ugh but what about the silica and MSM? Any recommendations??

[lapushka]

If you're not deficient in anything (proof of that is your recent bloodwork), then you don't need to take *anything*. It's all money down the drain, honestly. :flower:

[Lindenare]

It's all money down the drain, honestly. :flower:

Literally. If you're taking more than you need it's excreted in your urine.

[BonnieRay]

So could biotin be causing the hair loss? I'm convinced I'm going to wake up bald. It's driving me crazy :(

[flickm]

Is it possible some of your hair has simply reached its terminal length and the end of its life? Is there new growth at the top? I'm wildly guessing here as have never reached full length (whatever that is on me). Or have you had a period of stress or lack of sleep in the past. This happened to me, and it took some months to affect my hair, but it did thin considerably.

As an aside, do you think a few inches shorter anyway would be advisable if you've been getting headaches from its weight? It doesnt seem right to me to sacrifice health and comfort to your hair, no matter how beautiful it looks.

[floraflowerpowe]

I suffered from hairloss recently as well and someone told me it could be caused by something that happened 3 months back. So did you have anything stressfull around 3 months back? Also someone recommended me using a shampoo bar and after one use my massive shedding stopped.

I hope you find what's causing your hairloss soon, as I know how stressfull losing hair can be :flower:

[nalgena]

I had massive hair shed for about 4 months recently. In my case, it was caused by stress. I had moved to another continent (change of climate, food, water, etc.), had troubles finding a job, broken up with my bf and had an inadequate diet. And yes, it started 3 months after I had moved. I was loosing hair like crazy, but luckily it stopped after 4 months.

Now, my hair looks a bit thin and I had to cut off a few inches because my ends looked very thinned. I have tons of baby hair and it looks funny, but I'm happy it's growing back. I think best thing for you is not stress about it (I know it's easier said than done) and eat a healthy diet. If the doctor said everything is ok, it should eventually stop and start growing back. I know it might be devastating (I was crying a couple of times when it happened to me), but remember, it just hair at the end of the day. It will grow back.

[M-L-E]

I take silica and used to take it with MSM. I didn't notice any shedding when I stopped taking MSM... But could it be possible that if something speeds up your hair growth, then the individual hairs reach their terminal length quicker, thus making shedding more noticeable? (Does that make sense to anyone?!) Just a theory...

[tigereye]

My first reaction is: stress. Every year of university, I'd shed like crazy around exam time. In addition to the massive shed from medication Id been on last year, my hair is now much thinner than it used to be (I lost more than an inch off my circumference last year from medication, which worked out to around 35% loss in area. My sheds from stress is usually more minor but still noticable)
In addition, not using sulphates has made my hair much less fluffy and less dry, which made it feel thinner, even when my circumference was the same as it was before.
Overdosing on anything is not good. I'd stop taking any supplements at all and wait a couple of months to get an idea of whether new hairs are growing in

[Pamala513]

I had massive hair loss for a year and half, it turned out my ferritin level was too low. Have you had yours and your thyroid tested?

[vpatt]

I suffered from hairloss recently as well and someone told me it could be caused by something that happened 3 months back. So did you have anything stressfull around 3 months back? Also someone recommended me using a shampoo bar and after one use my massive shedding stopped.

I hope you find what's causing your hairloss soon, as I know how stressfull losing hair can be :flower:

Yes, this. The stress does not have to be emotional. It could be a diet change. I had this after an extended fast. I fasted for other health reasons and then lost bunches of hair. I cried everyday which I am sure made it worse. The good thing is that it grows back. My head is full of new hair now. The ferratin (iron) loss is usually from diet, also. After I read about it and realized it should regrow I stopped worrying so much and it finally began coming back. My friend had the same thing from a diet and her doc gave her iron pills. I started on a super healthy diet (AIP) and now all is well.

Edit: I didn't mean you couldn't have chronic iron issues.....or other causes besides diet....but the diet thing is what I know about personally. And it typically starts a month or longer after the change.

[Panth]

I agree with everyone else:

1) You're overdosing with the biotin and at best you're wasting money, at worst you're damaging your kidneys. The best thing would be to immediately stop taking it. And no, that shouldn't cause a shed - the way the whole biotin myth started is because biotin deficiency can (not will) cause hairloss. You are not deficient (proof = bloodwork). Extra biotin does not cause extra hairgrowth. Nutrition doesn't work that way. Going from a biotin overdose to a normal level of biotin will not cause hairloss.

2) The most likely cause for the hairloss is stress, given your list. That includes any form of stress, mental (e.g. depression, anxiety, moving house, bereavement, breaking up with a partner, exams, job loss, etc.) or physical (e.g. calorie-deficient diet, macronutrient-deficient diet, micronutrient-deficient diet, surgery, illness (even just bad flu), etc.). Typically, the shed starts about 3 months after the stress happened/started, because it takes 3 months for a hair follicle to cycle from "stopped growing" to "shed out old hair".

3) The heat usage is going to bite you sooner or later. The hair dryer is probably fine (unless you use it so hot that it is uncomfortable to blow at your skin from the same distance). The straighteners are another thing entirely. Heat protectants, IMO, do very little except mask the damage (as they're usually full of patch-repair ingredients like 'cones). Sooner or later the damage will reach critical levels and your hair will start to show it. The trouble is, the only fix for that is scissors.

~~~

Other possibility: do you have any scalp conditions? Itchy? Dandruff? Eczema? Psoriasis? Etc.? That's another possible cause and not one that you've ruled out with your (very extensive and helpful!) list.

[lapushka]

3) The heat usage is going to bite you sooner or later. The hair dryer is probably fine (unless you use it so hot that it is uncomfortable to blow at your skin from the same distance). The straighteners are another thing entirely. Heat protectants, IMO, do very little except mask the damage (as they're usually full of patch-repair ingredients like 'cones). Sooner or later the damage will reach critical levels and your hair will start to show it. The trouble is, the only fix for that is scissors.

Yes, check your hair for white dots in the middle or low-end of the strand. If there are some, that's from the straightener/iron and that means a breakage point. You need to snip off (S&D) every hair above that dot. If half your hair has them, you're better with a trim, as the S&D will thin out your hair far too much. But if you have them, you have breakage, and that is another reason hair might be thinning. I do hope it's not that. Because it's awful to go through!

[BonnieRay]

I would like to just say thank you to everyone for you're insight and responses. It really did help put my mind at ease and worry less.

I am very very anxiety prone. It's bad I can overthink myself into a circle about the smallest things. Hair loss has always been my biggest fear though so this is hitting me hard. My hair for me was a bit of a security blanket which may be ridiculous I know but is has me so upset I don't even want to touch it because of how much I'll scrutinize examine and count every hair that falls out. I've been keeping it in a low bun to keep it out of my face and off of my mind. Again I know it's just hair but if we could chose what we worried about anxiety wouldn't exist right? �� I feel like if it's from stress it really could be from anything since I'm a worrier, especially if it can take months for it to happen.

To the question if there are baby hairs, I do have shorter hairs sticking off the top of my head so maybe that's a good sign. My hair grows incredibly fast. I have this grey patch of hair I had since I was 16 that started out as 3 little hairs the grew and expanded over the years. I jumped ship on hair dye long ago (virgin hair again! woo!) so my remedy for them was to pull them out and fill in the little bald spot with eyeshadow. I would have to do this every 1 to 2 weeks tops that's how fast they grow, not only would they be noticeable but they are actually long. Due to the thinning I haven't plucked them out in about 3 weeks and they now stand up through my hair and are very noticeable they have to be almost if not a half an inch long now so I DO know my hair is actually growing. Once it's long enough I'll just grab a foil and just for men just the grey patch ��

I am due for a trim soon so hopefully even the inch I'll cut off will help improve the thickness. Maybe longer hair just feels thinner? I keep looking for excuses but my hair is definitely less bulky.

I also do not have any skin conditions that affect the scalp. I don't get dandruff very often but when I do I just use the medicated head and shoulders and that usually takes it away quickly.

Thanks again!! and fingers crossed my mind is making me think it's worse than it is!

[nalgena]

Have you looked at your hair that have fallen out (from your brush for example)? If there's a bulb at the end it means that the has fallen out because it has reached the end of its telogen phase, ie end of its life cycle. It means that your hair will grow back. If there's no bulb it might be something else and you should see a dermatologist.

[lapushka]

Have you looked at your hair that have fallen out (from your brush for example)? If there's a bulb at the end it means that the has fallen out because it has reached the end of its telogen phase, ie end of its life cycle. It means that your hair will grow back. If there's no bulb it might be something else and you should see a dermatologist.

If there's no bulb (sometimes it happens to even hairs that have fallen out normally - no bulb) then it might be breakage. That's why I asked you to look at your hair up closely to check for white dots.

[BonnieRay]

After inspecting my hair brushes I've noticed that most of the hairs in them have a tiny little white ball at the end of them!

[nalgena]

If there's no bulb (sometimes it happens to even hairs that have fallen out normally - no bulb) then it might be breakage. That's why I asked you to look at your hair up closely to check for white dots.

true, I forgot about that option.

BonnieRaym u can read more about it here: http://www.dermnetnz.org/hair-nails-sweat/hair-loss.html

[nalgena]

If there's no bulb (sometimes it happens to even hairs that have fallen out normally - no bulb) then it might be breakage. That's why I asked you to look at your hair up closely to check for white dots.

true, I forgot about that option.

BonnieRay, u can read more about it here: http://www.dermnetnz.org/hair-nails-sweat/hair-loss.html

[BonnieRay]

Another question, can hair texture change over time? Is it possible my hair is that much smoother that it just FEELS thinner with less body?

[elsieivy]

Another question, can hair texture change over time? Is it possible my hair is that much smoother that it just FEELS thinner with less body?

I think that's definitely a possibility. Sometimes hair texture changes on it's own and sometimes a product like a conditioner with more slip or something can change the texture and make hair seem a bit thinner.

[BonnieRay]

I think that's definitely a possibility. Sometimes hair texture changes on it's own and sometimes a product like a conditioner with more slip or something can change the texture and make hair seem a bit thinner.

The one thing I can think of that could cause that is the newest leave in conditioner. It's damage remedy from aveda. My hair isn't damaged at all I just asked the women if I could use it as a preventative measure which she said was fine. It does make your hair SUPER soft. Perhaps since i started using it in March it just made it overly soft. I hope so!

[flickm]

The one thing I can think of that could cause that is the newest leave in conditioner. It's damage remedy from aveda. My hair isn't damaged at all I just asked the women if I could use it as a preventative measure which she said was fine. It does make your hair SUPER soft. Perhaps since i started using it in March it just made it overly soft. I hope so!
Z
If I oil my hair, it looks and feels really thin, though it isn't, so a heavy conditioner would probably be the same. I'm not sure if that would interfere with actual measurements though.

[mamaherrera]

I have been traumatized and know what you are going through. And my worry is the same and stress, I have drank diet soda many more years than you, so I don't think it' s just that. .. there are lots of myths about that. But. . . I too, tell my husband, it doesn't feel heavy any more, the strands are still coarse, but like there's less of them or I don't know, like the texture has changed. My part is wider than many people but it's the same throughout my head. I had low ferritin and my dermatologist thought nothing of it so I don't do iron just because there's no one willing to monitor me. I don't shed a lot either, less than 100, but like 50-80 per day. The only thing that bothers me is I notice lots of "thin" hairs growing out of my head that don't grow much longer than 3-4 inches, and looking at the link someone posted on here, that is one way, and one of the worst ways to have hairloss, is that the hairs transition into vellus hairs. But what calms me down, is that my children also have those. Maybe it is the chronic stress that has our scalp/hair follicles inflammed all the time, because we sound very much alike. My husband my hair looks the same to him, but it's my own feel/memories of my hair before that don't have my 100% sure I'm ok. I hope we get through these rough times, of unexplained/not for sure hairloss.

[flickm]

I have been traumatized and know what you are going through. And my worry is the same and stress, I have drank diet soda many more years than you, so I don't think it' s just that. .. there are lots of myths about that. But. . . I too, tell my husband, it doesn't feel heavy any more, the strands are still coarse, but like there's less of them or I don't know, like the texture has changed. My part is wider than many people but it's the same throughout my head. I had low ferritin and my dermatologist thought nothing of it so I don't do iron just because there's no one willing to monitor me. I don't shed a lot either, less than 100, but like 50-80 per day. The only thing that bothers me is I notice lots of "thin" hairs growing out of my head that don't grow much longer than 3-4 inches, and looking at the link someone posted on here, that is one way, and one of the worst ways to have hairloss, is that the hairs transition into vellus hairs. But what calms me down, is that my children also have those. Maybe it is the chronic stress that has our scalp/hair follicles inflammed all the time, because we sound very much alike. My husband my hair looks the same to him, but it's my own feel/memories of my hair before that don't have my 100% sure I'm ok. I hope we get through these rough times, of unexplained/not for sure hairloss.

You will get through it. Mine had all the things you say, including hairs being thinner - and I've read somewhere that that's part of stress thinning. Mine is recovering, lots of new hairs and thicker hairs too. i was so run down with stress and sleep deprivation. My hair still looked thick to other people, but was way thinner than before - like I could feel it in my hands, just so light and skimpy compared with before. I did take a course of natural iron and vitamins (Floradix), but it's very gentle and not likely to unbalance you. It certainly seems to have helped.

[BonnieRay]

I know exactly what you mean. A few people tell me it looks the same others ask why it's thinner only if I ask them so I don't know if it's because I brought it up or that they genuinely notice but I KNOW that it feels different and it kills me. It drives me crazy because I never noticed an increased loss of hair loss or shedding its just one day I felt it, on my birthday no less :(, so I can't figure out what's happening. I'm couldn't get in contact with my doctor yesterday since I need a referral but once I do I'm going to a dermatologist. What makes it worse is when people say "it's just hair" or "it's not serious" "don't let it bother you" "there's so many worse things that can happen to someone". That's such an awful thing to say. I wish I couldn't stress over it but it is literally consuming my thoughts and fear it's going to get even worse. I compromised with myself and said i would be able to deal with it if I find out it will grow back to try to put my mind at ease. If not I have no idea what to do :( I hope all is well with you and I hope you're situation gets better I know how devastating this is :(

[Wusel]

I know exactly what you mean. A few people tell me it looks the same others ask why it's thinner only if I ask them so I don't know if it's because I brought it up or that they genuinely notice but I KNOW that it feels different and it kills me. It drives me crazy because I never noticed an increased loss of hair loss or shedding its just one day I felt it, on my birthday no less :(, so I can't figure out what's happening. I'm couldn't get in contact with my doctor yesterday since I need a referral but once I do I'm going to a dermatologist. What makes it worse is when people say "it's just hair" or "it's not serious" "don't let it bother you" "there's so many worse things that can happen to someone". That's such an awful thing to say. I wish I couldn't stress over it but it is literally consuming my thoughts and fear it's going to get even worse. I compromised with myself and said i would be able to deal with it if I find out it will grow back to try to put my mind at ease. If not I have no idea what to do :( I hope all is well with you and I hope you're situation gets better I know how devastating this is :(

I know... I'd really enjoy to kick everyone in the face who says something like: It's just hair or (what I ABSOLUTELY HATE!!!) "there's so many worse things, blah, blah, blah...". Sorry, makes me mad and aggressive even think about someone say this.
Hair is a part of the body and loosing a part of the body or watching it disappear slowly is HORRID!
What I mean is, I know exactly how you feel. I've gone through many bad shedding phases and it made me so sad and depressed...
I have seasonal hair loss now and I count the fallen out hairs every day after combing. I'm under 100 hairs per day so I'm fine with this but I'm so sad about every hair I loose. And I touch my ponytail every day 50 times to see if it's not gotten thinner. And I make photos of my braid several times a week to compare pictures and see if it looks the same and not thinner... I'm obsessed. But I'm like you and my hair is the most important part of my body. I don't care about pimples or cellulite or saggy boobs. I love my hair and I want to keep it thick like it is.

[BonnieRay]

I know... I'd really enjoy to kick everyone in the face who says something like: It's just hair or (what I ABSOLUTELY HATE!!!) "there's so many worse things, blah, blah, blah...". Sorry, makes me mad and aggressive even think about someone say this.
Hair is a part of the body and loosing a part of the body or watching it disappear slowly is HORRID!
What I mean is, I know exactly how you feel. I've gone through many bad shedding phases and it made me so sad and depressed...
I have seasonal hair loss now and I count the fallen out hairs every day after combing. I'm under 100 hairs per day so I'm fine with this but I'm so sad about every hair I loose. And I touch my ponytail every day 50 times to see if it's not gotten thinner. And I make photos of my braid several times a week to compare pictures and see if it looks the same and not thinner... I'm obsessed. But I'm like you and my hair is the most important part of my body. I don't care about pimples or cellulite or saggy boobs. I love my hair and I want to keep it thick like it is.

THANK YOU!!!!!!! That is me every day. Staring at it comparing pics feeling the ponytail etc. I've actually been keeping it in a bun and I rarely touch it or look at myself in the mirror because it's becoming obsessive. May I ask, did the shedding cause a noticeable thinning? Has it returned to normal between shedding stages?

[alexis917]

Why are you shampooing twice, with harsh products, and using heat on wash day? I suggest you switch to a gentler shampoo, and only use it on the scalp. Once. You may also want to lay off the heat. At least reduce it to once or twice a month?

I would also like to point out that, unless you have a deficiency, that many supplements is overkill. You're just going to have really expensive urine.

[MsBubbles]

Some other considerations:

- Do you think this is a hair 'shed', as in you are noticing a lot of hairs coming out during washing and combing? If so, barring health issues, which you are already looking into, it could be just a regular shed (happens to me every 6 years or so). Shedding lasts about a month, it all grows back within a year or two, length included (because the nape hairs have a head start!). If it's a periodic shed, it could also be as a result of trauma 3-4 months ago. Did you go through surgery or an awful shock/event 3-4 months ago? If so, you'll likely shed for about 2-4 weeks, then it'll all go back to normal and new hairs will start growing in.

- What is your hair type? Is it coarse? Fine?

- What is your family hair heredity, specifically with females in your family? Any general thinning among the older females in your family (Mother, Aunts, Grandmothers, etc.)?

[Wusel]

THANK YOU!!!!!!! That is me every day. Staring at it comparing pics feeling the ponytail etc. I've actually been keeping it in a bun and I rarely touch it or look at myself in the mirror because it's becoming obsessive. May I ask, did the shedding cause a noticeable thinning? Has it returned to normal between shedding stages?

No. It never caused a really noticeable thinning. Not for other people. Nobody noticed. And it always grew back and returned to same thickness as before shedding.

[BonnieRay]

Some other considerations:

- Do you think this is a hair 'shed', as in you are noticing a lot of hairs coming out during washing and combing? If so, barring health issues, which you are already looking into, it could be just a regular shed (happens to me every 6 years or so). Shedding lasts about a month, it all grows back within a year or two, length included (because the nape hairs have a head start!). If it's a periodic shed, it could also be as a result of trauma 3-4 months ago. Did you go through surgery or an awful shock/event 3-4 months ago? If so, you'll likely shed for about 2-4 weeks, then it'll all go back to normal and new hairs will start growing in.

- What is your hair type? Is it coarse? Fine?

- What is your family hair heredity, specifically with females in your family? Any general thinning among the older females in your family (Mother, Aunts, Grandmothers, etc.)?

Being that I only wash my hair once a week, it wasn't crazy for me to Notice "a lot" or hair in the shower. It wasn't even too much. It was 7 days work of shedding being washed off at once but it never scared me because I knew that's what it was from. It's been this way for years. I haven't really even noticed an increase of hair loss with my thinning which is odd. There's wasn't more coming off my head or in the shower or in the brushes on my pillow etc. I noticed it very suddenly. It also seems a whole lot smoother than before. I never had dry or crazy hair but it's increasingly more silky

My hair I would say is normal? It's not course or fine, but there always was a whole lot of it.

Hair loss doesn't run in either side of my family. Out of all my aunts and uncles, parents grandparents and cousins, none have baldness or hair loss issues. Gray hair on the other hand hahaha it strikes on both sides at a very young age. My mother has always had very thin fine hair. My brother has very VERY course thick hair, my father has the most hair of anyone I've ever seen in my life thick wavy and a whole bunch of it at the age 65.

[missrandie]

It could very well be a texture change then. My mom went through the same thing, but backwards. She has always had really fine hair of average thickness, and when her grays finally started going gangbusters she noticed that her hair was fuller and thicker than ever before.. because her silvers are a totally different texture.

And silky is a very good thing :)

[furnival]

If you haven't been losing more hair than usual, it's not a shed. I'd put my money on it being something you're using on your hair. If I use too heavy a conditioner or get buildup, my hair gets stringy and feels loads thinner. If I clarify, it feels all big and poofy again.

I don't know what the long-term use of straighteners might do to your hair, having never used them, but I assume it isn't good.

[meteor]

If you haven't been losing more hair than usual, it's not a shed. I'd put my money on it being something you're using on your hair. If I use too heavy a conditioner or get buildup, my hair gets stringy and feels loads thinner. If I clarify, it feels all big and poofy again.

I don't know what the long-term use of straighteners might do to your hair, having never used them, but I assume it isn't good.

I agree. :agree: Build-up can definitely do it. Using a lot of silicones, oils and generally lots of heavy, intense conditioners without clarifying can make hair feel lank. FWIW, the way my thickness feels depending on which products I use can certainly vary a lot, even depending on humidity.

If you didn't experience a shed, there are no bald patches, and your blood work results came in all good and your doctor has looked at the issue and thinks it's fine, it's quite possible that it's just that cosmetic, smoothing effect from products (especially conditioning and styling ones). Maybe changing up products can re-set things a bit? Can you try clarifying to see if the thickness feels different? :flower: And measuring ponytail thickness can help identify if there is a problem.

Heat-styling (especially if done on very high heat and frequently) is damaging to hair and can cause breakage. I'd transition to heat-free hair-styling, e.g. wet-setting techniques like hair wrapping, damp-braiding/bunning, etc. :flower:

I'm very sorry you are going through this. :( :grouphug: I really hope that it will get much better! And hopefully, it's false alarm and your your thickness hasn't suffered. :)

[BonnieRay]

I really hope it's in my head! I haven't used heat or deep conditioners for a month now. Can anyone recommend a clarifying shampoo or anything to get out the buildup?

[MsBubbles]

Being that I only wash my hair once a week, it wasn't crazy for me to Notice "a lot" or hair in the shower. It wasn't even too much. It was 7 days work of shedding being washed off at once but it never scared me because I knew that's what it was from. It's been this way for years. I haven't really even noticed an increase of hair loss with my thinning which is odd. There's wasn't more coming off my head or in the shower or in the brushes on my pillow etc. I noticed it very suddenly. It also seems a whole lot smoother than before. I never had dry or crazy hair but it's increasingly more silky

My hair I would say is normal? It's not course or fine, but there always was a whole lot of it.

Hair loss doesn't run in either side of my family. Out of all my aunts and uncles, parents grandparents and cousins, none have baldness or hair loss issues. Gray hair on the other hand hahaha it strikes on both sides at a very young age. My mother has always had very thin fine hair. My brother has very VERY course thick hair, my father has the most hair of anyone I've ever seen in my life thick wavy and a whole bunch of it at the age 65.


It could very well be a texture change then. My mom went through the same thing, but backwards. She has always had really fine hair of average thickness, and when her grays finally started going gangbusters she noticed that her hair was fuller and thicker than ever before.. because her silvers are a totally different texture.

And silky is a very good thing :)

Yes I would agree with Missrandie that perhaps it's a texture change. If you had coarse or medium strands but are now finding it to be more silky (and flatter, perhaps?), but are not noticing a giant shed during shampooing, that might be your answer. I have never had a hair-texture change (pity, because I'd LOVE to have medium or coarse strands) but I know a lot of people here have mentioned it happening, especially during their 20s.

It might be a good start to try to figure out your own hair type as it is, right now. Here's a visual typing guide link:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=116252