Specific shampoo causing Alopecia/hair loss?

[Blondieee]

Hey everyone! I posted about this before a while back and everyone kinda thought it was my low ferritin causing the hair loss and now I'm not so sure. I had low ferritin for 2 years. It stayed really low, my hair was thinner but I didn't have bald spots at the temple area. Then all of a sudden this hair stylist suggested this new shampoo to me and a couple months later (my ferritin still where it was all along) I had bald spots at the temple area and major hair loss. We had to call a plumber because the shower was clogged with all my hair. I was diagnosed with Alopecia. I have got my ferritin up significantly through diet (have difficulty taking supplements) and my hair seemed to be getting better. Lots of new growth, looked a little thicker. Couldn't tell the bald spots as much. Then I went back to using the shampoo he recommended after taking a break from it and now it looks terrible again and the bald spots are really bad. My hairline has also receded a lot. Has anyone tried this shampoo before? What is your experience with it?

Based on my experience and I'm not sure if this is because this shampoo is sulfate free or not, but my hair does not like sulfate free shampoos. I've always used sulfate shampoos and never had a problem. Sulfate free shampoos cause all kinds of problems for my hair. And it's like with this specific shampoo, the more I use it the worse my hair looks and the worse the bald spots get.

http://www.kerastase-usa.com/bain_fluidealiste_sulfate_free/3474630647497.html

[ravenreed]

It is easy enough to test. Go back to your previous shampoo.

[meteor]

It is easy enough to test. Go back to your previous shampoo.

I agree! :agree:

There is a possibility that you are reacting to something in that shampoo. It would take a lot of time and effort trying to isolate each and every one ingredient to see which one is potentially causing a reaction... it's much easier and safer to go back to your tried & trusted products, if you want to stop the shedding quickly.

But if the hairloss doesn't stop with switching back to your trusted products, it's also quite possible that there is still an underlying health issue, and changing shampoos just coincided with increased shedding in timing. It's very important to diagnose the problem properly, because the diagnosis will drive the medication (if needed). Once the health issue is resolved, the regrowth will follow. :)

I'm so sorry you are going through this. :grouphug: I hope your hair will start recovering soon and you'll see lots of new regrowth! :flower:

[yahirwaO.o]

All that Meteor has mentioned is totally the way to go. You need to check your heath in general! Hope it all comes good for you!!!

[lapushka]

Yes, I agree with previous posters. It is known that low iron levels cause hairloss. If your iron is so low, you need the supplements. Diet can give you what you need, but it can't fill holes. If that's not completely under control, you can't blame a certain product. And if in doubt, go back to what didn't cause too much loss.

[Blondieee]

Thanks everyone! Yeah I really think it's the shampoo because I inspected my hair and took pictures and I found that the underneath layer that goes down the back of my neck (where no shampoo gets to) is really thick and has lots of growth. My scalp gets very oily so I use shampoo there and of course it washes down the ends. But I don't get any shampoo in the area that is really thick. All the hair loss is at the scalp. Bald spots exactly where I use shampoo at. For some reason, my hair doesn't respond well to sulfate free shampoos. I remember having hair loss problems with sulfate free shampoos before I ever had any health problems and then when I would stop using the product, the hair loss stopped. It's like my hair doesn't like to be over moisturized, it's weird. I will go ahead and go back to my normal products that I know don't cause hair loss.

As far as ferritin, I tried taking supplements and my anxiety was so bad I couldn't do it. But I have been dedicated at getting it up through diet. I got my ferritin up 30 points in 6 weeks through diet alone. It went from 10 to 40. I know it needs to be higher (I've heard 70-80, can someone verify this for me please?) but still it was looking better and then I used the shampoo again a couple times and then it started falling out again and the bald spots got worse. It seems like it directly points to the shampoo cause all my problems started when that hair stylist recommended it to me.

But I'm just asking, if the hair loss was health related, wouldn't your hair thin all over versus just at the scalp and the ends but being really thick at the back of the neck where no shampoo is touching? If it was the low iron or other health issues, wouldn't it affect that area too?

[ravenreed]

I think one of the biggest challenges to growing long healthy hair is learning to listen when our hair or scalp tells us something. No matter how amazing we think a routine should be for us, sometimes it just isn't to be.

[jeanniet]

Changes in health take months to affect the hair, good or bad. I don't think you would have seen a significant improvement this quickly. Not to say that there isn't a sensitivity to the shampoo, but I think you're probably not really seeing an improvement due to ferritin levels yet. Did you bleach your hair or do anything else that might have caused breakage? Make medication changes or have other health issues? IIRC you had other things going on, but I can't remember what exactly. Could be a combination of factors. It's not always easy to pinpoint, especially when conditions are changing (good or bad).

[renia22]

If I were you, I'd continue to work on eating better and getting those ferritin levels up, but I'd also switch back to a shampoo you knew you liked and didn't exacerbate your hair shedding. You say you don't really like sulfate free, maybe go back to a sulfate shampoo you didn't have an issue with before, and see how you feel after a week or so?

[Arctic]

Good to hear your ferritin is on the way up, I wish the positive direction will continue! And good to hear you got a diagnosis, although alopecia is quite vague diagnosis if I've understood correctly. Did they tell you what type of alopecia you have?

I agree with you that stop using the shampoo you have noticed problematic, it's not worth it. Many people have scalps which prefere sulphates, and many people have noticed X or Y makes them shed more. It's good to listen to your body and scalp/hair and adjust accordingly.

By the way, how exactly do you shampoo? (I don't mean this as an anxiety-inducing question, just general curiosity from my part.) Your description made me wonder as I started to compare to myself. I first pour my shampoo on my palm, rub my hands together and start spreading it evenly (by gentle massaging and sliding movements) all over my scalp from hairlines to the inner areas of scalp, and I wash it all: front, sides, crown and nape. It sounded like you do it somehow very differently :)


Best of luck to you with your hair and general health and life, I hope your hair will fully recover in time!

[lapushka]

As far as ferritin, I tried taking supplements and my anxiety was so bad I couldn't do it. But I have been dedicated at getting it up through diet. I got my ferritin up 30 points in 6 weeks through diet alone. It went from 10 to 40. I know it needs to be higher (I've heard 70-80, can someone verify this for me please?) but still it was looking better and then I used the shampoo again a couple times and then it started falling out again and the bald spots got worse. It seems like it directly points to the shampoo cause all my problems started when that hair stylist recommended it to me.

If I were you, I'd try and deal with the anxiety as best you can, because you really, really do need to get those levels up. Maybe your doctor can help you with a supplement that doesn't cause as big of anxiety as you now have. Maybe effervescent tablets won't be so bad, you'd just have to drink a "drink" then instead of taking a tablet. I take my vitamins that way, and it's easier on my stomach somehow.

[MichaelClark]

So far i know every shampoo is made of different ingredients. It varies people to people. So it depends which shampoo will suit whom.In short any specific shampoo may cause you hair loss. But there is always ways to Stop Hair Falling Out (http://winningtales.com/is-your-hair-falling-out-here-is-the-solution/) .In case if you think the shampoo may cause the hair falling iw ill suggest to change the shampoo and watch the result.Thank you