Sharing my story for hair help and advice

[Victoria13]

Hey everyone!

This is my first post and I'm excited to be a part of this community. I've been reading through some other threads and I finally feel like I have a place to share my story and maybe get a little advice/help. In 2008, I found out I had a brain tumor (benign, thank goodness). After surgery (which was done through my nose - no cutting through my scalp), I was compelled to change my lifestyle. I had a cousin who died of brain cancer at 17, so needless to say, the whole experience frightened me. Before my surgery, I was told I needed to go off all my medications, which was just OTC supplements and the birth control pill. About 4 months after surgery, I had a massive hair shed in the shower. For about 2 weeks, I lost handfuls of hair each time I showered. My endocrinologist had told me my hormone levels all looked good, and she said I could go back on the pill. After being on the pill for another couple weeks, my shedding slowed drastically. I eventually switched to a low androgen pill and my shedding was what would be considered normal (100-150 hairs per day). However, in the past ten years I've lost about 60% of my hair. I had a lot of hair, so yes, while 60% is a lot, it's diffuse thinning (even thinning over my whole head) with no patches or bald spots. But it is still hard as a woman to deal with this thinning. I tried all sorts of things - shampoos, supplements, topicals, extensions...then after spending thousands, I just gave up. Here is where my story takes a turn...

I went vegitarian after my surgery, and had been until this year when I decided to go vegan. In March, I did a 60 raw vegan detox, then in May I transitioned to a whole food plant-based diet. I stay away from what I call "the forbidden five" (meat, dairy, gluten, processed foods, and refined sugar). Stress has always been a factor and I have made yoga and meditation part my daily routine (I always practiced before, just not regularly). I've noticed that my hair is getting better. I don't notice a drastic difference with thickness yet, but the shedding is at an all time low (less than 100 hairs per day). Because I have diffuse thinning, I think it would be difficult to notice any regrowth, but I do see little hairs popping up around my part (no matter which way I part my hair. Interesting). I'm not a hair expert to know if these are new hairs or just hairs that are finally growing because I've switched to all natural hair products and stopped using heat/hair tools. If I do anything, I use a cold-air blow dryer to speed up the drying process if I'm in a hurry to go some place nice occasionally. Also, for the first time in a while, my hair is growing in length without looking stringy on the ends. I'm hoping to grow it LONG - like to my waist. Right now it's just past my shoulder blades. I oil my hair before washing (either the night before, or an hour before my shower) I feel like oiling helps it to be healthier and to grow. But like I said, I'm no expert.

Just curious to know if anyone else has dealt with hair thinning, or had a similar experience, and what you did to help your situation? Any advice, tips, and input on how to grow hair in thickness and in length (peoducts, vitamins, foods, etc) would be greatly appreciated :)

Thanks,
Victoria

[Wildhorserider]

Hair loss is a common side effect of anesthesia. It can happen up to a year after so some folks don’t put the two together. That could be a possibility.

[Wildhorserider]

Sorry, I hit “post” too soon. :) I recently cut from waist to jaw because of a massive shed. I also have a million new hairs all over. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

[lakhesis]

yay for whole food vegan! :) In my case that mostly helped my skin and nails, I started eating this way around the same time I stopped bleaching my hair. I didn't have actual shedding, but my hair was breaking off in chunks because of the chemical damage and it looked very bad and unhealthy.
I did the same thing as you are doing - stopped using all the heat tools and oiled my hair before every wash. When I joined the forum I also started putting my hair up all the time and that helped a lot.

[lapushka]

I'm glad you had the hair loss checked out. Surgery can be *very* stressful. I don't recall how it went after my knee surgery about 2 decades ago, but brain surgery is so much more serious IMMHO.

Some people shed less when they go on BC, true.

I would go see a dermatologist for the thin parts, to make sure it's nothing permanent. It pays to go to a dermatologist!

I lost about 1/3 of my circumference when I was on the brink of an ED (eating disorder), and that lasted for 6 months and was enough to make me lose tons of hair. Normal, as I wasn't getting the nutrients my body so desperately required.

But that's it for experiences with hair loss.

I hope you recover well! :flower:

[Kaoria]

Similar experience on the back of seriously harsh work stress that lasted about 6 months. Took me a couple of years to recover, I seriously thought I was going to go bald (and I have pretty thick hair to start with as well). I think what is happening to you right now is that you’re recovering from your health anxiety with yoga and a nutritious diet and that has brought your body back from the brink.

Anxiety wrecks horrible, horrible damage on our bodies. I had health anxiety last year for a few months (I was suspected of having ALS) and I managed to make myself actually, physically ill because of the stress.

Anyway, keep up the good work with the yoga and meditation, it really helps. And trust your body, it’ll get back on track.

[Dark40]

Hair loss is very common when taking birth control pills. I remember when I was taking them during the years of 1994-95 one day as I was combing my hair before I got into the shower I combed out klump of hair! And, it was abnormal hair shedding. My hormones were all messed up. But after I got off the birth control pills my hair grew back much better and thicker. I would say the best food to eat if you want your hair to grow longer and healthier is eating a lot of protein like: fish, nuts, and peanut butter. I eat these food all of the time, and my hair is between BSL and waist length.