The Great Shed -- The Thinning Hair Support Thread

[dre]

Thanks, I will admit I was somewhat surprised at the change when I viewed the photos side by side. Actually, my doctor recommended that I keep a "photo diary" of my hair so I wouldn't get discouraged because it's a long road back. I was hesitant but I'm ultimately glad I did. The photos (and nice comments) keep me motivated when I'm having a bad day about all this. I'm excited to see what it will look like a few months from now. :thumbsup:

Yesterday I went for my annual physical. The nurse there asked if I was taking any supplements. When I told her I was, and what I was taking she told me she was having hair loss issues. Asked me a bunch of questions. Thanked me profusely on the way out. I was happy to help her in any way I could.

I used to wonder why this happened to me. But I do now. I get it. No one should have to suffer with hair loss. And it's not a dirty little secret either. There is hope.

My doctor told me...Oh, there's so many cute hair clips to use and, don't forget, all the new headbands. Your hair loss and breakage shouldn't affect your day...I left and cried in my car. She had no clue as to what I was going through. :(

[duchess67]

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...

Yes, I totally agree with you, this is an amazing shampoo!! My hair sheds way too less that I find it unbelievable at times. Wish I had started using this years ago, would have had more hair on my scalp now. Anyway, better late than never. Btw, I use the original blue bottle.

[vpatt]

Has anyone had Pura d'or shampoo increase hair growth in a way that you are reasonably certain that the growth is from the shampoo and not a natural regrowth. I'm not sure how you would know the difference unless you had had no new hair in quite some time. I believe it is helping my shedding to stop, but it is early days.

[Neoma]

I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

[duchess67]

Sorry to hear that Neoma. Hope the shedding stops soon.



I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

[lithostoic]

I've been losing a LOT of hair in the shower and it kinda worries me ... But I've been wearing my hair braided for days at a time because of work, so idk if the finger combing before the shower is really pulling out all the shed hair or not. Seems like it is because boy there's a lot, but maybe not.

[Neoma]

Sorry to hear that Neoma. Hope the shedding stops soon.

Thank you, duchess67. :flower:

[vpatt]

I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

Oh Neoma, I know this is so hurtful. Hugs to you. I am praying for you.

[summergame]

I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

That is so frustrating Neoma! Wish the shedding stops soon!

[Neoma]

Oh Neoma, I know this is so hurtful. Hugs to you. I am praying for you.


That is so frustrating Neoma! Wish the shedding stops soon!

Thank you, vpatt and summergame. I really appreciate your prayers and well wishes. :blossom:

[lapushka]

I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

My mom lost about half her thickness growing older - very hard on her. I sympathize, Neoma! :flower: Hope it gets better soon!

[Annalouise]

I quit the offending med several weeks ago, but am still shedding profusely. I am really distraught. I have easily lost half of my hair. :(

Sorry to hear that Neoma. :blossom:

[Neoma]

My mom lost about half her thickness growing older - very hard on her. I sympathize, Neoma! :flower: Hope it gets better soon!


Sorry to hear that Neoma. :blossom:

Thank you, lapushka and Annalouise. :flower:

[rags]

Neoma :grouphug: :flowers:

I'm so sorry.

[Neoma]

Neoma :grouphug: :flowers:

I'm so sorry.

Thank you, rags. :flowers:

I figured out today that I could mask how thin my hair is by putting it in a French twist. Part of me really wants to cut. But then I'd just have short thin hair instead of long thin hair. :(

[coco mane]

Hugs NEOMA, I'm so sorry. I'm praying for your hair's recovery!

[rags]

Thank you, rags. :flowers:

I figured out today that I could mask how thin my hair is by putting it in a French twist. Part of me really wants to cut. But then I'd just have short thin hair instead of long thin hair. :(

I used tichels my last shed, and then later French twists. They do disguise the thinness! (Until you saw the seam side of mine! :p. )

[Neoma]

Hugs NEOMA, I'm so sorry. I'm praying for your hair's recovery! Thank you, coco mane! :flowers:


I used tichels my last shed, and then later French twists. They do disguise the thinness! (Until you saw the seam side of mine! :p. )

I hear you... You should see how tiny my bun is now. :(

[duchess67]

I love French twist, looks so elegant and classy, Neoma.

It's better not to cut your hair, that's my opinion. What you said was exactly my mother used to say. When my mom started losing a lot of hair, everybody asked her to cut it, and she did cut it short till chin length. It looked horrible, she was devastated and couldn't wait for it grow longer. She kept saying when it was long at least she could tie it up and nobody would know. Luckily her hair grew faster and now it back to classic length.






Thank you, rags. :flowers:

I figured out today that I could mask how thin my hair is by putting it in a French twist. Part of me really wants to cut. But then I'd just have short thin hair instead of long thin hair. :(

[Neoma]

I love French twist, looks so elegant and classy, Neoma.

It's better not to cut your hair, that's my opinion. What you said was exactly my mother used to say. When my mom started losing a lot of hair, everybody asked her to cut it, and she did cut it short till chin length. It looked horrible, she was devastated and couldn't wait for it grow longer. She kept saying when it was long at least she could tie it up and nobody would know. Luckily her hair grew faster and now it back to classic length.Thank you for your feedback, duchess. :flowers:

[rags]

I cut mine up to just above shoulder my last Great Shed, when I lost over half of it. I still think cutting it was right for me (because it fell out in patches - and also I was physically unable to put it up at that time). However, if I were able to put it up, I don't think I'd cut it; at least not a lot. I cut mine from hip to waist at first and were I able to put it up I'd have left it there and that would have been fine.

But everyone is different, and you do what you have to do, Neoma. I've had two Great Sheds and cut both times (I was very ill both times too, so that played a factor). Everyone's circumstances are different. If I am able to care for mine and it sheds again though , I'll not cut it short at least. Short thin hair is just as depressing as short long hair to me (I was able to disguise mine better with it short - but again, that's because I was unable to put it up at the time).

[Cg]

My massive shed occurred when my hair was chin length. Like rags I wasn't in a condition put it up even had it been long, but it being short, thin, and patchy meant my only recourse was to wear caps, hats, wigs, and scarves for months. Had I a choice I'd opt for long hair that can perhaps be pinned, but everyone's circumstances and needs differ. My heart goes out to you.

[Neoma]

My massive shed occurred when my hair was chin length. Like rags I wasn't in a condition put it up even had it been long, but it being short, thin, and patchy meant my only recourse was to wear caps, hats, wigs, and scarves for months. Had I a choice I'd opt for long hair that can perhaps be pinned, but everyone's circumstances and needs differ. My heart goes out to you.

I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that, Cg.

I may ask DH to trim my hair back to waist, but I'm going to avoid a major chop. :flower:

[hennalonghair]

Hey Neoma! My thoughts and prayers are with you my friend. I'm so sorry you are going through this. :flowers:

[Neoma]

Hey Neoma! My thoughts and prayers are with you my friend. I'm so sorry you are going through this. :flowers:

Thank you, dear hennalonghair. :flowers: I was just thinking of you yesterday.

[darkgaze2002]

I'm reading all of these post and am glad there are others who can sympathize but I, too, began medication cocktails that seem to have triggered massive "shedding." My medical care provider seems completely nonchalant about it and the side effects are mild if the medication is keeping me healthy. It's frustrating!

[Cg]

I'm reading all of these post and am glad there are others who can sympathize but I, too, began medication cocktails that seem to have triggered massive "shedding." My medical care provider seems completely nonchalant about it and the side effects are mild if the medication is keeping me healthy. It's frustrating!

Easy for them to be nonchalant, how dismissive. I once had an up-front doctor who, just before my painful procedure, assured me it wouldn't hurt him a bit.

[Neoma]

I'm reading all of these post and am glad there are others who can sympathize but I, too, began medication cocktails that seem to have triggered massive "shedding." My medical care provider seems completely nonchalant about it and the side effects are mild if the medication is keeping me healthy. It's frustrating!

I'm so sorry to hear this, darkgaze. I'm sure that there are times when hair loss is "acceptable" if meds are keeping a condition under control. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Are there other treatment options than this med cocktail?

:grouphug:

[arelrios]

Hi all,

I've been meaning to write in this thread for a long time... and I apologize in advance because I haven't been able to finish reading it. I promise I will get to it soon.

Anyway, my sympathies to everyone that is struggling or has struggled with shedding... it is definitely not something to be taken lightly and can seriously have an impact on ones life.

My story: not sure exactly when I started losing so much hair (didn't pay much attention to my hair before) but I would say the rate changed around 11 years ago when I moved to the US. My guess is it was caused by the "hot water" I shower with since in my country I would shower with room temperature water - whatever temperature will come out.

Fast forward to the last two or three years.... or since I joined the LHC, I started paying attention to how much hair I was losing in the shower, in bed, the sofa... etc. it is all over my floors... I think at this point I am at half of what my thickness used to be.

When I first joined here I tried a few things... not many because I wouldn't want to keep too many products in my house plus the fact that they add up to my expenses, but I did try CO and it was OK at the beginning until I started noticing an increase in the shedding. Same as meteor, I stopped counting the hair strands because in my case I can't keep count of how many they really are... the only "advantage" I have is that my hair doesn't show easily how thin it became, but is definitely thinner. I stopped CO, tried Castor Oil and neeli oil, but nothing seemed to work - or maybe I didn't do it as often or consistently as I should have.

To "help" my situation #sarcasm, due to stress in the last couple of years (thanks old job!) I developed SD - this increased my shed thus my shower would get clogged, hair all over my house, etc. so I went to see the dermatologist in March because I couldn't handle the itchiness, the shed and the white pieces. I would even get it on my eyebrows. The dermatologist gave me medicated shampoo and since then, is the only thing I've been washing my hair with. The itchiness is gone, the white bits too; and even the shedding reduced but not significantly enough for me to stop thinking/worrying it about it.

All my tests (visited the all my doctors in April) came back normal. No issues at all... I even visited a GE and he confirmed that my nutritional levels are OK and officially diagnosed me with IBS - I am avoiding all the foods that make go to the bathroom quickly after I eat them or make me bloated (sorry TMI) ... my OB/GYN also checked my hormones and everything came back normal as well.... I also have a somewhat active life, I try to exercise at least 3 times as week and eat a pretty well balanced diet.... so, medically speaking all my doctors told me "You are a very healthy person " - thank God! I also take multivitamins - just in case I am missing something.

Still, I am losing so muuuuuch hair I honestly don't know what to do... I don't want to try too many things because I don't want to increase the shedding and also I don't want to start buying things here and there and then, not using those things anymore because they either don't work or worse, trigger my SD. Same as many of you, I thought of cutting my hair... If I touch it? falls, if I don't touch it? falls... If I brush? it falls... you get the idea.

I shed tiny fine strands - almost cat like hair, long strands, straight strands, wavy strands, medium strands, gray strands... it doesn't seem to have a preference... my nape hairs are half or even 3/4 of the length of the rest of my hair.; despite the fact I use a satin pillow case.

I am sorry if this post doesn't make sense and I'm jumping from one subject to the next and coming back to the first. I am trying to be as transparent as possible. Also, I am really sorry I am here complaining about losing my hair when I am healthy, knowing many of you are shedding because you have to take medications because you need them or are battling a disease :flower: - to be honest I feel guilty posting about it now :(

Thank you for reading this lengthy post.

are

[Neoma]

Hi all,

I've been meaning to write in this thread for a long time... and I apologize in advance because I haven't been able to finish reading it. I promise I will get to it soon.

Anyway, my sympathies to everyone that is struggling or has struggled with shedding... it is definitely not something to be taken lightly and can seriously have an impact on ones life.

My story: not sure exactly when I started losing so much hair (didn't pay much attention to my hair before) but I would say the rate changed around 11 years ago when I moved to the US. My guess is it was caused by the "hot water" I shower with since in my country I would shower with room temperature water - whatever temperature will come out.

Fast forward to the last two or three years.... or since I joined the LHC, I started paying attention to how much hair I was losing in the shower, in bed, the sofa... etc. it is all over my floors... I think at this point I am at half of what my thickness used to be.

When I first joined here I tried a few things... not many because I wouldn't want to keep too many products in my house plus the fact that they add up to my expenses, but I did try CO and it was OK at the beginning until I started noticing an increase in the shedding. Same as meteor, I stopped counting the hair strands because in my case I can't keep count of how many they really are... the only "advantage" I have is that my hair doesn't show easily how thin it became, but is definitely thinner. I stopped CO, tried Castor Oil and neeli oil, but nothing seemed to work - or maybe I didn't do it as often or consistently as I should have.

To "help" my situation #sarcasm, due to stress in the last couple of years (thanks old job!) I developed SD - this increased my shed thus my shower would get clogged, hair all over my house, etc. so I went to see the dermatologist in March because I couldn't handle the itchiness, the shed and the white pieces. I would even get it on my eyebrows. The dermatologist gave me medicated shampoo and since then, is the only thing I've been washing my hair with. The itchiness is gone, the white bits too; and even the shedding reduced but not significantly enough for me to stop thinking/worrying it about it.

All my tests (visited the all my doctors in April) came back normal. No issues at all... I even visited a GE and he confirmed that my nutritional levels are OK and officially diagnosed me with IBS - I am avoiding all the foods that make go to the bathroom quickly after I eat them or make me bloated (sorry TMI) ... my OB/GYN also checked my hormones and everything came back normal as well.... I also have a somewhat active life, I try to exercise at least 3 times as week and eat a pretty well balanced diet.... so, medically speaking all my doctors told me "You are a very healthy person " - thank God! I also take multivitamins - just in case I am missing something.

Still, I am losing so muuuuuch hair I honestly don't know what to do... I don't want to try too many things because I don't want to increase the shedding and also I don't want to start buying things here and there and then, not using those things anymore because they either don't work or worse, trigger my SD. Same as many of you, I thought of cutting my hair... If I touch it? falls, if I don't touch it? falls... If I brush? it falls... you get the idea.

I shed tiny fine strands - almost cat like hair, long strands, straight strands, wavy strands, medium strands, gray strands... it doesn't seem to have a preference... my nape hairs are half or even 3/4 of the length of the rest of my hair.; despite the fact I use a satin pillow case.

I am sorry if this post doesn't make sense and I'm jumping from one subject to the next and coming back to the first. I am trying to be as transparent as possible. Also, I am really sorry I am here complaining about losing my hair when I am healthy, knowing many of you are shedding because you have to take medications because you need them or are battling a disease :flower: - to be honest I feel guilty posting about it now :(

Thank you for reading this lengthy post.

are

Hi are,

I'm so sorry to hear about your struggle with hair loss. :grouphug:

It sounds like you've taken the right actions from a medical perspective. I wonder if the IBS could be leaching vitamins and minerals from your system.

There is no need to apologize for posting here. We're here to support each other no matter what the reason for our respective Great Sheds. :grouphug:

[arelrios]

Hi are,

I'm so sorry to hear about your struggle with hair loss. :grouphug:

It sounds like you've taken the right actions from a medical perspective. I wonder if the IBS could be leaching vitamins and minerals from your system.

There is no need to apologize for posting here. We're here to support each other no matter what the reason for our respective Great Sheds. :grouphug:

Thanks so much neoma ... not sure regarding the ibs ... apparently I've had it for a looong time if not all my life and my tests came back perfect, for all the doctors... my gp was very exhaustive with them too... he tested everything he could order.

This weekend I'll be ordering new multivitamins. Supposedly they are better than the ones I was taking before (vitagummies). Has any of you heard about VitaMed md one with iron? These are prenatal and according to the doctor are the 'most complete ones'...

Thanks again to all...
arel

[coco mane]

I have lost a large amount of hair this week :(. I am on vacation in France and the water here
Has limestone in it also very humid here and a different diet than what I am used to. My hair feels awful! And when I wash it I have twice as much hair coming out. It looks stringy...what should I do? I don't return to Oregon for another week and I feel like my hair is suffering more than usual. :doh:

[coco mane]

I haven't tried these vitamins Arel but if your body does well absorbing them it should help ;). I'm so sorry you are experiencing hair loss as well, it's so difficult, if your vitamins work for you please let us know. :flower:

[Mimha]

I have lost a large amount of hair this week :(. I am on vacation in France and the water here
Has limestone in it also very humid here and a different diet than what I am used to. My hair feels awful! And when I wash it I have twice as much hair coming out. It looks stringy...what should I do? I don't return to Oregon for another week and I feel like my hair is suffering more than usual. :doh:

Hi coco mane ! :)

Southern France is a limestone country, therefore the water can be extremely calcarous. One of the easiest way to deal with it if you just stay a couple of weeks is to add some vinegar in your last rinse : this neutralizes the pH of the water and your hair will be much softer. I love to spend my holiday in the South of France, and I never forget my ACV ! :wink:

Enjoy your holidays and all the best.

[coco mane]

thank you so much MIMHA , I will use the ACV! It is very beautiful here but I didn't realize there was limestone in the water until my sister here told me yesterday. I will raid her cupboards right now for the ACV. :flowers:

[arelrios]

I haven't tried these vitamins Arel but if your body does well absorbing them it should help ;). I'm so sorry you are experiencing hair loss as well, it's so difficult, if your vitamins work for you please let us know. :flower:

Hi coco mane,

Yes. I will share regarding the vitamins ... good luck with the acv rinses and enjoy your time abroad :)

[kuroi]

Does anyone know if anemia induced hair loss stops immediately when the anemia is fixed. Or that is goes on a few months or so after it's fixed?

[Marymary]

Most people see some improvement as iron/ ferritin improves but the hair cycle has about a three month time lag, so it will be at least that amount of time from when your anemia is resolved before the growing (anegen stage) returns to normal.

[rags]

Does anyone know if anemia induced hair loss stops immediately when the anemia is fixed. Or that is goes on a few months or so after it's fixed?
Mine was a couple of months to stop shedding (and I had IV's; the replacement was immediate. I did have a medication contributing to the shed too though). Then it stopped and after maybe 4-5 months I started having noticeable (as in 2 inches long) regrowth.

My question - the health conditions many of us have that contribute to hair loss also can make hair brittle and/or dry (hypothyroid, for example). Mine is quite dry, very easy to snap, etc. What do those of you with this problem do? Cones are the only thing that reliably keeps my hair supple enough to not break - but then I have to wash much more often with them, plus they weigh my fine hair down. Argh. It's frustrating.

[Silverbleed]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if any of you could give me some advice or possibly support.
Wednesday I'll be going to my doctor because I'd like to quit the birth control (mini pill). I have many negative side effects and the positive don't outweigh the negative anymore.

I wouldn't be surprised if I'll experience some hair loss as well. I'm not sure how I feel about this. One part of me is going to be upset because I've been working so hard to grow this bit of hair, and I actually regained thickness since I joined LHC which I'll probably loose again. Another side of me is feeling like 'whatever' because my hair didn't grow at all the past three months anyway. 'Might as well do this now too', you know?

I feel very conflicted, but mostly very sad.

Is this type of hair loss - if it'll happen - going to take very long? If any of you quit, did it change anything in hair growth or texture in the future? What are your experiences?

[Cg]

Mine was a couple of months to stop shedding (and I had IV's; the replacement was immediate. I did have a medication contributing to the shed too though). Then it stopped and after maybe 4-5 months I started having noticeable (as in 2 inches long) regrowth.

My question - the health conditions many of us have that contribute to hair loss also can make hair brittle and/or dry (hypothyroid, for example). Mine is quite dry, very easy to snap, etc. What do those of you with this problem do? Cones are the only thing that reliably keeps my hair supple enough to not break - but then I have to wash much more often with them, plus they weigh my fine hair down. Argh. It's frustrating.

I sympathize! In winter, it helps to wear a loose scarf or snood some days to reduce the effects of drying air currents. And a solid satin sleep cap is helpful as well.

[arelrios]

Hi all! Still here .... still shedding like crazy... Actually, not sure what it is, but I feel like my hair is in the worst state recently... maybe because I was sick last week with a very intense cold and barely ate?... not sure... but I feel that my hair is so stringy, dry and unmanageable.... ugh... the length is so sparse ... I am constantly debating if maybe is a better idea just to cut it... to collarbone maybe... I made the mistake to straighten it a couple of weeks ago... and maaaannn... the ends were so wiry and not even (not because they are not cut even but because there are openings in the length) - not sure I am explaining myself correctly here.... so that was I was thinking is best to cut and try to even it out to a straight across

I am thinking of getting the shampoo hennalonghair recommended... according with your experience, you think it affects or might affect the SD? that is my main concern... I am willing to bite the bullet with the price and get it but I am afraid it will affect my scalp in a no positive way...

Sorry I am just venting :horse::... most of the people around me don't understand this as you do... and for that... I am super grateful... :grouphug:

[Neoma]

Hi all! Still here .... still shedding like crazy... Actually, not sure what it is, but I feel like my hair is in the worst state recently... maybe because I was sick last week with a very intense cold and barely ate?... not sure... but I feel that my hair is so stringy, dry and unmanageable.... ugh... the length is so sparse ... I am constantly debating if maybe is a better idea just to cut it... to collarbone maybe... I made the mistake to straighten it a couple of weeks ago... and maaaannn... the ends were so wiry and not even (not because they are not cut even but because there are openings in the length) - not sure I am explaining myself correctly here.... so that was I was thinking is best to cut and try to even it out to a straight across

I am thinking of getting the shampoo hennalonghair recommended... according with your experience, you think it affects or might affect the SD? that is my main concern... I am willing to bite the bullet with the price and get it but I am afraid it will affect my scalp in a no positive way...

Sorry I am just venting :horse::... most of the people around me don't understand this as you do... and for that... I am super grateful... grouphug:arelrios, we do get it. I'm so sorry to hear that you're still experiencing so much angst around your hair.

I bought the ArtNaturals shampoo and use it in a simple CW routine:

1. Apply any conditioner to the length only before getting in the shower. (I'm finding that my hair prefers cone-free right now.)
2. Hop in shower and hold length out of the spray. Soak scalp.
3. Apply a teeny amount (smaller than a dime) of shampoo to scalp only and let it sit while I complete my showerly duties.
4. Rinse.

I have a ton of baby hairs coming in. I honestly don't know how many are due to the ArtNaturals shampoo. Many/most of them could be due to the fact that I have been off the offending medication long enough for baby hairs to start growing.

Having said that, the shampoo lathers like crazy, is SLS-free, smells good and gives my crown a little lift. I like it so much that I convinced DH, who has been using Invati, to switch to this. At the very least, it's a good, safe, natural shampoo. And since I use so little each time I cleanse, it will last me a long time.

HTH :flower:

*******************************

On another note, I just started taking a six-week round of prednisone to break a particularly brutal migraine cycle. I hope it doesn't cause hair loss.

[Juli414]

I've been losing my hair mainly at my temples, especially my right one. I suspect that it is traction alopecia, I sleep on my right side, and for the past 4-5 years I've worn my hair up in a sort of French twist with a Flexi-8 during the day, or in a mutant unicorn horn for sleeping. Now, though, the ponytail is so thin, the twist falls out of the medium Flexi.

Right now, the longest bits are to my buttcrack, but I have severe fairytale ends, and with the severe thinning, there really isn't much at that length. I'm seriously thinking of cutting it really short, like BSL. (If you think BSL is "really short", you might be a longhair...) Just is, that length won't get caught as much, get tangled in things, so I won't need to put it up all the time. Anyone know if traction alopecia is reversible?

[Cg]

I've been losing my hair mainly at my temples, especially my right one. I suspect that it is traction alopecia, I sleep on my right side, and for the past 4-5 years I've worn my hair up in a sort of French twist with a Flexi-8 during the day, or in a mutant unicorn horn for sleeping. Now, though, the ponytail is so thin, the twist falls out of the medium Flexi.

Right now, the longest bits are to my buttcrack, but I have severe fairytale ends, and with the severe thinning, there really isn't much at that length. I'm seriously thinking of cutting it really short, like BSL. (If you think BSL is "really short", you might be a longhair...) Just is, that length won't get caught as much, get tangled in things, so I won't need to put it up all the time. Anyone know if traction alopecia is reversible?

I can't answer your question but I don't recommend severe shortening because thin short hair looks even thinner than thin long hair that's been bunned. Even a small bun covers some part of the scalp. You might try cutting in small increments until you find a length that works.

[Juli414]

I can't answer your question but I don't recommend severe shortening because thin short hair looks even thinner than thin long hair that's been bunned. Even a small bun covers some part of the scalp. You might try cutting in small increments until you find a length that works.

Unfortunately, the thinning is most noticeable at my temples, I'd need to do Princess Leia dual buns.

[Cg]

Unfortunately, the thinning is most noticeable at my temples, I'd need to do Princess Leia dual buns.

Or just lower nape buns that drag the top hair down more. I often do this so perhaps it would work for you...? I do commiserate, it's hard to deal with thin temple hair without resorting to soft hair bands or some other over-wrap.

[Agnes Hannah]

I've just finished a major shed, it really scared me the amount of hair that fell out. I was hoping to reach Classic by now, but the shed has reduced my length too. I'm still at BCL. Will my hair just stop growing or will it start again. I am really scared that it won't grow anymore. There is nothing I have done that is different, my diabetes meds were changed to slow release in the summer, but surely that wouldn't affect the growth? I have never had a shed like this before and it has really worried me. I have began to take vitamins again and am more careful of what I am eating.

[Neoma]

I've just finished a major shed, it really scared me the amount of hair that fell out. I was hoping to reach Classic by now, but the shed has reduced my length too. I'm still at BCL. Will my hair just stop growing or will it start again. I am really scared that it won't grow anymore. There is nothing I have done that is different, my diabetes meds were changed to slow release in the summer, but surely that wouldn't affect the growth? I have never had a shed like this before and it has really worried me. I have began to take vitamins again and am more careful of what I am eating.I'm sorry to hear this, Agnes Hannah. :grouphug: I'm sure that you're discussing this with your doctors. Do they have any insights?

Loosing a lot of hair is scary. And it effects our self esteem and all kinds of things.

I've been taking two types of biotin (alternate days) and a multi vitamin with selenium. I do a hybrid wash almost daily using ArtNaturals hair growth shampoo on my scalp only and a non-cone conditioner on the length. The bald spot at the front of my crown is filling in nicely. I don't know how much of this has to do with my routine and how much is simply because I'm no longer on the med that caused the initial hair fall. :shrug: I don't think I'll ever have as much hair as I did in my 30's -- three Great Sheds later -- but the hair I do have looks and feels great.

[arelrios]

arelrios, we do get it. I'm so sorry to hear that you're still experiencing so much angst around your hair.

I bought the ArtNaturals shampoo and use it in a simple CW routine:

1. Apply any conditioner to the length only before getting in the shower. (I'm finding that my hair prefers cone-free right now.)
2. Hop in shower and hold length out of the spray. Soak scalp.
3. Apply a teeny amount (smaller than a dime) of shampoo to scalp only and let it sit while I complete my showerly duties.
4. Rinse.

I have a ton of baby hairs coming in. I honestly don't know how many are due to the ArtNaturals shampoo. Many/most of them could be due to the fact that I have been off the offending medication long enough for baby hairs to start growing.

Having said that, the shampoo lathers like crazy, is SLS-free, smells good and gives my crown a little lift. I like it so much that I convinced DH, who has been using Invati, to switch to this. At the very least, it's a good, safe, natural shampoo. And since I use so little each time I cleanse, it will last me a long time.

HTH :flower:

*******************************

On another note, I just started taking a six-week round of prednisone to break a particularly brutal migraine cycle. I hope it doesn't cause hair loss.

Thanks Neoma... for your support and also thank you all that also get what it is tongo through this ... I havent cut my hair just yet... I did a vinegar rinse and that helped with the softness... it is still rough but not as much as before...

Hugs to everyone that is having this same issue... it's not easy to deal with daily life things and also with this :(

Hopefully it will get better for all of us ... soon

Be well

[Agnes Hannah]

I'm sorry to hear this, Agnes Hannah. :grouphug: I'm sure that you're discussing this with your doctors. Do they have any insights?

Loosing a lot of hair is scary. And it effects our self esteem and all kinds of things.

I've been taking two types of biotin (alternate days) and a multi vitamin with selenium. I do a hybrid wash almost daily using ArtNaturals hair growth shampoo on my scalp only and a non-cone conditioner on the length. The bald spot at the front of my crown is filling in nicely. I don't know how much of this has to do with my routine and how much is simply because I'm no longer on the med that caused the initial hair fall. :shrug: I don't think I'll ever have as much hair as I did in my 30's -- three Great Sheds later -- but the hair I do have looks and feels great.

Thanks for your advice Lady Neoma, I haven't spoken to my doctor about this but am due to go and give bloods in January, so will ask then. I have noticed less shed since starting to take vitamins again, and they have biotin and selenium in too. I would like to know more about the shampoo you are using, ArtNaturals, that sounds really interesting and may help too. Where did you get it? I am in England so may have to use the internet.

[Neoma]

Thanks for your advice Lady Neoma, I haven't spoken to my doctor about this but am due to go and give bloods in January, so will ask then. I have noticed less shed since starting to take vitamins again, and they have biotin and selenium in too. I would like to know more about the shampoo you are using, ArtNaturals, that sounds really interesting and may help too. Where did you get it? I am in England so may have to use the internet.
You're very welcome, Agnes Hannah. :flowers: I'm glad to hear that you're losing less hair now! :cheer:

I had to order ArtNaturals online through Amazon. I found the UK link here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Hair-Care/Art-Naturals-Organic-Argan-Shampoo-Regrowth-473ml/B016XB280Y/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1482267658&sr=8-1&keywords=art+naturals+hair+loss+shampoo). It's pricey, but it goes a long, long way. I only use a pea-sized drop and it lathers like crazy. The reviews on Amazon are what convinced me to buy it and I have no desire to use anything else on my scalp.

DH has been using it lately since I'm trying to wean him off of the much more expensive Aveda Invati line. He said that he likes how silky it makes his hair feel.

[duchess67]

Happy to know that this new routine is working for you, Neoma :)

I too started washing my hair daily, which sure seems to be helping. Don't know whether it is the new shampoo I am using or the vitamins.




QUOTE][/QUOTE]
arelrios, we do get it. I'm so sorry to hear that you're still experiencing so much angst around your hair.

I bought the ArtNaturals shampoo and use it in a simple CW routine:

1. Apply any conditioner to the length only before getting in the shower. (I'm finding that my hair prefers cone-free right now.)
2. Hop in shower and hold length out of the spray. Soak scalp.
3. Apply a teeny amount (smaller than a dime) of shampoo to scalp only and let it sit while I complete my showerly duties.
4. Rinse.

I have a ton of baby hairs coming in. I honestly don't know how many are due to the ArtNaturals shampoo. Many/most of them could be due to the fact that I have been off the offending medication long enough for baby hairs to start growing.

Having said that, the shampoo lathers like crazy, is SLS-free, smells good and gives my crown a little lift. I like it so much that I convinced DH, who has been using Invati, to switch to this. At the very least, it's a good, safe, natural shampoo. And since I use so little each time I cleanse, it will last me a long time.

HTH :flower:

*******************************

On another note, I just started taking a six-week round of prednisone to break a particularly brutal migraine cycle. I hope it doesn't cause hair loss.

[Neoma]

Happy to know that this new routine is working for you, Neoma :)

I too started washing my hair daily, which sure seems to be helping. Don't know whether it is the new shampoo I am using or the vitamins.




QUOTE]Thank you duchess67!

I'm glad to hear that you're experiencing positive results. Vitamins...daily washing... Who cares if it works! :flowers:

[Moonfall]

Another shedder checking in here. It may sound odd, but I only just realised I have been shedding a lot for about ten years now. It could have been because of puberty, but I think my medication is a more likely culprit. For the last five years, I've been really careful not to damage my hair. I've only trimmed very little of my ends; my last "chop" was when I was 18, and I'm now 23. My hair was at BSL then and it's now sort of MBL. I say "sort of" since it doesn't really look like anything. :( I try to maintain a straight hemline as I really don't want to get any layers. I think shedding is what causes my hemline to be so incredibly thin. I'm really ashamed of it, but I don't want to go back to BSL either...

https://s29.postimg.org/w8ababtiv/2017jan_1.jpg

Can someone please offer me some advice? A flower? A hug? :sad

[parkmikii]

Another shedder checking in here. It may sound odd, but I only just realised I have been shedding a lot for about ten years now. It could have been because of puberty, but I think my medication is a more likely culprit. For the last five years, I've been really careful not to damage my hair. I've only trimmed very little of my ends; my last "chop" was when I was 18, and I'm now 23. My hair was at BSL then and it's now sort of MBL. I say "sort of" since it doesn't really look like anything. :( I try to maintain a straight hemline as I really don't want to get any layers. I think shedding is what causes my hemline to be so incredibly thin. I'm really ashamed of it, but I don't want to go back to BSL either...

https://s29.postimg.org/w8ababtiv/2017jan_1.jpg

Can someone please offer me some advice? A flower? A hug? :sad

:grouphug: you could try microtrimming and keeping your hair up until it thickens up a bit?
By the way, have you talked to your doctor about the medication making you shed?

[Moonfall]

:grouphug: you could try microtrimming and keeping your hair up until it thickens up a bit?
By the way, have you talked to your doctor about the medication making you shed?

Thank you, Parkmikii :flowers: I have been microtrimming for about five years now and I've been keeping my hair up since last Spring. I think the only way to get my hair to thicken up is by consulting my doctor :) I'm going to make an appointment soon.

[Arctic]

Moonfall I'm sorry you've been loosing hair. Have you been measuring your ponytail? Do you have noticeable sparser hair at the scalp? The doctors often tend to brush off hair loss complains, and being prepared with some sort of data might help. At the very least maybe some photos you could show them.

If the culprit is a medication then there's probably not much that can be done other than stop the medication - which on the other hand is not something one wants to do without consulting with doctor. Sometimes (but not always) the medication can be changed to something that gives similar results without the hairloss side effects.

While you are at the doctor's, you might also ask them to do some lab tests, there are several very common deficiencies and ilnesses that often cause hair loss (thyroid disease, other hormone imbalances, anemia, vit D deficiency, zink deficiency...).

Meanwhile you can take a hard look into your daily habits: do you eat well and enough? Do you get enough calories, proteins, nutriens? Is your scalp healthy? If you have stress is there a way to reduce it? Do you sleep enough and feel healthy? (You don't need to answer these here, just something to ponder.)

You could also try "all" the traditional LHC tricks to preserve your length from damage and breakage, if those are a problem to you. It takes time but eventually you might get thicker hemline, if part of the cause for your thinned hair is breakage/damage.

[Moonfall]

Moonfall I'm sorry you've been loosing hair. Have you been measuring your ponytail? Do you have noticeable sparser hair at the scalp? The doctors often tend to brush off hair loss complains, and being prepared with some sort of data might help. At the very least maybe some photos you could show them.

If the culprit is a medication then there's probably not much that can be done other than stop the medication - which on the other hand is not something one wants to do without consulting with doctor. Sometimes (but not always) the medication can be changed to something that gives similar results without the hairloss side effects.

While you are at the doctor's, you might also ask them to do some lab tests, there are several very common deficiencies and ilnesses that often cause hair loss (thyroid disease, other hormone imbalances, anemia, vit D deficiency, zink deficiency...).

Meanwhile you can take a hard look into your daily habits: do you eat well and enough? Do you get enough calories, proteins, nutriens? Is your scalp healthy? If you have stress is there a way to reduce it? Do you sleep enough and feel healthy? (You don't need to answer these here, just something to ponder.)

You could also try "all" the traditional LHC tricks to preserve your length from damage and breakage, if those are a problem to you. It takes time but eventually you might get thicker hemline, if part of the cause for your thinned hair is breakage/damage.

Thank you for your input, Arctic :) Stopping the medication is not an option for me at this point, and there's a chance I'll continue to take it for the rest of my life, though maybe a lower dose. I haven't ever measured my ponytail, so the only thing I can do is show pictures to my doctor. I'm not sure if the hair at my scalp is sparser. My ends, however, are really thin, as can be seen on the picture I posted. The hairs I shed are sometimes shorter hairs as well, and they all have a root attached to them. Also, I'm not sure if it's a texture thing, but I notice the hair strands have parts which vary in coarseness (for instance, a few cm can be coarse, then a few cm are very fine, then coarse and then thin again). I don't know if that could also indicate some vitamin deficiency.

[lapushka]

Moonfall, I love your hair! It is so pretty with the finer ends, not "thin" at all, not IMMHO! It's very pretty. :D

[Moonfall]

Moonfall, I love your hair! It is so pretty with the finer ends, not "thin" at all, not IMMHO! It's very pretty. :D

Thank you, that's so kind! :grouphug:

[Annalouise]

Another shedder checking in here. It may sound odd, but I only just realised I have been shedding a lot for about ten years now. It could have been because of puberty, but I think my medication is a more likely culprit. For the last five years, I've been really careful not to damage my hair. I've only trimmed very little of my ends; my last "chop" was when I was 18, and I'm now 23. My hair was at BSL then and it's now sort of MBL. I say "sort of" since it doesn't really look like anything. :( I try to maintain a straight hemline as I really don't want to get any layers. I think shedding is what causes my hemline to be so incredibly thin. I'm really ashamed of it, but I don't want to go back to BSL either...

https://s29.postimg.org/w8ababtiv/2017jan_1.jpg

Can someone please offer me some advice? A flower? A hug? :sad

Hi Moonfall ~ Are you new to the forum? There are many people who's hair grows like yours does, even without hairloss issues, its just their natural growth pattern. Everyone's head is different. Please don't COMPARE your hair to others. It's like comparing your body to other women's bodies and saying women with x body type are ugly. It's really a negative psychological state of mind.

Please learn to love your hair. And please try not to use negative language when describing certain hair types because it can be very insulting to other people who have thin hair or fairy tale ends.
I have thin hair and have been insulted many times by people on the forum who rant about how awful thin hair is.
Please try to be kind to yourself and others. Would you go around calling fat people ugly? Or skinny people ugly? Please don't call thin hair bad names.:flower: Please be kind to yourself, and kind to others. Thin hair is not damaged hair. It's just thin. And there is nothing wrong with thin hair.

[Arctic]

I agree Annalouse wholeheartedly that thin hair is not a negative thing, but wanted to point that when we are talking about hair loss then it really is a problem, because it reflects that something is wrong, and it also can challenge the person's hair identity, which can be difficult to deal with.


Thank you for your input, Arctic :) Stopping the medication is not an option for me at this point, and there's a chance I'll continue to take it for the rest of my life, though maybe a lower dose. I haven't ever measured my ponytail, so the only thing I can do is show pictures to my doctor. I'm not sure if the hair at my scalp is sparser. My ends, however, are really thin, as can be seen on the picture I posted. The hairs I shed are sometimes shorter hairs as well, and they all have a root attached to them. Also, I'm not sure if it's a texture thing, but I notice the hair strands have parts which vary in coarseness (for instance, a few cm can be coarse, then a few cm are very fine, then coarse and then thin again). I don't know if that could also indicate some vitamin deficiency.

Yes definitely put your general health on a higher priority than your hair. I also suspect some of my long term medication might have been affecting my hair loss situation.

I can't see any pictures on your post? But I think it's good sign you hair at the roots doesn't seem sparser than before! Shedding shorter hairs is normal, but since this is a hair loss thread I mention something you might already know: if one suffers from pattern hair loss (male or female type) hairs might start to miniturize (sp?) which means they progressively shrink and become shorter, which leads to thinning and hair loss. So while I want to say don't stress about those short hair, I also want to say that keep on eye on their number occasionally.

Having bumpy hairs is normal too. :)

[Moonfall]

Annalouise, I really never meant to insult anyone. I've seen people with thin hair on the forum that I think looks amazing. I just feel bad about my own hair since it used to be much thicker and I know I need to work on it. Again, I'm sorry if I insulted anyone.

Arctic, again thank you. I was referring to the picture I posted earlier (the one that also shows up in Annalouise's quote). I'm going to see my doctor soon and have my blood tested to see if there's any vitamin deficiency. :)

[Arctic]

I can't see any picture, if you are hosting on LHC you settings must prevent me from seeing it.

[arelrios]

Thank you for your input, Arctic :) Stopping the medication is not an option for me at this point, and there's a chance I'll continue to take it for the rest of my life, though maybe a lower dose. I haven't ever measured my ponytail, so the only thing I can do is show pictures to my doctor. I'm not sure if the hair at my scalp is sparser. My ends, however, are really thin, as can be seen on the picture I posted. The hairs I shed are sometimes shorter hairs as well, and they all have a root attached to them. Also, I'm not sure if it's a texture thing, but I notice the hair strands have parts which vary in coarseness (for instance, a few cm can be coarse, then a few cm are very fine, then coarse and then thin again). I don't know if that could also indicate some vitamin deficiency.

This is me also...

I tried something different last night. I wore a bonet and the quantity of hair strands I found on bed this morning were way less... like 50 to 3 less... at least a small victory

[Moonfall]

Arctic, here is the url: https://s29.postimg.org/w8ababtiv/2017jan_1.jpg

Arelrios, how much do you usually shed?

[arelrios]

Arctic, here is the url: https://s29.postimg.org/w8ababtiv/2017jan_1.jpg

Arelrios, how much do you usually shed?

LOTS!!! During the wash process, when I touch it, when I don't touch it.... I would estimate around 500 strands, maybe?

[arelrios]

Double post... sorry :)

[Arctic]

Thanks for the link, now I see the photo Moonfall! Your hair at the roots looks very thick (and btw your hair looks like it's past waist length in the photo!) so since you haven't seen thinning at the roots (hair getting sparser, pony circ. getting smaller) your issue might not be hair loss per se, but maybe more about shortened terminal length? Just a wild guess which might be off. Definitely get your vitamin/mineral levels tested when you can, and take the issue up with your doctor. And meanwhile take good care of yourself and your hair. And since your thinner ends bother you, I think you could get a big visual improvement by switching your straight hemline to a U-shaped one. This would get rid of the the longest thin pieces at the sides, and would look very natural IMHO, and the fairytailing would work to enhance the hemline shape, not against it. Again just my personal opinion.

[arelrios]

Sooo, this happened last thursday .... I had decided to cut my hair and I went to the salon. I had washed my hair that day and I showed the girl my pattern in its natural state... big, frizzy, wavy hair....

I showed her the day before how I wanted my hair (past shoulders) and she proceeded to compliment my hair and said the cut I wanted maybe wasn't for me because the shorter the more volume I would get...

So, she shapped my hair and barely cut anything (is this even possible)and she blow dried it ... then.... I got home a bit disappointed that my hair looked almost the same (I guess I was mentally prepared for a big change) ....

NOW, this is what the thing I want to share: since then, my hair is shedding way less... is this real???? Or is it a placebo thing? i didn't see much hair in the tub (as I would usually see before)... I will be paying close attention to this 'change' and report back

Has anyone experienced this?

[parkmikii]

Measured my ponytail today and it turns out I've lost 0.5 cm of my ponytail circumference.. :(

[Arctic]

Oh no :(

While I encourage you to take it seriously, I also wanted to say that in my experience my pony measurement can differ quite a bit depending on many factors, dirtiness/cleanliness level, poofiness/sleekness level, possible products used, possible buildup, wavyness/straighness level, wetness/dryness levels... I hope yours is in the latter, natural variations category.


Arelrios that interesting! Did she wash your hair with different method than you normally do (for example with sulphate shampoo versus CO/sulphate free?)

[parkmikii]

Oh no :(

While I encourage you to take it seriously, I also wanted to say that in my experience my pony measurement can differ quite a bit depending on many factors, dirtiness/cleanliness level, poofiness/sleekness level, possible products used, possible buildup, wavyness/straighness level, wetness/dryness levels... I hope yours is in the latter, natural variations category.


Arelrios that interesting! Did she wash your hair with different method than you normally do (for example with sulphate shampoo versus CO/sulphate free?)

I'll keep an eye on it and will check it every 3 months :(
I've recently purchased burdock oil (it's actually a mix of sunflower and argan oil infused with burdock root) which is supposed to help with shedding. However I have quite mixed feelings about it. I tried it two days ago before wash as recommended and had a quick scalp massage with a few drops of oil. While it helped to loosen my scalp flakes/waxy sebum I also got increased shedding from it. Could it have been just hair that was trapped in the flakes I wonder or my scalp just hates the oil and I shall never try it again and use it on the ends instead?
My hair also seems to shed just a tiny extra now, two days after using it if I'm not just seeing things :/

[CrowningGlory]

I had a massive shed six-seven years ago that was eventually blamed on low ferritin levels (below 10). I began medication, but now, six years later, my hair still hasn't fully recovered. I thought I simply needed to be patient and give it time but from reading some pages on here, it appears that with treatment my hair should've returned to what it used to be by now. Overall I have lost volume, but most distressing is the thinning on the sides and the ends. The bottom layer also thins out quite noticeably from BSL down. Repeatedly I have cut back to BSL over the past six years only to have it thin out again in a few months. I'm really wanting to reach tailbone again and maintain but DH admitted on the weekend that my ends are quite thin and, frankly, I don't know if they'll ever be anything else. For years I've told myself that my hair would thicken again now that my levels are in the 30s but they haven't and I guess I've just given up hope. I'm tempted to cut as much as the thought breaks my heart. I wear my hair up pretty much all the time but the times I could wear it down I don't because I'm so ashamed of those ends. Wondering if age and/or hormones have also had an adverse effect on my hair. Wondering what will make me happiest: long hair and thin areas/ends or shorter hair with a thicker hemline? I know only I can answer that. Guess I'm struggling with losing hope of ever having my hair back. It was my one decent feature.

[likelikepenny]

I had a massive shed six-seven years ago that was eventually blamed on low ferritin levels (below 10). I began medication, but now, six years later, my hair still hasn't fully recovered. I thought I simply needed to be patient and give it time but from reading some pages on here, it appears that with treatment my hair should've returned to what it used to be by now. Overall I have lost volume, but most distressing is the thinning on the sides and the ends. The bottom layer also thins out quite noticeably from BSL down. Repeatedly I have cut back to BSL over the past six years only to have it thin out again in a few months. I'm really wanting to reach tailbone again and maintain but DH admitted on the weekend that my ends are quite thin and, frankly, I don't know if they'll ever be anything else. For years I've told myself that my hair would thicken again now that my levels are in the 30s but they haven't and I guess I've just given up hope. I'm tempted to cut as much as the thought breaks my heart. I wear my hair up pretty much all the time but the times I could wear it down I don't because I'm so ashamed of those ends. Wondering if age and/or hormones have also had an adverse effect on my hair. Wondering what will make me happiest: long hair and thin areas/ends or shorter hair with a thicker hemline? I know only I can answer that. Guess I'm struggling with losing hope of ever having my hair back. It was my one decent feature.

You should check with your doctor to see if theres any other hormone imbalances or if there's any further treatment for your thinning before making any major decisions.

[Arctic]

Crowning glory, I'm sorry I'm super busy now to write a longer post, but I recall people mentioning here (and I've also seen scientific papers about it) that serum ferriting should be somewhere around 70-80 for optimal hair growth (don't quote me, cause this is from the top of my hat). In that context serum ferritin of 30 is very low still.

[Reyesuela]

Hi ladies (and gents)! I've lurked for about 10 years here but never posted. My hair has been every length from fingertip to pixie.

Then it started falling out!

Thinning runs on one side of the family, so I knew to watch out for it. Once it became obvious this was no temporary shed (rodent-sized hairballs every time I brushed my hair for months), I took action.

Now that my hair is vigorously growing back and I've basically had a trichilogist's level of hair research, I finally have something to contribute.

Moonfall, you are so smart to act now! While you're trying to figure out what's up, I strongly recommend using 5% minoxidil liquid once daily and Nizoral shampoo twice a week. :) It takes a few months to work, but no matter what, it won't hurt your hair or growth!

[arelrios]

Oh no :(

Arelrios that interesting! Did she wash your hair with different method than you normally do (for example with sulphate shampoo versus CO/sulphate free?)

Sorry for taking this long to answer, but once again work has me pretty busy... Answering your question: yes, she used her own product line ... I do use sulphates as I wash with medicated shampoo... so not sure what could had been...

The shedding returned back a few days after the haircut. I think it was the manipulation maybe that reduced the shedding?

Anyway, I was thinking maybe trying Nioxin products. Any input on those?

Also, since I have wavy hair, I saw in instagram this "hair vitamins" that I want to try... there are a couple: sugar bear hair and bouncecurl vitamins. Any feedback on those???

I keep you posted in case I decide to try any of those...:)

[Reyesuela]

Anyway, I was thinking maybe trying Nioxin products. Any input on those?

Dermabrasion: It would probably help hair growth, but it will also damage hair. Salicylic acid shampoos would be far better.

Density restoration: Name is complete BS. It does nothing for density of growth. Its performance on breakage is on par with Pantene's new conditioner with histidine.

Night density rescue: Yes, topical antioxidants work to increase hair growth. Not a frontline treatment. The price is outrageous. Mix some melatonin liquid with water periodically and get a year's supply for a fraction of the cost--and melatonin is well documented as a treatment that increases hair growth.

Diamax/Diamax Advanced: Only the caffeine is meaningful. The rest aren't related to hair loss. Dissolving a 200mg capsule in water would be pennies and last for months.

Hair Booster: Another antioxidant. See above. The rest is a styling product.

Deep Hair Masque: Does nothing to grow hair. Might prevent breakage, but they don't bother to list any ingredients on the site.

Hair Regrowth Treatment: Rogaine/minoxidil. It works, but it's a fraction of the price if you get Walmart brand.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Won't do a thing.

Scalp Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner and drops: The zinc in the shampoo MIGHT, MIGHT do something because zinc sulphate does...but no research to back it up. The conditioner makes your scalp tingle. I'm not kidding. If you have a sensitive scalp, it's a pretty stupid ingredient mix.

Verdict: A fabulous way to throw away a ton of money.

[saddamna]

Can you tell me what is the name of the migraine prevente?

[CrowningGlory]

You should check with your doctor to see if theres any other hormone imbalances or if there's any further treatment for your thinning before making any major decisions.

I had a fight to even get him to consider low ferritin as the cause for my excessive shedding until he did some further research. Once it reached 22 (considered normal in my country but not in some other countries) he stopped the iron supplements. A year later with a return of symptoms that until that time had been considered unrelated (breathlessness, fatigue, extreme dizziness, depression) I was able to get him to agree to continuing the supplement with annual blood tests to ensure the levels didn't go too high.

I don't like my chances of convincing him to order further tests. Hair loss in women doesn't seem to be taken that seriously by the medical profession. I even had one doctor tell me that I wouldn't go bald! As if losing so much hair and having to cut was no reason to be distressed.

[CrowningGlory]

Crowning glory, I'm sorry I'm super busy now to write a longer post, but I recall people mentioning here (and I've also seen scientific papers about it) that serum ferriting should be somewhere around 70-80 for optimal hair growth (don't quote me, cause this is from the top of my hat). In that context serum ferritin of 30 is very low still.

Thank you. I followed a link on here to a Dr Donovan and he said a minimum of 40-50 for his patients. I think I've read 70 before, too, but had forgotten. Good to be reminded. I found a study that below 50 in countries such as France is routinely treated as anaemia. I don't know if I'll ever reach 70 but 50 seems achievable. Given I was seriously anaemic with my last pregnancy despite being on iron supplements the entire time I suspect I have a problem with utilising the iron in my diet. So I think I'll hold off the scissors and give it some more time, perhaps keeping to my original plan of microtrimming to maintain length and seeing if the hemline improves.

[rags]

Crowning Glory, I was told by my Dr that over 50 would sometimes be ok, but over 70 was optimal to grow hair without shedding. And I have found it so - anytime I dip below about 60-70, the shedding restarts. Alas I am on the downhill swing now, but then will have to wait until it gets extremely low for the insurance company to approve the infusions (I don't absorb iron from diet). The last time I was at 3! before they would approve it. :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, I've received much the same reaction from my drs here in the US. It just isn't seen as important by a lot of physicians. I too was told to be happy I wouldn't go bald, and that my thinning wasn't worse due to all of the autoimmune diseases and anemia. Good thoughts coming your way, and I do hope you can keep from cutting it and maybe get a good hemline with micro trimming!

[CrowningGlory]

Crowning Glory, I was told by my Dr that over 50 would sometimes be ok, but over 70 was optimal to grow hair without shedding. And I have found it so - anytime I dip below about 60-70, the shedding restarts. Alas I am on the downhill swing now, but then will have to wait until it gets extremely low for the insurance company to approve the infusions (I don't absorb iron from diet). The last time I was at 3! before they would approve it. :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, I've received much the same reaction from my drs here in the US. It just isn't seen as important by a lot of physicians. I too was told to be happy I wouldn't go bald, and that my thinning wasn't worse due to all of the autoimmune diseases and anemia. Good thoughts coming your way, and I do hope you can keep from cutting it and maybe get a good hemline with micro trimming!

Thanks. So new goal = 70? I guess that means finding some way of utilising the iron more effectively. Which probably means taking my supplement with Vitamin C - which I don't do at present. In fact, I'm probably chronically low on Vitamin C, too, as I don't eat anything high in Vitamin C except when feijoa are in season. Infusions have never been suggested but I could ask. Thankfully I have few side effects with the oral supplements but getting my levels up more quickly (it's taken six years to get from 7 to 35) would be wonderful.

[arelrios]

Dermabrasion: It would probably help hair growth, but it will also damage hair. Salicylic acid shampoos would be far better.

Density restoration: Name is complete BS. It does nothing for density of growth. Its performance on breakage is on par with Pantene's new conditioner with histidine.

Night density rescue: Yes, topical antioxidants work to increase hair growth. Not a frontline treatment. The price is outrageous. Mix some melatonin liquid with water periodically and get a year's supply for a fraction of the cost--and melatonin is well documented as a treatment that increases hair growth.

Diamax/Diamax Advanced: Only the caffeine is meaningful. The rest aren't related to hair loss. Dissolving a 200mg capsule in water would be pennies and last for months.

Hair Booster: Another antioxidant. See above. The rest is a styling product.

Deep Hair Masque: Does nothing to grow hair. Might prevent breakage, but they don't bother to list any ingredients on the site.

Hair Regrowth Treatment: Rogaine/minoxidil. It works, but it's a fraction of the price if you get Walmart brand.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Won't do a thing.

Scalp Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner and drops: The zinc in the shampoo MIGHT, MIGHT do something because zinc sulphate does...but no research to back it up. The conditioner makes your scalp tingle. I'm not kidding. If you have a sensitive scalp, it's a pretty stupid ingredient mix.

Verdict: A fabulous way to throw away a ton of money.

Thanks so much for such a detailed review.... !!!

[arelrios]

Talking about doctors... I have an appointment in May (yaayyy for our health system #sarcasm) with an specialist - my OB/GYN suspects PCOS and wants me to see an specialist on the subject...

I was wondering if maybe PCOS is somewhat related to shedding? (considering if I actually have that - God forbids!)

[Reyesuela]

Thanks so much for such a detailed review.... !!!

No worries. :) I was curious myself! So I just figured I'd write up what I saw.

[Reyesuela]

Talking about doctors... I have an appointment in May (yaayyy for our health system #sarcasm) with an specialist - my OB/GYN suspects PCOS and wants me to see an specialist on the subject...

I was wondering if maybe PCOS is somewhat related to shedding? (considering if I actually have that - God forbids!)

Yes. PCOS causes androgenic hair loss--something like 80% of women with PCOS have this. Your doctor should have you on spironolactone. That will cancel out the androgenic effects. You can see my growing mega post on thinning hair below where I discuss this.

You will probably also go on metformin. Metformin makes many people's stomachs upset. Ask to start with a microdose and move up what the doctor wants you to be as an end-point to control it. Your body adjusts.

If you are overweight, losing 20% of your body weight can largely reverse the effects of PCOS. If you regain the weight, the symptoms will return. PCOS does not prevent weight loss. The most effective way to lose weight is through careful, honest, and accurate food diaries. I strongly suggest MyFitnessPal or /r/loseit on Reddit.

[arelrios]

Yes. PCOS causes androgenic hair loss--something like 80% of women with PCOS have this. Your doctor should have you on spironolactone. That will cancel out the androgenic effects. You can see my growing mega post on thinning hair below where I discuss this.

You will probably also go on metformin. Metformin makes many people's stomachs upset. Ask to start with a microdose and move up what the doctor wants you to be as an end-point to control it. Your body adjusts.

If you are overweight, losing 20% of your body weight can largely reverse the effects of PCOS. If you regain the weight, the symptoms will return. PCOS does not prevent weight loss. The most effective way to lose weight is through careful, honest, and accurate food diaries. I strongly suggest MyFitnessPal or /r/loseit on Reddit.

Thank you!!! I really hope I get all the tests done and they show a negative result... :pray::pray::pray::pray:

As for the weight, no... I am not overweight and never been... I am at 113 pounds with a height of 5'3" ... so I think in that sense I am OK

[lucid]

I had a massive shed a little over a year ago due to being underweight (12% bodyfat). I had my blood tested (but by then my weight was just within normal, and the shed had started slowing down, only 200 hairs a day), and everything was fine.

During the shedding (3-4 months) my scalp hurt all the time as well. Like when your hair has been in a different position than usual for too long. I don't know if that's normal when having that kind of hair loss? It could also be related to my skin in general, I have atopic skin which typically itches all winter. My scalp always looks good though, no flakes or redness at all, not even when it was itching or hurting.

I am also constantly worried that I might start losing hair again. The last weeks my scalp has been itching and sometimes hurting a bit, and I'm afraid it is early signs of a new round of shedding? I have been counting hair, and it is within normal. I also have normal, though still on the lower side, weight now (I don't have an eating disorder, I have food aversion which sometimes makes it a pain to eat enough calories), so there really is no reason to suspect another round of hair loss? I constantly monitor my weight to make sure it doesn't drop more... It makes me stressed out thinking about it... it was just so horrible last year seeing so much of my hair falling out within a few months. It was a bit traumatic actually, I feel bad when saying it since I don't have permanent hair loss.

I'm also thinking about having my blood tested again just to make sure that everything is as it should be. I'm extremely afraid of needles/shots, so it's not an easy decision to make, but I think I need to so that I can stop worrying about this... I want to know what I should get them to check?

[Reyesuela]

With food aversions, you have a much higher chance for frank deficiencies. I'd ask for a full vitamin/mineral workup for what they can test for. And serum ferritin.

Have you tried food therapy? I adopted a standard program for myself of food desensitization so I'd stop vomiting up smooth/slimy things. 95% success for me. It's nothing like talk therapy. It's really helpful.

[Reyesuela]

Thank you!!! I really hope I get all the tests done and they show a negative result... :pray::pray::pray::pray:

As for the weight, no... I am not overweight and never been... I am at 113 pounds with a height of 5'3" ... so I think in that sense I am OK

Hmmm. Not underweight either (which would be a different reason for amenorrhea and hair loss.). Are you a workout junkie?

Have you had fasting blood sugar done before? Or are you diabetic? Insulin resistance or type 1 diabetes is really, really common with PCOS. That's one of the reasons it's so common with overweight. But you can have insulin resistance while lean if your luck sucks.

[CrowningGlory]

I had a massive shed a little over a year ago due to being underweight (12% bodyfat). I had my blood tested (but by then my weight was just within normal, and the shed had started slowing down, only 200 hairs a day), and everything was fine.

During the shedding (3-4 months) my scalp hurt all the time as well. Like when your hair has been in a different position than usual for too long. I don't know if that's normal when having that kind of hair loss? It could also be related to my skin in general, I have atopic skin which typically itches all winter. My scalp always looks good though, no flakes or redness at all, not even when it was itching or hurting.

I am also constantly worried that I might start losing hair again. The last weeks my scalp has been itching and sometimes hurting a bit, and I'm afraid it is early signs of a new round of shedding? I have been counting hair, and it is within normal. I also have normal, though still on the lower side, weight now (I don't have an eating disorder, I have food aversion which sometimes makes it a pain to eat enough calories), so there really is no reason to suspect another round of hair loss? I constantly monitor my weight to make sure it doesn't drop more... It makes me stressed out thinking about it... it was just so horrible last year seeing so much of my hair falling out within a few months. It was a bit traumatic actually, I feel bad when saying it since I don't have permanent hair loss.

I'm also thinking about having my blood tested again just to make sure that everything is as it should be. I'm extremely afraid of needles/shots, so it's not an easy decision to make, but I think I need to so that I can stop worrying about this... I want to know what I should get them to check?


I have no advice but wanted to say that we are here to support you whether your hair loss is permanent or not. I suspect we all hope our loss can be reversed. It's traumatic seeing your hair fall out and I think I still dread wash day because of that awful feeling I used to get when I saw the bathroom basin full of hair. That doesn't happen now but even a few extra hairs makes me feel sick as I remember what it was like and naturally start to wonder if another shed is about to start. So we all get it and understand how distressing it is - permanent or not.

[arelrios]

Hmmm. Not underweight either (which would be a different reason for amenorrhea and hair loss.). Are you a workout junkie?

Have you had fasting blood sugar done before? Or are you diabetic? Insulin resistance or type 1 diabetes is really, really common with PCOS. That's one of the reasons it's so common with overweight. But you can have insulin resistance while lean if your luck sucks.
I do work out (sometimes lol) ... I do low impact workouts, a mix of yoga and pilates. When I start working out, the only change I see is that I want to eat all the things lol... and I usually do... I don't skip meals or foods (well except those that make me sick because of IBS) but that's all.

I've had done the blood sugar tests fasting. ALL my tests came back normal...

[Reyesuela]

I do work out (sometimes lol) ... I do low impact workouts, a mix of yoga and pilates. When I start working out, the only change I see is that I want to eat all the things lol... and I usually do... I don't skip meals or foods (well except those that make me sick because of IBS) but that's all.

I've had done the blood sugar tests fasting. ALL my tests came back normal...

No, exercise-induced amenorrhea requires huge exercise loads at your weight.

Do you have amenorrhea, then??? I assumed because otherwise your doctor is an idiot for suggesting PCOS.

[lucid]

With food aversions, you have a much higher chance for frank deficiencies. I'd ask for a full vitamin/mineral workup for what they can test for. And serum ferritin.

Have you tried food therapy? I adopted a standard program for myself of food desensitization so I'd stop vomiting up smooth/slimy things. 95% success for me. It's nothing like talk therapy. It's really helpful.

I will ask for that, thank you!

I have not tried any therapy other than cognitive behavior therapy that I have used on my own, which have helped when it comes to expanding my food reportoar and eating habits, and my overall feelings towards food.

The food aversions (they are usually concerning just certain foods at the time, but sometimes all solid food are problematic) are more difficult to deal with, I don't know how to deal with forcing my self to eat when I just don't want food (I can be super hungry, but with zero apetite). I drink smoothies (with protein powder, gainer powder, avocado, and olive oil) and milk in those periods.

Also, I have new-food anxiety, so every time I try new foods my anxiety spikes or even if it's just something familiar made in a different way. I've always been like this (my siblings are not, so it is not my parents faults), and it is really frustrating. I also gag/vomit if I force myself to eat something I don't like (taste, texture or smell).

What program did you use?

[lucid]

CrowningGlory, thank you. This community is just so welcoming and supportive, I'm so glad I found LHC.

[Reyesuela]

I will ask for that, thank you!

I have not tried any therapy other than cognitive behavior therapy that I have used on my own, which have helped when it comes to expanding my food reportoar and eating habits, and my overall feelings towards food.

The food aversions (they are usually concerning just certain foods at the time, but sometimes all solid food are problematic) are more difficult to deal with, I don't know how to deal with forcing my self to eat when I just don't want food (I can be super hungry, but with zero apetite). I drink smoothies (with protein powder, gainer powder, avocado, and olive oil) and milk in those periods.

Also, I have new-food anxiety, so every time I try new foods my anxiety spikes or even if it's just something familiar made in a different way. I've always been like this (my siblings are not, so it is not my parents faults), and it is really frustrating. I also gag/vomit if I force myself to eat something I don't like (taste, texture or smell).

What program did you use?

Desensitization therapy the way feeding clinics do. I didn't have "feelings" about my food, so cognitive therapy was pointless. Lol. I had severe issues with texture. It was really embarrassing. There are still a few foods I can't handle, but only a few.

You seem to have solid/crunchy aversions. It's weird but people are split--either smooth/slimy or solid/crunchy.

[missmaggieeliza]

I have had a HUGE thinning hair issue. Not sure when it started. I am on thyroid medication for over 30 years but had a peroid of 7 -8 years with no health insurance so could not get my thyroid meds. Hair was falling out and scalp very visible. After I was able to get health insurance again at 65 the thyroid meds did help my hair from falling out. I had some new hair growth. Even so it is still very thin.

Then a couple of years ago I leaned down to vacuum under the fridge and caught my hair in the vacuum beater. Just grabbed it and sucked it up and I could not reach up the handle to get the thing shut off. I had the vacuum stuck on my head for over an hour trying to get my hair untangled from the beater. Needless to say so much was damaged. I had to cut off about 6-8 inches just to kind of help the messy hemline out some. And have been trimming on it since so my hair lost the length it had.

Right now I am not losing as much hair as I was. I was under a lot of stress losing my husband to cancer. I feel that could have contributed to some of the thinning. When will it stop? I have taken vitamins since the first big fallout. I am eating well. I did have a 90 pound weight loss but I needed to lose that weight and I did it over two years very slow and controlled and far from a starvation type way of eating.

I am heading towards 68 pretty darn fast so I know age adds to some of the thinning. Menopause is long over. I would say for at least 12 years. I am doing scalp massage a couple times a day mostly because it feels good. Not sure it is helping.

i feel for those of us with this thinning hair. My hair being so light colored also seems to make my scalp be more noticeable. To me anyway. I am mostly finger combing or using a HUGE wide toothed comb and I even examined it to be sure there are no ruff edges on the teeth of it.

[lucid]

Desensitization therapy the way feeding clinics do. I didn't have "feelings" about my food, so cognitive therapy was pointless. Lol. I had severe issues with texture. It was really embarrassing. There are still a few foods I can't handle, but only a few.

You seem to have solid/crunchy aversions. It's weird but people are split--either smooth/slimy or solid/crunchy.

I'll check it out! And yes, never really thought about it before though. But easy-to-eat foods for me are yoghurts, fruits, smoothies, shakes, gello, puddings, anything liquid, ++, which are all in the smooth/slimy category. Funny :D

[Reyesuela]

I'll check it out! And yes, never really thought about it before though. But easy-to-eat foods for me are yoghurts, fruits, smoothies, shakes, gello, puddings, anything liquid, ++, which are all in the smooth/slimy category. Funny :D

I used to suddenly throw up in the middle of eating slimy/smooth things. Almost no warning. Like I said, incredibly embarrassing. Who throws up chocolate pudding???? I did, that's who.

How I did it: I went after the textures that really bothered me BUT had flavors that I really liked. I ate a little daily, increasing week over week. I would also modify some textures partially but not fully--adding crunchy Grape nuts to yogurt, etc. You can do the opposite. Put smooth things on crunchy things, and eat a little crunch before your smoother main meal.

[Cg]

I have had a HUGE thinning hair issue. Not sure when it started. I am on thyroid medication for over 30 years but had a peroid of 7 -8 years with no health insurance so could not get my thyroid meds. Hair was falling out and scalp very visible. After I was able to get health insurance again at 65 the thyroid meds did help my hair from falling out. I had some new hair growth. Even so it is still very thin.

Then a couple of years ago I leaned down to vacuum under the fridge and caught my hair in the vacuum beater. Just grabbed it and sucked it up and I could not reach up the handle to get the thing shut off. I had the vacuum stuck on my head for over an hour trying to get my hair untangled from the beater. Needless to say so much was damaged. I had to cut off about 6-8 inches just to kind of help the messy hemline out some. And have been trimming on it since so my hair lost the length it had.

Right now I am not losing as much hair as I was. I was under a lot of stress losing my husband to cancer. I feel that could have contributed to some of the thinning. When will it stop? I have taken vitamins since the first big fallout. I am eating well. I did have a 90 pound weight loss but I needed to lose that weight and I did it over two years very slow and controlled and far from a starvation type way of eating.

I am heading towards 68 pretty darn fast so I know age adds to some of the thinning. Menopause is long over. I would say for at least 12 years. I am doing scalp massage a couple times a day mostly because it feels good. Not sure it is helping.

i feel for those of us with this thinning hair. My hair being so light colored also seems to make my scalp be more noticeable. To me anyway. I am mostly finger combing or using a HUGE wide toothed comb and I even examined it to be sure there are no ruff edges on the teeth of it.

I'm so sorry you lost your husband to cancer. So did I.

That kind of stress almost certainly contributed to your hair loss, and age may as well. If you have older relatives whose hair thinned you might ask them how old they were when it happened. They might have been quite a bit older than 68.

Any thinning is stressful. Those of us here do understand! Remember that focusing on negatives won't help. As long as you eat nutritious foods, exercise, get enough rest, and bun your hair out of the way of vacuums and other hair hazards, you know you'll be doing your best to get and keep your hair as healthy as possible. We wish you well.

[arelrios]

No, exercise-induced amenorrhea requires huge exercise loads at your weight.

Do you have amenorrhea, then??? I assumed because otherwise your doctor is an idiot for suggesting PCOS.

I do... I've always have had issues with my period... and this doctor has been the only one taking the time to send me to an specialist so he can investigate more.

The other doctors would prescribed the pill, which I tried, but made me incredibly sad; so I stopped taking it years ago

[arelrios]

It just downed on me while showering this morning... I am experiencing a massive shed... I combed my hair before washing it (this usually reduces the hair count while showering) and then when I wetted my hair OMG balls of hair... not little ones bit a HUGE big one came off...

I still don't know if I have bald spots on my scalp and I hope it settles soon... the only change in my routine it's more stress due to tax season and dealing with the health insurance... other than that it is basically my old boring life lol...

To the ones testing out the gold shampoo: has it worked? Any thoughts?

:'( I really don't want to deal with this now :'(

[littlelife]

I'm new to the forum and happy that I found this thread. I'm reading back and finding great information. I've always had thin and fine hair and I've never paid much attention to it, but I've noticed my hair getting thinner around my part during the last few years. My hair just seems sparsely distributed overall, I don't see any patches of any worsening thinness.

It's hard for me to determine if this is normal for someone with my hair type, or if this is really thinning. I have some bad cleavage in the back, but I've been combing my hair in a way that covers it.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 2 years ago and had a severe vitamin D and deficiency and was low on B12 too. I have been on a very strong monthly infusion and I think it has contributed to the thinning. It's hard to tell if it's the medicine, the deficiencies, the stress, poor hair care or just general poor health.

I haven't been taking care of my hair at all. Using drying shampoo, only using conditioner on my ends because I can't be bothered to wash it out, wearing tight ponytails, ripping the brush through my hair, etc. I seriously cringe at how bad I was treating my hair. I have corrected all of that now. My plans right now are to start scalp massaging with an essential oil blend. I'm also thinking about trying the Aveda Invati system, but want to try the massaging for a while first.

Here is an album of my hair at the beginning of this journey: https://imgur.com/a/yNF3f

[ArienEllariel]

I've noticed my hair has really thinned out from what it was even two years ago. A lot of it is probably breakage but legitimately it seems significantly thinner. Chronic illness is probably the reason. I need to mention it next time I'm at the doctor. Maybe there's something I can do.

[arelrios]

I got the purad'or blue label shampoo... I've been wanting to try it for a while but I find iy expensive... Today I went to the CVS and found it and also had a 25% coupon so I used it... hopefully it works

[thebees]

New to the forum, hope this is the right thread! I'm 27 and last year experienced quite a bit of thinning around my parting - it's especially obvious in photos. Went to the doc who put me on iron tablets, but I've just finished the course and she doesn't have anything else for me (to be honest she didn't seem to take things very seriously or even look at my hair). Hopefully things start to improve due to the iron... thanks to this thread I have ordered biotin so we shall see if I get any regrowth. As bad as it sounds its good to hear other people have similar problems to mine, it's hard to be losing hair at this relatively young age :(

[Neoma]

New to the forum, hope this is the right thread! I'm 27 and last year experienced quite a bit of thinning around my parting - it's especially obvious in photos. Went to the doc who put me on iron tablets, but I've just finished the course and she doesn't have anything else for me (to be honest she didn't seem to take things very seriously or even look at my hair). Hopefully things start to improve due to the iron... thanks to this thread I have ordered biotin so we shall see if I get any regrowth. As bad as it sounds its good to hear other people have similar problems to mine, it's hard to be losing hair at this relatively young age :(Welcome to LHC, thebees. :flower:

I'm sorry to hear about your hair loss. I hope that the information and the support that you find here helps.

:flowers:

[KlutzyChy1]

Hello. My hair loss struggles started about 2 years ago. I was very sick with severe stomach problems for about a year and could not keep any food down. I lost 20lbs and was 76lbs at my lowest. Once we finally got it under control and I was able to start eating again, my hair began falling out and fell out for 6 months. Hundreds upon hundreds of hairs a day. It really, really traumatized me. Once I gained the weight back and had been eating healthy for a while, it stopped and for 3 months I barely lost anything. A few in the morning. A few in the shower and I thought it was all over. But then it went back up again, not to the extent it was before, but definitely up. I've been to several derms(most who did not care and barely gave me the time of day), but one did diagnose me with Seborrheic dermatitis(sp?) so I have that to deal with as well to top it all off. I've trying to clear up a current flare up fora month now. Ever since this started I've gotten into a really horrible habit of counting all of my shed hairs and it controls my life. How much hair I lose effects my mood and my whole day. I have really severe anxiety and this has completely taken over my life. My shedding is all over the place. Some days I pull out 40 hairs, the next day it could be 80. It is never consistent. The past few days its been 38-50 and now its back up. I just don't understand. Why is it never consistent. It just seems like so much and its more than what I pulled out after my hair loss episode first stopped. I just don't know what to think. I'm so scared and I'm 22 years old and I'm so tired of crying over this and it consuming my life. I put soo much effort into taking care of my hair, why is it like this. I'm really, really sorry if this was super long.

[bparnell75]

Well you have come to the right place for shoulders to cry on. We understand. I stress over hair loss too. So the best advice is take good care of your health, and have faith that you will always have enough to be pretty. Worse case scenario there are always wigs and scalp covers/makeup. There are some who have found help with the hair growth medications, but I have never used them.

Stress over it will not help it.

[ontheway]

I just went through a crazy shedding a few weeks ago.. I suspect it's TE. I went to doctors and they all said it was stress-induced. I'm taking steps to remove myself from stress/triggers but I can definitely see it being stress-induced considering the things that have happened to me over the last few months (I can think of 1-4 triggers).

Now, focused on upping my food game. Eating VERY healthy and very nutrient-dense foods, which is great because I've noticed that I'm able to stay pretty lean also mainly because I'm not eating processed foods at all whereas I used to all the time. I'm also taking multivitamins, including iron, omega 3s, zinc, B12, and biotin. I've started to introduce more protein into my diet so that it's a part of every meal rather than just slid in (I was borderline vegetarian for a while).

I've also decided to completely lay off heat. I used to heat style 3-4 times a week, sometimes both the hairdryer and straightener. I'm done with that as I'd rather see what my hair will do naturally and want it to be healthy!

So TE along with probably heat breakage/seasonal shedding has left me with way thinner hair but I'm ready to be patient and to be healthy.

[arelrios]

Hello. My hair loss struggles started about 2 years ago. I was very sick with severe stomach problems for about a year and could not keep any food down. I lost 20lbs and was 76lbs at my lowest. Once we finally got it under control and I was able to start eating again, my hair began falling out and fell out for 6 months. Hundreds upon hundreds of hairs a day. It really, really traumatized me. Once I gained the weight back and had been eating healthy for a while, it stopped and for 3 months I barely lost anything. A few in the morning. A few in the shower and I thought it was all over. But then it went back up again, not to the extent it was before, but definitely up. I've been to several derms(most who did not care and barely gave me the time of day), but one did diagnose me with Seborrheic dermatitis(sp?) so I have that to deal with as well to top it all off. I've trying to clear up a current flare up fora month now. Ever since this started I've gotten into a really horrible habit of counting all of my shed hairs and it controls my life. How much hair I lose effects my mood and my whole day. I have really severe anxiety and this has completely taken over my life. My shedding is all over the place. Some days I pull out 40 hairs, the next day it could be 80. It is never consistent. The past few days its been 38-50 and now its back up. I just don't understand. Why is it never consistent. It just seems like so much and its more than what I pulled out after my hair loss episode first stopped. I just don't know what to think. I'm so scared and I'm 22 years old and I'm so tired of crying over this and it consuming my life. I put soo much effort into taking care of my hair, why is it like this. I'm really, really sorry if this was super long.

So sorry to hear about your hairloss... I was diagnosed with SD a couple of years ago... CO washing and stress caused it... it took me over a year to go to the dermatologist and get a proper diagnosis... thank God she was really understanding, caring and patient with my case. I only saw her once because she immediatelly prescribed me medicated shampoo... Since then, I’ve been washing my hair with it... the first week everyday, after that every other day or every two days... I have not had any flares and my shedding definitely got better.

Also, a few months ago I started using Purad’or shampoo. I think it helped... best part is it doesn't trigger my SD... the shampoos have been a God send because regardless of the amount of stress I’m under, my scalp is clean and flakes free......

I use the ketoconazole 2% generic brand shampoo. It costs me $4 every month ...

Maybe it is something you can look into it...

Good luck and do not give up...

[Swan Maiden]

Since this thread is on the front page, I will share my success. I have been constantly having episodes of shedding since 2011 after I had my child. I tried everything to combat it, all my blood levels were within normal range. I finally got on birth control and my shedding immediately decreased to normal levels. I probably can't ever get off of it now or I will have a major shed episode.

[checkuponit]

Hello all. I'm new to posting here. Trying to grow my hair but in the midst of a shedding and thinning phase which I suspect may be AGA.

For those of you who use minoxidil, I'm wondering it anyone has any tips on how to get the foam into my scalp instead of on my hair!

[Meeri]

Hi everyone, I’d like to join this forum. I have struggled with shedding, for stress, big life changes, and hair neglect/mistreatment reasons, for several years now and think I’m finally (slowly) starting to get a handle of it (with major help from this community:).

I’m super healthy these days, eating mostly dairy free vegetarian food plus fish for protein, I do a bit of exercise every day and I’m generally very active, and I’ve just gone on the vitamin regime recommended on these forums. So internally, I’m pretty much taken care of I think. Now I just need to figure out what’s good for my hair on the outside.

I tried co washing which I loved but my scalp hated and I was getting major itches. So I’ve clarified and I’m doing dandruff treatment on my scalp now which is helping a lot. My hair looks so much better already. I’m starting to think that my hair doesn’t like any sort of buildup and even diluted conditioner creates buildup on my hair which makes it flat and greasy very quickly. So for now, I’ve clarified and put the tiniest bit of oil to my ends and my hair is feeling silky and smooth. If I can keep this up and wash only once or twice weekly...maybe I can finally get closer to a routine that my hair actually likes...

[Beeboo123]

I've had dengue fever twice, once when I was 18 and again at 21. I was very, very sick, and lost a lot of hair both times. My hair never grew back to its original thickness. I used to have thick "triangle" hair, any length shorter than bra strap would make my head look like a triangle. Nowadays, I am left with skinny braids the size of two fingers =[ I'm really hoping that my hair will grow back, but it doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen

[Meeri]

Hello. My hair loss struggles started about 2 years ago. I was very sick with severe stomach problems for about a year and could not keep any food down. I lost 20lbs and was 76lbs at my lowest. Once we finally got it under control and I was able to start eating again, my hair began falling out and fell out for 6 months. Hundreds upon hundreds of hairs a day. It really, really traumatized me. Once I gained the weight back and had been eating healthy for a while, it stopped and for 3 months I barely lost anything. A few in the morning. A few in the shower and I thought it was all over. But then it went back up again, not to the extent it was before, but definitely up. I've been to several derms(most who did not care and barely gave me the time of day), but one did diagnose me with Seborrheic dermatitis(sp?) so I have that to deal with as well to top it all off. I've trying to clear up a current flare up fora month now. Ever since this started I've gotten into a really horrible habit of counting all of my shed hairs and it controls my life. How much hair I lose effects my mood and my whole day. I have really severe anxiety and this has completely taken over my life. My shedding is all over the place. Some days I pull out 40 hairs, the next day it could be 80. It is never consistent. The past few days its been 38-50 and now its back up. I just don't understand. Why is it never consistent. It just seems like so much and its more than what I pulled out after my hair loss episode first stopped. I just don't know what to think. I'm so scared and I'm 22 years old and I'm so tired of crying over this and it consuming my life. I put soo much effort into taking care of my hair, why is it like this. I'm really, really sorry if this was super long.

I am so so sorry you have to go through this😞 I know how horrible it is to lose hair like this. Hair is a measure of health sure but I find we also place so much other meaning to it (ie beauty) so when we go through periods of shedding it feels as if we're losing far more than "just" hair, which creates enormous emotional stress anxiety, often making the shedding even worse and keeping us in this vicious cycle of shedding-stress-more shedding-more stress. At least that was the case for me. I've been shedding for years and so much that it almost became "normal" for me and I gave up...almost...which is why I'm here looking for solutions. I think it's because deep down i know it doesn't have to be this way. There is nothing wrong with my hair, and there is nothing wrong with yours. And there is nothing wrong with shedding either. You're going through a very tough time, and this shedding is completely normal. Your hair can and will grow back healthy and strong I'm sure of it.

[Kitt3n]

Just thought I'd share something. I've read a lot about Peppermint oil promoting hair growth and other benefits. I don't have thinning hair but I use it in my water rinses. I hope this might help some of you. Just be careful, it can be irritating if not diluted. I use quite a few drops mixed with water for my hair but it hasn't irritated me, unless I put it directly on. It might feel tingly but that's good. :]

[lapushka]

Hello all. I'm new to posting here. Trying to grow my hair but in the midst of a shedding and thinning phase which I suspect may be AGA.

For those of you who use minoxidil, I'm wondering it anyone has any tips on how to get the foam into my scalp instead of on my hair!


Hi everyone, I’d like to join this forum. I have struggled with shedding, for stress, big life changes, and hair neglect/mistreatment reasons, for several years now and think I’m finally (slowly) starting to get a handle of it (with major help from this community:).

I’m super healthy these days, eating mostly dairy free vegetarian food plus fish for protein, I do a bit of exercise every day and I’m generally very active, and I’ve just gone on the vitamin regime recommended on these forums. So internally, I’m pretty much taken care of I think. Now I just need to figure out what’s good for my hair on the outside.

I tried co washing which I loved but my scalp hated and I was getting major itches. So I’ve clarified and I’m doing dandruff treatment on my scalp now which is helping a lot. My hair looks so much better already. I’m starting to think that my hair doesn’t like any sort of buildup and even diluted conditioner creates buildup on my hair which makes it flat and greasy very quickly. So for now, I’ve clarified and put the tiniest bit of oil to my ends and my hair is feeling silky and smooth. If I can keep this up and wash only once or twice weekly...maybe I can finally get closer to a routine that my hair actually likes...

Welcome to both of you!

[checkuponit]

Thank you for the welcome!

I am trying to figure out how to add peppermint oil to my routine but I'm not super knowledgeable about oils. Should I mix it with some jojoba oil and massage it in?

[tangocurl]

I'd like to join this thread. I was neglecting my scalp and going through a lot of stress with my work and my hair started shedding, non-localized. I have this periodically, and it is always the same thing: stress, adrenals, seasonal changes in my body that respond better to Traditional Chinese Medicine than any conventional approach, because I'm "fine" in Western medicine.

I have had noticeably less shedding by doing the following, and hopefully this will be enough:

Resume Chinese Herbs that work for me during this time of year.

Scalp massages with a mixture of predominantly peppermint, lavender, rosemary, lemongrass diluted in a little distilled water (and stored in my old Invati bottle...Invati gave me major scalp buildup, but the scalp treatment bottle is darn useful!) I do this before and after every CWC.

Keep up with the henna roots applications.

Do cassia treatments between henna applications. I'm still sorting out how often that should be in my situation.

Manage stress as best as possible with mindfulness approaches.

I'm also thinking about resuming Nioxin shampoo -- it has worked for me in the past. I'm really leery of trying minoxidil products because then I'd be stuck using them, and I don't think I really qualify for them.

Hugs to everyone here.

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

So, I have been dealing with shedding for awhile.
I could never tell if it was because I dont really comb or brush.
But just about every time I run my fingers through my hair I lose about 3-4 strands.
I also cannot tell if the way my part looks is because my natural color is starting to really grow out.
For whatever reason, I think my hair color makes my part look even worse.

Here are photos:
https://s18.postimg.cc/99rfx8ut5/IMG_8480.jpg
Up in a bun
https://s18.postimg.cc/x0qtfdi5l/IMG_8492.jpg
Down and pulled forward
https://s18.postimg.cc/hs0w1m3wp/IMG_8493.jpg
Lifting up hair from another part of my head, as you can see my hairline doesnt change, my part looks the same all over.

My circumference went from 2.5 to 3" in the last 2 years... I will keep an eye on it.
What do you guys think? Should I start counting my shed hairs? :./

[Stray_mind]

So, I have been dealing with shedding for awhile.
I could never tell if it was because I dont really comb or brush.
But just about every time I run my fingers through my hair I lose about 3-4 strands.
I also cannot tell if the way my part looks is because my natural color is starting to really grow out.
For whatever reason, I think my hair color makes my part look even worse.

Here are photos:
https://s18.postimg.cc/99rfx8ut5/IMG_8480.jpg
Up in a bun
https://s18.postimg.cc/x0qtfdi5l/IMG_8492.jpg
Down and pulled forward
https://s18.postimg.cc/hs0w1m3wp/IMG_8493.jpg
Lifting up hair from another part of my head, as you can see my hairline doesnt change, my part looks the same all over.

My circumference went from 2.5 to 3" in the last 2 years... I will keep an eye on it.
What do you guys think? Should I start counting my shed hairs? :./

It seems like your circumference went Up. Isn't it a seasonal thing? Some times the shedding increases for a while and then decreases again... My part looks similar to yours, but i wouldn't say i am shedding tons..It also might look like that because of the light and dark hair contrast. Keep watching it.

[vpatt]

Over the past couple of months I've lost one half inch of my pony circumference. HUGE shed AGAIN. And one medium to bad shed in between. Each time this has happened my hair has thickened up in between. But every time it begins to feel thicker it sheds again. So 3 sheds since I began taking better care of my hair.....nothing like this before. Hmmm....

[TreesOfEternity]

So, I have been dealing with shedding for awhile.
I could never tell if it was because I dont really comb or brush.
But just about every time I run my fingers through my hair I lose about 3-4 strands.
I also cannot tell if the way my part looks is because my natural color is starting to really grow out.
For whatever reason, I think my hair color makes my part look even worse.

Here are photos:
https://s18.postimg.cc/99rfx8ut5/IMG_8480.jpg
Up in a bun
https://s18.postimg.cc/x0qtfdi5l/IMG_8492.jpg
Down and pulled forward
https://s18.postimg.cc/hs0w1m3wp/IMG_8493.jpg
Lifting up hair from another part of my head, as you can see my hairline doesnt change, my part looks the same all over.

My circumference went from 2.5 to 3" in the last 2 years... I will keep an eye on it.
What do you guys think? Should I start counting my shed hairs? :./

It looks perfectly fine to me! I have fine hair and my scalp is way more visible from every angle you showed.
I you don’t brush your hair I find normal that you get hairs in your hand when you run it through your hair. Hope I’m making sense and not saying all this because my hair is a lost case yikes haha :flower:

Edit: oh and my circumference is smaller than yours as well, so yep.

[TheBalance]

Hi everyone, its been quite a while since I was active on the forums here. I'm back after A LOT of hairloss and a long journey of emotional acceptance with this. My hairloss has advanced to the point that I now wear a topper to cover the loss. This has positively impacted my relationship with my hair because I no longer obsess over how my hair looks or is my scalp is showing. I put my topper on and know that no one will be thinking about my hair.

The reason that I am posting is because I am seeking community of people who have also experienced great hair loss. It can be difficult to feel like I can be a part of other conversations on the forum since I don't have the same type of relationship with my hair as most people here do. But I'm wondering if anyone else out there might be going through a similar experience.


I'm am going to post some photos of my current biological hair as well as the topper that I wear on a daily basis as part of my personal hairloss acceptance process. If you know of any other threads related to hairloss, thinning hair, wearing supplementary hair, etc, please link me to them because I would like to be connected to others who are talking about these things. I don't know if there are any others on these forums who wear hair like I do, but it would be nice to know you if you do!

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2926_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2924_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2909_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2904_1.jpg

[lapushka]

Hi everyone, its been quite a while since I was active on the forums here. I'm back after A LOT of hairloss and a long journey of emotional acceptance with this. My hairloss has advanced to the point that I now wear a topper to cover the loss. This has positively impacted my relationship with my hair because I no longer obsess over how my hair looks or is my scalp is showing. I put my topper on and know that no one will be thinking about my hair.

The reason that I am posting is because I am seeking community of people who have also experienced great hair loss. It can be difficult to feel like I can be a part of other conversations on the forum since I don't have the same type of relationship with my hair as most people here do. But I'm wondering if anyone else out there might be going through a similar experience.


I'm am going to post some photos of my current biological hair as well as the topper that I wear on a daily basis as part of my personal hairloss acceptance process. If you know of any other threads related to hairloss, thinning hair, wearing supplementary hair, etc, please link me to them because I would like to be connected to others who are talking about these things. I don't know if there are any others on these forums who wear hair like I do, but it would be nice to know you if you do!

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2926_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2924_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2909_1.jpg

https://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/Heartofamonster/IMG_2904_1.jpg

That is quite a lot of hairloss. I went through something similar, and though my loss wasn't overall as bad, I had bald patches (about 3) in my hair age 13/14. It was my hormones trying to balance out in my case, and age 15/16 I was doing pretty much OK again.

Have you gotten to the bottom of what is the cause for your loss yet? :flower:

It looks amazing with the topper, I thought it was your hair before the loss at first.

Good luck on your journey! I think it's very brave of you to share your pictures with us. A lot of people would be afraid, but I think it's something that should be addressed and talked about.

[TheBalance]

Thank you lapushka! :D

I’ve had some blood work done and doctors have told me that nothing seems to be out of the ordinary so it is most likely androgenetic alopecia. I really dislike dn’t want that to be the answer, but both my mom and my brother have the same diffuse thinning that I do. My mother also wears hair but her loss is mainly on top of her head instead of all over like mine.

I’ve used treatments like rogaine in the past, but it didn’t do much for me and was too expensive to keep buying for the rest of my life. Wearing hair is much easier for me than going through medical treatment.

I feel like the only downside to wearing hair is that I don’t get to enjoy the natural texture of my hair since I have to make it match the topper as much as possible to help my hair “blend in”. I really love my natural waves and enjoy encouraging them.

[lunasea]

What is a topper? How does it work?

My hair has always been thin and it’s getting thinner as I age (runs in the family). Not willing to use rogaine cause not messing with anything that has the slightest possibility of causing afib after having watched a family member struggle with it.

[Ylva]

I think I am losing unusually large amounts of hair right now. It's been happening for a couple of weeks now.

I'm quite sure it has to do with stress and shock, my body seems to be reacting to the recent happenings in my life in a variety of ways. However, things are now getting better. The shock is in the past and I think the stress is easing up, or at the very least, evening down somehow. For how long does a shed like this usually last? I know it's highly individual but I guess I am just looking for some kind of an indicator of... something. The shock occurred at the beginning of August.

[lunasea]

Okay looked up toppers...probably too much fuss for me

[Suortuva]

I think I am losing unusually large amounts of hair right now. It's been happening for a couple of weeks now.

I'm quite sure it has to do with stress and shock, my body seems to be reacting to the recent happenings in my life in a variety of ways. However, things are now getting better. The shock is in the past and I think the stress is easing up, or at the very least, evening down somehow. For how long does a shed like this usually last? I know it's highly individual but I guess I am just looking for some kind of an indicator of... something. The shock occurred at the beginning of August.

Ylva, you have even changed you diet drastically and lost lots of weight in relatively short time. And even if these things are positive and healthy, they are a shock for you body too. So this and the other things... I think everything can contribute to the shedding, so I wouldn't be totally surprised. I have no idea how long it will last, but I'm sure it will stop and you'll soon having lots of great new growth :thumbsup:

[Ylva]

Ylva, you have even changed you diet drastically and lost lots of weight in relatively short time. And even if these things are positive and healthy, they are a shock for you body too. So this and the other things... I think everything can contribute to the shedding, so I wouldn't be totally surprised. I have no idea how long it will last, but I'm sure it will stop and you'll soon having lots of great new growth :thumbsup:

You are right. I'm not particularly surprised either. Still, I kind of didn't expect it because my body has never reacted with hair loss. I guess all I can do is try to relax in my free time, sleep well and work on further reducing stress.

The weird thing about the diet change is, even though it might be a contributor simply due to being a big change, and because of the lost weight, it's helping me deal with stress a lot better. My mood is better, I'm a lot more outgoing and sociable and so on... So it's a strange, double-edged sword here.

[lapushka]

Thank you lapushka! :D

I’ve had some blood work done and doctors have told me that nothing seems to be out of the ordinary so it is most likely androgenetic alopecia. I really dislike dn’t want that to be the answer, but both my mom and my brother have the same diffuse thinning that I do. My mother also wears hair but her loss is mainly on top of her head instead of all over like mine.

I’ve used treatments like rogaine in the past, but it didn’t do much for me and was too expensive to keep buying for the rest of my life. Wearing hair is much easier for me than going through medical treatment.

I feel like the only downside to wearing hair is that I don’t get to enjoy the natural texture of my hair since I have to make it match the topper as much as possible to help my hair “blend in”. I really love my natural waves and enjoy encouraging them.

I totally understand. And of course you had bloodwork done (duh), but... you know, you never know, so I thought I'd ask if you got to the bottom of it yet. AA is often misunderstood in women especially, I feel. My mom used to have ii (average), then it went to the thin side of ii, then to i/ii, and in the last couple years it's now not on the border of i, but rather smack dab in the middle of it. Her thinning is all over. You especially notice when roller setting her hair, that you can't create "good parts" in it. It's difficult to explain. But I know how hard this was for her.

And I have iii hair but am about to go through another hormonal transition (menopause) in a couple years to come, and I fear it's going to wreak havoc on my hair again - we'll see. My mom used to mention, can I have one of your pigtails for my hair. It's funny, but it's sad at the same time, really.

I can't begin to imagine this. And yes I know I went through something similar, and gosh... I panicked when I was 13/14 years of age, for sure, to the point where my mom had to get me vitamins and a lotion to get me to settle down.

Hair is such a big subject and so much weight is given it.

I think we have a special AA thread, if I'm not mistaken, TheBalance. :flower:

[TheBalance]

Okay looked up toppers...probably too much fuss for me

Lunasea, toppers are definitely a lot of work especially when starting out. I would say they are most useful for people who have a lot of thinning in the crown area, like those of us with androgenetic alopecia. Depending on the size and coverage of your topper, you can incorporate most of your biological hair, giving a very natural, fuller look. I go to a stylist that specializes in wigs and toppers and she helps me to maintain my topper with washing and mending, and keeps my biological hair cut so that it blends well with the topper. It’s good to have an expert on your side! (But many people also do all of this completely on their own)

[lunasea]

I can see that it would be good I have a lot of thinning in that area but I just don’t think I have enough energy to deal with styling it. I am a bun and go kind of person.

[nicolezoie]

I've been trying to figure out the cause of what appears to be very gradual but consistent thinning on the top of my head. I've read the first page, and will probably read through the other 29 pages in this thread, but the one thing that jumped out at me was taking Prilosec (which I had to for a period of about 6 months at an old job because I was having really bad stomach problems). That job also was really stressful (and in a factory environment which caused me other health problems) so, I was kind of blaming the factory environment for the hair loss, but, if it really was the prilosec, that might be onto something. I haven't looked into seeing if my hair will recover from that yet though.

My story is kind of like this. Always had on the thicker side but not really thick hair. Also it's fairly fast growing at roughly 9" a year. 18 years ago when I first started paying attention to ponytail thickness, I was right around 4" circumference. Now I am about 3.25". The thinning seems to mostly be on the top of my head, and somewhat on my left side in front. I posted some pictures in my blog here, and I think if you just go into the blog thread list you should be able to see them if you wanted to look. I don't want to post them here directly.

It doesn't look bad so far, so long as I keep a fine tooth comb and a miniature boar bristle brush handy to smooth out my edges and unclump the piecy-ness that forms. It looked really bad earlier, so that prompted me to take baseline pictures and take a look in here for inspiration and advice.

I also suffer migraines but don't take maintenance medication. My body does not handle stress or seasonal changes well, and sometimes my seasonal shed gets a little out of control.

I know it may seem strange if you know who I am, being the hair model for Tangled and all, but this hair loss is turning into a real thing for me. My husband pointed it out back in early July and I have actually been noticing it for quite a bit longer than that, I just didn't know if it was from mashing my hair one way or the other and always having it up and perhaps a little bit of traction alopecia throwing in there for flavor.

In any case, what I have started doing is taking 1500 mg MSM and 1000 mcg biotin. In the past the MSM contributed to my being able to grow my hair to the floor, so I figured I would do that again to see if it would help retain my current hair, and possibly help regrow. In the past, larger doses of biotin have caused me to have cystic acne, but it definitely bump started my hair out of a stall. I figure if I take 1/5 that old dose it might help. I also got into the whole monistat thread and have been trying that the 4% on my scalp on the thinning spots. The first time I tried 4%, I got a migraine, but every other time I have used it I just remember to massage my scalp thoroughly and that seems to keep the migraine from coming.

My husband seems to think that it's getting better, but I'm my own worst critic, so I don't know if it's actually getting better or if I'm just deluding myself. Then again it's only been 2 months since I've been doing these things, and these things, naturally, take time.

I'm also pretty sure that I am perimenopausal because l feel like my hormones have been really out of whack since about 2016. I'm 43 and most of the women in my family start pausing around 45 and are fully paused by about 48. My mother was not healthy, so using her as a hair loss/retention gauge is not possible. My sister has my father's hair, and I'm pretty sure have my mother's hair, but, her aunts had amazing hair. I don't know why mine is being the way it is.

[Ylva]

I've now booked a doctor's appointment for Tuesday to discuss this sudden onset hair loss (and other related things I've mentioned in the members-only area). I'm hoping to at least have some basic tests done to exclude possible underlying problems. Then, it would be easier to just relax and wait for it to pass.

[Ylva]

I've been to my (expensive af) doctor's appointment today. She was pretty sure that it's telogen effluvium which should calm down in around 6 months, but I'm going to have some pretty extensive bloodwork done to make sure there isn't anything else going on. I'll be going back to discuss the results later on (sheesh, this is going to be expensive...) and the possibility of some water removal medication that's supposed to reduce androgens and increase estrogen and have positive effects on hair growth without a shed when you stop it. She was talking about a 6-month or so prescription. Does anyone have knowledge or experience of such medications? Water removal sounds weird because I already have low cell water retention due to not eating carbs. I know, I know, I should have asked her and not here, but I am a dumbass in such situations and my brain doesn't run at 100%.

ETA: She examined my scalp and said it was healthy, nothing wrong there. She pulled on some hairs in different locations and concluded that they're coming off more around the temples and in the upper area which apparently is typical for telogen effluvium. Inconvenient, I'd rather keep the thickness there and sacrifice the lower areas, but oh well...

[Suortuva]

Ylva, just curious, but was she maybe thinking about spironolactone?

[Ylva]

Ylva, just curious, but was she maybe thinking about spironolactone?

Sounds plausible in terms of what it does, but according to what I found through Google, spironolactone doesn't cause you to lose potassium through urination, and potassium is included in the bloodwork I'm going to have done, so that wouldn't make sense. She said specifically that it's there because of the potential of this kind of medication. Hmm.

[Suortuva]

Hmm, that's really interesting. Keep us posted what is going on!

I have been shedding a lot lately, but I'm trying to just ignore it and hope it's just a seasonal thing. I don't know how long to wait. Just when I recovered from my big post hormonal IUD shed. Sigh.

[Ylva]

I will!

It's a typical time for a fall shed, I suppose. I wouldn't get too worried yet, but if you can get some basic bloodwork done at least, that could help put you at ease.

[Ylva]

This is a bit of a depressing pic, but I want to document it. To the left is my part today (3rd of October 2019) and to the right is a photo of my part a couple of months back. I'm now one month into heavy TE (shedding about 10 times as much as usual). I do realise that the photos don't have the same lighting nor similar circumstances altogether, but it's the best comparison pic I could find.

https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=38734&d=1570102939

ETA: OT: That colour difference, though! Haha. Freshly washed and good lighting vs. greasy and average indoor lighting. :D

[Suortuva]

Aargh, My shed is so real. In two months I have lost 1,5 cm from my pony circumference, from 7,5 cm back to 6 cm. (I can't figure out the math, but in percentage this is pretty much, right?) I'm a bit scared. I have a Dr appointment on Friday, because of my stomach issues, but I'll mention this too.

[lapushka]

Ylva, the picture to the left is also the lighting and the fact that your roots are growing in much more fair (compared to the bleach) than you will realize. I would not worry too too much about it (not good for you either ;)). It's not balding or anything, then I'd worry!!!

[Ylva]

Ylva, the picture to the left is also the lighting and the fact that your roots are growing in much more fair (compared to the bleach) than you will realize. I would not worry too too much about it (not good for you either ;)). It's not balding or anything, then I'd worry!!!

The lighting definitely plays a part, but considering the amount I am shedding, it must show by now. But you're right, the last thing I need is to be looking for thinned out areas on my head!

[BerrySara]

Aargh, My shed is so real. In two months I have lost 1,5 cm from my pony circumference, from 7,5 cm back to 6 cm. (I can't figure out the math, but in percentage this is pretty much, right?) I'm a bit scared. I have a Dr appointment on Friday, because of my stomach issues, but I'll mention this too.

Suortuva that's about 20% loss of your original thickness. I would think that is significant enough to ask your Doctor about.

Ylva I think you are handling your shed really well (I can imagine how scary it can be) and I hope things start improving soon.

[Ylva]

Suortuva that's about 20% loss of your original thickness. I would think that is significant enough to ask your Doctor about.

Ylva I think you are handling your shed really well (I can imagine how scary it can be) and I hope things start improving soon.

Thank you kindly! It's a silly double-edged sword: one major reason for my shed is my rapid (yet healthy) weight loss, but the diet that caused it is also helping me deal with stress a lot better.

Regarding the amount of hair shed, I remember seeing some chart or explanation (here on the forum) that losing x% of the circumference doesn't directly translate to the same % of hair. I can't explain it properly, nor can I say which thread it was in because I don't remember. Maybe someone else does, or at least recalls what I'm talking about?

[Lady Stardust]

Ylva is right, the percentage of hair lost needs to take into account the area of hair inside the circle of the ponytail, and not just the circumference, so the percentage of hair shed will be higher. Suortuva you have lost around 20% of the circumference, but the overall percentage of hair lost is just over a third (nearly 36%).

I didn’t measure but I think that’s roughly the amount I lost when I had postpartum shed, and my hair is a similar thickness to yours. I read that your shed is likely to be hormonal, so even though it isn’t postpartum, it makes sense that your situation is similar to mine. My shed was noticeable to me, but no-one else noticed except my hairdresser. Take heart that the dandelion seed of new growth will be sprouting soon!

[vpatt]

Suortuva, I hope your doctor will do something. I understand how it feels as I've had 2 horrible sheds and my thickness has not fully recovered from the second one.
Ylva, I know isn't the stressing over it awful? So good that you are able to deal with it better. I used to cry everyday. I'm losing weight so slowly that it hasn't caused any shedding. I want to lose faster but my body is not cooperating, lol. I eat so healthy it is almost disgusting, lol. I do have new growth but it it not long enough to reach the pony tail.
Lady Stardust, that is more info than my brain can take in!

[Ylva]

Ylva, I know isn't the stressing over it awful? So good that you are able to deal with it better. I used to cry everyday. I'm losing weight so slowly that it hasn't caused any shedding. I want to lose faster but my body is not cooperating, lol. I eat so healthy it is almost disgusting, lol. I do have new growth but it it not long enough to reach the pony tail.

Nothing wrong with slow weight loss! I wasn't exactly trying to lose weight fast, it just happened. I don't want to turn this into a food or diet thread, but many people think they're eating healthy while they actually aren't. It's very subjective what we consider healthy. If you want to hear my views on this, we can PM about it or something. :)

How long ago was your second big shed?

One positive thing about shedding certainly is that you'll get a good amount of uncut hairs with strong, less split-prone ends - or so I think at least since the end is natural and "closed", it's not been tampered with in any way.

[Natalia_A00]

I've noticed that I'm shedding a lot of hair and I think I've lost a great part of my original thickness... I can't figure out why. I haven't changed my habits or diet. I had a bloodtest and everything seemed fine (I told the doctor that I was worried about my hair and he made sure to check the ferritin, and nope, I don't have anemia or other issues - or at least that's what he told me-)

If it's not that, I don't know what is. I'm not particularly stressed. Maybe my oily scalp? I have always have an oily scalp, it's nothing new. Sleep deprivation? I think I should go to a dermatologist, I'm not sure.

[Ylva]

I've noticed that I'm shedding a lot of hair and I think I've lost a great part of my original thickness... I can't figure out why. I haven't changed my habits or diet. I had a bloodtest and everything seemed fine (I told the doctor that I was worried about my hair and he made sure to check the ferritin, and nope, I don't have anemia or other issues - or at least that's what he told me-)

If it's not that, I don't know what is. I'm not particularly stressed. Maybe my oily scalp? I have always have an oily scalp, it's nothing new. Sleep deprivation? I think I should go to a dermatologist, I'm not sure.

It could just be the season as well.

[Suortuva]

Thank you all for the help to estimate the amount of the shed! I have been hesitant to measure, because I didn't want to know, and now I'm scared... I really hope the doctor will take this seriously. I guess it's really not that visible yet, DH just spontaneously complimented my hair and told it's getting long and looks big. But if this doesn't stop, it will just be a matter of time. And I have no idea why this is happening. Because this is a bit too much for just a seasonal shed, or?

I had a big shed after I switched out my hormonal IUD, but I recovered from it. In July I was so happy about my hair, because my circumference was 7,5 cm, and I really could feel the difference. And now this.

I took a medication in three months and stopped it in the beginning of February. I didn't have any side effects during that time, but I guess it was kind of a heavy duty medication, so who knows what happens afterwards. And in the beginning of July I stopped another medication and had really bad withdrawal symptoms. And sometime during the spring my periods started to messing with me, no idea why, but that's something hormonal. Otherwise, I don't know, there has not been any changes in my life or diet or so, and just my usual amount of stress...

[lapushka]

The lighting definitely plays a part, but considering the amount I am shedding, it must show by now. But you're right, the last thing I need is to be looking for thinned out areas on my head!

Ylva, I don't see particularly thin spots (as in spots that are different than the rest of your head), so I'm willing to bet it's still OK and that it is an all over shed rather than localized in spots (then you would have to worry). :)

[Ylva]

Ylva, I don't see particularly thin spots (as in spots that are different than the rest of your head), so I'm willing to bet it's still OK and that it is an all over shed rather than localized in spots (then you would have to worry). :)

It definitely is an all-over shed. However, I am losing more on my temples and on the top of my head, which is totally normal for TE as well. It still sucks to lose thickness, I'm especially worried it might affect my length gains due to overly thin ends. :(

[Natalia_A00]

It could just be the season as well.

That's what I thought at first, but it's been like this for a few months, so... Who knows! Maybe sometimes you can only wait for it to end

[Kalamazoo]

Regarding the amount of hair shed, I remember seeing some chart or explanation (here on the forum) that losing x% of the circumference doesn't directly translate to the same % of hair. I can't explain it properly, nor can I say which thread it was in because I don't remember. Maybe someone else does, or at least recalls what I'm talking about?

Hi Ylva!

I think what you're looking for is:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=141868

I've been admiring all your album photos. Wow! Gorgeous. ...

I see you're concerned about hair loss. Really, it doesn't show! Everybody's always his/her own worst critic.

[Suortuva]

Thanks for the great link, Kalamazoo!

So I met the doctor (GP), and the only thing he said about my hair was, 'oh, I give you a referral to a dermatologist, they are hair experts, but I don't think it's related to you stomach issues'.

First I felt a bit blah, because I think the waiting time for a dermatologist is loooong. But maybe it's a good idea anyway. I'm just wondering whether I should do something meanwhile, for example, try Ketoconazol shampoo or something...

Anyway, he took some blood tests, I think it was B12, thyroid and basic blood panel.

[Ylva]

Hi Ylva!

I think what you're looking for is:
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=141868

I've been admiring all your album photos. Wow! Gorgeous. ...

I see you're concerned about hair loss. Really, it doesn't show! Everybody's always his/her own worst critic.

Yep, you're right, that's the one I was thinking of! Thank you!

Thank you so much for your kind words. :heartbeat I notice some thinning when bunning, though. I am able to wrap the ends around the bun further than just a short while ago, and for sure, my hair hasn't grown so much in a month or two that it could account for the difference. But I am sure my shed will end after a while, I just need to power through it and then I'll be growing new, strong hair.


Thanks for the great link, Kalamazoo!

So I met the doctor (GP), and the only thing he said about my hair was, 'oh, I give you a referral to a dermatologist, they are hair experts, but I don't think it's related to you stomach issues'.

First I felt a bit blah, because I think the waiting time for a dermatologist is loooong. But maybe it's a good idea anyway. I'm just wondering whether I should do something meanwhile, for example, try Ketoconazol shampoo or something...

Anyway, he took some blood tests, I think it was B12, thyroid and basic blood panel.

The blood test sounds good; B12 and thyroid are often included when hair loss is investigated. When will your results arrive?

That reminds me, I had my blood taken yesterday morning and some of the results should have arrived already. Some will come next week. I'll go and have a look online right now...

[Ylva]

Well, here's my blood!

I didn't translate most of the stuff because the words should be similar enough.

LMAO @ my cholesterol :lol: Good thing it doesn't matter very much, and it's only logical that it's high because I consume a lot of animal fats and no vegetable oils what so ever (and that's definitely not subject to change!). To me, it doesn't look like anything in these results could be causing hair loss, so it further supports that mine is caused by TE which was caused by short-term shocks.

https://i.ibb.co/NtkL3p5/verilokakuu.jpg

[lapushka]

It definitely is an all-over shed. However, I am losing more on my temples and on the top of my head, which is totally normal for TE as well. It still sucks to lose thickness, I'm especially worried it might affect my length gains due to overly thin ends. :(

I looked at the blood, but it looks to me (as far as I can "translate") that not all the necessary vitamins or minerals were tested (you have to especially ask for that in my country as well).


That's what I thought at first, but it's been like this for a few months, so... Who knows! Maybe sometimes you can only wait for it to end

It even lasted up to 3 months with me once. But the reason I am not so panicky is that age 13/14 I lost "tufts" of hair, entire chunks (bald patches). This was due to hormonal change and imbalance. It took a year to settle down and that was scary. So any hair loss to me that is a little more and not tufts or chunks, I consider myself lucky. :flower:

[Ylva]

I looked at the blood, but it looks to me (as far as I can "translate") that not all the necessary vitamins or minerals were tested (you have to especially ask for that in my country as well).

It was a basic blood panel + a few others. To test loads of vitamins and minerals in the private sector (where I went in order to get in fast) would get too expensive for me.

[lapushka]

It was a basic blood panel + a few others. To test loads of vitamins and minerals in the private sector (where I went in order to get in fast) would get too expensive for me.

Then it's hard to draw conclusions on that, isn't it? Because then you don't know for sure whether or not you are lacking in something. :flower:

I do understand though. I also always have a basic one done as well, but then I'm no longer worried about shedding/thinning and/or bald patches. Thank God that's behind me.

[Ylva]

Then it's hard to draw conclusions on that, isn't it? Because then you don't know for sure whether or not you are lacking in something. :flower:

I do understand though. I also always have a basic one done as well, but then I'm no longer worried about shedding/thinning and/or bald patches. Thank God that's behind me.

What would you say is missing that's essential considering shedding? I mean, these blood tests were ordered by a doctor to find out if there's an underlying cause, so I think most things should be pretty well covered.

[lapushka]

What would you say is missing that's essential considering shedding? I mean, these blood tests were ordered by a doctor to find out if there's an underlying cause, so I think most things should be pretty well covered.

Iron, for one. Or, did I read over that (it's difficult in a different language).

[Ylva]

Iron, for one. Or, did I read over that (it's difficult in a different language).

You're right, iron was not included, but ferritin and haemoglobin were. Especially ferritin is a better indicator of iron levels than iron itself.

Also, none of the other results are suggestive of anaemia.

[Genne]

Glad to see this thread.

Newly recovering from a major shed out myself recently, (lots of apparent scalp visible at the crown overnight one day and also major thinning.)

It slowed down the next day and settled into shedding less than my normal, (although I think that is because so much fell out already that it isn't available to shed!)

I'm really hoping to see some new growth return in the next 6 months and in the meanwhile I had a trim from my tbl to bra strap length because the section below there was dramatically less circumference than before the shed, (pencil size braid versus a little bit thicker.)

Jen

[Kalamazoo]

Any day I feel like my scalp's showing through, I really like using Caboki. Just be sure to get a shade darker than your natural color, because it looks weird if you go lighter. www.caboki.com (Maybe that's not true of white-haired people? I just know I saw a lady with black hair who looked like she'd tried to use the reddish Caboki. I didn't ask her, because it seemed rude to ask; but it just didn't look right. Normally, however, it just looks like regular hair.)

[Suortuva]

Yep, you're right, that's the one I was thinking of! Thank you!

Thank you so much for your kind words. :heartbeat I notice some thinning when bunning, though. I am able to wrap the ends around the bun further than just a short while ago, and for sure, my hair hasn't grown so much in a month or two that it could account for the difference. But I am sure my shed will end after a while, I just need to power through it and then I'll be growing new, strong hair.



The blood test sounds good; B12 and thyroid are often included when hair loss is investigated. When will your results arrive?

That reminds me, I had my blood taken yesterday morning and some of the results should have arrived already. Some will come next week. I'll go and have a look online right now...

No idea, I forgot to ask and they didn't say anything. I think I'll contact them after a couple of weeks if I don't hear anything before that. (I'm so afraid they'll tell me everything is fine and I don't have any problems and that's it, as usual...)

I bought a Ketoconazole shampoo and I have used it once. I don't have any visible scalp problems, but I read it can help with hair loss even if you don't have fungal problems or whatever.

I'm a bit curious about Cicamed too (well, not the conditioner obviously. If you don't apply it to your scalp, I can't understand how it could help with hair loss... Waste of money?)

They are available in Sweden, but here's a link to US website: https://shop.cicamed.com/collections/hair-loss


Anyone familiar with these products? Or any thoughts?

[renia22]

I’m sure I posted on this thread before, but just wanted to mention I’ve also had hair loss on & off over the years, and I can certainly relate to how frustrating it is going to doctors, and still having trouble figuring it out. I’m in the States, and personally have not found conventional doctors to be helpful with this type of thing (just my personal experience- but it was a total waste of time, frankly). My insurance doesn’t cover her, and oftentimes when she digs a little deeper to see what an issue is, insurance doesn’t cover all of the blood work tests, but my ND has been the most helpful doctor for me. Also, there’s a great section on hairloss in The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Here is the summary, in case this might help anyone else. In addition to what’s mentioned here, I also like rosemary essential oil (used topically, with pure aloe mixed with spring water- in a glass bottle that I keep in the fridge-no carrier oils on scalp):



https://i.ibb.co/8rngbd3/63851205-5-F2-B-4-A93-B8-F6-238025-F0-CF54.jpg (https://ibb.co/sKp9C6S)
https://i.ibb.co/bJ01Jsp/621-CDE1-E-1-DFE-46-A9-9-D67-2-C9-ECE9-F0-B46.jpg (https://ibb.co/5F0TFrq)
https://i.ibb.co/bRpPbDx/B4-A4-ED06-9-E69-4726-93-AA-827-EE2798-CE4.jpg (https://ibb.co/0VPcsvk)
https://i.ibb.co/t2TJmB0/B4-D37-E49-04-F7-4-DE2-8-F61-FCAC1-B39-BD13.jpg (https://ibb.co/R6kDv2X)


*also, it’s not mentioned here, but heavy metal poisoning was one of the causes of my shedding a while back. I was eating fish a few times a week, and had mercury floating around in my system. Thankfully my ND finally tested me, when I went to a few conventional doctors before I asked her, with the hair loss at the time, no one else thought to test for that. That kind of thing can happen with excessive fat soluble vitamin/ mineral consumption too (like vitamin A or selenium), so that’s another consideration..

[Suortuva]

Thank you renia22, that was very interesting!

[renia22]

^ My pleasure :).

[Ylva]

I got a doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss possible spironolactone (apparently) medication.

[Suortuva]

I got a doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss possible spironolactone (apparently) medication.

Oh, that's exciting. How do you feel about it? And how it's going on with your shedding, do you still shed a lot?

[Ylva]

Oh, that's exciting. How do you feel about it? And how it's going on with your shedding, do you still shed a lot?

I'm definitely interested, but I want to know absolutely everything before I start anything like that. I am kind of opposed to medications, especially if they are borderline useless... But as far as I've googled, this seems to give good results about 75% of the time, for this exact problem. However, since it acts as a mild estrogen and works to fight androgens, I want to know why I would have that kind of a hormonal shift/imbalance as a result of losing a lot of weight really fast and how she knows that without checking my hormones. I also want to know why the androgens wouldn't just return and cause the same thing after I quit the medication.

I'm still shedding a ton and it's not only upsetting but also straight-up extremely annoying to constantly have these long-a** strands all over the place. But, last wash, I actually did not clog the drain, for the first time in weeks! Maybe that means there was less shedding, maybe it was just a coincidence, there's no telling yet, but at least it's not a negative development!

[Suortuva]

I'm definitely interested, but I want to know absolutely everything before I start anything like that. I am kind of opposed to medications, especially if they are borderline useless... But as far as I've googled, this seems to give good results about 75% of the time, for this exact problem. However, since it acts as a mild estrogen and works to fight androgens, I want to know why I would have that kind of a hormonal shift/imbalance as a result of losing a lot of weight really fast and how she knows that without checking my hormones. I also want to know why the androgens wouldn't just return and cause the same thing after I quit the medication.

I'm still shedding a ton and it's not only upsetting but also straight-up extremely annoying to constantly have these long-a** strands all over the place. But, last wash, I actually did not clog the drain, for the first time in weeks! Maybe that means there was less shedding, maybe it was just a coincidence, there's no telling yet, but at least it's not a negative development!

Oh, these are very good and valid questions, I think. I hope you get some answers and updated us! I'm wondering if doctors really prescribe that kind of stuff without checking hormones (and why I am not surprised if they do...). I would like to know how they think.

Good luck with your appointment!

I think I maybe shed a bit less, maybe... But I'm very embarrassed about the hairs I left behind me and my hair is not even that long.

[Ylva]

Oh, these are very good and valid questions, I think. I hope you get some answers and updated us! I'm wondering if doctors really prescribe that kind of stuff without checking hormones (and why I am not surprised if they do...). I would like to know how they think.

Good luck with your appointment!

I think I maybe shed a bit less, maybe... But I'm very embarrassed about the hairs I left behind me and my hair is not even that long.

Thank you! I will definitely keep this thread updated! Tomorrow is going to be a long and tiring day (I've got an exam and a presentation at uni as well, haha), but I am looking forward to my doctor's appointment nonetheless.

I hope you are right and your shed starts to calm down now. Don't feel embarrassed, though! There's no reason to.

[Kesali]

After over a year of struggling with excessive shedding, my dermatologist has put me on minoxidil. He thinks my anagen/telogen cycle is out of balance and that it could help pull more hair out of its resting phase. Application has proved to be a little tricky, but I'm working on it!

[Ylva]

Today, I got my prescription as well as answers to my questions. I haven't picked up the prescription yet, but I got 6 x 30 pills of 50 mg. I will be taking 50 mg for a week or two, then increasing it to 75 or 100 mg.


However, since it acts as a mild estrogen and works to fight androgens, I want to know why I would have that kind of a hormonal shift/imbalance as a result of losing a lot of weight really fast and how she knows that without checking my hormones. I also want to know why the androgens wouldn't just return and cause the same thing after I quit the medication.

The answer was as simple as it's not about the anti-androgenetic properties at all in my case but the estrogenic ones. They simply support the growth of new hair. She did, however, order me to take another blood test after about a month of starting the medication. The test will just contain salts and testosterone, just to make sure I don't actually have a hormonal imbalance that would cause the shed.

[Genne]

Any day I feel like my scalp's showing through, I really like using Caboki. Just be sure to get a shade darker than your natural color, because it looks weird if you go lighter. www.caboki.com (http://www.caboki.com) (Maybe that's not true of white-haired people? I just know I saw a lady with black hair who looked like she'd tried to use the reddish Caboki. I didn't ask her, because it seemed rude to ask; but it just didn't look right. Normally, however, it just looks like regular hair.)

Does caboki run or drip when wet? I live in a hot place and usually my scalp is sweating, and dripping wet at times throughout the day, (and hair will be plastered to my scalp as if I just got out of the shower.)
Jen

[Kalamazoo]

Does caboki run or drip when wet? I live in a hot place and usually my scalp is sweating, and dripping wet at times throughout the day, (and hair will be plastered to my scalp as if I just got out of the shower.)
Jen

Hi Genne! No, Caboki neither runs nor drips. (It's very hot & humid here, too.) It's a powder.

Note on application: The ads say to sprinkle the powder on & then blend it in. I think that would be messy, resulting in the powder going all over the place & wasting powder. What I actually do is to tap the little cannister (It comes in a little plastic jar with holes on the top, like a salt shaker.) directly on my scalp, where I want the powder to go, and then rub it in with my hands, &/or comb it in.

I'm also fond of the Secret Extensions by Daisy Fuente, except that they're too hot & so I usually don't wear them. What's great about the Secret Extensions is that they're on an elastic headband, so they're quick to put on & take off, & they don't have any clips (which I think would damage my hair & make it break at the point where the clip was. My hair doesn't tolerate hair clips nor damage-free hair ties nor anything.) So the Secret Extensions are good for when I'm going to be indoors with air-conditioning. But I usually don't wear them, because they make me uncomfortably warm, which could mean you wouldn't have much use for them either?

But the Caboki is really great for making the scalp look covered. I think the Dark Brown works better for me than the Light Brown, & I'm a blondette.

[ZoeZ]

Can anyone tell me how long a shed usually lasts? I've been shedding for about six weeks now - combfulls each time I comb (about twice a day) and I'm getting a little alarmed at the amounts. Prior to this I usually had about ten or so hairs at most coming out, and cant recall ever losing this much hair at one time. Of course, my hair was quite short for most of my life.

I also have a recently diagnosed hypoparathyroidism that also may be contributing, which is why I'm a little worried - I wouldn't be able to tell if it's a result of that condition or a normal shed. Anybody have experience with hypoparathyroid hair loss?

Thanks for any input.

[Ylva]

Can anyone tell me how long a shed usually lasts? I've been shedding for about six weeks now - combfulls each time I comb (about twice a day) and I'm getting a little alarmed at the amounts. Prior to this I usually had about ten or so hairs at most coming out, and cant recall ever losing this much hair at one time. Of course, my hair was quite short for most of my life.

I also have a recently diagnosed hypoparathyroidism that also may be contributing, which is why I'm a little worried - I wouldn't be able to tell if it's a result of that condition or a normal shed. Anybody have experience with hypoparathyroid hair loss?

Thanks for any input.

It depends entirely on the cause. If the cause is an untreated thyroid issue, for example, the shed might last for as long as the health problem persists - and for a few months after, since hairs fall out after about 2 months since the follicle has decided to get rid of it. Then again, my telogen effluvium triggered by rapid weight loss and shock to the system (both emotional and physical) was caused by a one-time occurrence and is expected to have run its course within 6 months.

[Ylva]

I have been having issues with horrible tangles while washing my hair while shedding. I brush my hair prior to shampooing it and try to get rid of as many sheds as possible, but a lot still comes loose while I massage shampoo into my scalp and then the shed hairs get stuck in my length, creating horrid spiderweb tangles that are difficult to work with even using a lot of conditioner. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

[ZoeZ]

Thanks Ylva.
I wonder if combing out while loaded with conditioner would help with the stuck hairs? I comb mine out this way, (shampoo, then lots of conditioner added, combing out while the conditioner is in, and finally I rinse out the conditioner and add a dab conditioner again for a leave-in on the length). I find I get quite a few more shed hairs this way.

[Ylva]

Thanks Ylva.
I wonder if combing out while loaded with conditioner would help with the stuck hairs? I comb mine out this way, (shampoo, then lots of conditioner added, combing out while the conditioner is in, and finally I rinse out the conditioner and add a dab conditioner again for a leave-in on the length). I find I get quite a few more shed hairs this way.

Sadly, combing my hair (even with a wide-tooth comb and while conditioner sits in it) while wet results in breakage, so it's not an option for me. Thank you for the suggestion, though.

[ZoeZ]

Thanks Ylva.
I wonder if combing out while loaded with conditioner would help with the stuck hairs? I comb mine out this way, (shampoo, then lots of conditioner added, combing out while the conditioner is in, and finally I rinse out the conditioner and add a dab conditioner again for a leave-in on the length). I find I get quite a few more shed hairs this way.

[Lady Stardust]

Can anyone tell me how long a shed usually lasts? I've been shedding for about six weeks now - combfulls each time I comb (about twice a day) and I'm getting a little alarmed at the amounts. Prior to this I usually had about ten or so hairs at most coming out, and cant recall ever losing this much hair at one time. Of course, my hair was quite short for most of my life.

I also have a recently diagnosed hypoparathyroidism that also may be contributing, which is why I'm a little worried - I wouldn't be able to tell if it's a result of that condition or a normal shed. Anybody have experience with hypoparathyroid hair loss?

Thanks for any input.

Hi ZoeZ. My mum had a problem with her parathyroid gland, I can’t remember now if it was over- or under- active. I seem to remember that vitamin D came into the equation somehow, either it was hard to absorb it, or it was over absorbed. A lack of vitamin D could be a factor in hair loss.

(I’ve just had s quick google - hair thinning can be a side effect of hypoparathyroidism. If you’ve just been diagnosed then hopefully treatment will help?)

I think my mum had hyperparathyroidism, she had the gland removed because it was causing a lot of problems. The operation was fine and the problems went away.

From memory, for anyone reading, parathyroid was nothing to do with the thyroid, it’s just situated next to the thyroid.

[ZoeZ]

Hi Lady Stardust: yes, hair loss is sometimes a side effect of hypoparathyroidism - which is why I'm a little worried about the big shed I'm currently having. The odd thing is, it really just started a few weeks ago, and not when I was diagnosed in February of this year. This is why I'm not sure that it's related. I've never shed this much ever. I will be seeing my endocrinologist in a couple of weeks so I'll have more info then for those who may find it of interest.

[ZoeZ]

oops double post!

[Ylva]

I've started my spironolactone prescription now. I will be taking 50 mg for a week or two and then increasing it to 100 mg. It should take around 3 months to see results, so patience is required.


Thanks Ylva.
I wonder if combing out while loaded with conditioner would help with the stuck hairs? I comb mine out this way, (shampoo, then lots of conditioner added, combing out while the conditioner is in, and finally I rinse out the conditioner and add a dab conditioner again for a leave-in on the length). I find I get quite a few more shed hairs this way.

In case you didn't notice, my reply to you is on the previous page. :)

[Jesmonster2]

Hi everyone, I think I belong here. I am experiencing what I guess is post partum hair loss. I had a miscarriage in August. Last week, I tried a castor oil and coconut oil scalp massage. I lost handsful of hair. I tried a castor oil and olive oil massage this morning, and I got the same result. I think the oil and massage are loosening hairs that were already going to come out. My hair is so thin now that my scalp is obviously visible all over my head. The last time this happened was three months after my daughter was born. It seems like I am prone to a lot of hair loss after pregnancy. I already had such thin hair that I would get random comments on it. 😑 Now I look balding. There is nothing to do but wait for regrowth now. I am knitting myself a cute headband in the meantime.

[Suortuva]

Today, I got my prescription as well as answers to my questions. I haven't picked up the prescription yet, but I got 6 x 30 pills of 50 mg. I will be taking 50 mg for a week or two, then increasing it to 75 or 100 mg.



The answer was as simple as it's not about the anti-androgenetic properties at all in my case but the estrogenic ones. They simply support the growth of new hair. She did, however, order me to take another blood test after about a month of starting the medication. The test will just contain salts and testosterone, just to make sure I don't actually have a hormonal imbalance that would cause the shed.

Does that mean that this medication will make you hair grow back faster? Is it supposed to stop the shedding too?

I hope it will help and you won't get any nasty side effects!


Hi Lady Stardust: yes, hair loss is sometimes a side effect of hypoparathyroidism - which is why I'm a little worried about the big shed I'm currently having. The odd thing is, it really just started a few weeks ago, and not when I was diagnosed in February of this year. This is why I'm not sure that it's related. I've never shed this much ever. I will be seeing my endocrinologist in a couple of weeks so I'll have more info then for those who may find it of interest.

Yes please, keep us posted about what your doctor says.


Hi everyone, I think I belong here. I am experiencing what I guess is post partum hair loss. I had a miscarriage in August. Last week, I tried a castor oil and coconut oil scalp massage. I lost handsful of hair. I tried a castor oil and olive oil massage this morning, and I got the same result. I think the oil and massage are loosening hairs that were already going to come out. My hair is so thin now that my scalp is obviously visible all over my head. The last time this happened was three months after my daughter was born. It seems like I am prone to a lot of hair loss after pregnancy. I already had such thin hair that I would get random comments on it. 😑 Now I look balding. There is nothing to do but wait for regrowth now. I am knitting myself a cute headband in the meantime.

I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage!
I think some scalps can't tolerate oils at all, so oil treatments can make people shed without any other shedding issues. I'm not saying that's the case with you, but it might feel better to stay away oils in scalp...

I have now used the Ketoconazole shampoo three times, and my shedding has decreased significantly. I'm a bit baffled. Is it just a coincidence, or is thanks to Ketoconazole. And what's going on with my hair and scalp? My scalp has never showed any signs of anything, it just is. Well, it's dry, but it's never itchy or flaky or irritated. So I have always concentrated to my dry ends. Maybe my hair and scalp needs different things, but my scalp is never telling me anything, how I'm supposed to know?

Ketoconazole shampoo is super drying, I have done CWCC(C) with lots of leave ins and at least 2 of the C are heavy masks, and I have only used it on my scalp and it still drys out my ends.

I decided to buy the Cicamed shampoo too, I hope it won't be as drying as this one, I'm thinking about alternating them. And I have decided to add peppermint EO to my scalp care too.

[Ylva]

Does that mean that this medication will make you hair grow back faster? Is it supposed to stop the shedding too?

I hope it will help and you won't get any nasty side effects!

Yes, it's supposed to aid in the growth of new hair. As far as I've understood, it would only stop the shedding in the case of alopecia but not telogen effluvium. So if the shedding is caused by excess androgens, it will do that, and if not, which is way more likely in my case, the TE will just run its course and the medication will boost my estrogen levels just a bit to help with new growth.

Thank you! So far I've experienced some dizziness and mild stomach pain. Nothing too bad. One evening I had to pee like every 5 minutes after taking the pill.

I'm very happy to hear the ketoconazole shampoo has helped you. That's amazing. I am as baffled as you are about your scalp, though. I'd imagine it would at least say something if something was wrong.

[Suortuva]

Yesterday I tested the Cicamed shampoo, and it feel a bit gentler. However, my shedding has just stopped. That's just strange. But I hope this effect will last, I have lost enough hair already.

I got an appointment to the dermatologist, it was not to the university hospital (as last time, when I had problems with itcy skin), but to a private doctor has his practice in the same building. The appointment is in the middle of the January next year. If my shedding really stops and doesn't start again, I don't know if there's any point going there then? And can I expect some new growth to January? If my hair is not growing back by then, maybe something is still wrong?

[Ylva]

Today I've upped my dosage of spironolactone from 50 mg to 100, like the doctor instructed.


I got an appointment to the dermatologist, it was not to the university hospital (as last time, when I had problems with itcy skin), but to a private doctor has his practice in the same building. The appointment is in the middle of the January next year. If my shedding really stops and doesn't start again, I don't know if there's any point going there then? And can I expect some new growth to January? If my hair is not growing back by then, maybe something is still wrong?

I think you can expect to see new sprouting growth by January, but I don't have personal experience of seeing such so I don't know if it could easily go unnoticed as well, especially if we're not talking about a bald patch but diffuse shedding.

[Panthera]

I don't know about thinning but I've lost a lot of hair around my hairline/temple. Currently it's only on the right side so I'm thinking it might be some type of mechanical damage but I don't know what is causing it. I basically have a bald spot on my head. shudder: I've been using hair pins to pin my fringe away from my face but I've always been very careful with them and the bald area is so big, it's hard to believe pins could cause damage like that. Whatever it is, it's freaking me out and I keep fixing my hair and trying to hide the bald area. :shake:

[Ylva]

Upping the spironolactone dose gave me a headache. :shake: I experienced this when I started it, too, and it went away after a couple of days, so I hope it'll do the same again.

[Synester]

Not sure where to go from here. But i was wondering if anyone has had similar issues and how they got past them?? So in 2014 i had a hormonal issue. and lost a ton of my hair in chunks. mostly from the back/crown of my head. was on Spironolactone for awhile, stopped taking it because it made me feel like i was going to pass out i was so dizzy when i exercised..its been a good 5 years since the whole ordeal..and my shedding has long since stopped. But i still have a "thin patch" in the top back of my scalp...that the hair isnt shedding but it just doesnt grow anymore and is very short and thin.
How do I get that area to grow again and jumpstart growth there.
I am extremely self conscious about it. in photos if my hair is a certain way you can see what i call my "bald spot" My hair has gotten so long since all of this and id love to fix this one issue and feel confident about my long hair.
used minoxidil for awhile as well..with no much results (thought i would note)

[Ylva]

Sorry Synester, I have no suggestions to you. Hopefully someone else does!

Knock on wood - I think I shed less last wash (wash C). The wash before that (wash B) made sense because before that one (wash A), I used a scalp scrub which caused me to shed a whole lot more, as expected. It could still be because of the scrub, but that was almost a week ago so I wouldn't imagine it to affect any further than the next wash, and then I'd shed more again (= the normal amount which I've been shedding during TE). But no, it seemed lesser to me. I noticed it at every stage: first while brushing my hair before washing it, then while applying conditioner I had no shed tangles, and I think there was less hair in the drain as well.

I don't want to get too hopeful yet, but man would I love it if it started to slow down now... We'll see how it goes on the next couple of washes I guess.

[Suortuva]

Synester, maybe give Peppermint EO a try... Don't know if it will help, but it should be easily done and pretty harmless I think. There are threads about it somewhere. Just remember, it have to be diluted.

My circumference has stayed the same a bit longer than a month, so it's a very good sign. Maybe the shedding has really stopped. But I don't dare to change my new routines, because the shedding started to decrease at the same time I started with these.

So, I use Ketoconazole shampoo once a week, otherwise I use Cicamed shampoo, and if I use some other shampoo, I add a drop of peppermint EO. I use daily a scalp tonic from System 4 and/or peppermint EO. I alternate these and sometimes I'm too lazy to use them twice a day.

I started with vitamin D and Zinc supplements. It's something I usually take anyway, I just had forgotten. Sometimes I take a capsule of all possible B vitamins too. Then I have started using, for my stomach issues, probiotics, digestive enzymes and diatomaceous earth.

[Nox_Inber]

I've been suspecting this for a while and today is the first day I've really accepted it, but I've definitely lost a lot of hair over the last year. Between poor diet, surgery, severe stress, trauma, vitamin D deficiency, and hormone imbalance a considerable amount of my hair broke off or fell out over the course of nearly 2 years. It's a miracle I'm not bald from it all.

Thankfully my shedding has slowed down a lot the last week or two which makes me think the mass shed is done. I can also see lots of new little hairs coming in which is encouraging that I'm not permanently balding. I've corrected all the things causing my hair loss but its still really disheartening to see how little I have left. I've been struggling with my appearance for 2 years now and sometimes it feels like I'm worse off than I was before. My hair is longer than it was a year ago but my length is full of broken off hair and the ends look thin. I don't have the thickness to do real updos. I did a micro trim which helped somewhat but it can't hide my hair loss. Drying it in waves is the only thing I can to do keep my hair from looking noticeably awful in my eyes.

I know in time this will fix itself with time but it's hard not to feel crappy and self conscious while I wait.

[ZoeZ]

Well, my hair has finally stopped shedding this week - I was losing combfuls every day, and had thought it was die to my hyperparathyroidism. It appears the loss is not related, in case anyone here also has that condition.

It started in September, and I have gone from a 2.75" pony circ to slightly less than 2.5" - thankfully my hair was fairly thick, although the texture is a medium fine (if that makes sense). I can feel how much thinner it is now. On the upside, I don't use as much conditioner, lol. Quite scary though, and I had visions of imminent baldness if it continued much longer.

The shedding stopped quite abruptly - within a week, I lost fewer hairs and now am back to my normal rate of 10-15 hairs a day.

[Ylva]

Holy moly.

I've lost only 6 hairs today. Six! The whole day! It's accurate because my hair was bunned the whole day so nothing could have escaped, and I just took it down and ran my fingers through it many times to get the sheds out before oiling it.

I hope this is done now.

I started taking ashwagandha two days ago, so one day before this one. It doesn't make any sense that it would make a difference so fast, but I don't know anymore.

[ZoeZ]

Holy moly.

I've lost only 6 hairs today. Six! The whole day! It's accurate because my hair was bunned the whole day so nothing could have escaped, and I just took it down and ran my fingers through it many times to get the sheds out before oiling it.

I hope this is done now.

I started taking ashwagandha two days ago, so one day before this one. It doesn't make any sense that it would make a difference so fast, but I don't know anymore.

Well that's great news. Hope it continues!

[Ylva]

Well that's great news. Hope it continues!

Indeed! Congrats on your shed stopping, too!

I can't say anything for sure yet, I'll need a few wash days to confirm greatly reduced shedding, but I'm certainly very hopeful now.

[Ylva]

So I did still shed quite a bit when massaging my scalp, but that was to be expected. During the wash itself, my shedding was quite similar to how it was in the very beginning when I first thought to myself, "Hmm, am I maybe losing a bit too much hair...?" So overall, the situation looks a lot better.

[Growingit]

I just went through a major shed. I believe mine was from my thyroid medication not working. I had been losing hair on and off for about 5 years now. I think it may have finally stopped and I’m hoping I can regrow my density. It’s very difficult to go through. I’m glad to have this thread to see that I’m not alone.

[GoldenRussian]

Any of you ladies tried collagen powder ? It's not bad at all, as for the taste. My hair is not thinning (even though not brushing for 2 days and discovering a massive amount of hair falling out is quite impressive) but if someone here has a feedback to give, I would have more motivation to take it daily.

[Growingit]

I did but I couldn’t continue. I have histamine issues so it’s a no go for me. I’ve heard ta two things about it though. I’ve tried bone broth but unfortunately ran into the same allergic reaction to it.

[Ylva]

I see no need for collagen powders personally because bone broth is a staple in my diet and I frequently eat the membrane between eggshell and the innards. But I am certainly of the opinion that it is very important to both consume collagen as well as support the creation of it through other means like sufficient vitamin C (which I don't see the average person being deficient of anyway considering how popular it is to eat fruit etc.).

I just noticed I need to pick up some more spironolactone on Monday. I only have one pill out of two left for Monday, and 80 out of 180 left on the prescription. I am still undecided on whether I'd like the prescription renewed or not.

[LittleHealthy]

I see no need for collagen powders personally because bone broth is a staple in my diet and I frequently eat the membrane between eggshell and the innards. But I am certainly of the opinion that it is very important to both consume collagen as well as support the creation of it through other means like sufficient vitamin C (which I don't see the average person being deficient of anyway considering how popular it is to eat fruit etc.).

I just noticed I need to pick up some more spironolactone on Monday. I only have one pill out of two left for Monday, and 80 out of 180 left on the prescription. I am still undecided on whether I'd like the prescription renewed or not.

Yeah I'm the same, I have a batch of bone broth going most days here.
There is a brand called California Gold of collagen I took while I was pregnant (I couldn't stomach the taste, smell or sight of broth when I was pregnant). The California Gold had Vit C and Hyaluronic Acid in it to aid absorption of the collagen!

[Catnappen]

Hey everyone, I am joining you all because I am pretty sure I have started to lose hair. The last time I measured my pony tail it was 2.5 inches. Today it was 2.25. I know it's not a lot but I don't have a lot to lose. I started another thread about this and people suggested I come here. And also see a doctor, but I'm not sure why. Other than prescribe minoxidil (which I can get OTC) what exactly would they do?

At this time I don't know that I want to start minoxidil anyway. I read through this and another post on hair loss and I have decided to try peppermint oil and rosemary oil. I found a pre made hair oil at Target that has both so I'm going to try that. I can only use it before I wash my hair because it makes my hair so oily, but I wash my hair every other day anyway and am willing to cowash daily if it helps me regrow hair.

Any suggestions that might help me going forward? Thanks!

[Ylva]

Hey everyone, I am joining you all because I am pretty sure I have started to lose hair. The last time I measured my pony tail it was 2.5 inches. Today it was 2.25. I know it's not a lot but I don't have a lot to lose. I started another thread about this and people suggested I come here. And also see a doctor, but I'm not sure why. Other than prescribe minoxidil (which I can get OTC) what exactly would they do?

That would be to have some bloodwork done to see if your hair loss might be caused by physical factors like an underlying illness or a nutritional deficiency. That's usually the starting point. Once those are ruled out, you can start thinking of other causes like stress-induced telogen effluvium etc.

[Catnappen]

Well I've had a crap ton of blood work done in the last few years, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a couple months ago. Could that cause hair loss?

[Suortuva]

My circumference has stayed the same a bit longer than a month, so it's a very good sign. Maybe the shedding has really stopped. But I don't dare to change my new routines, because the shedding started to decrease at the same time I started with these.

So, I use Ketoconazole shampoo once a week, otherwise I use Cicamed shampoo, and if I use some other shampoo, I add a drop of peppermint EO. I use daily a scalp tonic from System 4 and/or peppermint EO. I alternate these and sometimes I'm too lazy to use them twice a day.



1-2 weeks ago my peppermint EO mix disappeared somewhere, I really can't find it and about the same time I finished my System4 scalp tonic. So I have been without them. And my shedding has increased again! So I think these things are doing something good... Just don't know which of them.

I will continue with Peppermint EO because it's easy and cheap, but maybe I should buy a new bottle of this other scalp tonic too. And I'm curious about Cicamed scalp treatment too.

Stupid shed.

I have a dermatologist appointment in the middle of January. He will probably just laugh at me.

[Suortuva]

Well I've had a crap ton of blood work done in the last few years, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a couple months ago. Could that cause hair loss?

Do you have any medication? Because some medications can do that.

[Ylva]

I think my shedding is now pretty close to normal. Still a little bit more than normal, but that's still not a lot because I normally shed so little.

I kept some notes over how my shedding progressed. I thought maybe somebody would find them interesting or valuable, so I'll share them here.

---
The shed started right after moving in the very beginning of September, but I had maybe been losing more hair than usual already in late August.

I was shedding very much by mid-September.

I visited a doctor 24th of September. My blood panel showed nothing that would explain the shedding. Presumably telogen effluvium.

Started spironolactone the 18th of October.

Towards the end of October, I started suspecting that I was shedding slightly less. Not sure however.

26th of November I started taking ashwagandha powder.

27th of November I lost 7 hairs after having my hair in a bun the whole day. Shedding reduced very drastically and suddenly.

9th of December there was no longer a noticeable amount of hair on the drain.

In early January, shedding is close to normal but not quite there yet.

[Eternal Autumn]

Thanks for the notes Ylva, it is helpful! Do you still take spironolactone?
Btw, thank you for recommending the Banana food conditioner on a newbie thread. I bout it and I really love it!:blossom:

[Ylva]

Thanks for the notes Ylva, it is helpful! Do you still take spironolactone?
Btw, thank you for recommending the Banana food conditioner on a newbie thread. I bout it and I really love it!:blossom:

Hey, no problem, glad it was helpful! :flower: Yeah, I am still taking spironolactone. I'm on my last jar. I don't think I will continue taking it anymore. I do finally see some dandelion growth on my part but I think that would have come around without spiro, too.

[Marymary]

Thanks for the update, so interesting. Just a question about the spironolactone. I have read it can be like stopping birth control and can cause shedding, have you read anything about that? If I remember right you started taking it after a bad shedding episode to help with regrowth?

[Ylva]

Thanks for the update, so interesting. Just a question about the spironolactone. I have read it can be like stopping birth control and can cause shedding, have you read anything about that? If I remember right you started taking it after a bad shedding episode to help with regrowth?

Yes, that's correct, I started taking it as hair growth support during heavy shedding (telogen effluvium). I was worried about shedding afterwards, but my doctor assured me that spironolactone for whatever reason doesn't cause a shed when you stop taking it.

[Groovy Granny]

wrong thread

[Eternal Autumn]

Yes, that's correct, I started taking it as hair growth support during heavy shedding (telogen effluvium). I was worried about shedding afterwards, but my doctor assured me that spironolactone for whatever reason doesn't cause a shed when you stop taking it.
Ylva, thank you! Could you keep us updated on how your hair is doing, when you cancel the medication? I went through similar experience, that's why I ask. Moved to another place and had a huge shed. Now my hair is APL length, and I have a "layer" at the chin length, formed by regrowth from that shed. :rolleyes:

[Ylva]

Ylva, thank you! Could you keep us updated on how your hair is doing, when you cancel the medication? I went through similar experience, that's why I ask. Moved to another place and had a huge shed. Now my hair is APL length, and I have a "layer" at the chin length, formed by regrowth from that shed. :rolleyes:

For sure, I will report in this thread if I go through more sheds. If I don't mention anything, it's all good! Did your shed happen because of moving in particular?

[Eternal Autumn]

For sure, I will report in this thread if I go through more sheds. If I don't mention anything, it's all good! Did your shed happen because of moving in particular?

I think yes, I don't do anything different and I try to eat healthy. You can't be sure with those sheds of course and I moved in Autumn, which is the yearly shedding time for me, but I was loosing more than regular mount of hair to the point I got really concerned. My doctor said to wait for two months and if it doesn't stop then it might me something to be worried about, fortunately it did stop in two months. :)

[Ylva]

I think yes, I don't do anything different and I try to eat healthy. You can't be sure with those sheds of course and I moved in Autumn, which is the yearly shedding time for me, but I was loosing more than regular mount of hair to the point I got really concerned. My doctor said to wait for two months and if it doesn't stop then it might me something to be worried about, fortunately it did stop in two months. :)

Moving can cause hair loss indeed, it doesn't need to be a big change, but it wouldn't occur right after. Rather a couple of months after moving. Mine wasn't because of moving per se but drastic and fast weight loss and a friend's death, and started just short of 2 months after I made my lifestyle change that resulted in the weight loss.

[ZoeZ]

Moving can cause hair loss indeed, it doesn't need to be a big change, but it wouldn't occur right after. Rather a couple of months after moving. Mine wasn't because of moving per se but drastic and fast weight loss and a friend's death, and started just short of 2 months after I made my lifestyle change that resulted in the weight loss.

I do think moving (with all of the stress) causes shedding - I got a severe shed in November (moved in September) so right in the time frame. It stopped just as suddenly as it started though - not without giving me some palpitations while happening!

[Ylva]

I do think moving (with all of the stress) causes shedding - I got a severe shed in November (moved in September) so right in the time frame. It stopped just as suddenly as it started though - not without giving me some palpitations while happening!

It doesn't even need to be particularly stressful. Just simply a change can cause hair loss.

[Eternal Autumn]

Moving can cause hair loss indeed, it doesn't need to be a big change, but it wouldn't occur right after. Rather a couple of months after moving. Mine wasn't because of moving per se but drastic and fast weight loss and a friend's death, and started just short of 2 months after I made my lifestyle change that resulted in the weight loss.


I do think moving (with all of the stress) causes shedding - I got a severe shed in November (moved in September) so right in the time frame. It stopped just as suddenly as it started though - not without giving me some palpitations while happening!

Yes, exactly! I am sure my shed was stress induced. And stress can be anything, any sudden change, moving or weight loss. I mean one might not feel stressed per se, but the body goes into stress mode, because of all the new events it has to process.

[Suortuva]

I saw the dermatologist yesterday. He has no idea why I got this big shed, but he was very into these traumatic and stressful events. As far as I know I have had a great year...

Anyway, he confirmed that my existing hair is fine (feels normal), my scalp is normal and my follicles are doing fine, though there's no new growth yet. He told me just to give it some time.

He said he never prescribes anything hormonal for females, but only for males, he said what works for them doesn't work for women. In case there might be some hormonal imbalance, that would be a question for a gynecologist.

He asked for my blood work and sent me to get it from the other clinic that's is in the same building, and I asked a copy for myself too, and everything is just fine, really.

[Ylva]

Stress does accumulate in the body over time. Do you sleep well?

[Suortuva]

Stress does accumulate in the body over time. Do you sleep well?

Yes. I sleep a lot. Naps during the days. I'm a very tired person. It's been that way forever.

ETA: Well, I stress easily too, always worried about something, has always been.

[Ylva]

Here's my dandelion growth.

https://i.ibb.co/GMVW79w/dandelion.jpg

[blackgothicdoll]

I have a ton of new growth from my last shed, but it appears I've started up a new and even bigger shed. :/ My worst fear is that it's related to my medication, because I cannot and will not stop taking it. Still, hoping there is something I can do to counter the effects.

[bjt]

You're right, iron was not included, but ferritin and haemoglobin were. Especially ferritin is a better indicator of iron levels than iron itself.

Also, none of the other results are suggestive of anaemia.

I'm very late to this conversation, but search back through the early part of this thread to find the discussion on ferratin levels. People said that though it can be "normal" at your level but that hair loss can happen when it drops below 50.
I went and got mine tested after that several times with a dermatologist that agreed that ferratin should be in the higher part of the normal range for good hair health. Iron supplements stopped my hair shedding. I test it annually now and try to keep it above 70.

I'm not a doctor so take this with a grain of salt...but something to look into.

[Ylva]

I'm very late to this conversation, but search back through the early part of this thread to find the discussion on ferratin levels. People said that though it can be "normal" at your level but that hair loss can happen when it drops below 50.
I went and got mine tested after that several times with a dermatologist that agreed that ferratin should be in the higher part of the normal range for good hair health. Iron supplements stopped my hair shedding. I test it annually now and try to keep it above 70.

I'm not a doctor so take this with a grain of salt...but something to look into.

My shedding has since subsided for the most part since it was shock-induced telogen effluvium and not related to my blood, but thanks for taking the time to write that. I tend to stay away from iron supplements because it's terrible to get too much of it, but I'll see how my ferritin changes over time. I'll be having another comprehensive blood panel in the spring or summer.

[blackgothicdoll]

Iron/ferritin is a problem for me, a very difficult one to keep track of. Both my levels and stores have to be measured, as they will deplete around that time of the month and my body doesn't seem to build the stores back once that happens. I was previously getting infusions every two weeks to restore my iron levels, unfortunately I got so tired of getting infusions I just stopped.

Go figure, I'm exhausted as all hell. I'll have to go get labs done and my doctor is going to yell at me if I'm anemic again. I ordered a liquid iron supplement, which immediately gives me heartburn after taking it - the pills do worse things. It's going to be a battle in finding which discomfort I can endure the most, and at this rate I think I'll take the heartburn over any more needles - or so I say. I guess my doctor will weigh in on that if the supplement is even enough to build my levels back up.

[Ylva]

Good luck, blackgothicdoll. I hope you can find a functional solution soon. :/ I would still suggest a hormonal approach, since heavy menses to the point that they severely affect iron stores tend to be suggestive of too much estrogen. However, I don't know if you've looked into that since I last suggested it, so if you have, just ignore me!

---
My dandelion sprouts are my favourite hairs on my whole entire head. It's a notable amount of hair that has complete virgin ends, never cut, never "opened up".

[blackgothicdoll]

Good luck, blackgothicdoll. I hope you can find a functional solution soon. :/ I would still suggest a hormonal approach, since heavy menses to the point that they severely affect iron stores tend to be suggestive of too much estrogen. However, I don't know if you've looked into that since I last suggested it, so if you have, just ignore me!

---
My dandelion sprouts are my favourite hairs on my whole entire head. It's a notable amount of hair that has complete virgin ends, never cut, never "opened up".

By hormonal do you mean birth control? If so yes, I've been taking it for over 6 months, it helps with the debilitating cramps I had and I bleed less, but still a good amount. We tried a bc that would stop my menses for 3 months at a time but I bled for 3 weeks straight so I gave up on that.

If you're talking about something else forgive me, my brain is pretty scrambled these days so I may not fully remember :o

[Ylva]

By hormonal do you mean birth control? If so yes, I've been taking it for over 6 months, it helps with the debilitating cramps I had and I bleed less, but still a good amount. We tried a bc that would stop my menses for 3 months at a time but I bled for 3 weeks straight so I gave up on that.

If you're talking about something else forgive me, my brain is pretty scrambled these days so I may not fully remember :o

I see birth control and such as pretty drastic measures that actually mess with the body's natural functions. I'll happily dance around in my foil hat but I am of the opinion that even though they have been tested to be "safe" and all and no one's probably going to get cancer from taking birth control pills, it's VERY unnatural to be altering one's hormonal functions like that. I've had a hormonal IUD (Jaydess) for the past 5 or so years but I honestly don't feel comfortable even with that and I just don't know what I'm going to do once this one is done. But yeah, just my little rant about birth control - what I mean is a more natural approach through nutritional choices that work for balancing hormones, adaptogens for example, and eliminating things like GMO soy and so on which contribute to estrogen dominance.

I'm pretty passionate about things like nutrition because I've personally changed my entire bloody existence through nutrition and now I'm basically the equivalent of a doomsday prophet when it comes to stuff like that.

[blackgothicdoll]

I see birth control and such as pretty drastic measures that actually mess with the body's natural functions. I'll happily dance around in my foil hat but I am of the opinion that even though they have been tested to be "safe" and all and no one's probably going to get cancer from taking birth control pills, it's VERY unnatural to be altering one's hormonal functions like that. I've had a hormonal IUD (Jaydess) for the past 5 or so years but I honestly don't feel comfortable even with that and I just don't know what I'm going to do once this one is done. But yeah, just my little rant about birth control - what I mean is a more natural approach through nutritional choices that work for balancing hormones, adaptogens for example, and eliminating things like GMO soy and so on which contribute to estrogen dominance.

I'm pretty passionate about things like nutrition because I've personally changed my entire bloody existence through nutrition and now I'm basically the equivalent of a doomsday prophet when it comes to stuff like that.

Ah right, I remember now! Yeah, birth control isn't really something I want to take, but nothing else has worked to stop debilitating cramps (and they're still pretty bad) so it's pretty much the best I can do.

I've taken strides to eliminate soy from my diet, as I believe we discussed that since I became a pescatarian I supplemented a lot with soy for my protein. Now I eat a lot more fish and avoid soy, though on a rare occasion at a work event I'll have tofu (because they rarely have any other vegetarian choices).

The rest of my diet is questionable at best, I survive on taco bell and coffee :lol: So I absolutely need to work on that. I've also started to catch onto carbs and how they might compose of far too much of my diet, since rice is another large staple for me. Don't know if those things relate to hormones or if it's mostly soy that was a problem, that's something I'm going to have to begin researching as well. I think diet is likely one of the most difficult things for me to actively address, since starting a new job and graduate school has had me almost permanently sitting down and tied to a computer. I am thinking about taking a break from grad school until things balance out with the new job, so I can get back to exercising and taking better care of myself. Healthy me, healthy hair, right? :o

[Ylva]

Ah right, I remember now! Yeah, birth control isn't really something I want to take, but nothing else has worked to stop debilitating cramps (and they're still pretty bad) so it's pretty much the best I can do.

I've taken strides to eliminate soy from my diet, as I believe we discussed that since I became a pescatarian I supplemented a lot with soy for my protein. Now I eat a lot more fish and avoid soy, though on a rare occasion at a work event I'll have tofu (because they rarely have any other vegetarian choices).

The rest of my diet is questionable at best, I survive on taco bell and coffee :lol: So I absolutely need to work on that. I've also started to catch onto carbs and how they might compose of far too much of my diet, since rice is another large staple for me. Don't know if those things relate to hormones or if it's mostly soy that was a problem, that's something I'm going to have to begin researching as well. I think diet is likely one of the most difficult things for me to actively address, since starting a new job and graduate school has had me almost permanently sitting down and tied to a computer. I am thinking about taking a break from grad school until things balance out with the new job, so I can get back to exercising and taking better care of myself. Healthy me, healthy hair, right? :o

Substituting the soy for fish is really great! I'm extremely anti-carb myself and of the opinion that the human body is supposed to run on ketones, not glucose, but even just eliminating processed carbs (as well as other processed food) from the diet is one of the best things one can do to themselves.

There is a low-carb thread in the health section of the forum if you're interested. I've had some great monologues there lately, and I strive to keep my nutritional stuff in that part of the forum because stuff like this does spark strong opinions.

[Laurelann]

hi Yiva and blackgothicdoll, i know i'm new and all i just would love to share what has helped me... for massive painful cramps.. cbd oil or even better, "whole plant" oil or 1:1 cbd:thc. These are drops taken orally. Makes the pain go away and no dangerous side effects. Also for me, greatly reducing sugar consumption helped reduce cramps too. I was having really huge flooding bleeding- i was so estrogen dominant-- and natural bioidentical topical Progesterone USP cream has eliminated the flooding to a now manageable much smaller amount. Plus, 3 day period vs 7 day... hope it is ok to share this here.

Anyways, also want to say that I could go on about how traumatic it was to lose so much hair due to telogen effluvium last fall... but I am soooo so thankful that at least it has stopped and i'm so thankful for the hair i have left.... the rumors (haha) i hear about possible regrowth seem like a dream at this point... hard to believe... but we'll see what happens. I'm just glad i have some hair right now and it is no longer falling out like it was before.

[Laurelann]

Ylva, my apologies, :blossom:

[Dee94]

I'm curious... when one loses hair from stress and/or poor eating, can that hair grow back? My hair has thinned out, a lot, I want to say the past month. I believe it's because of a few things that I have been going through lately. Stressful things and the very poor eating habits, not eating much at all for that matter. I've noticed that I'm always losing hair. More than usual. Will it come back? Once I get my eating habits sorted and stress levels down? Is there anything else I can do to help boost it and bring it back?
Thank you.