Constant hair struggle

[Mango peach]

Hello guys, long time lurker, first time poster.

I've been struggling with my hair for about 2/3 years now. I'm 22 now, But started having hair loss at around 20 from an eating disorder. I'm fully recovered now and have been on prescribed 210mg Iron tablets for around a year. Things perked up for a while, my thin, constantly falling out hair finally stopped shedding.
But recently the past month its gone bad again, I must have lost about 40% of my hair, mostly noticeable on my crown and sides of my head.
My doctor told me I had seborrheic dermatitis about a year ago and I have been using Alphosyl 2-in-1 Medicated Shampoo (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006EHYRK2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for a while now to control it and it seems to do fine. Flairs up every once in a while but for the most part is doesn't bother me so I don't think thats the cause. My last doctors visit i was there for something completely different but she bought up that I might have alopecia areata, Although i haven't been to a dermatologist to confirm this, I don't seem to have one near me.

So I suppose I'm looking for anyone in the same boat, or any advice, or tips.

I currently take a few supplements daily:
Iron 210mg 2x a day
NU U Nutricion Biotin 1x a day
Centrum Women a-zinc 1x a day ( although i have been told this is useless )

And I recently started HairAnew hair capsules. Too early to tell if this is helping at all.

Thanks for any help, I'm really at a loss recently with my self confidence down the drain :(

[spidermom]

I truly do understand why your self confidence would take a nosedive from hair loss, but my best advice would be find a way to rock it. Get a short, sassy style and really amp up the makeup. Or become the girl who knows a dozen cool ways to wear scarves/headwraps. I know that hair is a big part of our self-identities, but there's so much more to us than that.

P.S: A friend who lost her hair from chemotherapy would often have her bald head painted; it gave her spirits a lift.

[Dendra]

I'm really sorry to hear this Mango peach.

I don't have experience with alopecia or seborrheic dermatitis, but I know how distressing it is to come away with clumps of strands whenever you touch your hair so I wanted to say I'm sorry you're going through this.

Is there any way you could make it to a dermatologist, even though there's not one near you? It sounds like you'd benefit from seeing someone qualified.

ETA: Spidermom that's an awesome idea.

[twill]

I can't say I have any experience with what you're going through, and I can't advise you on the medical aspect of it, but I can say that while I can only imagine the hassle and struggle you must be going through, it's okay. Your confidence doesn't have to keep suffering because your hair is.

I like spidermom's headscarf suggestion, and I've got a fashionista friend who's on a turban kick right now. There are things you can do until your hair recovers enough that it no longer bothers you that will boost your confidence, even if it's out of your comfort zone at first. Gentle hair- and scalp-friendly curling techniques to add some volume, fun hats, scarves, and big headbands are all options for adding some confidence when how your hair looks is bothering you.

I hope you and the doctors figure out what's going on and get you back on track to happy hair soon! :grouphug:

[Mango peach]

Thanks for the replies, Just going to throw this out there, I work everyday so wearing a hat or a headscarf isn't really an option , I'd be asked to remove it immediately haha. It's not at a point where i'm thinking of doing anything drastic about it right now like shaving my head. Obviously if it continues to get worse I'll tackle that at the time.

[marvel-lover]

Hi Mango Peach! I also suffered hair loss and damage due to an eating disorder. I understand where you're coming from, and it can be devastating especially with having pre-existing self esteem problems. Just remember, you're doing great!

As I was in recovery the first time, my therapist recommended that I take care of something about myself so I can find some pride points in my appearance and take the obsession off of my weight. I chose my hair! I don't know whether this was good advice for everyone, but it helped for me at the time. Actually, it still helps me as I go back and forth between relapsing and recovering. That's how I came onto hair care.

When it comes to supplements, always make sure you talk to your doctor and understand that what works for my body doesn't always work for other people's. Same for hair treatments.

To be honest, I chopped my hair off during recovery for a number of reasons. One, I was in an abusive relationship and the man loved my hair. So I chopped it after I finally left him. The second reason was because my hair was just too damaged, between the years of the disorder, poor hair care, and being a competitive swimmer. I'm not saying chop it off at all! I'd just be remiss if I didn't mention that.

Anyway, if it's dermatitis, a lot of ladies and gents around here recommend avoiding putting oils and conditioners on the scalp. When you sleep, you could also wear a satin cap to prevent further damage on that side of your head. At the end of the day, I recommend really listening to your doctors, because they know more about this kind of hair loss.

Nice to meet you!

[Synester]

hi there Mango peach! In 2013 i suffered from a major hormonal imbalance and lost the majority of my hair starting in my crown. To this day its still quite thin and doesnt seem to grow with the rest of my haire anymore. (no idea how to make hairs that have stopped growing grow again) but what i found to help was Topik hair fiber, find your hair color and fill in the blanks on your scalp. it looks very natural. it was a life saver. Also, depending on severity maybe rock a shaved head if its something that cant be resolved. Or get super pretty wigs that look like your natural hair to wear when you go out while you manage your hair struggles at home in privacy. my hair still isnt okay. and when the wind blows you can still see a bald spot in the back of my crown. I see it in pictures sometimes and get discouraged. But trust me im sure not many people are minding, i hope this all works out for you <3 best regards.

[lapushka]

An eating disorder can *really* take it out on you. It messes with everything. Only when that's fully behind you, fully! Hair can start to slowly regrow, and it is like regrowing from a bald head; can take a few years to regain thickness.

SD normally doesn't get rid of 40% of your thickness. You can lose hair, yes, but not to that amount, so something else must be up. I'd have a full blood panel done if I were you. Iron deficiency (and anemia) is notorious for hair loss. So keep a good eye out for that.

I'm really sorry if it's truly alopecia - that can mess with you (I know someone who has it). Hang in there! :flower:

[spidermom]

Oh sorry; what kind of job do you do where you aren't permitted to have anything on your head?

[Mango peach]

Oh sorry; what kind of job do you do where you aren't permitted to have anything on your head?

I work in retail, its quite strict, Not even a necklace can be worn! haha

[Mango peach]

Thank you for all the kind words / Stories. It's somewhat comforting to hear other people have similar situations to me as I usually have no one to speak to.

[Mango peach]

An eating disorder can *really* take it out on you. It messes with everything. Only when that's fully behind you, fully! Hair can start to slowly regrow, and it is like regrowing from a bald head; can take a few years to regain thickness.

SD normally doesn't get rid of 40% of your thickness. You can lose hair, yes, but not to that amount, so something else must be up. I'd have a full blood panel done if I were you. Iron deficiency (and anemia) is notorious for hair loss. So keep a good eye out for that.

I'm really sorry if it's truly alopecia - that can mess with you (I know someone who has it). Hang in there! :flower:

Thank you. :)
Unfortunately i recently had blood done and all was fine. Except for my low iron which never seems to drastically increase, but its better than what it was when I had my eating disorder.

[spidermom]

Oh weird; o.k.

[Cherriezzzzz]

My bestie had lots of hair shedding much like you described. While she has no eating disorder, she has an auto immune disease that doesn't let her body absorb much nutrition. She also is very anemic. She's loving Chagrin Valley's herb garden poo bar. It's suppose to help stop hair loss! It's working for her. Sample size bars are very cheap. My hubby started water only (no shampoo at all!) and he's very, very thin (balding since his early 20's) and his hair is growing back! It's incredible... I'm not sure if either thing could help you, but just wanted to throw it out there for you. My prayer is with you!