It's just not growing back! (Hair loss rant)

[guska]

I feel bad for always ranting about my hair loss here at LHC, bringing much negative energy into the forum with my rants. I'm very sorry :( But oh well. This is therapy for me, as no one else IRL understand my struggle.


Anyway, I have seen zero increase in my ponytail circumference. I can't say for sure, though, since I haven't measure since August (can't find my measuring tape). Back in August a low pony was 8 cm in thickness, a high pony 9 cm in thickness. From pictures and by feel I can definitely tell that there has been no improvement thickness-wise since August. Quite the contrary, when comparing ponytail pictures from April 2018 and April 2019 I can see that my ponytail has gotten thinner.


I really don't know what to do! Blood work (that included hormonal tests) from October last year came back completely normal except for vitamin D that I have now been taking for six months (but still no improvement in sight...). I'm going back to my school nurse for consulting but I don't know what she can do or if she'll do something. I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling that she didn't take me seriously last time because even though I've lost roughly 1/3 of my thickness, it's still in the average range. "Your hair doesn't look thin", as my school nurse herself and many others have commented.


But! I had a 12,5 cm (4,9 inches) thick ponytail three years ago! Something's not right...

Picture taken today
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36497&d=1555092000

Picture from 2015 (after a seasonal shed, so not quite 12,5 cm circumference)
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36496&d=1555091990

Back then I could hardly wrap the hair tie around twice, now I can easily wrap it around thrice.


I spend a lot of time every day worrying about my hair loss and it's getting quite desperate. I avoid ponytails/braids because they make me conscious of how thin my hair has gotten. My mom and dad think that my vegan diet is the culprit behind my hair loss (I went vegan 3 years ago, hair loss started around 2 years ago) but then again the blood work came back normal. They think I'm lacking something, "something that shows normal on the blood test but that you're still lacking".
Idk, I've even thought about going back to eating meat because of how desperate the situation is but I can't stand the thought. And how the heck is meat supposed to magically regrow my hair?


I eat healthily, get as much exercise as I can, spend lots of time with my friends, have a hobby that I love. School is sometimes stressing but I feel like I have it under control. None of my parents experienced hair loss in their youth (they both had iii hair). Neither my brother, iii-haired himself. And here I am, young, happy and hair loss-stricken.

*End of the rant :)*

[Ylva]

I think the photos will only show to your friends or something like that. I can't view them, even if I copy the URL from the quoted message.

[Dark40]

Make sure you're eating a proper diet with lots of protein. Especially, if you re vegan. Maybe you also need to include a daily multivitamin supplement in your diet. Maybe you also need to have your iron levels checked as well.

[gingerninja]

What i would do is get a full blood profile just to be on the safe side, as a fellow vegan i doubt lack of protein is the issue because you would have noticed other signs of protein deficiency by now.
How are your stress levels as i've lost a good chunk of my thickness from exam stress that has since grown back but it took over 2 years.

Hormones are another thing that can affect hair loss and regrowth depending on things like birth control and other medications whose side effects sometimes include hair loss.

[dove4]

Did this start when you moved to school? It could be the water. My hair is very sensitive to chlorine and hard water, and the solution is a shower filter.

As someone else said, did anything effect your hormones, such as starting, stopping, or changing BCPs?

Were you in a different life stage when your hair was thickest (child, teenage, young adult, etc.)? Each stage has different hormones, which can give us different hair.

[lapushka]

It can just be hormonal changes. A lot can happen throughout the teen years, and this may just be your new "normal".

[spidermom]

You're obviously upset about this, and I'm sorry about that. I can't say that I truly understand however because my hair thickness has varied from iii to ii and back again over the past decade. It's ii right now, and if I think anything at all about that, it's "oh good; I can get it dry more quickly". I wish I could pass this nonchalance over to you. Since your lab values are normal, and if you feel good, then you can probably write this off as normal fluctuation. In my experience, sometimes more hairs reach the end of their growth cycles at the same time than usual, and you shed more. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. As lapushka said, this might be your new normal. iii is not inherently better or more beautiful than ii.

[lapushka]

You're obviously upset about this, and I'm sorry about that. I can't say that I truly understand however because my hair thickness has varied from iii to ii and back again over the past decade. It's ii right now, and if I think anything at all about that, it's "oh good; I can get it dry more quickly". I wish I could pass this nonchalance over to you. Since your lab values are normal, and if you feel good, then you can probably write this off as normal fluctuation. In my experience, sometimes more hairs reach the end of their growth cycles at the same time than usual, and you shed more. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. As lapushka said, this might be your new normal. iii is not inherently better or more beautiful than ii.

True, spidermom. It really isn't.

I had ii hair at various points in my teen years. I think maybe because LHC puts so much knowledge forth, it might be very anxiety inducing to those of us who tend to worry a lot.

Still, I would not worry.

Be happy your values (apart from D) are normal.


Can I ask, have you lost weight at all these past years?

When I lost weight fast at the latter part of my teens, I lost 1/3 of my circumference fast as well.

[Obsidian]

If you had a big shed, its going to take longer then a year for the thickness to reach your pony tail. It could take 2 or three years to see a difference.

Like mentioned before, hair goes through changes as we age. My daughter had very thick hair as a teen, now in her mid 20's she is a ii.

[guska]

I think the photos will only show to your friends or something like that. I can't view them, even if I copy the URL from the quoted message.

The pics are now fixed :)


Make sure you're eating a proper diet with lots of protein. Especially, if you re vegan. Maybe you also need to include a daily multivitamin supplement in your diet. Maybe you also need to have your iron levels checked as well.

Blood work came back normal, do I still need to take a daily multivitamin? :( I had my iron levels checked, they came back normal.


What i would do is get a full blood profile just to be on the safe side, as a fellow vegan i doubt lack of protein is the issue because you would have noticed other signs of protein deficiency by now.
How are your stress levels as i've lost a good chunk of my thickness from exam stress that has since grown back but it took over 2 years.

Hormones are another thing that can affect hair loss and regrowth depending on things like birth control and other medications whose side effects sometimes include hair loss.

Stress levels are fine. I occasionally feel down, but I believe it's normal for all of us.

I don't take BC or other medications. Have never taken.


Did this start when you moved to school? It could be the water. My hair is very sensitive to chlorine and hard water, and the solution is a shower filter.

As someone else said, did anything effect your hormones, such as starting, stopping, or changing BCPs?

Were you in a different life stage when your hair was thickest (child, teenage, young adult, etc.)? Each stage has different hormones, which can give us different hair.

The water isn't a problem here in my area.
I'm not so sure when my hair was at it's thickest. I believe it was in my early teens (I'm still a teenager though).

[guska]

You're obviously upset about this, and I'm sorry about that. I can't say that I truly understand however because my hair thickness has varied from iii to ii and back again over the past decade. It's ii right now, and if I think anything at all about that, it's "oh good; I can get it dry more quickly". I wish I could pass this nonchalance over to you. Since your lab values are normal, and if you feel good, then you can probably write this off as normal fluctuation. In my experience, sometimes more hairs reach the end of their growth cycles at the same time than usual, and you shed more. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. As lapushka said, this might be your new normal. iii is not inherently better or more beautiful than ii.

I'm not by any means saying that iii hair is superior to other thicknesses. Many of my friends have beautiful i and ii hair.


True, spidermom. It really isn't.

I had ii hair at various points in my teen years. I think maybe because LHC puts so much knowledge forth, it might be very anxiety inducing to those of us who tend to worry a lot.

Still, I would not worry.

Be happy your values (apart from D) are normal.


Can I ask, have you lost weight at all these past years?

When I lost weight fast at the latter part of my teens, I lost 1/3 of my circumference fast as well.

No, I've actually gained weight. I see two reasons for it: 1. I don't get as much exercise as before while my caloric intake has stayed the same. 2. Puberty.

[Hailwidis]

I'm sorry you're going through this guska, I can empathise. I've also lost more than 1/3 of my thickness to a stress related shed 2 years ago, and I was only just starting to notice some of it coming back but I think another stressful event has triggered a new shed these last few weeks. I'm 25 and my hair was so much thicker when I was 20. It's very hard to accept that.

It's great that you have had tests done so that you can eliminate possible causes. If you think exercise might help, why not ease into it again? I'm trying to, too. It helps me with stress and low moods, so it can only be good, even if it doesn't end up helping my hair grow back.

Good luck!

[lapushka]

No, I've actually gained weight. I see two reasons for it: 1. I don't get as much exercise as before while my caloric intake has stayed the same. 2. Puberty.

That's a definite possibility. I would see, wait, and ride it out.

And your ponytail is still quite thick! I would not complain too much, as it could be much worse! Not that there's anything wrong with i or ii hair, at all. My mom is a i, in fact.

There's nothing a school nurse can do for you in this regard either, I'm afraid. :shrug:

[Joules]

Please, go to a trichologist. You could be experiencing early stages of androgenetic alopecia (it doesn't depend on hormone levels), or an autoimmune form of alopecia. If all your blood tests come back normal, but you're still experiencing hairloss, there's obviously more to find. People here aren't professionals, and replies like "just eat a normal diet" can be dangerous, because they would hinder you from getting actual help, and time here is important. So again, please, find a good doctor in your area and book an appointment.

[Joules]

No, I've actually gained weight. I see two reasons for it: 1. I don't get as much exercise as before while my caloric intake has stayed the same. 2. Puberty.

I just noticed the puberty part. Many people experience hair changes during and after puberty, because hormones are all over the place. Again, it can be fixed by a trichologist. Just waiting it out might not help, not everyone's hair fully grows back.

[lapushka]

I just noticed the puberty part. Many people experience hair changes during and after puberty, because hormones are all over the place. Again, it can be fixed by a trichologist. Just waiting it out might not help, not everyone's hair fully grows back.

As far as I can tell, OP hasn't talked about chunks coming out, or bald(ing) patches. I'm not sure a trichologist could be helpful at all in those cases. But maybe that's me.

I had chunks come out at age 13/14, and bald patches, and I was told by a doctor that it was just puberty and hormone levels trying to balance out. My regular blood test came back normal as well. After about a year it had normalized and was back to growing.

What else *is* there to do? And what exactly can a trichologist "fix"? What is there to fix? It is just all over thinning.

I mean... you tell me. ;) :)

[Joules]

lapushka, alopecia doesn't mean instant baldness, in fact androgenetic alopecia starts quite mildly. A person can have normal amounts of hair coming out, it just might not grow back as usual, just a gradual slow overall thinning (that's usually how older women lose thickness). I follow two Russian bloggers who were diagnosed with AGA when they had full heads of hair. One person went to a trichologist with a completely different issue, and another one experienced mild shedding, but still had long and thick hair. None of them is on rogaine/minoxidil, the first one uses a laser hair comb, another one doesn't disclose her routine, but it's probably some natural anti-androgens like saw palmetto extract.

A trichologist can prescribe a treatment for it, what else can they do? Isn't it better than just sitting around asking strangers online for advice? Of course guska can just decide to wait it out and hope for the best, but it obviously bothers her, so why wait?

You could have been lucky. The doctor you went to probably had a lucky guess. I had hyperinsulinism in my early teens, my endocrinologist said that it was probably just puberty and it would go away in a couple of years, but she still prescribed medication and diet in case it wouldn't. Doctors might not treat hair as something important, because it's not something your life depends on, they could have said that "it's just puberty" because they thought trying to deal with it would be a waste of their time. You can't know why they said what they said. I've never met people who would have bald patches in their teens just because puberty. Alopecia areata for example is an autoimmune condition, and speaking from experience autoimmune stuff can come and go as it pleases, how do you know that wasn't your issue?

[lapushka]

lapushka, alopecia doesn't mean instant baldness, in fact androgenetic alopecia starts quite mildly. A person can have normal amounts of hair coming out, it just might not grow back as usual, just a gradual slow overall thinning (that's usually how older women lose thickness). I follow two Russian bloggers who were diagnosed with AGA when they had full heads of hair. One person went to a trichologist with a completely different issue, and another one experienced mild shedding, but still had long and thick hair. None of them is on rogaine/minoxidil, the first one uses a laser hair comb, another one doesn't disclose her routine, but it's probably some natural anti-androgens like saw palmetto extract.

A trichologist can prescribe a treatment for it, what else can they do? Isn't it better than just sitting around asking strangers online for advice? Of course guska can just decide to wait it out and hope for the best, but it obviously bothers her, so why wait?

You could have been lucky. The doctor you went to probably had a lucky guess. I had hyperinsulinism in my early teens, my endocrinologist said that it was probably just puberty and it would go away in a couple of years, but she still prescribed medication and diet in case it wouldn't. Doctors might not treat hair as something important, because it's not something your life depends on, they could have said that "it's just puberty" because they thought trying to deal with it would be a waste of their time. You can't know why they said what they said. I've never met people who would have bald patches in their teens just because puberty. Alopecia areata for example is an autoimmune condition, and speaking from experience autoimmune stuff can come and go as it pleases, how do you know that wasn't your issue?

The doctor at the time was a doctor of internal medicine, why doubt his diagnosis? My hair grew back in as thick as it was, and it was fine after that.

Ah that explains it better. I didn't claim it's not worth it to have it checked out. But... it can be so draining and if you are already on heightened alert it might not make matters any easier. :flower:

That, in fact is exactly how my mom's hair thinned over time, but she has just accepted it (and I think that is major). After pregnancy, it didn't grow back as thick, and after menopause - again.

What else *can* you do but accept it. I mean there are no miracles, and are you really better off trying to use all those products like Rogaine and what have you? Mind you, this is a teen! :)

[Robot Ninja]

It looks like you have a lot of shorter hairs that aren't long enough to ponytail in the top picture. Which could mean your thickness is growing back. A vitamin D deficiency can definitely cause hair loss, and six months is probably not enough time to see improvement. Also, if you've been taking better care of your hair, it might be compacting more, which would make it look thinner.

I'm not sure what a school nurse can really do for you, since hair loss can be a symptom of so many things. If you don't have any other symptoms and your blood tests came back fine, I'd wait and see. (With the obligatory disclaimer that LHC is not a doctor.)

[lapushka]

It looks like you have a lot of shorter hairs that aren't long enough to ponytail in the top picture. Which could mean your thickness is growing back. A vitamin D deficiency can definitely cause hair loss, and six months is probably not enough time to see improvement. Also, if you've been taking better care of your hair, it might be compacting more, which would make it look thinner.

I'm not sure what a school nurse can really do for you, since hair loss can be a symptom of so many things. If you don't have any other symptoms and your blood tests came back fine, I'd wait and see. (With the obligatory disclaimer that LHC is not a doctor.)

Definitely not! Takes at least a good year. And then some. In my case it did (different reasons).

I'd also wait it out, but it's all up to the OP and what she is in the mood for. :)

[Joules]

The doctor at the time was a doctor of internal medicine, why doubt his diagnosis? My hair grew back in as thick as it was, and it was fine after that.

Ah that explains it better. I didn't claim it's not worth it to have it checked out. But... it can be so draining and if you are already on heightened alert it might not make matters any easier. :flower:

That, in fact is exactly how my mom's hair thinned over time, but she has just accepted it (and I think that is major). After pregnancy, it didn't grow back as thick, and after menopause - again.

What else *can* you do but accept it. I mean there are no miracles, and are you really better off trying to use all those products like Rogaine and what have you? Mind you, this is a teen! :)

Exactly, this is a teen, that's why I don't want to provide examples such as women going through pregnancy or especially menopause. She still has a long way to go to the latter.

Also, I knew a girl in university who had very visible thinning at the crown. Even people who knew nothing about hairloss noticed, it was that dramatic. Is this better than rogaine? Especially for a young person? I'm not saying guska is gonna be bald on top in 5 years, I'm saying that such examples exist too. Plus there are things more gentle than minoxidil (I would use it only when everything else failed, tbh). The laser hair comb I mentioned is proven to be effective against androgenetic alopecia, I plan to buy it for myself actually. Since guska seems to be bothered by it so much, I assume she should be willing to try things. So I'm making suggestions.

I don't get why people should just accept hairloss. I mean, if you don't care, then fine. If you do care, there are a lot of options for you. It's 2019, people are planning to colonize Mars, no one has to accept something as easily reversible as thinning hair.

[lapushka]

I don't get why people should just accept hairloss. I mean, if you don't care, then fine. If you do care, there are a lot of options for you. It's 2019, people are planning to colonize Mars, no one has to accept something as easily reversible as thinning hair.

How is it easily reversible? :hmm:

[PillowForts17]

My hair has thinned a lot because of medications I was on this time last year. Now that treatment is over I still find myself getting upset at my hair loss. It's seems to be coming in very slowly again, but I understand how you're feeling.

[Cate36]

Exactly, this is a teen, that's why I don't want to provide examples such as women going through pregnancy or especially menopause. She still has a long way to go to the latter.

Also, I knew a girl in university who had very visible thinning at the crown. Even people who knew nothing about hairloss noticed, it was that dramatic. Is this better than rogaine? Especially for a young person? I'm not saying guska is gonna be bald on top in 5 years, I'm saying that such examples exist too. Plus there are things more gentle than minoxidil (I would use it only when everything else failed, tbh). The laser hair comb I mentioned is proven to be effective against androgenetic alopecia, I plan to buy it for myself actually. Since guska seems to be bothered by it so much, I assume she should be willing to try things. So I'm making suggestions.

I don't get why people should just accept hairloss. I mean, if you don't care, then fine. If you do care, there are a lot of options for you. It's 2019, people are planning to colonize Mars, no one has to accept something as easily reversible as thinning hair.

All traditional medications for loss including laser combs (which are not anywhere near as effective as the helmets, but even so..) cause loss before growth. They all cause shedding before gain.. so be warned..

[Joules]

How is it easily reversible? :hmm:

Are you trolling me? I just mentioned a few methods of reversing all of it. Yes, if you choose those methods you're stuck with them forever, but there's nothing wrong with it if you want to retain your iii thickness.

Giving out advice like "oh just accept it, you're gonna go through menopause and lose your hair anyway" to a teenager is very easy when you aren't this teenager, and it's quite anti-LHC if you ask me. You did go to a doctor when you had bald patches and had a luxury of an actual professional putting your mind at ease. Maybe guska should do the same even if a doctor would say the same thing to her. Or maybe they would help her get it back.

[guska]

snip

As far as I can tell, OP hasn't talked about chunks coming out, or bald(ing) patches.

You're right, no balding patches.


It looks like you have a lot of shorter hairs that aren't long enough to ponytail in the top picture. Which could mean your thickness is growing back. A vitamin D deficiency can definitely cause hair loss, and six months is probably not enough time to see improvement. Also, if you've been taking better care of your hair, it might be compacting more, which would make it look thinner.

If you're talking about the shorter hairs near the nape of my neck, those aren't regrowth. Because my hair is still relatively short, som near the nape of my neck can't reach a high ponytail (yet).

I wasn't deficient on vit D, as my school nurse emphasised. It was low average. But maybe my body thrives on higher vit D levels and I just have to wait. I'm just afraid that vit D is not the culprit and the hair loss will get worse as I wait a few years "in wait for my vit D to get back to normal".

[lapushka]

Are you trolling me? I just mentioned a few methods of reversing all of it. Yes, if you choose those methods you're stuck with them forever, but there's nothing wrong with it if you want to retain your iii thickness.

Giving out advice like "oh just accept it, you're gonna go through menopause and lose your hair anyway" to a teenager is very easy when you aren't this teenager, and it's quite anti-LHC if you ask me. You did go to a doctor when you had bald patches and had a luxury of an actual professional putting your mind at ease. Maybe guska should do the same even if a doctor would say the same thing to her. Or maybe they would help her get it back.

What. Joules. How can you say that. That is harsh! You know I have issues reading posts! :o Why not just say, have you read what I wrote because I'd already mentioned that? Or something along those lines.

Let's just agree to disagree, because I feel we're not going to see eye to eye on this issue. :flower:

[lapushka]

You're right, no balding patches.

That is one good thing, at least! That is a bit harder to deal with. I know for a fact.

Age 13/14 I had balding patches & chunks coming out.
Age 16/17 I lost 1/3 of my circumference due to borderline anorexia.

It is different if you don't have the balding patches!

Hang in there!

[Dark40]

The pics are now fixed :)



Blood work came back normal, do I still need to take a daily multivitamin? :( I had my iron levels checked, they came back normal.



Stress levels are fine. I occasionally feel down, but I believe it's normal for all of us.

I don't take BC or other medications. Have never taken.



The water isn't a problem here in my area.
I'm not so sure when my hair was at it's thickest. I believe it was in my early teens (I'm still a teenager though).

Yes, I take multivitamins daily, and they've help me with hair growth and thickness. Even though my hair is naturally already thick the vitamins make my hair even thicker.

[MusicalSpoons]

I wasn't deficient on vit D, as my school nurse emphasised. It was low average. But maybe my body thrives on higher vit D levels and I just have to wait. I'm just afraid that vit D is not the culprit and the hair loss will get worse as I wait a few years "in wait for my vit D to get back to normal".

You live in a Scandivavian country, if I recall correctly? I don't know how much vitamin D you're supplementing but if it's only a modest amount (e.g. 100% RDA) that's not likely to be enough. Obviously I have no way of knowing how much the vitamin D will have affected it but if it's even a factor, you want to be making sure you're getting your level back up and maintaining it decently high. I can't remember exact info but I recommend looking into optimal levels, if you haven't already done so. Our national guidelines are based on studies that looked at deficiency causing rickets, so our low threshold for what is considered 'normal' is basically 'just enough so you don't get rickets and your organs don't start shutting down'. Actually the 'so your organs don't start shutting down' bit is their basis for pretty much all of the lowest 'normal' values for bloodwork :rolleyes: Living north, you won't get any vit D from sunshine so it all needs to come from diet and supplements.

[guska]

You live in a Scandivavian country, if I recall correctly? I don't know how much vitamin D you're supplementing but if it's only a modest amount (e.g. 100% RDA) that's not likely to be enough. Obviously I have no way of knowing how much the vitamin D will have affected it but if it's even a factor, you want to be making sure you're getting your level back up and maintaining it decently high. I can't remember exact info but I recommend looking into optimal levels, if you haven't already done so. Our national guidelines are based on studies that looked at deficiency causing rickets, so our low threshold for what is considered 'normal' is basically 'just enough so you don't get rickets and your organs don't start shutting down'. Actually the 'so your organs don't start shutting down' bit is their basis for pretty much all of the lowest 'normal' values for bloodwork :rolleyes: Living north, you won't get any vit D from sunshine so it all needs to come from diet and supplements.

Yes.

I take a supplement with 50 microgram vit D, it's 1000% of the RDI according to the package.

[lapushka]

Yes.

I take a supplement with 50 microgram vit D, it's 1000% of the RDI according to the package.

I take calcium D3 500; this twice a day, morning and evening:
https://www.newpharma.be/apotheek/cacit/31811/cacit-vitamine-d3-500-440-granulaat-30-zakjes.html

It's got "calciumcarbonaat 1.250 mg (500 mg of 12,5 mmol elementair calcium) + cholecalciferolconcentraat 440 IE (vitamine D3 11μg)"

I am over half of my vit D needs on my blood tests, so that's good.

[milosmomma]

I just want to say I understand how stressful shedding and thinning is :hugs: Mine was pregnancy related but the thinning and stress it causes are pretty similar.
I would check your hair for shorter strands that could be re-growth periodically. Finding some shorter strands can be comforting and relieve some stress. I aslo agree with continuing the vitamins, as far as I know it won't hurt anything and if it's related to lacking something then it should help in the long run. I would try to make an appointment with a specialist in addition to following up with your school nurse. Maybe ask if you can get a recommendation through the school nurse?
Best of luck figuring out some answers :)

[Ghaliya]

I feel bad for always ranting about my hair loss here at LHC, bringing much negative energy into the forum with my rants. I'm very sorry :( But oh well. This is therapy for me, as no one else IRL understand my struggle.


Anyway, I have seen zero increase in my ponytail circumference. I can't say for sure, though, since I haven't measure since August (can't find my measuring tape). Back in August a low pony was 8 cm in thickness, a high pony 9 cm in thickness. From pictures and by feel I can definitely tell that there has been no improvement thickness-wise since August. Quite the contrary, when comparing ponytail pictures from April 2018 and April 2019 I can see that my ponytail has gotten thinner.


I really don't know what to do! Blood work (that included hormonal tests) from October last year came back completely normal except for vitamin D that I have now been taking for six months (but still no improvement in sight...). I'm going back to my school nurse for consulting but I don't know what she can do or if she'll do something. I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling that she didn't take me seriously last time because even though I've lost roughly 1/3 of my thickness, it's still in the average range. "Your hair doesn't look thin", as my school nurse herself and many others have commented.


But! I had a 12,5 cm (4,9 inches) thick ponytail three years ago! Something's not right...

Picture taken today
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36497&d=1555092000

Picture from 2015 (after a seasonal shed, so not quite 12,5 cm circumference)
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36496&d=1555091990

Back then I could hardly wrap the hair tie around twice, now I can easily wrap it around thrice.


I spend a lot of time every day worrying about my hair loss and it's getting quite desperate. I avoid ponytails/braids because they make me conscious of how thin my hair has gotten. My mom and dad think that my vegan diet is the culprit behind my hair loss (I went vegan 3 years ago, hair loss started around 2 years ago) but then again the blood work came back normal. They think I'm lacking something, "something that shows normal on the blood test but that you're still lacking".
Idk, I've even thought about going back to eating meat because of how desperate the situation is but I can't stand the thought. And how the heck is meat supposed to magically regrow my hair?


I eat healthily, get as much exercise as I can, spend lots of time with my friends, have a hobby that I love. School is sometimes stressing but I feel like I have it under control. None of my parents experienced hair loss in their youth (they both had iii hair). Neither my brother, iii-haired himself. And here I am, young, happy and hair loss-stricken.

*End of the rant :)*




I used to have very thick hair and I actually hated it, because I didn't use products in my hair...so it would always be a poof. Nobody I knew had hair like me, except mom...but she kept hers very short and I struggled so much with my hair.....

Fast forward, I believe I was about 22ish and my hair got SO thin, where you could see my scalp, especially at the crown. I wasn't really taking care of it either, my diet was crap. I'm easily stressed, so might've made it worse....and it really depressed me.....like every single day.....The thickness I hated growing up, I now longed for ...anyway it did grow back....I think it was mainly diet....I've had 2 sheds since (post partum), currently see the crown area slowly filling back in. It's hard to go through when others around you aren't going through it. I hope mine goes back to the same thickness. Stay positive!!! There is hope!!!

[Ghaliya]

I think some days, I just accept the fact that it may not grow to the same thickness it once was....like Lapushka said, what can you do.....while others it really bothers me, and I'll try to do oil treatments/eat healthier hopingit'll help lol. You're definitely not alone in this...

[Kat-Rinnè Naido]

Sorry to read about your hair loss.

Just before I joined LHC I had a major shed. I did not have any bald patches. I was a vegan with low iron levels and I was taking iron supplements and a multivitamin.
I took the normal stats requirements when I joined but was not aware how much my ponytail circumference had shrunk. Two years later and a change in diet there was a noticeable increase in circumference. But the change was measurable after two years.

Diet and hormones will affect hair health. Maybe there are some members who observe a vegan lifestyle who can share their experience.

Good luck and please don't stress about this as the stress can also affect hair .

[MirKing]

Have you recently stopped are started birth control for some reason synthetic hormones wreak havok without showing strongly in blood tests. I got pregnant on birth control and lost buckets of hair when I quit the birth control

[Cate36]

Yes.

I take a supplement with 50 microgram vit D, it's 1000% of the RDI according to the package.

Not enough in my experience .. if you were low on the range (as I have been), you need a higher dose to get you back into the normal range. I would take at least 400 iu per day (I am on 500). It is unlikely that you would overdose at that - if you are worried get a blood test every 3 months to check levels. But if low, a standard multi vit is unlikely to do anything at all....

[lapushka]

Not enough in my experience .. if you were low on the range (as I have been), you need a higher dose to get you back into the normal range. I would take at least 400 iu per day (I am on 500). It is unlikely that you would overdose at that - if you are worried get a blood test every 3 months to check levels. But if low, a standard multi vit is unlikely to do anything at all....

Let's see what's in my calcium/vitD3 supplements.
"calciumcarbonaat 1250 mg (= 500 mg elementair calcium) + cholecalciferol concentrate 440 IE (= 11μg vitamine D3)"

I take those 2x a day, and then another calcium supplement in the evening.