The Great Shed -- The Thinning Hair Support Thread

[Complexity]

Joining this thread too, because DBF just doesn't seem to understand why I'm freaking out (though I can't blame him :))

My thinning is 100% stress and diet related (they go hand in hand these days). While I can't say for sure exactly how much hair I've lost over the past few years, I do know that just one braid is now just as small if not smaller than when I used to do pigtail braids.

I'm slowly working on stress management (and I've even learned a couple new buns over the last week to help steer me away from my stress-induced hair chewing). A better diet will come as soon as it can. That said, I'm working on just eating more in hopes that that will help dwindle it down a little bit as well.

On Friday night, I oiled my scalp with coconut oil for the first time ever as I heard that would help reduce shedding. I left the oil on until Saturday afternoon sometime (longer than I was planning to, but we ended up with unexpected visitors and cleaning the house became more important than washing it out :)), shampooed and conditioned as I normally do, and then ran the oil through just the ends before letting it air dry (oiling my ends is something I've been doing for a few months now). While I can't say whether or not it reduced the shedding dramatically (I don't expect extreme results the first time I try anything) on the first go, I did notice that my hair felt a lot better in general than it has in quite some time.

I usually wash my hair only once a week, so I'm not quite sure whether or not to make this a weekly or monthly (or just a once in a while) thing. I guess I'll just play around with it and see what works best. I also got picked for a Bzz Campaign for a Head and Shoulders product that has peppermint and tea tree oils in it apparently. I'm optimistic because I've also read that peppermint should help slow it down too.

Side(and only somewhat related)note: I can't believe how wonderful and supportive people in this community seem to be. I hope that you're all having a lovely day :)!

[Arctic]

Not only do I not look from all angles before leaving the house, I don't style my hair before leaving the house. It is usually still wet when I leave, in a very messy LWB held with an acrylic stick just to keep it out of the way. When I get to work I take it down and let it air-dry, then style it at my desk. If I'm not confident in how it turned out, I'll go to the bathroom and check the mirror, but usually I just check out the front in a little handheld mirror. This means I've probably had a lot of really bad hair days that I didn't even know about.

I'll try a similar style today once my hair is dry, and see what I can do in the mirror with a toothbrush. I hate having to arrange hair over a thin spot :boohoo:


I really appreciate that. Is it funny that I have never used the brush? Maybe on the tail of a braid once. But I always use the mirror!

My DW has a lot less hair than I do. So I see her very thin hair every day and think "I've got nothing to worry about - mine is fine." But then I look at a picture and see so much scalp. It surprised me. And I don't know if it has gotten worse. I need to take pictures as Arctic suggested. I also need to align my expectations with reality a bit more.

Lillielil, you know if it makes you feel better, my hair would easily show lots of scalp if I wouldn't put it just so, especially if my hair would be oily, or if I wouldn't style my double crown cowlicks. I've had the habit of checking my hair from all angles since I have been early teen probably 11-12 or so. It's so integral part of getting ready I can't imagine not doing it.

I delete well over 50% of my hair photos because they are not flattering.

I don't necessary brush my all hair, but I do brush or comb my scalp hair when I put my hair up. Then I check how it looks, and if there is still scalp cleavage, I can manipulate it with gentle tugging, combing or brushing. Like I said, soft, clean toothbrush is the very best for small scalp cleavages. It's just a matter of styling a bit.

I've always been very self conscious about my double crown and it has always been The Thing that can make or break my good hair day. It looks like you might have double crown, too, or at least cowlick or two at the crown. That alone can explain your photo (mine needs daily styling to not to explode to all directions).

But really like others said, you bun looks really nice, and I see scalp showing through on people all the time.

Photos can be useful tools or source of depression and anxiety. I for example have learned to love how I look purely thanks to digital cameras: I have learned to see me in many photos, with many expressions and from many angles, and sure there are bad photos but there are also good photos. I have made friends with my look. I have seen people say the same about their bodies: the more they see they body the more they learn to like it. Hair can be like this too: photos help to sharpen the inner image we have, learn to see the good points and bad points, and with right attitude one can concentrate on the good and either ignore, learn to better or learn to accept the bad.

Photos can be depressing too. Seeing the photos with which I have been documenting my hair loss make me sad. But I try not to dwell on it. But having my hair look nice - which to my own hyper-focused-on-my-double-crown-scalp-cleavage-which-can-ruin-the-day kind of mind means no to minimal scalp showing - really improves my mood and confidence. I have my hair loss photos in their own folder, and I do't think of them as a real representation of my whole hair. They are just photos to monitor things.

Oh my, blather fingers strikes again. I mainly wanted to say that I and many many people have scalp showing or would have without a bit of styling, and that styling can really help; very small changes give big results.

[Arctic]

Joining this thread too, because DBF just doesn't seem to understand why I'm freaking out (though I can't blame him :))

My thinning is 100% stress and diet related (they go hand in hand these days). While I can't say for sure exactly how much hair I've lost over the past few years, I do know that just one braid is now just as small if not smaller than when I used to do pigtail braids.

I'm slowly working on stress management (and I've even learned a couple new buns over the last week to help steer me away from my stress-induced hair chewing). A better diet will come as soon as it can. That said, I'm working on just eating more in hopes that that will help dwindle it down a little bit as well.

On Friday night, I oiled my scalp with coconut oil for the first time ever as I heard that would help reduce shedding. I left the oil on until Saturday afternoon sometime (longer than I was planning to, but we ended up with unexpected visitors and cleaning the house became more important than washing it out :)), shampooed and conditioned as I normally do, and then ran the oil through just the ends before letting it air dry (oiling my ends is something I've been doing for a few months now). While I can't say whether or not it reduced the shedding dramatically (I don't expect extreme results the first time I try anything) on the first go, I did notice that my hair felt a lot better in general than it has in quite some time.

I usually wash my hair only once a week, so I'm not quite sure whether or not to make this a weekly or monthly (or just a once in a while) thing. I guess I'll just play around with it and see what works best. I also got picked for a Bzz Campaign for a Head and Shoulders product that has peppermint and tea tree oils in it apparently. I'm optimistic because I've also read that peppermint should help slow it down too.

Side(and only somewhat related)note: I can't believe how wonderful and supportive people in this community seem to be. I hope that you're all having a lovely day :)!

Welcome!

I hope the scalp oiling works for you, however do keep an eye on your shedding rates post oiling until you are sure it won't cause extra shedding. Some people have experienced heavier shedding if oil or conditioner touches their scalp. Some can also get skin reaction (acne, SD), me included. That being said, others love oils and what they do to their skin and hair.

I'd also bump the better eating on the higher priority level, especially if your situation has been a longer while of some kind of malnutrition (too little energy and/or too little nutrients).

[Complexity]

Welcome!

I hope the scalp oiling works for you, however do keep an eye on your shedding rates post oiling until you are sure it won't cause extra shedding. Some people have experienced heavier shedding if oil or conditioner touches their scalp. Some can also get skin reaction (acne, SD), me included. That being said, others love oils and what they do to their skin and hair.

I'd also bump the better eating on the higher priority level, especially if your situation has been a longer while of some kind of malnutrition (too little energy and/or too little nutrients).

So far, it seems like the shedding rate has slowed down (not completely stopped, but slowed). I almost wonder if that's because I'm actually paying attention to my hair though (finger combing, etc). I'll definitely be sure to keep an eye on it though - I've lost more than enough hair already!

Better eating is definitely a top priority, just not as feasible as I wish it could be. I'm planning to grow a garden this spring/summer though, so I'm hoping that that'll help :) In the meantime, I'm trying to eat full meals (and more than once a day when able to).

Thank you for the welcome!

[Beborani]

With some great difficulty I learnt to upload photos on my album through the phone. You can take a look--I haven't figured out how to link yet. I just took quick and dirty photos of my top --this after combing and mild adjustment but not too much and you can still see cleavages. I cannot allow this to bother me as it has been my reality all of my adult life--this is my hair at my best (est) after teen years--i have had cleavages that could not be hidden at all. I also have double crown that exaggerates it and I suspect even when (if ) my hair returns to its full density I will have to adjust it at least a little. I recall my mother doing it for me when I was younger.

[lillielil]

Beborani, I think your hair looks fantastic. There is a very small amount of cleavage along part lines, but I would be happy if the top of my head looked like that.


Today I tried some hair powder at the roots, hoping that some grip would keep them from separating. Unlike yesterday's style, this one isn't parted, but it is lower and looser than my usual bun. You can see the lines where I combed the top of my head, but that's better than yesterday's mess. Progress?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/image%208_zpsxmm0ucb9.jpeg

Is hair powder bad and/or dry shampoo bad to use all the time?

[Arctic]

Looks perfect! :thumbsup:

I have tried to find out about hair powder if it is damaging, but haven't found anything. I'd think if one only uses it on roots area it should be fine. Dry shampoo probably isn't damaging for hair, but it might not be so great for scalp in continuing use.

[rags]

Lillellil (I hope I got that right!), my hair looks just exactly like your photo if I don't "arrange" the top. Like Arctic, I've had to do so since I can remember, even when my hair was quite thicker, due to cowlicks. I think your hair is just FINE, it was just an unflattering photo. And your new one looks terrific!

Diddledaisy, I shed shorter hairs much more than the longer ones. I have a permanent halo of two to six inch ones around my face, always have. And since they have such a short terminal, they shed out much more rapidly. :shrug: I think it's just the nature of the beast sometimes. I hope you get some help for your burning scalp though - that sounds very uncomfortable. The only time I've had that was after reactions to shampoos or conditioners, and then I had lots of other symptoms so I knew the problem was an allergy (giant hives will clue you in! :p)

[lillielil]

Lillellil (I hope I got that right!), my hair looks just exactly like your photo if I don't "arrange" the top. Like Arctic, I've had to do so since I can remember, even when my hair was quite thicker, due to cowlicks. I think your hair is just FINE, it was just an unflattering photo. And your new one looks terrific!

Diddledaisy, I shed shorter hairs much more than the longer ones. I have a permanent halo of two to six inch ones around my face, always have. And since they have such a short terminal, they shed out much more rapidly. :shrug: I think it's just the nature of the beast sometimes. I hope you get some help for your burning scalp though - that sounds very uncomfortable. The only time I've had that was after reactions to shampoos or conditioners, and then I had lots of other symptoms so I knew the problem was an allergy (giant hives will clue you in! :p)

Thanks rags. I guess I just need to spend a little more time on my hair. Time to stop assuming that I can just bun it any ol' way and it will look good. I never thought of it being cowlicky because it is so fine that none of the cowlicks stand up (which is how I typically think of cowlicks looking - my mom's do, but she's got super thick, super coarse hair). And my name is almost impossible to spell... It is two nicknames from my real first name: Lillie, Lil

[Arctic]

cowlick = against the grain growth pattern. can be a whorl too, which crown cowlicks usually are.

[rags]

Thanks rags. I guess I just need to spend a little more time on my hair. Time to stop assuming that I can just bun it any ol' way and it will look good. I never thought of it being cowlicky because it is so fine that none of the cowlicks stand up (which is how I typically think of cowlicks looking - my mom's do, but she's got super thick, super coarse hair). And my name is almost impossible to spell... It is two nicknames from my real first name: Lillie, Lil

Yeah, my hair is super baby fine and it doesn't stick up at all. It does whorls on the crown, like Arctic said, and just goes in whatever direction in wants from the two in front. Which means - scalp cleavage. I've never had luck with the toothbrush thing, but a fine tooth comb works for me.

Every day I check my hair from several angles before I leave the house. And STILL come home sometimes and find I've been walking around with nice scalp cleavage :p. So don't be discouraged! I think you'll find it's more common than you think.

[poompatta]

Lillellil (I hope I got that right!), my hair looks just exactly like your photo if I don't "arrange" the top. Like Arctic, I've had to do so since I can remember, even when my hair was quite thicker, due to cowlicks. I think your hair is just FINE, it was just an unflattering photo. And your new one looks terrific!

Diddledaisy, I shed shorter hairs much more than the longer ones. I have a permanent halo of two to six inch ones around my face, always have. And since they have such a short terminal, they shed out much more rapidly. :shrug: I think it's just the nature of the beast sometimes. I hope you get some help for your burning scalp though - that sounds very uncomfortable. The only time I've had that was after reactions to shampoos or conditioners, and then I had lots of other symptoms so I knew the problem was an allergy (giant hives will clue you in! :p)

I am also noticing more short hairs than long ones these days. I don't know if this means that all my new growth is shedding. If so, I don't expect my bald areas to fill in near future:(
How to know if new follicles are forming? What is the best way to take pictures? I have seen some members post macro pictures, though I have not actually seen the images due to me being newbie to LHC. How do you all track if new growth is happening?

[Arctic]

Rags, I have the same. Non of my cowlicks sticks up even when I have short hair. I have the type "Moses dividing red sea" cowlicks at the crown: flat, stubborn whorls, of which one goes to left and one goes to right. I might have a weak one in my bangs area but it's never been a problem to me and I'm not even sure if it's counted as one. Stubborn growth pattern never the less. I just have this one small section that grows straight down to my eyes and no matter how much I try to make my bangs area into a side swept style, that one bit always escapes.

I also know all about the houdini cowlick having released itself from my styling efforts by the time I get home. Happens regularly and I've taken a habit of checking the area even when I'm out and about.


I have to say I never really watch my shed so I have no idea how many of them are short. But I have a feeling everyone has individual hairs that have shorter terminal lengths too (and not just at the hairline), so they naturally shed when their time is up. Those who have shorter terminal lenght (lot of individual hairs only grow relatively short causing the hair as a whole have a relatively short over all terminal length) naturally have more of these short sheds. But it is also something that might happen with hormone related hairloss, the minituriazation of the follicles can cause the hairs to become finer and shorter progressively. I've been reading about these things lately and it would be easy to become paranoid, so I don't dwell on it, but am also trying to find solutions to my hair loss at the same time.

Poompatta when you get 25+ posts you get to the next privilege level and can see photos too. Just few more posts!

About new follicles forming. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only few of the contemporary hair loss medication are capable of actually forming new follicles. And even those will "die" if the medication is stopped. When you have non-medically helped re-growth, the hairs are just re-growing from the already existing follicles.

Beborani has the picture taking down to art, so you'll better read her older posts and her blog (after 25 posts). I just snap macros from certain angles in good light (forehead, temples, sides, sides of nape, nape, top of the head). You need a camera with good macro feature for the best results.

[Wusel]

I got the Pura D'Or shampoo (Gold) today and washed with it 30 min ago.
The smell is strange... really strange... it lingers and I have a cough from it (I have asthma so I'm not really into herbal oil smells, lavender is the worst...)
And about 120 hairs fell out with the wash... Do you think it's still normal? It's more than with my previous wash 5 days ago.
Or did I massage my scalp with it too long... ? I don't know...
But my hair, still damp, feels very good.
57 Euros... I hope it helps...

Edit: Still feel pressure on my chest. But I'm used to this. Fortunately I have no problem with regular perfumes, only the natural oil smells.

[Beborani]

Important thing to remember is--hair grows in follicular units which are grouped in1, 2 3 and 4 strands. Thickness correlates to number of strands per FU rather than number of follicles itself. We usually have fewer strands in the front with increasing number as we go behind. Most of the thickness is at the back because that is where we have more strands per FU. Anyway, we can see these in macro pictures which is why they are helpful.

[Silverbrumby]

I am also noticing more short hairs than long ones these days. I don't know if this means that all my new growth is shedding. If so, I don't expect my bald areas to fill in near future:(
How to know if new follicles are forming? What is the best way to take pictures? I have seen some members post macro pictures, though I have not actually seen the images due to me being newbie to LHC. How do you all track if new growth is happening?

Most of my shed hairs are mid length. Not the longest strands on my head (just a few of those). Mostly they are 3/4 to 1/2 what the longest strands are. I shed mostly those. I put this down to my short terminal. It makes sense. The longest hair I've ever measured shed out is 15 inches. That's it.

[diddiedaisy]

Thankyou all for your suggestions and support, I've been too busy to answer you all, apologies, but I have took all suggestions on board. As to the allergy comment, there may be something in that and the probable culprit could be coconut oil, my skin certainly doesn't like it. I am going to give it a break and see if see if my scalp feels better.

[vpatt]

I got the Pura D'Or shampoo (Gold) today and washed with it 30 min ago.
The smell is strange... really strange... it lingers and I have a cough from it (I have asthma so I'm not really into herbal oil smells, lavender is the worst...)
And about 120 hairs fell out with the wash... Do you think it's still normal? It's more than with my previous wash 5 days ago.
Or did I massage my scalp with it too long... ? I don't know...
But my hair, still damp, feels very good.
57 Euros... I hope it helps...

Edit: Still feel pressure on my chest. But I'm used to this. Fortunately I have no problem with regular perfumes, only the natural oil smells.

I'm sorry you had a reaction to the shampoo. I used the same one(but not the conditioner, too much money). I am not a fan of the tea tree oil smell, but I did get used to it. I used it twice a week for three months. I never did see any regrowth and I have moved on. it did have very good reviews and I hope you see good results. I did really like the way it made my hair feel.....nice and clean and soft. I am not trying to be negative about the product...... many people had great reviews for it and I hope you will be one of them. Just because I didn't does not mean you won't. I think it must work for some and has been used with good results and it is very possible I should have continued for a longer time. Good luck!

[lillielil]

I just bought something called Qilib. It is a 2% monoxidil spray and was $1 cheaper than the generic Rogaine. Now I need to read up on monoxidil. I feel like the pattern of my hair loss/thin spots is consistent with its recommended usage, but beyond that I do not know much. I am tempted to buy supplements, but feel like my good multivitamin should already take care of any minor nutritional deficiencies.

[lillielil]

After reading more, I think I will be returning this product. It is not for me at this point. :(

[diddiedaisy]

I haven't used coconut oil for 3 days now and I have seen an improvement in my burning scalp. I'll give it another couple of days to see if it stops altogether.

[diddiedaisy]

This is why I loved my looped pony. It looks big, although I haven't worn this since September it has got a lot bigger. If my hair wasn't so fragile I'd wear it like this all the time. It hides an awful lot - see through scalp, thin ends etc hehe

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag361/sblackburn4/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg (http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/sblackburn4/media/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg.html)

[Complexity]

^I used to wear my hair like that all the time and also loved the way it looked. Seems like my hair is too long for that style now, though.

Glad that you're having (at least semi) success with the discontinuing of the coconut oil as well!

I on the other hand am going to try coconut oiling my scalp again tonight and then washing it out tomorrow morning. I'm not certain, but I feel like I shed less hairs this week than I did last (when I tried this method for the first time).

[Silverbrumby]

This is why I loved my looped pony. It looks big, although I haven't worn this since September it has got a lot bigger. If my hair wasn't so fragile I'd wear it like this all the time. It hides an awful lot - see through scalp, thin ends etc hehe

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag361/sblackburn4/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg (http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/sblackburn4/media/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg.html)


lol diddiedaisy. That's my go to bun style. I can't seem to grow longer hair so I play around with creating the illusion of having more hair than I do. Love the bun.

[Silverbrumby]

^I used to wear my hair like that all the time and also loved the way it looked. Seems like my hair is too long for that style now, though.

Glad that you're having (at least semi) success with the discontinuing of the coconut oil as well!

I on the other hand am going to try coconut oiling my scalp again tonight and then washing it out tomorrow morning. I'm not certain, but I feel like I shed less hairs this week than I did last (when I tried this method for the first time).

I lose so much hair when I put any oil on the scalp. My scalp hates it and reactions with a burning hot feeling. Clean is best for me. Hope it works out for you. I do know a lot of people here have success with oil on scalp.

[Complexity]

Apparently last week was a fluke :(

I pushed the oiling to yesterday morning with plans to wash it out during the hockey game last night, but then I ate too much and was in a half-food coma and so it didn't end up getting washed out until this morning.

My scalp seems to love the oil (I figured it would; my skin does too), but I lost a good handful of hair when massaging it in. Sigh... I guess I'll just stick to oiling the ends from now on (which for some reason look greasier than normal but I'm wondering if I didn't wash all of the conditioner out -- I'm usually a night showerer and might have been extra lazy this morning haha), at least until my hair thickens up again.

[Darkhorse1]

I'm so sad. The shed that I knew I'd have is starting. That hospitalization was almost exactly 3 months ago. I've noticed that every time I wash, I'm losing more stands. I'm gonna go cry in the corner

Ooooh!! I feel your pain! Having had 3 massive sheds due to various reasons (stress, then hormones and then hospital/surgery). Remember this: At least, when I was in hospital in 2014, I did NOT shed during my appendicitis and appendectomy. It was only after I was home and recovering did the hair start to shed. So, figure you shed up to 100 hairs a day, and not shedding for X many days = icky shed.

Also, remember this: It WILL Grow back. I had a major shed due to pre menopause in 2012---this affected my hemline thickness. All I did was micro trims and oiled it when dry, and my ends are much, much better!! So, I can say from this--your hair WILL be ok!!! But have a cry because I did too, and then you will take a deep breath and say 'ok, what can I do to make this a learning experience'. Hugs to you!!!! You will be ok and I hope you are ok after your hospital stay!

[Darkhorse1]

NOTE: Coconut oil can damage hair if over used!! I nearly FRIED my hair with the stuff! The molecular level is small, which means it can be absorbed into the hair shaft. Trouble is, it can over absorb and as a result, create very brittle hair. I highly suggest using olive oil. This is a moisturizing oil and the molecules are slightly bigger, so the absorbtion rate into shaft is slower. Just remember to wash out if you don't want a greasy hair look ;)

Also, a happy scalp makes happy hair. Healthy foods as well as life style will create healthier hair. This is why, when ill, your hair does suffer a spell.

To create fullness, I would curl under ends---easy to do when hair is damp with just rag curlers or some non-heat method way. Or, updos. I'm having fun with different bun styles and braids with sticks :)

[Persiangirl01]

Hi there ladies!

I have been a lurker on LHC for probably a year, finally decided to join because a lot of advice here worked for me, and I am hoping to share my experiences and progress with you all and maybe help a few people who are suffering from hair loss for the same reasons I did and may not even know it! Right now my hair is BSL. it uses to be WL but it was so thin and fragile and just unhealthy as hair could be. I found the bulk of my hair just could not catch up with the thin layers that were waist length because i was shedding well over 100 hairs a day!

My hair had been shedding like that for years, I just hadn't really noticed it until 2 yeara ago when I started to try and grow my hair and it just would not grow because it was falling out so much that I had to keep trimming it for it to look healthy. Then I tried not cutting it for a full year and that made it even worse in Aug 2015 I gave it 1 last chop, and now I only trim 2x a year.

After some extensive research I linked Hormonal birth control (I was on the pill. Hereinafter: BCP) to my hair loss! I had been on BCP for 3 years. And when I look back at pictures of my hair before BCP, it grew like a weed and it was such healthy, shiny and happy hair! When I look at pics from 2012 to 2015, I could watch how my hair slowly became dull, flat and.. the worst part is that by 2015 I could see my scalp in NORMAL photos that people had taken of me.

[Persiangirl01]

Part 2:

So I went to my doctor last year in November and spoke to her about my hair loss and that I was battling to grow my hair and showed her pictures that had been taken of me and how you could see my skull. I didn't tell her that I thought it was my BCP as I wanted her to draw her own conclusion of what ut could be. The 1st thing out of her mouth was that it was probably my BCP and she reminded me that she had told me that I was on a strong BCP when I 1st started going to her in 2013, and that is why she wanted to switch my BCP back then, but I was the 1 who didn't want to change. Well! Now I have learnt my lesson! I was on a BCP with am extremely high androgen content (triphasil). My doc gave me a few options:

Change my bcp or, and this she said is the best choice although not always the easiest to make if you need bcp for contraceptive purposes,

Stop all hormonal BC and let your body regulate it's own hormones! I opted to try this out for 6 months.

I finished the pack I was on and from the 21st of November 2015 I have been hormone free!

The 1st 2 months were the worst. The shedding didn't stop, if anything it got worse. But this is expected when you stop BCP. Hair loss will continue or even worsen for the 2st 1 to 6 months off BCP. For me around he start of the 3rd month I woke up 1 day and did a pull test and only about 3 or 4 strands came out of my hair instead of the 6, 10 or 15 that usually would! I tested my entire head and the result was pretty consistent. Between 0 and 4 hairs per pull.

Ever since then the shedding has just slowly become less and less. Now i think I lose only about 20 to 30 strands a day.

It is not an easy process, and my journey is far from over, but in the last 3 and a half months I have already seen such a huge difference in the health of my hair. The BCP was stopping new hair from growing as well, and now I have HUNDREDS of tiny little 3 to 4 cm hairs sprouting up everywhere, especially in the areas that my hair was thinning the most.

The day I stopped BCP i started taking a multivitamin for my hair. I eat around 2 or more eggs a day so I don't need or want to take Biotin. Something I have started taking in the last month is MSM. I don't know if it has made a difference to my hair, but it has so many AMAZING benefits that I am going to keep taking it!

So the point of my essays?

Look at your BCP 1st! Get off it if you can and are willing to look at non-hormonal BC methods.

Start EATING better! Lots of protein and veggies. It is 1000 times better than taking half a dozen supplements.

Have PATIENCE. It's not going to get beter overnight. I was lucky that by the 63 day mark I woke up to my hair shedding having halved, it may take a longer or shorter time for you (uo to 6 months) but it is so worth it for the sake of your health!

I have noticed so many benefits of having come off the pill, not just my hair growth. I am hoping to never go back on Hormonal BC ever!

All the best, ladies! I'm here if you have questions :)

[Persiangirl01]

PS.

I also started a hair care routine since August 2015.

I plait my hair every night before bed.
I only wash my hair 2x a week, not every day like I used to. (That was a hard change to make, but my scalp has accommodated the change now)
I oil my hair 1 to 2 x a week with coconut oil or dabur amla oil.
I only use sulphate free shampoos now, except when I do a clarifying shampoo.
I don't use any other products on my hair. I have type 2a/b hair so I am lucky in that sense :)
I do not blow dry my hair or straighten it ever! Just ride the all natural wave 😂

That's also made a huge improvement to my hair health, especially the ends! My last trim was the 1st of February 2016. I will trim again in August 2016

[bubastis]

I have finally been able to stop my shedding and return to a normal shed. (around 50 hairs a day for me)
After doing ridiculous amounts of research online, I had one of my doctor friends prescribe me a lotion of 5% minoxidil (which I was already using), 2% miconazole nitrate and 1% hydrocortisone in alcohol with glycerin, no propylene glycol. This has been working wonders and I have regrowth all over the place. Once this bottle has been used up, I'm taking out the cortisone and trying with the minox and miconazole nitrate alone.

[lillielil]

Hi Persiangirl - welcome to LHC! I am so glad that you were able to identify the cause of your shedding, and that you're getting new growth so quickly! That is just fantastic.


I did an inverted scalp massage with castor oil last night, then left the oil on my scalp overnight. It was so sticky! All in all, not a pleasant experience. It would have to be a miracle oil for it to be worth doing that again.


Can anyone tell me about saw palmetto? It is an ingredient in "anti-fallout" spray I've been using. However, when I looked at the bottles of saw palmetto supplement, they are all labeled "For Men Only - Not Intended For Women".

[Persiangirl01]

Thank you lillielil! :o

As for saw palmetto, from what I understand it messes with hormones. It has an anti-estrogen effect which may be why women should not take it? I know that if you are on BC that uses estrogen it can stop the estrogen from working effectively so you should use a barrier method of contraception too, just in case. That's about all I know, hope it helps! :)

[lillielil]

I'm not on BC. I think I need to do more research.

I'm finding quite a lot of less-than-scientific commentary (1 (http://www.peak-health-now.com/saw-palmetto-for-women.html), 2 (http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-benefits-of-saw-palmetto-for-women.htm), 3 (http://www.sawpalmettohairlossresults.com/saw-palmetto-for-hair-loss-in-women/), 4 (http://woman.thenest.com/benefits-saw-palmetto-women-5956.html)) about it being beneficial for women, particularly in terms of treating problems related to androgen imbalance, but it looks like it has not been well studied (Mayo (http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/saw-palmetto/safety/hrb-20059958)says "avoid, not studied" on most related topics).

[Beborani]

Double crown: we keep talking about it but quite a few people don't seem to know what it is. I managed to find them and take quick pictures to show how they can exaggerate hair cleavage. At this point in time I consider my hair to be of normal thickness but since my original thickness was much much more these holes persist though I can cover them up somewhat with my hair so they don't bother me. I will check this area again in a year or so to see if there is any improvement--I am targeting minoxidil to these parts these days.

There are three pictures in my album--left side, right side and center. Right side gap looks bigger.

[lillielil]

Double crown: we keep talking about it but quite a few people don't seem to know what it is. I managed to find them and take quick pictures to show how they can exaggerate hair cleavage. At this point in time I consider my hair to be of normal thickness but since my original thickness was much much more these holes persist though I can cover them up somewhat with my hair so they don't bother me. I will check this area again in a year or so to see if there is any improvement--I am targeting minoxidil to these parts these days.

There are three pictures in my album--left side, right side and center. Right side gap looks bigger.

Thanks Beborani! I love your pictures and find them very helpful. Can I also say that your hair is looking great these days?

I looked back at my baby photos to see if I have a double crown, and that doesn't seem to be what's going on. It is possible that something cowlicky is happening on my head, but nothing in any pattern that I can figure out.

[Beborani]

Thanks Beborani! I love your pictures and find them very helpful. Can I also say that your hair is looking great these days?

I looked back at my baby photos to see if I have a double crown, and that doesn't seem to be what's going on. It is possible that something cowlicky is happening on my head, but nothing in any pattern that I can figure out.


Thank you lillielil. Yes it has improved tremendously though there always seems to be room for improvement. I am glad they are helpful--sharing these here also helps me to analyze whatever is going on on my head, so they are useful to me too.

[Fairytales]

Hi Everyone!

I am new on this forum. I have been reading for quite a while but decided to make an account :) Anyway, I have a question. I have been recovering from an restrictive eating disorder for quite a while now. I have been eating healthy for 8 months now and have reached a healthy weight. But since april last year, I have been losing so much hair.( It was one of my main reasons to recover once and for all now). It started with losing hundreds of strands in the shower and during the day I was constantly picking hair from my shoulders, bed etc. It is so depressing and devastating. I am losing less now than I was in the beginning, but with washing I am still losing much more than is/was normal for me (like 60/70 strands during washing and with combing even more) I already have very fine and thin hair to begin with, so its making me so depressed. I was wondering if any of you maybe have advice? Or have experienced the same? It is taking so long already, and I am losing hope. I have already been to the dermatologist and have my hormones, iron thyroid etc tested. My TSH, ferritin and iron are all good according to him. And he says I just have to wait, but I am so impatient and want my lovely hair back so badly! Thanks in advance for the ones reading all of this :)

[mindwiped]

Persiangirl01- I'm a few months behind you, and my month three hair loss has been on steroids due to the medical stuff, but thank you for the hope. I have no choice, unless the choice is take the hormone or you will die, quickly and painfully, I was dying showly in part due to my bcp (ladies, your chance of blood clots is much higher if you're taking the pill)

[Wusel]

Hi Everyone!

I am new on this forum. I have been reading for quite a while but decided to make an account :) Anyway, I have a question. I have been recovering from an restrictive eating disorder for quite a while now. I have been eating healthy for 8 months now and have reached a healthy weight. But since april last year, I have been losing so much hair.( It was one of my main reasons to recover once and for all now). It started with losing hundreds of strands in the shower and during the day I was constantly picking hair from my shoulders, bed etc. It is so depressing and devastating. I am losing less now than I was in the beginning, but with washing I am still losing much more than is/was normal for me (like 60/70 strands during washing and with combing even more) I already have very fine and thin hair to begin with, so its making me so depressed. I was wondering if any of you maybe have advice? Or have experienced the same? It is taking so long already, and I am losing hope. I have already been to the dermatologist and have my hormones, iron thyroid etc tested. My TSH, ferritin and iron are all good according to him. And he says I just have to wait, but I am so impatient and want my lovely hair back so badly! Thanks in advance for the ones reading all of this :)

First of all: Welcome to the forum, dear Fairytales. :grouphug: :blossom::blossom::blossom:
Let him check T3 and T4. TSH is not enough. And vitamin D.
Losing 60/70 strands during washing is normal. Many of us lose more than 100. It's said to be normal to loose up to 100 hairs (some say even 150) per day plus up to 200/250 on wash-days. So, don't worry. And it takes time after eating disorders to get the whole body, including hair, back on track, so your doctor is right... it takes time. Don't worry. Everything will grow back.

Edit: And EAT a healthy diet PLEASE. Don't stop and continue restricting because you still lose hair and assume that eating more is for nothing. It's a long term thing. Better a little bit too much of something than not enough. Your body needs a boost of nutrients and energy.

Edit2: According to my experience women with more curves on average have better hair than very skinny women. I've noticed this here too. Quite many wonderful manes are owned by ladies with, let's say, three or four or more kilos above ideal weight and very pretty womanly curves. When I was 49/50 kilos (I hated it) at 167cm my hair was much thinner, wasn't shiny at all... Since I'm 58 it's back to normal. But it took time. I didn't have an eating disorder but I have a metabolic disease which remained undetected for years.
I eat all day long. My SO calls me The Very Hungry Caterpillar. :D And my hair grows shiny and long. And I lose less on average during the year.

[Fairytales]

First of all: Welcome to the forum, dear Fairytales. :grouphug: :blossom::blossom::blossom:
Let him check T3 and T4. TSH is not enough. And vitamin D.
Losing 60/70 strands during washing is normal. Many of us lose more than 100. It's said to be normal to loose up to 100 hairs (some say even 150) per day plus up to 200/250 on wash-days. So, don't worry. And it takes time after eating disorders to get the whole body, including hair, back on track, so your doctor is right... it takes time. Don't worry. Everything will grow back.

Edit: And EAT a healthy diet PLEASE. Don't stop and continue restricting because you still lose hair and assume that eating more is for nothing. It's a long term thing. Better a little bit too much of something than not enough. Your body needs a boost of nutrients and energy.

Edit2: According to my experience women with more curves on average have better hair than very skinny women. I've noticed this here too. Quite many wonderful manes are owned by ladies with, let's say, three or four or more kilos above ideal weight and very pretty womanly curves. When I was 49/50 kilos (I hated it) at 167cm my hair was much thinner, wasn't shiny at all... Since I'm 58 it's back to normal. But it took time. I didn't have an eating disorder but I have a metabolic disease which remained undetected for years.
I eat all day long. My SO calls me The Very Hungry Caterpillar. :D And my hair grows shiny and long. And I lose less on average during the year.

Thank you so much! My vitamin D levels were checked aswell, and they were high enough. I will go back and ask for T3 and T4 to be checked. I will definitely continue to eat healthy, I feel so much better in general, have higher energy and better mood overall :D. Haha thats great, your hair looks really beautiful on your picture! Do you take any supplements? I have read somewhere that prenatal multivitamins are supposed to be good for the health of your hair, aswell as iron, msm and silica. There is just so much, and I do not know what is best to begin with.

[Wusel]

Thank you so much! My vitamin D levels were checked aswell, and they were high enough. I will go back and ask for T3 and T4 to be checked. I will definitely continue to eat healthy, I feel so much better in general, have higher energy and better mood overall :D. Haha thats great, your hair looks really beautiful on your picture! Do you take any supplements? I have read somewhere that prenatal multivitamins are supposed to be good for the health of your hair, aswell as iron, msm and silica. There is just so much, and I do not know what is best to begin with.

I was taking Hairfinity with great results but it's sooo expensive and I'm on a budget lately.
Now I take a hair vitamin from a drugstore. Nothing special but contains biotin and folic acid and some other good vitamins...
Yes. Prenatal vitamins are great but the best thing is a really good diet.
I eat 3-5 eggs every day, nuts and seeds, red meat, salmon, berries, dark chocolate, cheese, soy products... I started eating pumpkin seeds a week ago but unfortunately I get nausea from them.
(Anyone else here experienced this too?)
My diet is full of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and proteins and it makes my skin be less dry and more even-toned and my hair very healthy and shiny.
Okay, I love chocolate cookies and cheese cake... In case you think now I restrict my diet to only hair-growth-promoting foods... No... :)

[lazuliblue]

Hi Everyone!

I am new on this forum. I have been reading for quite a while but decided to make an account :) Anyway, I have a question. I have been recovering from an restrictive eating disorder for quite a while now. I have been eating healthy for 8 months now and have reached a healthy weight. But since april last year, I have been losing so much hair.( It was one of my main reasons to recover once and for all now). It started with losing hundreds of strands in the shower and during the day I was constantly picking hair from my shoulders, bed etc. It is so depressing and devastating. I am losing less now than I was in the beginning, but with washing I am still losing much more than is/was normal for me (like 60/70 strands during washing and with combing even more) I already have very fine and thin hair to begin with, so its making me so depressed. I was wondering if any of you maybe have advice? Or have experienced the same? It is taking so long already, and I am losing hope. I have already been to the dermatologist and have my hormones, iron thyroid etc tested. My TSH, ferritin and iron are all good according to him. And he says I just have to wait, but I am so impatient and want my lovely hair back so badly! Thanks in advance for the ones reading all of this :)

I'm glad to read that you are recovering. Please don't lose hope; it can take a little while for your hair to recover, but as long as your hair loss isn't related to anything else (e.g. underlying mediclal conditions) I am confident that as you continue to remain in a healthier state, your hair will stop shedding and begin to grow back.

I don't know if this is scientifically the case, but in my mind the body will first try to repair the most important things (your organs!), and then eventually, once you have been at a healthy weight for a while, your hair will begin to grow back more healthily. If you've had the eating disorder for quite a while, 8 months isn't really much time for your body to begin to heal from the effects of starvation.

[diddiedaisy]

Well my burning scalp issue has been solved. "Drum roll" nit allergy, yes you read it correctly, nit allergy!!!

My allergy list just keeps on growing. I'm glad it was something simple though.

[Fairytales]

I was taking Hairfinity with great results but it's sooo expensive and I'm on a budget lately.
Now I take a hair vitamin from a drugstore. Nothing special but contains biotin and folic acid and some other good vitamins...
Yes. Prenatal vitamins are great but the best thing is a really good diet.
I eat 3-5 eggs every day, nuts and seeds, red meat, salmon, berries, dark chocolate, cheese, soy products... I started eating pumpkin seeds a week ago but unfortunately I get nausea from them.
(Anyone else here experienced this too?)
My diet is full of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and proteins and it makes my skin be less dry and more even-toned and my hair very healthy and shiny.
Okay, I love chocolate cookies and cheese cake... In case you think now I restrict my diet to only hair-growth-promoting foods... No... :)

Ok thanks so much! I am going to check out Hairfinity, although I am a poor student, on a budget haha. So maybe compare it with some drugstore brands and see if I can find one that has the same ingredients. Yes, I make sure I meet my daily intake of nutrients, altough I am still having a hard time eating enough, but I am doing my best :) And I looove cheese cake as well :o

[Fairytales]

I'm glad to read that you are recovering. Please don't lose hope; it can take a little while for your hair to recover, but as long as your hair loss isn't related to anything else (e.g. underlying mediclal conditions) I am confident that as you continue to remain in a healthier state, your hair will stop shedding and begin to grow back.

I don't know if this is scientifically the case, but in my mind the body will first try to repair the most important things (your organs!), and then eventually, once you have been at a healthy weight for a while, your hair will begin to grow back more healthily. If you've had the eating disorder for quite a while, 8 months isn't really much time for your body to begin to heal from the effects of starvation.

Thanks! Yes it is so hard, since it has already taken such a long time now and have seen little improvement in shedding rate. Altough I my hair is way more shiney and nowhere near as dry as it was before, so atleast that is positive. It scares me though, if this already causes so much external damage, I do not want to know the amount of internal damage that has been caused :(

[Arctic]

This is why I loved my looped pony. It looks big, although I haven't worn this since September it has got a lot bigger. If my hair wasn't so fragile I'd wear it like this all the time. It hides an awful lot - see through scalp, thin ends etc hehe

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag361/sblackburn4/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg (http://s1373.photobucket.com/user/sblackburn4/media/Mobile%20Uploads/5FB76FD7-F782-4F6B-8095-F350F8303E06_zps2nohd9tu.jpg.html)

It does look great! Did you see my fan bun tutorial? I was thinking of you espcially when I did it :) It could help you to have very similar looking style but as a hair friendly version.



Hi there ladies!

I have been a lurker on LHC for probably a year, finally decided to join - -

After some extensive research I linked Hormonal birth control (I was on the pill. Hereinafter: BCP) to my hair loss!- -

Welcome! So happy you found the culprit!



I have finally been able to stop my shedding and return to a normal shed. (around 50 hairs a day for me)
After doing ridiculous amounts of research online, I had one of my doctor friends prescribe me a lotion of 5% minoxidil (which I was already using), 2% miconazole nitrate and 1% hydrocortisone in alcohol with glycerin, no propylene glycol. This has been working wonders and I have regrowth all over the place. Once this bottle has been used up, I'm taking out the cortisone and trying with the minox and miconazole nitrate alone.

:cheer: awesome news! Good idea stopping the cortisone, it's not ideal for longer term use.



I did an inverted scalp massage with castor oil last night, then left the oil on my scalp overnight. It was so sticky! All in all, not a pleasant experience. It would have to be a miracle oil for it to be worth doing that again.

Can anyone tell me about saw palmetto? It is an ingredient in "anti-fallout" spray I've been using. However, when I looked at the bottles of saw palmetto supplement, they are all labeled "For Men Only - Not Intended For Women".

Try mixing your castor oil with aloe vera gel. I did that when I tried castor oil last autumn few times (but my skin hated castor oil, like it does most every oil and butter, so I stopped after few tries). I only used few drops of castor oil and maybe table spoon of aloe gel, and it was easy to apply, easy to wash off, no stickiness and easy to get an even coverage.

I don't have experience of that plant but it's often mentioned at the different men's hair loss forums. If it's not recommeded for women it might have some hormone affecting qualities?

This link might give you some clues, and also a reference list: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/saw-palmetto



Double crown: we keep talking about it but quite a few people don't seem to know what it is. I managed to find them and take quick pictures to show how they can exaggerate hair cleavage. At this point in time I consider my hair to be of normal thickness but since my original thickness was much much more these holes persist though I can cover them up somewhat with my hair so they don't bother me. I will check this area again in a year or so to see if there is any improvement--I am targeting minoxidil to these parts these days.

There are three pictures in my album--left side, right side and center. Right side gap looks bigger.

You are so helpful with your photos! Yes I have also seen people often don't know what double crown is.

Mine can be very visible, I mean the whole whorly growing patterns at the crown, if my hair is dirty and flat. It takes some detective work with longer hair to see the whorls, but mine are sometimes very visible. But more often than not I can't actually see the whorls, but I can see their characteristic effects.

I have had good success with "head banging" wet hair (just gently rocking my hair upside down, really), blowdrying and especially starting to blow dry before the pattern gets chance to set (i.e. from very wet), washing often, hair powder, etc.



Hi Everyone!

I am new on this forum. I have been reading for quite a while but decided to make an account :) Anyway, I have a question. I have been recovering from an restrictive eating disorder for quite a while now. I have been eating healthy for 8 months now and have reached a healthy weight. But since april last year, I have been losing so much hair.( It was one of my main reasons to recover once and for all now). It started with losing hundreds of strands in the shower and during the day I was constantly picking hair from my shoulders, bed etc. It is so depressing and devastating. I am losing less now than I was in the beginning, but with washing I am still losing much more than is/was normal for me (like 60/70 strands during washing and with combing even more) I already have very fine and thin hair to begin with, so its making me so depressed. I was wondering if any of you maybe have advice? Or have experienced the same? It is taking so long already, and I am losing hope. I have already been to the dermatologist and have my hormones, iron thyroid etc tested. My TSH, ferritin and iron are all good according to him. And he says I just have to wait, but I am so impatient and want my lovely hair back so badly! Thanks in advance for the ones reading all of this :)

Welcome!

I have read recovering from malnourishment can take 2 years. Hang in there, be patient and continue eating well, the hair will come back little by little!

Zink deficiency is also very common cause for hair loss, as is B-12 malabsorbtion or deficiency.

ETA: what are you washing your hair with and how often?



Well my burning scalp issue has been solved. "Drum roll" nit allergy, yes you read it correctly, nit allergy!!!

My allergy list just keeps on growing. I'm glad it was something simple though.

Glad you scalp is better!

[diddiedaisy]

arctic, where is the bun tutorial? I'll go and check it out :)

[Arctic]

arctic, where is the bun tutorial? I'll go and check it out :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=136761

Here, I started a thread about it :) I hope it works for you!

[diddiedaisy]

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=136761

Here, I started a thread about it :) I hope it works for you!

Thanks, great video I'll try it later. :)

[Arctic]

Thanks, great video I'll try it later. :)

Thank you, let me know how it works! I wear it often and like it very much! (Now that the weather isn't as wintery anymore and I don't always need a hat I can start wearing this even more - it's not really hat compatible :D )

[Wusel]

Just wanted to mention...
Pura D'or works for me.
Only 4 hairs in the drain after washing and 20 after detangling... unbelievable.
And it's like my scalp was relieved from huge stress or something. My scalp never felt so good before...
And: My doctor found out that I'm actually allergic/skin reacting to sulphates... He told me yesterday.

[Arctic]

Wusel sounds like you are getting to the root (pun intended) of your long term hair loss issues! Yay!

[Fairytales]

It does look great! Did you see my fan bun tutorial? I was thinking of you espcially when I did it :) It could help you to have very similar looking style but as a hair friendly version.




Welcome! So happy you found the culprit!




:cheer: awesome news! Good idea stopping the cortisone, it's not ideal for longer term use.




Try mixing your castor oil with aloe vera gel. I did that when I tried castor oil last autumn few times (but my skin hated castor oil, like it does most every oil and butter, so I stopped after few tries). I only used few drops of castor oil and maybe table spoon of aloe gel, and it was easy to apply, easy to wash off, no stickiness and easy to get an even coverage.

I don't have experience of that plant but it's often mentioned at the different men's hair loss forums. If it's not recommeded for women it might have some hormone affecting qualities?

This link might give you some clues, and also a reference list: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/saw-palmetto




You are so helpful with your photos! Yes I have also seen people often don't know what double crown is.

Mine can be very visible, I mean the whole whorly growing patterns at the crown, if my hair is dirty and flat. It takes some detective work with longer hair to see the whorls, but mine are sometimes very visible. But more often than not I can't actually see the whorls, but I can see their characteristic effects.

I have had good success with "head banging" wet hair (just gently rocking my hair upside down, really), blowdrying and especially starting to blow dry before the pattern gets chance to set (i.e. from very wet), washing often, hair powder, etc.




Welcome!

I have read recovering from malnourishment can take 2 years. Hang in there, be patient and continue eating well, the hair will come back little by little!

Zink deficiency is also very common cause for hair loss, as is B-12 malabsorbtion or deficiency.

ETA: what are you washing your hair with and how often?




Glad you scalp is better!

Thank you! Woow 2 years, thats a very long time.. As long as it improves I will be happy I guess :) Vitamin B12 was checked already! And zinc? I will keep that in mind next time I will go to my doctor, thanks ! I am currently washing my hair every other day with sometimes a weleda shampoo and sometimes with an anti-seboroic dermatitis shampoo, because the derm told me I might have that in a light form aswell. I had alot of itching and some kind of thick fatty build up. It came a few weeks/months after the hair loss started. So maybe that attributes to my hair loss aswell. But at least with that special shampoo the build up, and itching is gone.

[Arctic]

Thank you! Woow 2 years, thats a very long time.. As long as it improves I will be happy I guess :) Vitamin B12 was checked already! And zinc? I will keep that in mind next time I will go to my doctor, thanks ! I am currently washing my hair every other day with sometimes a weleda shampoo and sometimes with an anti-seboroic dermatitis shampoo, because the derm told me I might have that in a light form aswell. I had alot of itching and some kind of thick fatty build up. It came a few weeks/months after the hair loss started. So maybe that attributes to my hair loss aswell. But at least with that special shampoo the build up, and itching is gone.

Yes it seems a long time but time goes by fast. Hopefully you will see improvments much sooner!

I asked about the washing methods/products because many people see increased shedding with CO, herbs, stretching washes, going sulphate free... although there are of course people also who see decreased shedding when the quit sulphates. Everything is very YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Oh good you are using anti-seborrheic dermatitis shampoo! Yes that condition can contribute to hair loss. Also there have been studies showing that ketoconazole specifically has some anti-androgen properties and can help people with hair loss - possibly this study refers to hormone related hair loss. But in any case, using the shampoo is a good thing, and having your scalp as healthy and non-irritated as possible can only be a positive thing!

[Arctic]

I wrote an update of my treatment in my blog (and would like to keep it there, so if someone wants to comment to me on general level feel free to do it here or in my blog, but if someone wants to comment on more detailed level, please do so in my blog, thank you! :flower:)

[lillielil]

Arctic I left you a comment. Here I'll just thank you for writing about your experience/treatment.

I'm coming to this group with photos, hoping I can get some advice regarding bangs/no bangs. This is the best I could approximate what I'm thinking about cutting. If I do cut, I'll start REALLY long - chin length or so - and then go from there. I think I would like to keep them long enough that I can tuck a bit behind my ear, or at least bobby-pin them over. Mostly I am just really sick of the everything-straight-back look that I've been sporting for so long. I am concerned that it will end up looking like a comb-over, though. That's not the look I'm going for. These were taken at the end of the day when my hair was pretty greasy (not helped by how much I messed with that front section!). Also, I am not willing to blow dry/straight-iron/curl/otherwise spend a lot of time styling bangs, so if they'll look terrible if I don't put a lot of work into them on a daily basis, it wouldn't be worth it.

In this one you can see the total volume of hair that I'm considering cutting, hanging out behind my ear. This hair is quite a bit shorter than most of my hair, and the ends are in absolutely terrible condition.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/hair/B6FFC1BB-0333-433D-8341-2FC3470FAF81_zps2jmmimse.jpg

Top view. Does the part line look ok? Too much scalp?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/hair/129EB08F-7C48-4E84-88DF-F12FF1515657_zpsmzvmb0qy.jpg

Another view of the part. Of course there is a matching one on the other side, but since I plan on pushing the bangs over to the side I don't think it will show very much. I could also add a few face-framing layers that would effectively cover this, I think. I can try to section that out if anyone thinks I should. That would probably soften the part right at the hairline, but wouldn't change anything about the rest of the triangle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/hair/7BD4C461-F0C3-43E8-B675-95ED1CD1E7AC_zpsrpdaiblg.jpg

Also #1, OMG the camera on the back of my phone is SO MUCH BETTER than the front-facing camera that I always use. I'm sorry I've subjected everyone to so many horrible photos. I need to figure out how to use this for back-of-the-head shots now.

Also #2, bonus points if anyone can tell me what color my eyes are, because I genuinely cannot tell.

[Beborani]

Lillielil, I have been contemplating that same cut over the last two years but I haven't had enough hair regrowth in that area to actually create the bangs. I have isolated the area but keep the hair in that triangular region shorter than the rest and waiting for it to fill in. Maybe by this fall. That said back in my 20s a stylist cut bangs into my hair and it definitely exaggerated the cleavage. I have pictures but it shows my face too. Your hair is denser than mine was so you may not run into that problem. Keeping the layer long initially is a good compromise.

[Arctic]

Wow Lillie, the bangs look cute on you! Very flattering on your face!

If you would pull few shorter strands from the bangs on the (your) right side, the part wouldn't look so visible. And when your bangs will be actually cut they will probably have some more volume, which also will hide the part.

My face frames/bangs were sectioned in square shape rather than curvy. Try that kind of sectioning too, to see how the part would look like. Another popular sectioning method is triangular.

[lillielil]

Lillielil, I have been contemplating that same cut over the last two years but I haven't had enough hair regrowth in that area to actually create the bangs. I have isolated the area but keep the hair in that triangular region shorter than the rest and waiting for it to fill in. Maybe by this fall. That said back in my 20s a stylist cut bangs into my hair and it definitely exaggerated the cleavage. I have pictures but it shows my face too. Your hair is denser than mine was so you may not run into that problem. Keeping the layer long initially is a good compromise.

Thanks - I'm not sure that "bangs" is even the right word since I want them so long! If it turns out terrible I will be able to pull them back within a few months since I wear my buns very high. Do you know if it was something about the way the area they came from was parted that exaggerated the cleavage for you? Any way it could have been avoided? I'm going to try different shapes as Arctic suggested



Wow Lillie, the bangs look cute on you! Very flattering on your face!

If you would pull few shorter strands from the bangs on the (your) right side, the part wouldn't look so visible. And when your bangs will be actually cut they will probably have some more volume, which also will hide the part.

My face frames/bangs were sectioned in square shape rather than curvy. Try that kind of sectioning too, to see how the part would look like. Another popular sectioning method is triangular.

Thank you! I have had them ONCE as an adult, and that was when I took a picture of Karlie Kloss (https://www.google.com/search?q=karlie+kloss+2013&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy2PTEirnLAhWknIMKHSkIBqYQsAQIHA&biw=1600&bih=771) in and said "like that, but longer". That was also the only time I have gotten a professional cut in the last 11 years! The rest of my hair was cut to chin length at that time, so there didn't feel like much of a difference between bangs and lengths. Looking back at pictures, I bobby-pinned it most of the time but it was pretty cute for a while.

I'll try a few other shapes. This one was meant to be a triangle, but I wasn't too precise about it.

[Beborani]

Thanks - I'm not sure that "bangs" is even the right word since I want them so long! If it turns out terrible I will be able to pull them back within a few months since I wear my buns very high. Do you know if it was something about the way the area they came from was parted that exaggerated the cleavage for you? Any way it could have been avoided?

I just didn't have enough hair to pull it off but my hair was fluffy (those were big hair days I think and my texture suited that style without effort. :) and if I wore it loose it wasn't too bad as only some pictures from that era show the gap. I had short hair back then--chin to shoulder.

[Beborani]

Wow Lillie, the bangs look cute on you! Very flattering on your face!

If you would pull few shorter strands from the bangs on the (your) right side, the part wouldn't look so visible. And when your bangs will be actually cut they will probably have some more volume, which also will hide the part.

My face frames/bangs were sectioned in square shape rather than curvy. Try that kind of sectioning too, to see how the part would look like. Another popular sectioning method is triangular.

Arctic are there tutorials for shapes other than triangle out there? or did you just wing it? I have never seen anything other than starting with triangle.

[Arctic]

Arctic are there tutorials for shapes other than triangle out there? or did you just wing it? I have never seen anything other than starting with triangle.

I used one Sam Villa youtube tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j176GUXEjU0&index=60&list=PLdjip4RBoCPnjgUhBMvkyP-zPbqbYXguz), but I can't recommend that particular tutorial for other that the square top sectioning. I have been so pleased with how the upper square sectioning worked for me, there is no scalp showing between bangs/face frames and the rest of the hair even when my hair is up. This is first time ever I have this happening, and I've had different kinds of bangs many many times. (But like I said, I don't recommend the tutorial, AND I didn't do and wouldn't recommend doing the square as large. If following this whole tutorial it will cut lot of hair from the sides, gives lot of layers and it needs lot of adjusting and blending which is difficult to do on yourself. The bang shape you get with this looks like outgrown bangs, so another technique would be better for the actual cutting.)

Also half circle sectioning can be used. I thought Lillielil had used that but the photo didn't show the shape well.

[Beborani]

I used one Sam Villa youtube tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j176GUXEjU0&index=60&list=PLdjip4RBoCPnjgUhBMvkyP-zPbqbYXguz), but I can't recommend that particular tutorial for other that the square top sectioning. I have been so pleased with how the upper square sectioning worked for me, there is no scalp showing between bangs/face frames and the rest of the hair even when my hair is up. This is first time ever I have this happening, and I've had different kinds of bangs many many times. (But like I said, I don't recommend the tutorial, AND I didn't do and wouldn't recommend doing the square as large. If following this whole tutorial it will cut lot of hair from the sides, gives lot of layers and it needs lot of adjusting and blending which is difficult to do on yourself. The bang shape you get with this looks like outgrown bangs, so another technique would be better for the actual cutting.)

Also half circle sectioning can be used. I thought Lillielil had used that but the photo didn't show the shape well.

Ah thanks let me look. Maybe a professional cut the first time will be more prudent so I can follow their shape which is what I am doing for my hemline though I may have lost the original shape by now. Anyway I don't have to decide for months or years so can mull over it slowly.

[lillielil]

Yowzers. That sure is a lot of hair he's trimming in that video, Arctic! I decided to start small. I can always cut more, but can't stick anything back on.

I kind of just went for it. As you can tell, I didn't cut all that much. There's actually nothing to see here, except that little bit behind my ear.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/hair/33CB57C6-290E-454C-A49F-B1F9E7B368DE_zpshchrazxs.jpg

And here's what's going on with my hair down. My hair looks like this because it was in a twisty bun all day, and objects strenuously. Here you can see where the bangs? face-framing bits? actually hit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/geobabe/hair/487FF63D-9B59-4417-9632-8B17DF926D02_zpsa9v2vke6.jpg

I will maybe cut them shorter and/or add more to the snipped section, but for now I think this is ok. And I got rid of the nastiest ends on my head! Yay! And some day I will be able to remodel that hideous bathroom, also yay. I may come back and add more pictures in the morning when my hair isn't so greasy. I washed it this morning :(

[Arctic]

Yes definitely good idea to start small. I have 2 years worth of hair growth to cut before I get rid of the extra layering I didn't really want. I am keeping most of the bangs and part of the face framing but need to grow out quite a bit of hair to get rid of the layering I don't want.

I have been upkeeping the bangs I do want with just making that square section and trimming it (and doing few blending snips here and there). All the other layers I am just dusting a bit to allow them the maximum growth retention. I should trim my hemline a bit more agressively though to reduce the length between it and the layers.

But without dwelling on my otherwise bad DIY layer job, like we talked with Lillielil earlier, I have felt in general that having face framing/bangs has been a good choice, it has helped me feel better about my hair, and gave a completely new look to me. I like having that hair framing my face even when my hair is up. It made me feel more modern and contemporary and for some reason, rock and roll :rockerdud:


Great job with your layers Lillie!

[Beborani]

Looking good lillielil! Arctic I saw that video--the girl has thick straight hair and it works for her. How far back did you go for your square? I already pull out shorter curls when make updos for dressier days and part as if I have bangs and change up the parting depending on my moods and hair's moods. Front bang area is naturally straighter--2a? so I suspect it will have the right bounce when cut. Thanks for all the ideas both of you.

Eta: I think the square shape will blend in better with my hair too-- perhaps it is the double crown vs single crown thing. Most people have hair growing out of single point in the crown and v shape follows that hair growth pattern but for double crown hair wants to part horizontally.

[Arctic]

Beborani You know I'm not sure the cut on that video works for that woman either. :laugh: (Sorry Sam Villa!) It is choppy, steplike cut. I am positive the stylist, after the recording stopped, did a lot of blending and tweaking for the hair. Plus they don't even show the cut that well (and the woman doesn't seem that pleased with it, look at her expressions :eye:). But I agree that the cut is probably better for thicker hair than mine to begin with. I was really choosing the video ex-tempore, ha ha! (I had decided to add face framing layers but I hadn't choosen the method or date, and the decision to do it now with that video happened very quickly.) Definitely a DIY hack job on me :D It wasn't a complete catastrophe though, and it had good sides, but the cut was not how I imagined it to be.

I made the square section at the top probably almost half (or at least couple of cm) less deep than in the video and was very conservative with my cuts, very careful. I never would have imagined how much hair it'd cut off, it was a bit shock :D (I was growing out an a-line bob so the amouth of hair felt even more huge.) I've been trying to keep a good attitude about it and I guess I have gotten used to the layering by now, but it was a spontanious mis-judgement from me.

But the way the "bangs" area is sectioned has been something I've been pleased with like I said. If you ever try the square sectioning, I hope it works for you too, but I advice not to try the whole technique on the video. (interestingly I've been trying today to google other tutorials with square top section and can't seem to find any :confused:)

[Fairytales]

Woow thats great! I looked up some reviews of this shampoo and there almost all positive! How long did it take before you noticed a difference?

[Fairytales]

Oops, something went wrong. I was trying to quote Wusel, about the Pura d'or Shampoo;)

[Wusel]

Woow thats great! I looked up some reviews of this shampoo and there almost all positive! How long did it take before you noticed a difference?

I ALREADY see a difference! After 2 weeks. Today in the morning after unbraiding and combing I had 10 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) hairs in my comb!!!!! It's unbelievable! And on wash day there were only 25 in the drain. It's NEVER been as few shed hairs as in the last couple of days! It's like a miracle.

[Fairytales]

I ALREADY see a difference! After 2 weeks. Today in the morning after unbraiding and combing I had 10 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) hairs in my comb!!!!! It's unbelievable! And on wash day there were only 25 in the drain. It's NEVER been as few shed hairs as in the last couple of days! It's like a miracle.

Wow thats really unbelievable! :eek: Amazing! I think I am going to order it, although it is quite expensive! But if it works it is definately worth the money :D

[Wusel]

Wow thats really unbelievable! :eek: Amazing! I think I am going to order it, although it is quite expensive! But if it works it is definately worth the money :D

I would absolutely recommend you trying it if you can afford it... I don't know if it works for everyone but as for me I plan to purchase 2 more bottles soon to stock up on it.

[diddiedaisy]

Wuzel, that's great news, fingers crossed for you that it continues.

Four week viviscal update - my shed rate continues to be very low. I don't count my hair but at most I am losing the bottom end of average (50), I think it's less than this though. I'm taking it though to encourage scalp growth and it's too early yet for anything to be happening on that side of things.

[tentaclecat]

/sidles into this thread.

I've gone from crazy thick hair to...puny, especially after a run in with ticks this fall which for some reason just turned my hair into a wreck and ruined my scalp. I'm just getting over it (that prescription shampoo for seborrhea was actually making things WORSE) and am back to a non itchy, non scabby (sorry, so gross!) no 'poo twice a week. Now...to get the hair to grow! Here's hope in finding people who can understand!

[Norcalhiker]

hello, new to this site, but when I saw the topic I wanted to comment as I've struggled with hair loss for at least 8 years.

I had waist length hair most of my life. My hair was fine, but I had a lot of it. So much, a ponytail looked just like that--a thick horse's tail. About eight years ago I noticed an alarming amount of shed. Medical intervention did nothing to stop the shed. My derm put me on extra strength rogaine--which caused more shed and irritated my scalp.

After losing about 20% of my hair, I cut it into a pixie. I hoped short hair would look fuller. I was also concerned the weight of my hair was stressing my scalp. While I was able to style my pixie to look fuller, it continued to shed.

I tried everything to stop the shed: vitamin D, iron, hair supplement formulas, biotin, oils, essential oils. When i had to go on hormone therapy (both estrogen and progestrone), the shed increased.

Then a few months ago I decided to start working out again. My son is a trainer, so he developed a nutritional plan for me. The plan included 90-100 grams of protein a day. The vast majority from whole foods (eggs, fish, qunioa, yogurt, legumes, etc). He also recommended i take omega 3's, mainly for joint health. Within a week I noticed the shed almost stopped.

Since then, I've noticed that if I stop eating protein or pass on my omega 3 supplements, i shed a lot. I found that I need at least 60-80 grams of protein a day to keep the hair on my head. in addition to the protein and omega 3's, I still take biotin, vitamin D, iron, and a multivitamin. Over the past three months, December 13, 2015 to March 14, 2016, my hair has grown 3 inches. A friend who saw me last week for the first time since early November commented that my hair looked really healthy, saying it looked a lot longer and thick and shiny.

Of course I'm afraid to exhale--fearful a mere sneeze will cause all my hair to fall out. I still don't know the cause of my hair loss, and while I am grateful a happenstance change for fitness stablized it, I worry about a reoccurrence. There is no doubt hair loss is traumatizing.

[lillielil]

Follow-up on the bangs experiment. After the initial snip, I went back and trimmed a little at a time. Final results posted in my blog (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/entry.php?b=125509), since I have spammed this thread with my mug enough. You hear that, hair? I said FINAL! SCISSORS DOWN!


tentaclecat - welcome! I really like your name on account of liking both cats and tentacles. I would not have though to combine them. TICKS. UGH! You have my most sincere sympathies. It is ok to be gross here, and there is no way you're the only person on this thread who has ever dealt with itchy, scabby scalp.


Norcalhiker - welcome to you too! Your shed sounds both frustrating and scary. It sounds like there was a lot going on, between hormones and potential nutrient deficiencies. I'm glad to hear that things seem to be on the right path! Taking care of your body certainly cannot hurt the health of your hair.

[Arctic]

Welcome to new comers!


How would everyone feel, if we'd ask moderators to move this thread to private parts of the forums? Like at the Health and Body Beautiful sub-forum?

I know I would be feeling more at ease writing medical stuff and such things here if we would not be at the public forum.

[lillielil]

Welcome to new comers!


How would everyone feel, if we'd ask moderators to move this thread to private parts of the forums? Like at the Health and Body Beautiful sub-forum?

I know I would be feeling more at ease writing medical stuff and such things here if we would not be at the public forum.

YES. Good plan. Even though it is certainly hair-related, I feel like it often veers into health territory and would be appropriate there.

[Arctic]

YES. Good plan. Even though it is certainly hair-related, I feel like it often veers into health territory and would be appropriate there.

Done. Request to move the thread sent.

[Beborani]

Has this thread moved? If so please let me know where as I don't visit those personal sections of the forum other than blog.

Thanks to Lillielil and Arctic, I got interested in bangs and/ or face- framing layers seriously and for some reason had never considered semi-circle shape though that is the one that fits the front of my face perfectly. Thanks to Arctic for suggesting it. I cut in really really tentative bits-- using curly hair technique and traditional ones-- I don't need to blend layers but I need the curls to stack. It needs bit more polish over the next couple of months--I will watch this area through a few wash cycles and tweak it but overall am happy with the cut made so far. I will post the pictures in the blog. I was considering professional cut but cannot decide between traditional and deva salons--also it is hard or explan hair loss/regrowth and ask them to account for it while cutting. So self cut it is. When this area fills some more maybe I can play with thicker side bangs.

[lillielil]

It hasn't moved yet. Maybe put a link in your blog? That should redirect even if it does get moved.

I just looked at the layers you cut, and think they look really nice! Your curls are just so pretty. :crush:

[Arctic]

Has this thread moved? If so please let me know where as I don't visit those personal sections of the forum other than blog.

Thanks to Lillielil and Arctic, I got interested in bangs and/ or face- framing layers seriously and for some reason had never considered semi-circle shape though that is the one that fits the front of my face perfectly. Thanks to Arctic for suggesting it. I cut in really really tentative bits-- using curly hair technique and traditional ones-- I don't need to blend layers but I need the curls to stack. It needs bit more polish over the next couple of months--I will watch this area through a few wash cycles and tweak it but overall am happy with the cut made so far. I will post the pictures in the blog. I was considering professional cut but cannot decide between traditional and deva salons--also it is hard or explan hair loss/regrowth and ask them to account for it while cutting. So self cut it is. When this area fills some more maybe I can play with thicker side bangs.

Your new face framing layers looks really beautiful, with your curls they they are just :thumbsup: Seems like successful sectioning too!

***

You are probably subscribed to this thread, unless you have changed your settings, normally you get subscribed to threads you post to.

If you haven't subscribed to this one, you can do it manually:

- Go to the upper side of the page. On the bar right about the thread, and right under this thread's title, you will see a drop down menu called "Thread tools"
--> click it open
--> choose subscribe to this thead, if it isn't already subscribed


You can find all your subscribed thread from your Settings.

I most often use the "Quick Links" drop down menu to access my subscribed threads fast.

You can make folders there, and organize the thread subsrciptions you want to save, and keep tabs on.

You can also delete the threads you do not want to be subsrcibed to. This is actually very advisable, as - naturally - the more threads you have saved there, even if organized, the more difficult finding stuff becomes.

And if you have never known about this feature, you probably have hundreds of threads there right now, so you would probably need to cull them first before starting to organize them. And then periodically go and delete the unwanted new threads you don't wish to follow.

I wouldn't be able to find anything without my subsrcibed threads list (and organized folders).


Other option is to go to your profile and click "Show latest posts" (I can't remember the exact wording). This will show the posts you have made.

***

That all being said, nope, this thread hasn't been moved yet, and I haven't heard any word about why. I think moving it to a private area would be very logical. Maybe if other people would request it too.

Maybe it's a financial issue, this thread generates ads, which generate money.

[Beborani]

Thanks Arctic for all those detailed options. I just went through my homepage and looked for last posted threads--just didn't want this to get lost if I don't post in a while. Thanks Lillielil for bookmarking suggestion.

[diddiedaisy]

Ok, I have a Viviscal update. I have been taking it for almost two months. my reason for taking it was to hopefully thicken up my scalp hair. It is noticeably more see through since my great shed and doesn't seem to have recovered.

My starting point - high pony circumference 2.25 inch, nape pony circumference 2 inch. As you can see my taper starts really early on. My shed rate was normal.

Since taking viviscal my shed rate has reduced quite a lot and I lose very few hairs. I don't count them but it possibly just under the average rate, which I am counting as 50-100 hairs a day.

Today I have remeasured my pony, and my nape consistently comes out at 2.15 - 2.2 inches. My high pony has come out 2.4 inch. Obviously I haven't had enough time to grow that hair from the scalp, so I am putting it down to the shed rate and keeping hold of the hairs that I grow.

I shall remeasure tomorrow in the hope that these figures are correct.

[Wusel]

I have a Pura D'Or (gold label) update.
My shedding reduced significantly after using it for 3 weeks. 10 hairs in the morning and about 15 during the day. More on wash days but that's normal.
I'm so over the moon with this shampoo that I've ordered a second bottle to have a back up, even though it's 56 Euros in Germany. For me it's worth every cent.

[diddiedaisy]

I have a Pura D'Or (gold label) update.
My shedding reduced significantly after using it for 3 weeks. 10 hairs in the morning and about 15 during the day. More on wash days but that's normal.
I'm so over the moon with this shampoo that I've ordered a second bottle to have a back up, even though it's 56 Euros in Germany. For me it's worth every cent.

Doesn't it feel good when you find something that works!!

[Chromis]

Mod note:

Given that this thread has reached over 80 pages since October 2015 before the move request, we think it is fair to let it stay on the mane forum. Hair loss and shedding is one of the main reasons that people come to the LHC right after generally wanting to grow their hair out. I myself found the forum because I was looking up information on shedding less!

That said, you fine folks are welcome to start a new thread in the health section and we are happy not to merge them. Then there can be a less public thread as well without excluding people who would like to share or learn from the main thread who do not yet have access to the other boards.

[Anje]

Welcome to new comers!


How would everyone feel, if we'd ask moderators to move this thread to private parts of the forums? Like at the Health and Body Beautiful sub-forum?

I know I would be feeling more at ease writing medical stuff and such things here if we would not be at the public forum.
<Mod hat on.>

Hi folks. The mods all felt like this was really on-topic for the Mane forum, and probably is useful for non-members who are searching for help on the topic. Obviously, there's no rule that you have to share information that you're not comfortable with people seeing, and people should be aware that this area of the forum is visible to the greater internet.

It seems like the better solution is to make a spin-off thread on the off-topic Health board that's only visible to registered members of the forum, for people who are willing to share information with the community but not with the world at large. That way both ends are served. :flower:

<Mod hat off.>

Edit: Ha! Chromis beat me to it by seconds!

[Chromis]

Dueling mods! Fire up the banjos! (With hair strings of course)

[papayatree]

Dueling mods! Fire up the banjos! (With hair strings of course)
I wonder how that would sound? :ponder:

[Arctic]

Dueling mods! Fire up the banjos! (With hair strings of course)

LOL!

It's cool, I'll just keep my updates in my blog, and come here support others who might need it, if I have time. I have a feeling a second thread wouldn't "catch fire" and there wouldn't perhaps be enough posters to keep it meaningful, because people would navigate to the old thread.

[vpatt]

I have a Pura D'Or (gold label) update.
My shedding reduced significantly after using it for 3 weeks. 10 hairs in the morning and about 15 during the day. More on wash days but that's normal.
I'm so over the moon with this shampoo that I've ordered a second bottle to have a back up, even though it's 56 Euros in Germany. For me it's worth every cent.

Yay! I'm so glad it helped. It is great to get good results from a product.

I will go along with what others think about moving the thread to another section.

[Fairytales]

I have a Pura D'Or (gold label) update.
My shedding reduced significantly after using it for 3 weeks. 10 hairs in the morning and about 15 during the day. More on wash days but that's normal.
I'm so over the moon with this shampoo that I've ordered a second bottle to have a back up, even though it's 56 Euros in Germany. For me it's worth every cent.

Aah thats so great :D :D:D I hope it works for me too. I ordered it and got it delivered yesterday! I am so excited to try it!

[Arctic]

If someone does start a new thread at the Health and Body Beautiful sub-forum, I'll be happy to join there. I don't have really time (or brain capacity) to do that right now.

[Wusel]

Aah thats so great :D :D:D I hope it works for me too. I ordered it and got it delivered yesterday! I am so excited to try it!

I'm pretty sure it'll work for you. I've read so many good and honest reviews from users... :)

[diddiedaisy]

If someone does start a new thread at the Health and Body Beautiful sub-forum, I'll be happy to join there. I don't have really time (or brain capacity) to do that right now.

I have set up a thread in the health and beauty section. It's called "the great shed, thinning hair support group part 2".

I'm sorry but I don't know how to do a link, so if someone with more expertise wants to come along and link it that would be great.

[Arctic]

I have set up a thread in the health and beauty section. It's called "the great shed, thinning hair support group part 2".

I'm sorry but I don't know how to do a link, so if someone with more expertise wants to come along and link it that would be great.

Thank you again! :flowers:

I was just coming here to add a link, so here it is:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=137023&p=3195254#post3195254

Welcome everyone to discuss about hair loss related issues in a little bit more "private" manner.

[WinterDream]

I'll join. I'm over the hill, merely recovering from a great shed and benign neglect turning into full blown neglect. So I'm not looking for solutions, just patience to re-grow what I had to cut and perseverance in baby-ing my hair and following the new routine.

[Beborani]

https://www.instagram.com/donovanmedical/

This guy has lots of macro pictures of scalp and hair loss. Maybe helpful for some.

[Arctic]

https://www.instagram.com/donovanmedical/

This guy has lots of macro pictures of scalp and hair loss. Maybe helpful for some.

Thanks for the link, lots of good quality photos there, with some nuggets of information too.

[Beborani]

Yes, the information in each of his photos is golden and in easily digestible format.

https://instagram.com/p/BCrXg1MAbSR/ (blood tests for hair loss)

I think this topic comes up so often here--so I will link it.

Eta: linking his blog too

http://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/

I think this came up earlier in the discussion.

http://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/?offset=1403864575532

[Beborani]

So moseying along Donovan site led me to this q/a site. It is not the answers itself that interest me as much as difference in answers from different experts. Some contradictory. Donovan seems to give the most responsible, mature responses. Many others give stock answers and some just sound irritated. Also so many treatment options are not approved in the US but are available elsewhere.

https://www.realself.com/find/Canada/Ontario/Toronto/Dermatologic-Surgeon/Jeff-Donovan#qa

[Neoma]

I thought I'd drop in and give another progress report. (For my story, see original post.)


A couple of days ago, I was putting my hair up and I realized that my ponytail was significantly fatter than it used to be. I knew that the thinning spot at the front of my head had filled in, but I didn't realize that I had regained overall thickness. I mentioned it to DH, who confirmed that it was, indeed, much thicker. I could probably wear it down (or in a half-up, which is as close to totally down as I get) again; I haven't been able to do that in years because the entire length was "fairy tailed."

I hope that this post gives someone who is suffering from a Great Shed some comfort. My experience is that there is regrowth after hair loss. :flower:

[Arctic]

Neoma that's fantastic!!! Extremely happy for you!

[vpatt]

I thought I'd drop in and give another progress report. (For my story, see original post.)



I hope that this post gives someone who is suffering from a Great Shed some comfort. My experience is that there is regrowth after hair loss. :flower:

I'm happy for you! That is great news and can give others hope.

[Neoma]

Thank you, Arctic and vpatt! :flowers:

(Totally off topic... vpatt, you little Fiona is gorgeous! She looks angelic.)

[Agnieszka]

Found this today on my facebook feed and thought will share. Lot's of info about nutrients deficiencies and hair loss backed up with some research.
http://draxe.com/vitamins-for-hair-growth/?utm_campaign=Affiliate-Jan-2015&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=Foodmatterstv

[vpatt]

Thank you, Arctic and vpatt! :flowers:

(Totally off topic... vpatt, you little Fiona is gorgeous! She looks angelic.)

She is seven months old now and bigger than her mum. Is that average? And her tail is HUGE. She is very playful and sweet and I love her very much.

I hope your migraines are under better control now.

I am not sure I have total regrowth but some.

[lillielil]

Found this today on my facebook feed and thought will share. Lot's of info about nutrients deficiencies and hair loss backed up with some research.
http://draxe.com/vitamins-for-hair-growth/?utm_campaign=Affiliate-Jan-2015&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=Foodmatterstv

I was with it until this line: "Biotin benefits your hair by rebuilding hair shingles that have been damaged from over-shampooing, exposure to the sun, blow-drying and ironing. " Nothing rebuilds or repairs damaged hair.

I do like that they recommended food sources (or the sun!) for each of the recommended vitamin/nutrient, rather than just pushing supplements. All in all, I think it is a good article, and a good reminder for all of us to make sure that any internal issues are addressed. And the oil blend recipe linked sounds nice and I might try it.

[Cg]

Found this today on my facebook feed and thought will share. Lot's of info about nutrients deficiencies and hair loss backed up with some research.
http://draxe.com/vitamins-for-hair-growth/?utm_campaign=Affiliate-Jan-2015&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=Foodmatterstv

Thanks for that link. My own experience is that even a few days off a nutrient-rich diet results in almost immediate increased shedding. The importance of diet should not be underestimated!

[Neoma]

She is seven months old now and bigger than her mum. Is that average? And her tail is HUGE. She is very playful and sweet and I love her very much.

I hope your migraines are under better control now.

I am not sure I have total regrowth but some.I'm glad that you have some regrowth. Mine snuck up on me.

My migraines... There has been some progress, but not nearly enough. Thank you for asking.

I don't know if that's normal for kitties. I haven't had a cat in many decades. :kitten:

[rags]

Congratulations, Neoma! That's wonderful to hear!

My regrowth wispies are long enough now to blow about and look horrid - but not long enough to stay back in the bun. Headbands galore! Am I complaining - nope! I don't have total regrowth either, but I'll take what I have and hope for more later!

[Neoma]

Congratulations, Neoma! That's wonderful to hear!

My regrowth wispies are long enough now to blow about and look horrid - but not long enough to stay back in the bun. Headbands galore! Am I complaining - nope! I don't have total regrowth either, but I'll take what I have and hope for more later!
Thank you, rags!

Wispies are good! Soon they'll be all grown up! :flowers:

[mindwiped]

Congratulations, Neoma! That's wonderful to hear!

My regrowth wispies are long enough now to blow about and look horrid - but not long enough to stay back in the bun. Headbands galore! Am I complaining - nope! I don't have total regrowth either, but I'll take what I have and hope for more later!

Mine too this is from the regrowth from fixing the thyroid stuff, the regrowth for the recent medical stuff will take a litttle longer, as I'm hypothyroid again!

But my regrowth is healthy, curly, because it's slightly longer than ear, but not chin length, so it gets all over the place in the way. That was the hair I managed to close in the car door the other night, it was windy, so I was fighting with the door, and then it ate my hair. Rrrrrr! Plus, all my updos instantly have that, 'Did you sleep on that?' look of unkempt.

[summergame]

My hair is really thinned out after a hudge period of shedding. I take anti depressive medication for more than a year and maybe that could be the 'thing' that shed me like crazy. I have much stress also because I can't find a job. I take a multivitamine and extra vitamine E and calcium.

[mindwiped]

summergame- some of the anti depressants are bad about that. If you've got a good relationship with your med pro, talk to them. I know the hair loss can make the mental stressors worse (at least for me). Take care, and try not to stress any more over it (it can make things worse)

[kittengirl]

I have been having a fairly major shed since last fall. Just when I thought it was done the next wave hit me. It's due to a lot of things....meds I was on last year, major surgery, hospitalization and a lot of health complications. I had all my blood work done this week......thyroid, vitamins, iron, and general.....and for the first time in a year everything came back normal. My dr thinks it's probably now just a residual shed from the stress (surgery was about 4 months ago) and that it will get better. I was anemic for a long time as well so it is nice to have everything be normal at last. I have lost about and inch of thickness from my ponytail through this. My hair is currently APL and I am trying to grow it long now that I seem to be healthy again. I have a lot of little whispies and regrowth....if it's humid and my hair is back I have a fuzz halo. Good sign, I guess.

[bubastis]

I haven't been here in a while and figured it was time to post an update. My own concoction of 5%minox,1%hydrocortisone and 2% miconazole nitrate has worked absolute wonders. Within days of starting it my shed stopped and the regrowth has been crazy. Since a couple of weeks I'm weening off the cortisone, using my lotion with it twice a week and the same one with cortisone taken out on the other days. So far so good! I'm finally starting to hope this nightmare is truly behind me.

I hope everyone else is doing good as well!

[summergame]

summergame- some of the anti depressants are bad about that. If you've got a good relationship with your med pro, talk to them. I know the hair loss can make the mental stressors worse (at least for me). Take care, and try not to stress any more over it (it can make things worse)

Yes I know but I tollerate almoqt no medication so a change isn't possible :(. I find hairs everywere here.... On my clothes a lot, in my brush, on the ground.. It is so frustrated. When I touch my hair there is also a lot that is coming out.

[summergame]

I haven't been here in a while and figured it was time to post an update. My own concoction of 5%minox,1%hydrocortisone and 2% miconazole nitrate has worked absolute wonders. Within days of starting it my shed stopped and the regrowth has been crazy. Since a couple of weeks I'm weening off the cortisone, using my lotion with it twice a week and the same one with cortisone taken out on the other days. So far so good! I'm finally starting to hope this nightmare is truly behind me.

I hope everyone else is doing good as well!

Happy to read this! :)

[mindwiped]

I have been having a fairly major shed since last fall. Just when I thought it was done the next wave hit me. It's due to a lot of things....meds I was on last year, major surgery, hospitalization and a lot of health complications. I had all my blood work done this week......thyroid, vitamins, iron, and general.....and for the first time in a year everything came back normal. My dr thinks it's probably now just a residual shed from the stress (surgery was about 4 months ago) and that it will get better. I was anemic for a long time as well so it is nice to have everything be normal at last. I have lost about and inch of thickness from my ponytail through this. My hair is currently APL and I am trying to grow it long now that I seem to be healthy again. I have a lot of little whispies and regrowth....if it's humid and my hair is back I have a fuzz halo. Good sign, I guess.

Congrats! I'm hoping I'll get there eventually. My thyroid is back in the normal range, so that's something!


Yes I know but I tollerate almoqt no medication so a change isn't possible :(. I find hairs everywere here.... On my clothes a lot, in my brush, on the ground.. It is so frustrated. When I touch my hair there is also a lot that is coming out.

I'm so sorry. Other than sympathies and happy thoughts (prayers if you're ok with the word) I'm afraid other than a sympathetic ear, i'm not gonna be much help, sorry. The ear is here as needed

[summergame]

Congrats! I'm hoping I'll get there eventually. My thyroid is back in the normal range, so that's something!



I'm so sorry. Other than sympathies and happy thoughts (prayers if you're ok with the word) I'm afraid other than a sympathetic ear, i'm not gonna be much help, sorry. The ear is here as needed

Thank you very much! I'm happy that your thyroid is in the normal range! :)

[vpatt]

Yes I know but I tollerate almoqt no medication so a change isn't possible :(. I find hairs everywere here.... On my clothes a lot, in my brush, on the ground.. It is so frustrated. When I touch my hair there is also a lot that is coming out.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I do understand from my own shed and all the stress that caused. I hope you find help soon.
(((Hugs)))

[summergame]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I do understand from my own shed and all the stress that caused. I hope you find help soon.
(((Hugs)))

Thank you for your kind words!

[RSunny]

I thought I was getting my shed under control. I was maintaining a 2.5" ponytail circumference, I went to the doctor who said that it was likely due to stress, but my iron was a little low so I've been taking an iron supplement, ashwaghanda supplement (to help with stress), doing yoga 3-4x per week, focusing on my breathing, getting sleep. And today I measured my ponytail and it's somewhere between 2-2.25". I can't believe it shudder:

This all started in 2014 in when I took, what turned out to be, a truly awful job. I was there for one year with over an hour commutes, overworked and under appreciated, and working with many individuals who were chronically suicidal. I finally left that job this past October and began a new job that was promised to be better. Well...yes and no. Over the people I work with are less severe, but I'm still over worked and I'm underpaid. So I'm figuring out what I want to do with that. Now to top it all off, in February, the man I've been with for over 2 years and been living with for over a year tells me that he's ambivalent about our relationship, getting married or having kids (generally or with me). There is a lot of vagueness to his response to my questions. We are still together, still living together, and plan to go to couples counseling (he finally agreed a few months after this came about). I want to get married and have a family and I'm getting to the point where if I need to start dating again, I have to do that soon in order to make this dream happen. I feel so stuck and heartbroken...now to top it all off my hair is shedding again.

It makes me feel like just ending my long hair journey and cutting it all off. I hate the way it looks. I know I've been told that no one else can tell, but it just looks so scraggly to me. I need to feel confident and I was to feel beautiful and I don't. I want to cut my hair short and move across the county to the pacific northwest, where I've been wanting to live for the past decade - but school, residency, and relationships have prevented that being realized. I feel awful, stuck, and rejected and now it's like my hair is rejecting me too. I just don't know what to do. I don't want to start using rogaine since once I start down that path I'm stuck on it.

[vpatt]

:blossom:

RSunny, I'm so sorry for your hurt and stress. I know how hard life can seem at times. Please know I'm thinking of you and praying for you. (((Hugs)))

[summergame]

Rsunny, I'm sorry to read that! Hope you doing fine and that all the misery may stop for you! Big hug!!

[summergame]

I don't know where all my shed comes from. Went to my doctor and she takes blood. There is nothing to see in it... She told me to go to a dermatologist and I make an appointment. I have to wait until September but she will call me if there are patients that can't come to their appointment. If I wash my hair the sieve is complete full and the water doesn't run away anymore. Every time I brush or comb my hair my bristle is full of hair and I have to remove it. My temples are going bald more and more :( :justy: . I don't know if this comes from my androgenetic alopecia... I do not want to take more hormones and that is the only solution if it's from my AGA. I already use Minoxidil 5% and take a heavy anticonception (Diane 35). Don't want to wash or brush it anymore :( .

[Wusel]

UPDATE ON PURA D'OR GOLD LABEL (after exactly 2 months of using)

MAN, IS THIS STUFF AMAZING!!!
I'm down to 20 hairs per day and 70-80 on wash day...
It's a miracle...

[summergame]

UPDATE ON PURA D'OR GOLD LABEL (after exactly 2 months of using)

MAN, IS THIS STUFF AMAZING!!!
I'm down to 20 hairs per day and 70-80 on wash day...
It's a miracle...

Where did you buy this shampoo? I can find it on Amazon but have to order from the UK because US gives me extra fees on it. It looks wonderful to me and I have got some hope now!

[Persiangirl01]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to check to see if it is normal to lose more hair on wash days and days where I do oil treatments? I still think the worst of my shedding is over, but I panic when I see more than 40 hairs a day. I'd say most days I only lose about 20 or 30 hairs, but I find on wash day that can increase to as much as almost 100 hairs? I also notice I shed a lot more when I do oil treatments.

Thank you! :)

[Wusel]

Where did you buy this shampoo? I can find it on Amazon but have to order from the UK because US gives me extra fees on it. It looks wonderful to me and I have got some hope now!

I've bought it on Amazon Germany. It costs 57 Euros here which is very expensive but the only way for me to get it so, I bite the bullet and save money on clothing instead. It's worth it for me. No matter what it'll cost, I buy it.

I have bought a second bottle already in case I run out.

[summergame]

Ok thank you very much! :)

[Wusel]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to check to see if it is normal to lose more hair on wash days and days where I do oil treatments? I still think the worst of my shedding is over, but I panic when I see more than 40 hairs a day. I'd say most days I only lose about 20 or 30 hairs, but I find on wash day that can increase to as much as almost 100 hairs? I also notice I shed a lot more when I do oil treatments.

Thank you! :)

Of course it's normal! On wash days everyone sheds 4 or 5 times more. Because you loosen the hairs that are already about to shed and massage-wash them out. It's ABSOLUTELY normal.

[vpatt]

UPDATE ON PURA D'OR GOLD LABEL (after exactly 2 months of using)

MAN, IS THIS STUFF AMAZING!!!
I'm down to 20 hairs per day and 70-80 on wash day...
It's a miracle...

Yay! That is wonderful to hear. I'm happy for you.

[Persiangirl01]

Thank you Wusel! You have been so helpful! :flower:

[Theobroma]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to check to see if it is normal to lose more hair on wash days and days where I do oil treatments? I still think the worst of my shedding is over, but I panic when I see more than 40 hairs a day. I'd say most days I only lose about 20 or 30 hairs, but I find on wash day that can increase to as much as almost 100 hairs? I also notice I shed a lot more when I do oil treatments.

Thank you! :)

If you're losing hair when you do oil treatments, then stop doing oil treatments. Shedding more on wash days is absolutely normal, but some scalps respond to oil (and/or conditioner) by shedding hair by the handful and if yours is one of them, the only thing you can do about it is refrain from putting oil on your scalp. If you keep it up you will lose thickness in the long term.

(I speak from bitter experience. I lost fully 40% of my thickness to CO-washing before I realised what the culprit was and that kind of shed takes years to recover from.)

[hennalonghair]

UPDATE ON PURA D'OR GOLD LABEL (after exactly 2 months of using)

MAN, IS THIS STUFF AMAZING!!!
I'm down to 20 hairs per day and 70-80 on wash day...
It's a miracle...
Yep! It's pretty good stuff. Glad to see others have been helped by using it. :D

[Wusel]

Yep! It's pretty good stuff. Glad to see others have been helped by using it. :D

Yes. :) But at 57 Euros in Germany it's so expensive... I really have to tighten my belt because of it.
For example I didn't buy me new shoes, shirts, pants... since I'm on LHC, believe it or not, because I prefer spending money on my hair and all the wonderful products suggested here, than buying new garment. :) I only bought one denim skirt a couple of weeks ago which was on sale and I really needed and wanted. It was 57 Euros. The same as the shampoo :lol: :lol: :lol:

[lapushka]

I don't know where all my shed comes from. Went to my doctor and she takes blood. There is nothing to see in it... She told me to go to a dermatologist and I make an appointment. I have to wait until September but she will call me if there are patients that can't come to their appointment. If I wash my hair the sieve is complete full and the water doesn't run away anymore. Every time I brush or comb my hair my bristle is full of hair and I have to remove it. My temples are going bald more and more :( :justy: . I don't know if this comes from my androgenetic alopecia... I do not want to take more hormones and that is the only solution if it's from my AGA. I already use Minoxidil 5% and take a heavy anticonception (Diane 35). Don't want to wash or brush it anymore :( .

I'm sure that dermatologist isn't the only dermatologist you can visit. Isn't there another one with a shorter waiting list. The ones with waiting lists aren't necessarily better. Besides September is a long way away! I wouldn't start experimenting with things on my own, if I were you, rather concentrating on getting to see a doctor sooner. :flower: Just my 2cts.

[Persiangirl01]

Theobroma, thank you! I phrased my sentence badly there. I would say I shed as much from an oil treatment as I do from a wash. It is not more than a wash and it is definitely not handfuls of hair! :shudder:

I think that is normal?

[diddiedaisy]

Great news wusel

[summergame]

I'm sure that dermatologist isn't the only dermatologist you can visit. Isn't there another one with a shorter waiting list. The ones with waiting lists aren't necessarily better. Besides September is a long way away! I wouldn't start experimenting with things on my own, if I were you, rather concentrating on getting to see a doctor sooner. :flower: Just my 2cts.

I know Lapushka, They will call me soon as possible so it will be not September but earlier. The dermatologist I had before her was a real disaster, he only gave me the 2,5% minoxidil because he said that woman can't get the 5%...
Maybe I should wait before I order the shampoo but every day I lose more and more hair.

[Theobroma]

Theobroma, thank you! I phrased my sentence badly there. I would say I shed as much from an oil treatment as I do from a wash. It is not more than a wash and it is definitely not handfuls of hair! :shudder:

I think that is normal?

It's hard to say. If your shedding from oil treatments is in addition to the same amount as you shed in a wash, it might be too much. If you find that washing out an oil treatment makes you shed only as much as you shed in a normal wash it sounds as though you'd be OK!

In my case, when I tried an oil treatment my scalp let go of a handful of hair before I even started washing out the oil; it was seriously scary. I'm never putting anything rich on my scalp again after that experience and the CO disaster!

[lapushka]

I know Lapushka, They will call me soon as possible so it will be not September but earlier. The dermatologist I had before her was a real disaster, he only gave me the 2,5% minoxidil because he said that woman can't get the 5%...
Maybe I should wait before I order the shampoo but every day I lose more and more hair.

I know it can be frightening. What did your regular doctor say? Can't s/he do something for you in the mean time? :)
I think you might fare as well with Nizoral 2% than that other expensive shampoo. It may even be better as there's much more of an active ingredient in there.

[Silverbrumby]

@lapushka, i spend even more on my shampoo but justify it because I've tried the 2% Nizoral and my hair and scalp didn't like it. It was $30 cheaper than my current favorite shampoo but all my experiments with cheaper haven't worked. I'm now of the mind that if it works for you stick to it if you can afford it.

But i do think people might want to try the 2% as the medication might be a perfect fit. Plus it's only $16 here in the USA.

[summergame]

I know it can be frightening. What did your regular doctor say? Can't s/he do something for you in the mean time? :)
I think you might fare as well with Nizoral 2% than that other expensive shampoo. It may even be better as there's much more of an active ingredient in there.

My regular doctor prescribed me Cysteïne vitamine pills. I did not bought them yet because I'm not convinced about it. I have got a sample of it and it is almost empty.

[Persiangirl01]

So i measured my ponytail circumference today, just to see if there has been any improvement since I stopped BC 6 months ago. My ponytail circumference used to be around 6cm and now it's just over 8cm! I measured twice :joy: I think it will still get a bit thicker as I have a lot of little hairs that give me a frizz halo :)

I'm still stressing all the time about my hair loss, but that is a marked improvement! :D

[marlb91]

I went off birth control in the september 2015 and had a pretty bad shed ontop of my slowly thinning hair it was terrible. Had to cut so much off. I think its slowly growing back but it will take a while for me to see the thickness in my length. Glad you have improved!

[Lelosi]

Hi,
I will recommend it to watch this youtube video. It helped me a lot. She is real and also talks about the psychological part of your hair and when you feel like your hair condition is or looks terrible.
The foods that she recommends are foods you already have in your kitchen.
This is very basic, but was very helpful to me.
SPAM

[Wusel]

YAY!!! I've ordered a third bottle of Pura D'Or Gold!!! 47 Euros, new special offer on Amazon! :joy:
Usually you don't get it for less than 57-70 in Germany!!!
Now I have enough in stock for the next 7 months or so. One bottle lasts me about 3 months.
:joy:

[Persiangirl01]

Marlb91, I haven't experienced any shedding coming off. And I am worried it still is on its way as I've read it can be as late as 6 to 9 months after stopping bc. Most of my hairs are still way too short to even fit in the ponytail, as you said, it will take a few years for it to show in the lengths :)

Wusel, that is such a great deal! But wow that is expensive shampoo!!

[summergame]

Today my mom say that you can really see my hair is much thinner now... I washed my hair this morning and again there is at least a handful of hair out of my scalp. I am really thinking about cutting it of because there is no hour that i couldn't think of it and it is freaking me out so much! Friday I will buy the Nizoral 2% if it is available without prescription, otherwise the 1% and I hope this would be working for me. I'm sorry for my nagging but I almost start to become crazy...

[marlb91]

Marlb91, I haven't experienced any shedding coming off. And I am worried it still is on its way as I've read it can be as late as 6 to 9 months after stopping bc. Most of my hairs are still way too short to even fit in the ponytail, as you said, it will take a few years for it to show in the lengths :)

Wusel, that is such a great deal! But wow that is expensive shampoo!!

i hope it doesn't happen to you :) the shed wasn't great but its not like i'm completely bald so can't complain

[lapushka]

Today my mom say that you can really see my hair is much thinner now... I washed my hair this morning and again there is at least a handful of hair out of my scalp. I am really thinking about cutting it of because there is no hour that i couldn't think of it and it is freaking me out so much! Friday I will buy the Nizoral 2% if it is available without prescription, otherwise the 1% and I hope this would be working for me. I'm sorry for my nagging but I almost start to become crazy...

Could your last salon visit and the dye you had administered to your hair have anything to do with it? Did it start after the salon visit?

They only sell the 2% in Belgium, summergame. The lower ones don't exist on our market. And yes, it is without a prescription.
http://www.bcfi.be/nl/chapters/16?frag=14076&trade_family=19018

[summergame]

I don't think so because I lost many hairs before. And all the hairs that i've lose are with roots... No breakage.

[Arctic]

Summegame, my heart goes out to you. :grouphug:

[lithostoic]

Finally noticing improvement. New tapered hairs all over my canopy.

[summergame]

Summegame, my heart goes out to you. :grouphug:

Thank you! :flower:

[Complexity]

Now that my shedding has slowed, I'm noticing all kinds of little flyaways that just won't cooperate with the rest of my hair. I'm not complaining (after all, I'm guessing that it means regrowth), but I'm not a huge fan of how messy it looks.

[Arctic]

Now that my shedding has slowed, I'm noticing all kinds of little flyaways that just won't cooperate with the rest of my hair. I'm not complaining (after all, I'm guessing that it means regrowth), but I'm not a huge fan of how messy it looks.

Yay for slower shedding AND new sprouts! Maybe now would be good time to change some styling methods and use some "props". Like scarves (as both covering head in one of the various possible styles, or as headbands), other headbands both thin and thick, straw hats for summer, nice pins or if you like the (almost) invisible look I can recommend mini bobby pins. And styling products. A little hair spray does wonders for my flyaways.

[summergame]

Now that my shedding has slowed, I'm noticing all kinds of little flyaways that just won't cooperate with the rest of my hair. I'm not complaining (after all, I'm guessing that it means regrowth), but I'm not a huge fan of how messy it looks.

That's a really good sign that you are getting baby growth! :) Hope your shed is completly gone now!

I bought the Nizoral shampoo and used it once now. I really hope this is gonna work before I have to go to my dermatologist.

[summergame]

Some pictures to show my lack of full hair now:

Before the hairloss:
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l359/Lucius1988/13083368_10153425774302541_4884340240456933302_n_z ps4nrzrsvp.jpg

Now:
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l359/Lucius1988/P1030500_zpsnh3agjy9.jpg

Should I cut my hair off and let it grow again or not?

[Arctic]

I can only tell you what I would do. I personally, if my hair would start to look too thin (to my own liking) because of hairloss, would cut it shorter. I have done so in the past and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. One of the reasons why I have been a bit reluctant to grow now at full speed is my current hair loss. But we have many members here who are opposite of me, and would rather keep their hair. To them thin hair is thin hair whether short or long, and because they love it long, so be it. Both are fine approaches, I think it's about what person values more. For me length is secondary to other things, and I like it better how my hair looks when it's thin, when I have it cut shorter. It would give me more stress to keep it long, I feel.

I don't think your photo looks bad at all though. From it you seem to have normal hairline and pretty densely growing hair.

I hope the Nizoral would help you, it's antiandrogen, and many hair loss sufferers use it regularly to help prevent further hair loss. It apparently can also make the individual hairs grow thicker with time (on some people), so it will help thinning hair in that way too.

[Complexity]

Yay for slower shedding AND new sprouts! Maybe now would be good time to change some styling methods and use some "props". Like scarves (as both covering head in one of the various possible styles, or as headbands), other headbands both thin and thick, straw hats for summer, nice pins or if you like the (almost) invisible look I can recommend mini bobby pins. And styling products. A little hair spray does wonders for my flyaways.

Thank you :) It's exciting to see, but still kind of annoying haha (still not complaining though!). I have a TON of scarves that I never use (they're just not really my style but my aunt buys them for me on the regular), so I might just have to start looking at ways to wear them in my head instead! The only headbands I have are too small for my fat head haha (they came from the dollar store), so I've been using them to secure my braid(s) at night because they seem like they'll cause less damage.

I'm not the biggest fan of hair spray these days (my grandmother used to COAT me in it when I was a kid), but maybe a light one wouldn't be a bad idea. The stray hairs are seemingly ALL around my crown, so when i bun with claw clips (my regular style), it looks like I missed a bunch of hair haha.


Some pictures to show my lack of full hair now:

Before the hairloss:
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l359/Lucius1988/13083368_10153425774302541_4884340240456933302_n_z ps4nrzrsvp.jpg

Now:
http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l359/Lucius1988/P1030500_zpsnh3agjy9.jpg

Should I cut my hair off and let it grow again or not?

I don't notice a huge difference by any means (I know this likely doesn't make you feel any better. but it's true :)). Maybe a trim would make you feel a little better about it, but I don't personally think that the difference is so drastic that it needs to be chopped (of course, you should ultimately do whatever makes YOU feel best about yourself).

[vpatt]

Summergame, I'm not sure that your hair is really thinner looking. It looks a bit longer to me. I think if we don't have really fluffy looking hair that it is going to look thinner as it grows. You know like an optical illusion......taller people look thinner than short people if they have the same measurements.

Shanda, you might find some ways to wear scarves on the Wrapunzel website and I'm sure on YouTube.

[summergame]

Thank you :) It's exciting to see, but still kind of annoying haha (still not complaining though!). I have a TON of scarves that I never use (they're just not really my style but my aunt buys them for me on the regular), so I might just have to start looking at ways to wear them in my head instead! The only headbands I have are too small for my fat head haha (they came from the dollar store), so I've been using them to secure my braid(s) at night because they seem like they'll cause less damage.

I'm not the biggest fan of hair spray these days (my grandmother used to COAT me in it when I was a kid), but maybe a light one wouldn't be a bad idea. The stray hairs are seemingly ALL around my crown, so when i bun with claw clips (my regular style), it looks like I missed a bunch of hair haha.

.

Maybe you can make a spray bottle with some aloe vera gel in it to make a natural hairspray? :flower:

Thank you for your response! I will think about it.

[rags]

Summergame, I agree with vpatt that your hair doesn't look thinner at ALL to me, and if you hadn't said something I would have normally just assumed any differences were due to extra length. A lot of people (especially with finer, straighter hair) find that when their hair gains length it lies flatter to the head, etc. due to more length, and as well as length making it look longer, this will make it look different too. But I truly would not have thought you had any hairloss and I personally wouldn't cut it based on that picture.

Now, I have personally cut my hair twice due to hairloss. Both were huge sheds due largely to medications, and I lost half my hair or more each time. I still have a bald patch about the size of an American nickel right behind where my bangs are that I have to hide from the first one (which was 10-12 years ago, so I don't think that one is coming back!).

When I have lesser sheds, I put it up and forget it, and baby it even more than usual (if that is possible!). So no, I personally would not chop going by that picture. I actually think your hair is beautiful!

[summergame]

Thank you for the kind words. I must say that my ponytale feels much thinner now than in the first picture. Maybe I concentrate myself to much on it but I can say that it is really scary to see all the hairs are falling out every day.

[vpatt]

I know it is scary, I have been there. I do use gelatin everyday, about a tablespoon in my coffee. I use Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate. I use it for Leaky Gut (lovely name). But I have heard some say it helps hair, skin and nails. I have had some regrowth of my hair ......I just never thought of it being from the gelatin. ...but maybe that helped. Bone broth is cheaper and easy to make which I also do. It is just for good general health. But it is highly recommended by many.

Another thing is if you are comparing long hair shed to shorter hair shed. For instance, if hair is 3" long compared to 6" long. Even shedding the same number of hairs is twice as much hair due to length. So it will look like more hair in your brush or sink/tub but the number of hairs wouldn't have increased. I believe that ponytail circumference might fluctuate slightly from time to time for some people. But I would try to eat healthy. I know trying not to stress is hard. I believe exercise is a good way to de-stress.

I really hope you have good luck with your hair. I really do understand how much it hurts to lose hair. And how the stress can be so vicious.

[RSunny]

I just got my most recent bloodwork back from my derm. She said that everything is normal. Nurse didn't know if I should continue iron supplement or not, will find out soon. I'm also unsure if she did tests on my hormones. I don't think she did. Should I request it? I've been on BC on and off since 15 years old for really bad cramps. I'm going to be switching to the more a IUD in June for lower hormone levels and fewer fluctuations. So I'm not sure if hormone tests on my blood would be useful. Any thoughts?

Also, is ponytail circumference smaller or larger if measured when hair is oiled?

[RSunny]

Has anyone used the pura d'or professional version? It seems to have the same 15 DHT ingredients as the gold line but different additional ingredients like seaweed for thickness. Of course it's more expensive if not bought on auto shipment.

[luluj]

I'm this thread to provide a supportive community for people who are dealing with hair loss, a.k.a thinning hair. This is not to be confused with fine hair, which simply means the diameter of the individual hairs.

I am resisting the urge to cut my hair. If I cut it, I will simply have short thin hair instead of long thin hair.

I would like to hear from other people who have dealt, or are dealing, with similar Great Sheds. What caused your shed? (If you know...) What measures did you take to try to slow/stop the loss? Did your hair grow back? Did you cut your hair as a result of your Great Shed? If so, do you regret doing so?

Hi, I would like to join in. Neoma, thank-you for starting this thread, I have been following it faithfully.

Perhaps I should have joined when my shed started but I was pretty twisted up about the whole experience and wasn't ready to discuss it. As far as I can tell and from what my hairdresser has told me (she was the one who brought the thinning to my attention) the shed has slowed and I have visible regrowth. This is also the case with my own observations because there is far less hair in the shower and I have a halo of new hairs.

Neoma, to answer one of your questions.... I did end up cutting my hair (twice) to help me cope with the drastic thinning and I do not regret the decision. My longest layer was reduced to a few spirals so I had a cut to remove all of the layers. This gave me the illusion of thicker hair and I felt much better, instantly. Just last week I had another cut which included face framing layers and a little extra styling. I am now in the process of growing to APL where I plan to maintain. This is not for everyone and I am not at all recommending that others cut their hair, this is after all, a long hair community.:flower: I am wearing my hair down almost all of the time because the thought of too much manipulation concerns me, as time goes by and I am more comfortable with my regrowth this may change.

My shed was related to a nutritional deficiency, something that I am in the process of treating.

Thanks for listening.:blossom:

[summergame]

Welcome here Luluj. Good to read that you are treating your process! Good luck with new hairgrowth! :flower:

[Beborani]

Rsunny, in most cases oil compacts the hair and presumably reduces ponytail circumference.

[luluj]

Welcome here Luluj. Good to read that you are treating your process! Good luck with new hairgrowth! :flower:

Thank-you, summergame.:flower: It is very nice to meet you!:waving:

[Complexity]

Welcome, luluj! Happy that you found the source of your shed and that it seems to have slowed down/started to regrow :)

My hair still seems thin to me, but my crown looks something like the dandelions in the front yard so hopefully I'm on my way back to at least a somewhat normal thickness (for me). I'm trying to just keep it up and forget about it. And I"m trying to remember to at least eat enough, if not always the best quality foods (but old habits die hard, and sometimes I just forget).

[luluj]

Welcome, luluj! Happy that you found the source of your shed and that it seems to have slowed down/started to regrow :)

My hair still seems thin to me, but my crown looks something like the dandelions in the front yard so hopefully I'm on my way back to at least a somewhat normal thickness (for me). I'm trying to just keep it up and forget about it. And I"m trying to remember to at least eat enough, if not always the best quality foods (but old habits die hard, and sometimes I just forget).

Hi, Shanda, thanks for the welcome!:flower: I know all about the dandelion look.:p It is very encouraging to see regrowth, I am happy for you.

Eating a healthy diet is so very important to hair health, something that I am paying very close attention to right now. I am taking a B12 supplement with added iron as requested by my doctor and like you I have to be sure to eat enough, especially when it comes to the healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and olive oil.

[Complexity]

I'm planning to garden this year in hopes that it encourages a better overall diet. I'm not a huge fan of the taste of produce that's found in grocery stores, but I think that's because my parents kept a garden when I was young. The same can be said for meat - My uncle (who lived next door) was a farmer, so we got our beef and pork from him. After I moved out, I became the queen of convenience foods, and a decade and a half later I'm starting to see the toll it really took.

If the gardening goes well, maybe I'll get chickens too since eggs are chalked full of all sorts of goodness.

[luluj]

I'm planning to garden this year in hopes that it encourages a better overall diet. I'm not a huge fan of the taste of produce that's found in grocery stores, but I think that's because my parents kept a garden when I was young. The same can be said for meat - My uncle (who lived next door) was a farmer, so we got our beef and pork from him. After I moved out, I became the queen of convenience foods, and a decade and a half later I'm starting to see the toll it really took.

If the gardening goes well, maybe I'll get chickens too since eggs are chalked full of all sorts of goodness.

This sounds like a great plan, Shanda. I see you are from Canada, me too.:bottomsup:

During the winter and spring months fresh produce is either imported or grown in a greenhouse which is why the veggies in our Canadian grocery chains can certainly lack flavor. Being mindful of what we eat is so important and the fact that you are focusing on making healthier changes is such a positive step in the right direction. One day at a time has always been my way of approaching change of any kind, much less stress I think.

I do hope you get your garden planted this spring, Shanda.:blossom:

[summergame]

Well the Nizoral didn't work for my hairloss, scalp itching is much better with it. Now I'm of it and I have tried the Pura D'or gold shampoo. I was very curious about it and I will share my progress here. It smells like a herb garden, very good!

[Arctic]

Summergame, didn't you only just start the Nizoral? I don't think it would work for hairloss in only few weeks. It's one of those long term methods, from what I've understood. It's great your scalp is better, and I would actually continue using Nizoral at least once a week (the people at hair loss forums seem to be using it several times a week). Let's hope the Pura D'or

[summergame]

Summergame, didn't you only just start the Nizoral? I don't think it would work for hairloss in only few weeks. It's one of those long term methods, from what I've understood. It's great your scalp is better, and I would actually continue using Nizoral at least once a week (the people at hair loss forums seem to be using it several times a week). Let's hope the Pura D'or

Yes indeed but the leaflet with it says that you should use it for two weeks and that's the reason that I quit it. :)

[Arctic]

It must have meant that for dandruff to have an effect it needs to be used at least 2 weeks. You can use it longer.

On Finnish leaflet is says (for SD) to use 2-4 weeks (untill the skin has healed) and that it can be used as a preventative treatment once a week or once a forthnight. But the hairloss purposes it needs to be used long term. It's effect is based on being an anti-androgen, working on surface level. So a regular usage is needed to keep the androgens in follicles under check.

[summergame]

It must have meant that for dandruff to have an effect it needs to be used at least 2 weeks. You can use it longer.

On Finnish leaflet is says (for SD) to use 2-4 weeks (untill the skin has healed) and that it can be used as a preventative treatment once a week or once a forthnight. But the hairloss purposes it needs to be used long term. It's effect is based on being an anti-androgen, working on surface level. So a regular usage is needed to keep the androgens in follicles under check.

Ok thank you for the replay :flower: . I will use this one first then because it contains more ketoconazol than the Pura d'Or I think. If I use the two I can't say which one is working. :)

[Beborani]

Yes summergame, if you're using ketocanazole, you have to use 'forever' if you are looking for anti- androgen benefits. You need to give it a try for at least 6 months to know if you are benefitting at all.

[summergame]

Yes summergame, if you're using ketocanazole, you have to use 'forever' if you are looking for anti- androgen benefits. You need to give it a try for at least 6 months to know if you are benefitting at all.

Ok, good to know that it tooks so long to know if it is working for me but I will try it, otherwise it's a waste of money to buy this if I can't guaranty that it works.

[RSunny]

I am almost at APL, but sadly (or not depending) I have decided to go for a big chop due to excessive shedding. I need to get my growth and stress under control. So I can grow out my hair at its full potential.

I have also begun to use a new shampoo called Voya that I wanted to let you all know about. It is shipped for Ireland, but shipped from Voya was only $9. It is made with seaweed for strength and nutrients. I bought the shampoo and conditioner. I've been using it for a week and my hair feels amazing. Helped with dryness (especially on the ends of my hair), shine, and hopefully as I'm regrowing, strength and volume. It is also come free and sulfate free. I highly recommend!

[Arctic]

Does the Pura shampoo have ketoconazole also? What percentage? Maybe you could use Nizoral once a week and PUra for other washes or something.


Sorry to hear that you feel like big chop is the only way, RSunny. But great to hear your new shampoo is so positive experience! Many people (in wider context not just hair loss) say that shampoo is shampoo is shampoo, that a shampoo can't make a difference it ust cleans, but my experience different shampoos can have very different effect on my hair. It's worth finding the one that your hair and skin likes.

[summergame]

I am almost at APL, but sadly (or not depending) I have decided to go for a big chop due to excessive shedding. I need to get my growth and stress under control. So I can grow out my hair at its full potential.

I have also begun to use a new shampoo called Voya that I wanted to let you all know about. It is shipped for Ireland, but shipped from Voya was only $9. It is made with seaweed for strength and nutrients. I bought the shampoo and conditioner. I've been using it for a week and my hair feels amazing. Helped with dryness (especially on the ends of my hair), shine, and hopefully as I'm regrowing, strength and volume. It is also come free and sulfate free. I highly recommend!

I'm sorry to read that you will chop of your hair due to the shedding. I understand how it feels to loose so much hair and trying to not stress about it.. It's a visual circle sometimes (stress=> shed=> more stress)..

Let us know if the shampoo is working for you RSunny! :flower:

[summergame]

Does the Pura shampoo have ketoconazole also? What percentage? Maybe you could use Nizoral once a week and PUra for other washes or something.
.

Yes on it's label it's says that it contains ketoconazole but not how much so honesty I don't know. :)

[Peggy E.]

Cut/trimmed my hair back from below tb to just a bit below bs; it is now about waist and wisping out all over again, the reason I took it off in the first place.

It has a lot of loss at the hairline, as well as balding at the top - male AND female balding patterns! I've been using Rogaine and do believe it is filling in the shedding areas, however, it seems to be turning my hair to straw.

So, I can have a tad bit thicker straw head or thinner, shining, soft hair. Decisions, decisions....

I've always worn it up and have a huge antique hair collection I used and really enjoyed. It no longer supports the combs and I fear they will be broken, should they fall out.

However, I wonder if it isn't better just to enjoy what I have and not worry about what I've lost?

[Bergelmir]

Well, i mean meds can always help in short time but finally you are only fighting symptoms as there is no clear evidence that they do truly cure and as soon as medication is stopped the restoration may be slowly become depleted.

The hard way is the way of regaining more overall vitality and not just trying to cure some fixed spot. Now indeed the psychological stress can be a real pain, so you have to accept the truth of some depleting hair growth, but in the same time not worrying (no use to worry) and keep improving matters. Research on how to contribute on general health could be more effective than the research on how to cure hair loss.

[Beborani]

PeggyE. If you're using liquid rogaine it contains humectant-- perhaps your climate is not suitable for that? For me it make my hair more pliable and soft at the root.

[summergame]

PeggyE maybe you could ask for Minoxidil from your doctor? I don't know if you already tried it?

[summergame]

I went to the dermatologist this morning and she checked my hair. There is nothing to do at my shed. No scars or other diseases. She told me that max 40%of my hair could fall out. All the lost hairs will grow back but it will last forever at my hairgrowth tempo. So at new moon in august I will cut off a bit that it looks thicker again and that it will grow faster.

[Cg]

Cut/trimmed my hair back from below tb to just a bit below bs; it is now about waist and wisping out all over again, the reason I took it off in the first place.

It has a lot of loss at the hairline, as well as balding at the top - male AND female balding patterns! I've been using Rogaine and do believe it is filling in the shedding areas, however, it seems to be turning my hair to straw.

So, I can have a tad bit thicker straw head or thinner, shining, soft hair. Decisions, decisions....

I've always worn it up and have a huge antique hair collection I used and really enjoyed. It no longer supports the combs and I fear they will be broken, should they fall out.

However, I wonder if it isn't better just to enjoy what I have and not worry about what I've lost?

That's what I do. Enjoy what you have.

[vpatt]

What was said here about saw palmetto? I know someone here said there could be problems...at least I think I remember that. Dr. Josh Axe recommends that first and then 5 or 6 other things that I cannot remember.

I am having a shed now that I think is a normal shed....but since I had such short hair for so long I don't remember what a normal shed really is. It is 31/2 weeks since it started and I don't know if that is normal. I tried the PurD'or shampoo and it seemed to stop almost immediately....but then I thought, do I want to stop a normal shed? Is that good or bad? So I stopped using it...but should I go back to it? I am on my oh so healthy diet and exercising and taking supplements. My sleep is the only thing not so good. I just think it could be better so I am thinking of napping as I read that is helpful with the immune system. My skin seems to be beginning to clear so that is a good sign. It is very slow to clear the skin, but the creams never helped much for me.

[vpatt]

What was said here about saw palmetto? I know someone here said there could be problems...at least I think I remember that. Dr. Josh Axe recommends that first and then 5 or 6 other things that I cannot remember.

I am having a shed now that I think is a normal shed....but since I had such short hair for so long I don't remember what a normal shed really is. It is 31/2 weeks since it started and I don't know if that is normal. I tried the PurD'or shampoo and it seemed to stop almost immediately....but then I thought, do I want to stop a normal shed? Is that good or bad? So I stopped using it...but should I go back to it? I am on my oh so healthy diet and exercising and taking supplements. My sleep is the only thing not so good. I just think it could be better so I am thinking of napping as I read that is helpful with the immune system. My skin seems to be beginning to clear so that is a good sign. It is very slow to clear the skin, but the creams never helped much for me.

Ah, someone said saw palmetto could mess with hormones.

And I think I am losing 50 to 60 hairs a day.....before it was 10 to 20.

Update 2 days later, I am back to the 10 to 20 hairs per day for the past 2 days.

[TheBalance]

Wow, I'm so happy that I found this thread! I've been a quiet lurker on the forums for some time, but I find myself in need of some support in my hair journey as I have come to my rope's end with this thinning hair business.

A little background:
When I was younger I had thick, sleek hair. But around the time I turned 14 it started falling out by the handful. This really worried me and I ended up going to the doctor a couple years after the shedding started (my hair was becoming noticably thinner). I had some blood tests done but doctor said everything was normal and sent me on my way. It turns out that I have androgenetic alopecia, as does my mother. She has had problems with thin hair all of her adult life. She is 50yo and her crown is so sparse that she wears a glued wig.

After visiting the Doctor, I didn't do anything in terms of hair loss prevention because I wasn't aware that there was anything I could do at that point. So I just let my hair be.

Over the years since then, my shedding has slowed down, but my hair doesn't grow back in as well. My hair is sparser and the hair itself is thinner in diameter. I'm currently 25, and I am embarrassed by the look of my hair. I keep it cut short because any length flattens it out. I am also super self conscious anytime I'm in direct sunlight or if it rains because my scalp is so visible (from all angles).

In the past, I've been hesitant about using things like minoxidil, but now I feel like "what do I have left to lose?" I'm thinning anyway, so I might as well try to see if any of these treatments will work on me. So now I've started to gradually add to my treatment regimen.

In January I started using Tricomin follicle therapy spray for my scalp health and have heard that it works as an anti-inflammatory as well. And now in June, I just started using rogaine 5% as well as a DHT blocking shampoo (pura d'or). I've always felt like my hair had no hope, but after reading many of the stories here, I'm giving my hair a chance at regrowth.

I am interested in hearing about additional ways I might be able to improve my regrowth like diet, supplements, EOs, etc. So if you have any thoughts, suggestions, research to share with me, please do!!

Thank you ladies for sharing your stories and providing much needed regrowth inspiration.

~Let the growth begin~

[Silverbrumby]

@thebalance

You are doing quite a bit and I'd wait before adding too much more. With Rogaine there can be an initial heavy shed then new growth comes in. There was an interesting study which showed a large increase in Rogaine therapy when combined with a dermal roller.

I started using a dermal roller over 1 year ago based on this research. Link


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746236

**
...Patient evaluation

Patient subjective evaluation of hair growth at week 12 was a primary efficacy variable. In the Microneedling group, 41 (82%) patients versus only 2 (4.5%) patients in the Minoxidil group reported more than 50% improvement

*****

I cannot do rogaine because of bad side effects. Terrible eye bags.

I switched to electric dermal pen which didn't tangle in my hair like the stamp or roller. Im lazy but use it once it once every two or three weeks.

My ponytail went from 2.9 to a stable 3.1 to 3.2. I went down to 2.3 at my worst after doing rogaine which can cause an.initial massive.shed.

[LegoCaltrops]

Vpatt - I mentioned that using saw palmetto supplements caused a fairly major increase in my migraines which are, undoubtedly, hormonal (initially provoked by taking Dianette for a month... over a decade ago). I'm considering topical application though, perhaps from a tincture or oil.

Does anyone know of a more affordable alternative to Viviscal? It's around £35 per month's supply here (UK), about $46 I think. I already take a fairly heavy duty B complex for my migraines.

[vpatt]

Some sunlight and vitamin D3 supplements should help the immune system.....which I think might help hair growth for some. I think my crown looks thinner. But I don't think I've lost enough hair recently to cause that. I think it is because of the length flattening it so that it shows more. Shorter hair might help camouflage that, but I'm not really worried at this point. I'm trying to concentrate on other things and not worry. It's working so far.

[Neoma]

I am quite distraught. In the past week or so, I've been shedding clumps. There are visible clumps of my hair on our light-colored kitchen and bathroom floors. My crown has thinned significantly. And the length is snapping and breaking.

I am certain that this is due to yet another med that I'm taking for migraine prevention. And what's even more frustrating is that the med has produced a 33% reduction in the migraines. I actually waited to call my doc because I didn't want to start the search for another med that works; I've been through so many. But I broke down and spoke with her office today. They told me to reduce the dosage by half. I have an appointment scheduled for next Wednesday.

My game plan is to use Nioxin for noticeably thinning hair, take biotin and a multi-vitamin with selenium and other hair-growth-promoting minerals.

This will be my third Great Shed (the story of my first two is in the first post of this thread). I'm exhausted just thinking about how long it took for my hair to grow back last time.

Thank you for reading.

[Arctic]

I'm so sorry Neoma. :grouphug: It's one of the worst feelings to notice visible thinning of the scalp hair.

[summergame]

Neoma, I hope this effects of the medicine will stop soon, I know how hard it is to loose so much hair! Big hug!

[vpatt]

Oh, Neoma, I'm so sorry. Big hugs to you. I hope cutting back your med helps or that you find another one.

[Neoma]

I'm so sorry Neoma. :grouphug: It's one of the worst feelings to notice visible thinning of the scalp hair.


Neoma, I hope this effects of the medicine will stop soon, I know how hard it is to loose so much hair! Big hug!


Oh, Neoma, I'm so sorry. Big hugs to you. I hope cutting back your med helps or that you find another one.

Thank you, ladies. :flowers: I knew that I could find the support that I need on this thread.

[Neoma]

OK, my commitment to Nioxin lasted exactly one shampoo.

This is from today's blog:


I discovered a new (to me) shampoo bar at the health food store: Camamu Rosemary Nettle. Both rosemary and nettle are supposed to promote hair growth. I'm going to give this bar a really fair trial; I'm thinking several weeks. I've been using cones, so I may add some baking soda to one of the lathers tomorrow. Then I plan to finish with a WV/EO rinse. My EO rinse has nettles in it.

Has anyone who has experienced a Great Shed used shampoo bars as part of their "recovery"?

[mindwiped]

Neoma, huge hugs!

If the stupid migraines weren't enough, the meds to try to reduce then have effects like these. I really hope you have a cup of baby growth soon, and a med that works in the migraines without working against the hair. I've been there, it's a horrific rock and hard spot.

[Neoma]

Neoma, huge hugs!

If the stupid migraines weren't enough, the meds to try to reduce then have effects like these. I really hope you have a cup of baby growth soon, and a med that works in the migraines without working against the hair. I've been there, it's a horrific rock and hard spot.

Thank you for your well wishes, mindwiped. :flowers: I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to deal with the meds/side effects issue. :grouphug: It's crazy that I almost decided to stay on this med because of the relief I'm getting. It's certainly not worth going bald and feeling like a zombie all the time

[mindwiped]

Thank you for your well wishes, mindwiped. :flowers: I'm so sorry to hear that you've had to deal with the meds/side effects issue. :grouphug: It's crazy that I almost decided to stay on this med because of the relief I'm getting. It's certainly not worth going bald and feeling like a zombie all the time

I was lucky enough that I didn't notice any hair loss on topamax, but I have it in my allergy list now.

Funny note-
A few years later, a friend that I mention below, got news of a drug study her company was doing (she was working for one of the places that do drug trials). It was for using topamax as a weight loss med. She read down the list of side effects, I had some variant of nearly ALL of them, and it's a loooong list. She did everything in her power to not have to do the report for that trial, because she knew how bad the side effect reports were going to be.

Trigger warning, mental health

So it tends to make people forgetful, for me, crank that up to an 11! I had gone to dinner with a friend, we both decided what we wanted, and were chatting. Less than five mins later the server comes up, and I honestly couldn't remember what I wanted. My friend ended up having to order for me. Up til that time, I'd always done honor roll well at school, as was taking an anatomy course at the college level. I failed a test, which gave me my first ever panic attack, I still get them to this day, and I took the med over a decade ago. It got so bad I'd made my suicide plan. I had a doc's appt the next day, and ended up breaking into the worst panic attack I've ever had. I also told her I needed in my notes that if she refused to take me off the med I had made my plan, and part of it was leaving enough proof that my hubby was gonna be a very rich widower. I was off it in 3 days!

[rags]

Neoma, I'm so sorry. :( :flowers:

I've been there with the meds, too. It sucks. Two of them I've had to stay the course with (the first wasn't a lifelong med, though, just for about six months, and the second we finally managed to cut the dosage enough to where it worked but my hair quit falling out. ). And those were Great Shed 1 and Great Shed 2 . In my case, I really had no choice for these, but I've also gone through it with some other meds, just not nearly to the same extent (baby sheds, not Great Sheds). I'm sorry, finding the balance really and truly can be a long ordeal.

I hope you can figure something out and get this under control soon!

I am currently trying shampoo bars to see if they will help with the brittleness and dryness I still have with my hair. Mostly because they have discontinued the one shampoo I wasn't allergic to, though! I've just started so no big evidence yet, but I have hard water so I'm having a rough time with them anyway. Since you are a veteran with the shampoo bars I'm sure you'll have an easier time with it!

[Neoma]

I was lucky enough that I didn't notice any hair loss on topamax, but I have it in my allergy list now.

Funny note-
A few years later, a friend that I mention below, got news of a drug study her company was doing (she was working for one of the places that do drug trials). It was for using topamax as a weight loss med. She read down the list of side effects, I had some variant of nearly ALL of them, and it's a loooong list. She did everything in her power to not have to do the report for that trial, because she knew how bad the side effect reports were going to be.

Trigger warning, mental health

So it tends to make people forgetful, for me, crank that up to an 11! I had gone to dinner with a friend, we both decided what we wanted, and were chatting. Less than five mins later the server comes up, and I honestly couldn't remember what I wanted. My friend ended up having to order for me. Up til that time, I'd always done honor roll well at school, as was taking an anatomy course at the college level. I failed a test, which gave me my first ever panic attack, I still get them to this day, and I took the med over a decade ago. It got so bad I'd made my suicide plan. I had a doc's appt the next day, and ended up breaking into the worst panic attack I've ever had. I also told her I needed in my notes that if she refused to take me off the med I had made my plan, and part of it was leaving enough proof that my hubby was gonna be a very rich widower. I was off it in 3 days!

OMG, mindwiped, that sounds like a nightmare! I'm glad that you got off Topamax in time!

It didn't work well to reduce my migraines, but it made me dopey and forgetful, too. It's nickname is Dopamax.

[Neoma]

Neoma, I'm so sorry. :( :flowers:

I've been there with the meds, too. It sucks. Two of them I've had to stay the course with (the first wasn't a lifelong med, though, just for about six months, and the second we finally managed to cut the dosage enough to where it worked but my hair quit falling out. ). And those were Great Shed 1 and Great Shed 2 . In my case, I really had no choice for these, but I've also gone through it with some other meds, just not nearly to the same extent (baby sheds, not Great Sheds). I'm sorry, finding the balance really and truly can be a long ordeal.

I hope you can figure something out and get this under control soon!

I am currently trying shampoo bars to see if they will help with the brittleness and dryness I still have with my hair. Mostly because they have discontinued the one shampoo I wasn't allergic to, though! I've just started so no big evidence yet, but I have hard water so I'm having a rough time with them anyway. Since you are a veteran with the shampoo bars I'm sure you'll have an easier time with it!Thank you, rags. :flowers:

I'm so sorry that you've had to go through this with meds. :grouphug: It's so unfair that the medication we need to get "well" can cause so many severe side effects.

I hope that shampoo bars help your hair to recover.

Yes, I certainly am a shampoo bar veteran! :)

[coco mane]

I hope you are all doing better with the migraines. I too have been on the Topamax for three months but I had to stop because I lived in a brain fog, my hair was shedding immensely & My hands would go numb. I've gained a lot of baby hairs in the last few months since I've stopped the med.

I'm still on one calcium channel blocker daily which is helping my migraines for now. So far my hair just appears dryer so I am heavy oiling and conditioning a lot. Hoping all will mend.
I think I will try the shampoo bars too neoma, it's good advice.
Best wishes too all of us who suffer with these migraines and hair shedding.

[Neoma]

I hope you are all doing better with the migraines. I too have been on the Topamax for three months but I had to stop because I lived in a brain fog, my hair was shedding immensely & My hands would go numb. I've gained a lot of baby hairs in the last few months since I've stopped the med.

I'm still on one calcium channel blocker daily which is helping my migraines for now. So far my hair just appears dryer so I am heavy oiling and conditioning a lot. Hoping all will mend.
I think I will try the shampoo bars too neoma, it's good advice.
Best wishes too all of us who suffer with these migraines and hair shedding.

coco mane (great name!) I am sorry to hear that you had med-related hair loss, too. :grouphug: I hope that the change in meds, oiling and shampoo bars help you.

Yesterday, I used my shampoo bar and my hair was exceptionally heavy and impossible to detangle. I ended up applying leave-in conditioner and a coney conditioner just to run a comb through it.

Since my hair got really long, shampoo bars work for a few days, then this happens. So, I think I'm going to have to go back to conventional products, including cones, at least for now. I am terrified of causing mechanical damage and breakage on top of the med-related loss and breakage.

[Silverbrumby]

I'm sorry Neoma. Hang in there. I'm shedding again to and it's difficult.

[Neoma]

I'm sorry Neoma. Hang in there. I'm shedding again to and it's difficult.

Thank you, Silverbrumby. :flowers: I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this, too. It's heartbreaking. :grouphug:

[coco mane]

This is a one day at a time process. I'm being extra gentle with my hair, I know you are too! I'm so sorry your going through this Neoma...having extra breakage on top of the shed is just frustrating. I'm thinking positive thoughts for us all to get us through this.

[Neoma]

This is a one day at a time process. I'm being extra gentle with my hair, I know you are too! I'm so sorry your going through this Neoma...having extra breakage on top of the shed is just frustrating. I'm thinking positive thoughts for us all to get us through this.

Thank you for that reminder, coco mane. Yes, the breakage is new for my hair, even during a shed. :justy:

Thanks for the positive thoughts. I'll send them out, too. :flower:

Today, DH was cleaning the apartment. He said, "I think that your hair is claiming territory." He found huge amounts of hair in every room of the apartment. I could have cried, but I decided to laugh at his comment instead.

He keeps telling me that it will grow back. I know from experience that it takes three years for my hair to grow from roots to waist. I need to not think of it that way. If/when it starts growing back on my crown, that will be a major milestone.

[coco mane]

Please let me know how it progresses. :o hang in there and I will hang in with you:agree:

[rubix]

I posted a thread the other day about how my hair is so much thinner now than it was as a kid. It makes me a little sad to think about. On the one hand, I think "it's just hair, it's not a big deal," but there's still a big part of me screaming "it's my HAIR!!"

I've also been shedding a TON lately and have really noticed that my ponytail and braid look narrower and it feels like there's less when I brush or wash my hair. I'm going to see if I can get some blood tests done to rule out any health causes. But how will I deal with it if it's stress or genetics? How will I deal with it if there's no way to know if it'll come back or not?

My husband thinks it still looks like there's plenty of it. I said I was worried it would keep falling out and get thin enough that I'd have to cut it (it brushes the top of my bum right now). He said "But then you could wear all kinds of fun wigs-- you love fun wigs!" I said "I love having hair!"

I think I spend more time than is reasonable researching supplements and oils and rogaine and the like. Ugh. I wish it would just stop falling out and come back :(

[Neoma]

I posted a thread the other day about how my hair is so much thinner now than it was as a kid. It makes me a little sad to think about. On the one hand, I think "it's just hair, it's not a big deal," but there's still a big part of me screaming "it's my HAIR!!"

I've also been shedding a TON lately and have really noticed that my ponytail and braid look narrower and it feels like there's less when I brush or wash my hair. I'm going to see if I can get some blood tests done to rule out any health causes. But how will I deal with it if it's stress or genetics? How will I deal with it if there's no way to know if it'll come back or not?

My husband thinks it still looks like there's plenty of it. I said I was worried it would keep falling out and get thin enough that I'd have to cut it (it brushes the top of my bum right now). He said "But then you could wear all kinds of fun wigs-- you love fun wigs!" I said "I love having hair!"

I think I spend more time than is reasonable researching supplements and oils and rogaine and the like. Ugh. I wish it would just stop falling out and come back :(
I'm sorry to hear this, rubix. Losing hair is heartbreaking. I hope that the blood work gives you some answers.

[coco mane]

Oh Rubix, I'm so sorry. The worrying about hair fall does cause me a lot of stress too. I've researched many items also and try to be extra gentle. Doing blood work is a good idea. The not knowing why is so hard, I'm sure you will be able to rule out items one by one and start on a path to re growing more hair :blossom::blossom:

[Neoma]

I went to my neurologist today and she said that she could see how much hair I had lost. Yep, it's pretty significant.

I'll be totally off the offending med in three days.

[coco mane]

Those darn medications! We need them but its so hard to live with them. I know your hair will re-grow soon Neoma, and hopefully the neurologist has an alternate method for you. :pray:

[Neoma]

Those darn medications! We need them but its so hard to live with them. I know your hair will re-grow soon Neoma, and hopefully the neurologist has an alternate method for you. :pray:

Thank you, coco mane. :flowers:

[lithostoic]

This isn't really the same thing but I don't know where else to go. My bleached/dyed hair (from the jaw down mostly) is so thin compared to the rest that I've considered chopping to CBL, since May.

It's depressingly thin compared to my virgin hair, due to the extensive breakage. There's so much of it that my virgin hair is on the upper end of ii while my dyed hair barely qualifies as i.

Does anyone have any coping methods? I really don't want to lose the progress I've made since December when I was CBL. I've also considered chopping to APL instead but that's still pretty short on me.

[Neoma]

This isn't really the same thing but I don't know where else to go. My bleached/dyed hair (from the jaw down mostly) is so thin compared to the rest that I've considered chopping to CBL, since May.

It's depressingly thin compared to my virgin hair, due to the extensive breakage. There's so much of it that my virgin hair is on the upper end of ii while my dyed hair barely qualifies as i.

Does anyone have any coping methods? I really don't want to lose the progress I've made since December when I was CBL. I've also considered chopping to APL instead but that's still pretty short on me.
lithostoic, I'm sorry to hear this.

I'm not familiar with CBL...

Regardless, my coping mechanism is to put my hair up in the prettiest style possible and ignore it until it grows out again. This is my third Great Shed, so I have experience with it (sadly). :( Take good care of your hair, nourish it, put it up and ignore it. :grouphug:

[Arctic]

This isn't really the same thing but I don't know where else to go. My bleached/dyed hair (from the jaw down mostly) is so thin compared to the rest that I've considered chopping to CBL, since May.

It's depressingly thin compared to my virgin hair, due to the extensive breakage. There's so much of it that my virgin hair is on the upper end of ii while my dyed hair barely qualifies as i.

Does anyone have any coping methods? I really don't want to lose the progress I've made since December when I was CBL. I've also considered chopping to APL instead but that's still pretty short on me.

You know if I'd grow from collar bone (Neoma, that's CBL) to BSL in 9 months (and I would be you) I'd chop the ends since they seem to bother you. You'd grow it back in no time at all and I daresay you'd be more pleased with your hair during the period (and after).

[Neoma]

You know if I'd grow from collar bone (Neoma, that's CBL) to BSL in 9 months (and I would be you) I'd chop the ends since they seem to bother you. You'd grow it back in no time at all and I daresay you'd be more pleased with your hair during the period (and after).

Thank you, Arctic! I don't know how I missed that milestone! :flower:

[vpatt]

It seems that my not so major shed has become that because I just checked my calendar and it has been going on for 4 months. I don't think my pony has gone down but just a bit....I'll need to check it when it dries. I have pin pointed the cause, I believe. It began two months after I began my exercise program. So .....lose hair or feel better about the rest of me? I am hoping it will stop soon and it certainly has not been so traumatic like the first BIG SHED. So I will continue and see what happens over the rest of the year. The other change at almost the same time was my diet. I changed from my usual unhealthy food choices to a REALLY healthy REAL food way of eating. And I'm taking supplements for my immune system. I have lost 35-40# over about 8 months. I did lose hair before after this way of eating but I think that was because I added in fasting and the hair loss was two months after that. Well, this just leaves me discombobulated! But I will continue as I said for the rest of the year and see how it goes. Hopefully, my body will adjust to exercise and my nutrient rich diet will kick in and help.

[Neoma]

It seems that my not so major shed has become that because I just checked my calendar and it has been going on for 4 months. I don't think my pony has gone down but just a bit....I'll need to check it when it dries. I have pin pointed the cause, I believe. It began two months after I began my exercise program. So .....lose hair or feel better about the rest of me? I am hoping it will stop soon and it certainly has not been so traumatic like the first BIG SHED. So I will continue and see what happens over the rest of the year. The other change at almost the same time was my diet. I changed from my usual unhealthy food choices to a REALLY healthy REAL food way of eating. And I'm taking supplements for my immune system. I have lost 35-40# over about 8 months. I did lose hair before after this way of eating but I think that was because I added in fasting and the hair loss was two months after that. Well, this just leaves me discombobulated! But I will continue as I said for the rest of the year and see how it goes. Hopefully, my body will adjust to exercise and my nutrient rich diet will kick in and help.

vpatt, I'm sorry to hear that you're dealing with hair loss, too. I hope that it responds to healthy food and exercise. Please keep us posted. :grouphug:

I lost a significant amount of hair. My Ficcares are too heavy for updos and I can barely secure wrapped buns with sticks and forks. And my bun is so tiny it's pathetic. I'm still losing hair, but hope that it will slow soon since I just finished titrating off the offending medication.

[vpatt]

Neoma, I hope your med change stops your shedding. How disappointing when something we turn to for help causes another problem.
I believe mine will stop, I just hope for regrowth. I didn't mention the stress. I guess it is a constant in my life so I don't think of it as quickly. That is one reason I began exercising...to be better able to deal with stress. I think that and the diet is beginning to help.

[Neoma]

Neoma, I hope your med change stops your shedding. How disappointing when something we turn to for help causes another problem.
I believe mine will stop, I just hope for regrowth. I didn't mention the stress. I guess it is a constant in my life so I don't think of it as quickly. That is one reason I began exercising...to be better able to deal with stress. I think that and the diet is beginning to help.

Thank you, vpatt. :flowers: I agree... It's disappointing and frustrating when side effects raise their ugly heads.

Oh, yes, stress. I hope that the exercise helps with that. :flower: I know that I feel better -- and cope with everything better -- when I exercise.

[Arctic]

V-patt, you said you've lost lot of weight in the recent months? I think that might be more likely reason for shedding than excercising or healthier diet or destressing per se. Ofcourse I have no way of knowing and am not a doctor and all that, but I believe it's very common to loose hair with weight loss. Unless there is a malnutrition going on, I also believe I've read the hair usually grows back after the weight has stabilised (assuming there are no other issues).

That being said, I have gotten a feeling in the past few years that my hair would like my bodyweight to be a bit higher than my own vanity. Go figure (literally!).


Neoma it's awful about the hair loss, but keep your head up and hang in there! The history has shown your hair will bounce back, so you can have a good faith it will now too! Keep your ficcares polished and dusted, in no time you'll be wearing them again!

[vpatt]

Thanks Arctic, I did wonder about the weight loss, too. I thought since I only averaged about 5 pounds per month that would not be an issue, but perhaps it is? Wow, how do we ever get healthy and have hair at the same time? Lol....
I am doing quite well with the exercise, I chose a walk run program and I'm loving it. But I haven't told many people as I know they will think I'm nuts. I will turn 66 in October.

[Neoma]

Neoma it's awful the hair loss, but keep your head up and hang in there! The history has shown your hair will bounce back, so you can have a good faith it will now too! Keep your ficcares polished and dusted, in no time you'll be wearing them again!Thank you, Arctic. :flowers: I appreciate you saying that. During my first Great Shed, I sold all my Ficcares and regretted it ever since. I now have a new collection and I honestly was thinking about selling it. :flower:

[Cg]

Thanks Arctic, I did wonder about the weight loss, too. I thought since I only averaged about 5 pounds per month that would not be an issue, but perhaps it is? Wow, how do we ever get healthy and have hair at the same time? Lol....
I am doing quite well with the exercise, I chose a walk run program and I'm loving it. But I haven't told many people as I know they will think I'm nuts. I will turn 66 in October.

Five pounds per month sounds like a lot to me. That is stressful on your body even if you do feel better and like the results. Remember too that there is often a few months' lag before hair begins to regrow. Yours will likely return before you know it.

Happy birthday soon!

[Tosca]

Great news! I got the go-ahead to stop taking the medication I suspect has caused my thinning. I will stop taking it soon, I just have to schedule it, as stopping this medication tends to be uncomfortable for a few days (like a cold/flu). I think next week will be a good time. Here's hoping that I don't actually need it any more and won't have to go back on it. (My hair has thinned from ~4in to 2.25in)

[vpatt]

Arctic, thank you for the birthday wishes!

[Neoma]

Great news! I got the go-ahead to stop taking the medication I suspect has caused my thinning. I will stop taking it soon, I just have to schedule it, as stopping this medication tends to be uncomfortable for a few days (like a cold/flu). I think next week will be a good time. Here's hoping that I don't actually need it any more and won't have to go back on it. (My hair has thinned from ~4in to 2.25in)

That's great news, Tosca. I hope that stopping the medication isn't too difficult. I totally understand the relief of quitting a med that causes such traumatic side effects. :grouphug:

[Tosca]

Thank you Neoma :) My doctor said the uncomfortable part shouldn't last more than a week. The medication has a sedative effect on me, so when I don't take it (I have forgotten in the past) I have some serious trouble getting to sleep. Drowsy antihistamines have helped before, so I might try that.

[butter52]

Knock knock

Can I join?

I have been noticing an awfull shedding for the last 3 weeks. I think it is stress related? I have not changed any medication.
This is the first time I notice such a suddent change.
Should I be taking biotin? Folic acid?
Im not a fan of supplements to be honest but my hair is thinning. Should I be asking for blood work?

Help please this is very new to me.

[Neoma]

Knock knock

Can I join?

I have been noticing an awfull shedding for the last 3 weeks. I think it is stress related? I have not changed any medication.
This is the first time I notice such a suddent change.
Should I be taking biotin? Folic acid?
Im not a fan of supplements to be honest but my hair is thinning. Should I be asking for blood work?

Help please this is very new to me.

Hi butter52,

Of course you can join! :flower:

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this.

I would suggest asking your doctor whether s/he believes you need blood work.

My dermatologist (which, by the way, is the kind of doc who looks at hair loss), told me to take biotin. My PCP told me to take iron, too. Having said that, everyone is different. All kinds of things, such as thyroid issues, etc., can cause hair loss. And, like you said, it could be stress related, too.

[coco mane]

Knock knock

Can I join?

I have been noticing an awfull shedding for the last 3 weeks. I think it is stress related? I have not changed any medication.
This is the first time I notice such a suddent change.
Should I be taking biotin? Folic acid?
Im not a fan of supplements to be honest but my hair is thinning. Should I be asking for blood work?

Help please this is very new to me.

Sorry to hear your shedding too BUTTER52, are you under a great amount of stress? That often starts a shed. I think asking for blood work is always a good place to begin. Hopefully it will give you some answers.
In the meantime, being extremely delicate and careful with your hair helps. I've been babying mine for awhile (no tight updo's or wrapping it in a towel, no heat etc). You probably are already doing this too.
My shed has been a result of medication, have you been on the same medication a long time?
I do take Biotin and fish oil myself, I think it's helping as I have quite a bit of new growth. But I have also tapered off my med.

I completely understand how traumatic this is , :doh: I hope you find an answer soon!

[butter52]

Yeah I have been very stressed last month. Im better now so hopefully that will help. Good thing is that my hair normally is very thick, so now it just looks normal, but yeah when putting it up i can tell the circunference has diminished significantly...

Will get an appointment with the doctor just in case, thanks!!