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Vanille
March 17th, 2024, 12:47 PM
Hi, all:

There's a lot I could say about how hard last year was, but some of the worst effects showed up after the new year.

If you have hair that is classic length or longer, and have ever had a massive shed (due to stress and/or illness), I'm sure you can relate to this.

Now that the shedding has slowed down, and new growth is starting, there's the prospect of re-growing several feet of hair in order to catch up to the overall volume it was just a few months ago.

And although the natural response is to be super upset, we all know that too much stress can be a negative for hair growth (as well as most other aspects of health).

So, while I'll be working hard to apply all the nutritional and other methods I can find to boost regrowth, I'll also be working to manage stress levels, get plenty of sleep, etc. etc.

I've been doing a lot of research online, and I've also searched Google for LHC threads that might relate to this, but if anyone can suggest some helpful threads here about any of the various factors that can help with hair regrowth, I'd really appreciate links to them.

Thanks in advance, and here's to better times!

SandyBottom
March 17th, 2024, 02:10 PM
Oh Vanille, I can so relate! Sorry you're (also) dealing with this. Long story short, I got COVID very end of 2022 and started a pretty significant shed 3?4? months later. Handfuls. Tried not to stress over it, eating healthy and now even healthier, better sleep, quit measuring circumference etc. Fast forward to now: I can feel and see a lot of baby/teenage:) hairs on my scalp and was feeling pretty pleased...until I took a 1 year length comparison shot. I felt sick when I saw the difference in thickness staring back. I was so upset I never did post it. That was about 3 weeks ago. The picture on the left was taken end of Feb '23 (so after Covid and before I started to shed). The one on the right was taken just about 3 weeks ago-a year later. I'll post it now, to let you and others know you aren't alone. I know "it's hair, it'll grow back", but it still stung. There are other threads. One is https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1124&page=50 Best of luck to you
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49799&d=1710706097

Vanille
March 17th, 2024, 03:23 PM
@SandyBottom Thank you for sharing your experience.

I am thankful to have otherwise recovered, but still wishing that somehow I had known that this could happen, and thus might have been able to take steps to minimize the loss. It just never occurred to me that a severe illness could be such a shock to my hair.

Up to now, although it was in the "good idea" category, I have not been very motivated to consistently manage my stress. But now, for the sake of my hair (as well as all the other reasons, of course), I"m taking actual steps to minimize stress on a daily and hourly basis.

And I'm also taking better care with nutrition and supplements than I was before.

Perhaps other aspects of my health, as well as my hair, will benefit from these improvements.

Here's wishing you all the best in your hair recovery journey!

SandyBottom
March 17th, 2024, 05:41 PM
:flower:Thank you for that.

evernia
March 17th, 2024, 05:54 PM
hello, i also went through something similar a few months ago... now it stopped at least and i can enjoy such an amount of untameable flyaways and frizz i've never seen before (which means it's growing again, yay). also went through a phase where i regretted every small thing, it's best to let those things be, but let yourself process the emotions naturally and don't bottle your anger or sadness up. one of the more optimistic things i've noticed was that with stress shedding (at least for me), the hair is regrowing instantly so it'll grow in much quicker than you think. and the feelings that some catastrophe has happened will pass and soon you'll be able to take it as it is.

i don't want to send you looking for a holy grail in vain and there is a big YMMV - but i think taking NAC (acetylcysteine, 500mg) as a supplement might have helped me with the stress and secondarily also the shedding - every pharmacy has it. i definitely felt less stressed, the hair of course may have been just a correlation, but it slowed down some time after starting to take it. i originally got it recommended because i can't breathe at night and the doctor said it's one of the safest things to take long term, but check it with your doctor or the pharmacist just in case.

i hope it goes better and wish you strength <3

Vanille
March 17th, 2024, 08:37 PM
...one of the more optimistic things i've noticed was that with stress shedding (at least for me), the hair is regrowing instantly so it'll grow in much quicker than you think. and the feelings that some catastrophe has happened will pass and soon you'll be able to take it as it is.

Thank you for the encouragement. I guess it's time to stop chastising myself for not drinking more protein shakes (and/or any other things that I think "could have" helped to prevent or minimize the loss) while I was sick and during recovery.

Being kinder to myself NOW can only help, right? It can be part of that "stress management" stuff that has now become more important to me.

Thanks also for the NAC recommendation. I actually have that on hand for other occasional uses, but had not heard that it might also be good for hair health (and possible regrowth). I'll definitely look into adding that to my current regimen of supplements.

I hope your health and hair continue to improve for you!

LittleQuill
March 18th, 2024, 12:03 AM
Oh Vanille, I can so relate! Sorry you're (also) dealing with this. Long story short, I got COVID very end of 2022 and started a pretty significant shed 3?4? months later. Handfuls. Tried not to stress over it, eating healthy and now even healthier, better sleep, quit measuring circumference etc. Fast forward to now: I can feel and see a lot of baby/teenage:) hairs on my scalp and was feeling pretty pleased...until I took a 1 year length comparison shot. I felt sick when I saw the difference in thickness staring back. I was so upset I never did post it. That was about 3 weeks ago. The picture on the left was taken end of Feb '23 (so after Covid and before I started to shed). The one on the right was taken just about 3 weeks ago-a year later. I'll post it now, to let you and others know you aren't alone. I know "it's hair, it'll grow back", but it still stung. There are other threads. One is https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1124&page=50 Best of luck to you
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49799&d=1710706097

I just wanted to say - thank you for being so brave and posting your 'after' picture, even though it's hard for you to look at. Your hair is still very pretty! :flowers:

To the OP, it sounds like you're taking the right steps, and I'm sorry to both you and SandyBottom that you've gone through something so intense. In additon to paying closer attention to yourself and your health (which is great to hear, by the way!), maybe you can wear your hair up a lot, if not majority of the time? That way, it can grow back out and you're not having to 'look' at it every time there's a reflection. Out of sight out of mind kind of deal. I don't have hair loss, but I did go through a stage last year where I experienced some pretty disheartening amount of breakage that affected the thickness of the hair on the left side of my head, and it broke off well above my ears. Now, most of it is at chin length, and my hair is in a much better state, but my hair's about classic length, and I still see all these short hairs poking out every time I wash, and it makes me a bit sad that it'll take years to reach the rest of my length. To help deal with it, I don't look at my hair as much as I can. I brush and put my hair up without a mirror, and I try not to wear double braids anymore because one is a little thinner than the other now. When I do have to look in the mirror (when brushing my teeth for example), I make sure my hair is up, or hidden within a bonnet. You don't see a difference in my hair, but you can certainly feel it when you grab the affected side as opposed to the other one.

I hope your newfound regime can help you grow your hair back and get you to a better state of health! :grouphug:

foreveryours
March 18th, 2024, 06:05 AM
Oh Vanille, I can so relate! Sorry you're (also) dealing with this. Long story short, I got COVID very end of 2022 and started a pretty significant shed 3?4? months later. Handfuls. Tried not to stress over it, eating healthy and now even healthier, better sleep, quit measuring circumference etc. Fast forward to now: I can feel and see a lot of baby/teenage:) hairs on my scalp and was feeling pretty pleased...until I took a 1 year length comparison shot. I felt sick when I saw the difference in thickness staring back. I was so upset I never did post it. That was about 3 weeks ago. The picture on the left was taken end of Feb '23 (so after Covid and before I started to shed). The one on the right was taken just about 3 weeks ago-a year later. I'll post it now, to let you and others know you aren't alone. I know "it's hair, it'll grow back", but it still stung. There are other threads. One is https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=1124&page=50 Best of luck to you
https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=49799&d=1710706097

:thudpile:

evernia
March 18th, 2024, 06:24 AM
Thank you for the encouragement. I guess it's time to stop chastising myself for not drinking more protein shakes (and/or any other things that I think "could have" helped to prevent or minimize the loss) while I was sick and during recovery.

Being kinder to myself NOW can only help, right? It can be part of that "stress management" stuff that has now become more important to me.

thank you too! i think a good way to approach it is just kind of replying to the thoughts that make you upset as if you were talking to a close friend who was telling you that. there's no use trying to stop thoughts or make them stop by force, kindness and patience with yourself is the way to go.

regarding the protein shakes thing, TE as a reaction to illness is usually immune based so you can't really know how much that would have helped... it sounds like realistically there was not much you could've done and your body did a good job dealing with the illness

evernia
March 18th, 2024, 07:18 AM
the way our society views women's beauty makes it harder to come to terms with things like hair loss and age and basically anything that leaves a mark. like in nature ve view the things that are imperfect, dramatic or tell a story as beautiful, and what's perfect is usually kind of boring... but to be conventionally beautiful as a woman you have to try to be perfect and like a plastic or porcelain doll it seems. and i feel it could be so much better if we could let our apperance tell a story and be like a tree struck by lightning or an old river instead of a barbie aisle

Chasemi
March 18th, 2024, 09:07 AM
The good news is the hair usually grows back after 3 months, as long as the stressor has been relieved. With or without any special product the haircare industry may try to sell you, studies find that the hair grows back on its own. Waiting is hard ): I hope the growth finds you soon

SandyBottom
March 18th, 2024, 11:43 AM
Thank you all so much, especially @Vanille, the OP! This is a great thread and it's a nice place to find support among friends who understand. We'll be okay.

embee
March 18th, 2024, 04:20 PM
I had a Big Hair Loss about three years (?) ago and hair is growing back. Now my ponytail is almost normal circumference (which was not much to start with) and the thickness is moving down. My bun still looks pretty feeble and small, but I can wear my normal hairsticks again, not just the very short one I had for half-ups. Good food, plenty of rest, and taking care of the hair is all I did, and lots of time... a few years so far.

Hope hope hope I don't have another massive shed after the illness I had last fall and winter, although the shedding in my hairbrush is worse than it was last year this time. :(

nicolezoie
March 18th, 2024, 05:54 PM
I can speak to this as well. Between COVID, loads of life stress, and learning that one of the chemicals in Nexus Therappe was causing substantial thinning, my floor+ hair thinned. Alot. My signature says ii-iii but at its thinnest, it was probably under ii. It's been in recovery mode for a couple years now, and the new thickness starts to drop off somewhere between bra and waist length. I notice it most when I braid. But, it is growing, it is beginning to look overall thicker, and.. I just try to not think about it too much.

Vanille
March 19th, 2024, 08:34 PM
I just wanted to say - thank you for being so brave and posting your 'after' picture, even though it's hard for you to look at. Your hair is still very pretty! :flowers: :

I wanted to say the same, but wasn't sure if @SandyBottom was still reading this thread to see it.

That brings me to a question: How do we "ping" someone on this forum? With other forums that use BBCode, you just put the "@" symbol in front of their member name and that works, but this one does not seem to do that.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread. I really appreciate the encouragement and helpful suggestions!

SandyBottom
March 20th, 2024, 05:01 PM
:waving:I'm here! That's really sweet of you, thanks! I hope people continue to come here and share what they're going/or have gone through. I like to sift through suggestions, not just here, but in general. Some I'm probably doing or have tried, some might not be for me, and others I might not have thought of. I've subscribed to this thread and will continue to check in.

Vanille
March 21st, 2024, 03:17 PM
A few related things that have come up recently, in case anyone wants to share their thoughts:

1) Has anyone managed to shed excess weight while still keeping ALL their hair? Understandably I'm super concerned about ANYthing that might possibly cause more shedding. I'm hoping that it can still work safely if I take it gradually and really amp up the protein and supplements.

2) Aargh, I thought the extra shedding was over, and then I combed out WAY too much hair last night (while VERY carefully using my usual wide-tooth comb) after shampooing.

My two thoughts are that A) maybe I need to dial back to a super mild, fragrance free shampoo now? and B) maybe something I've been eating recently is messing with dermal health (I have developed eczema in the past if I eat almond products too often, and I've been having more lately).

3) In view of the above, does anyone get a sense that the hair follicles are more "easily triggered" (more prone to going back into a resting/shedding state) after an episode of TE? I'm wondering if I need to be more careful (at least for a while) than I needed to be in the past, in order to keep the hair I have and successfully re-grow what was lost.

4) I was kind of surprised that there weren't more suggestions about supplements for hair growth, but that is a pretty complex topic. Does this forum have one or more threads on the topic of nutrition for hair growth?

Thanks if anyone has thoughts and/or personal experience to share on any of the above!

evernia
March 21st, 2024, 05:17 PM
hello and hope you're well! regarding your point 2) i've found that the loss didn't stop gradually but in waves, so after a wash day i think it can be expected... and with regards to the nutrition, i tried more things than i'd like to admit (biotin, silica, collagen, fish oil, prescription iron, zinc and various minerals and vitamins) and from those only MSM seemed to make my hair and nails grow slighly but measurably faster, there's a thread about it here, but it didn't affect my shedding at all and neither did the others in this case (apart from the NAC).

though it's kind of tricky with supplements for hair growth, it's not really that important for medical research, so you have to depend on people with anecdotal experience, who sometimes seem to recommend extremely high doses that can hurt you, especially if your system is out of balance - i've seen some youtube lady recommend her viewers take 4 teaspoons / 20 grams of MSM a day and that's just plain dangerous, normal dose is 500-1000 mg. none of them will work for everyone and there's a lot snake oil being sold, so the best advice is still probably only taking what you're deficient in.

if you search "supplements" there's a few... exhaustive threads such as this one (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8927), but a big part of of it is misinformation (suggesting that aloe vera is a nutrient when it's just a laxative, the RDAs are wrong etc) and the person is literally taking 20 tablets a day which is a road to liver damage, so use your best critical thinking skills and check such information with other sources like examine.com

SandyBottom
March 21st, 2024, 07:16 PM
I remember my shed seemed to start and stop pretty suddenly. It was weird. As far as nutrition, I don't take a lot of supplements, just a multivitamin and I started taking D3 after I got sick and first heard about Covid shed. I prefer to just eat a wide variety of healthy foods and sort of rotate them a little. One interesting discovery...I decided to try fenugreek and apparently it has helped a pain I get in my shoulder at night! This pain was something that would wake me up 2-3 times a night and now it almost never does. So that has definitely helped my quality of sleep.

Your question #3 about follicles possibly being more easily triggered was very interesting! You might be onto something. I have been growing .5" monthly very consistently since joining here and then suddenly, since the beginning of this year, almost nothing. My diet and sleep has improved, stress and activity levels have remained the same. I'm hoping that there will come a day SOON when everything I'm doing now will just kick in and there will be a big growth spurt.

Vanille
March 27th, 2024, 01:31 PM
Yikes, I've been meaning to reply to this thread for days now, but it seems that daily stuff kept getting precedence.

@evernia It seems we are of like mind regarding supplements, i.e. DO THE RESEARCH and don't just take the word of "some person on the internet" for what to use and how to use it.

My process goes something like this: 1) I hear of some potential benefits of a certain supplement. 2) While researching more about the potential benefits, I do my best to find out exactly HOW it works (i.e. what is the physiological mechanism), and what (if any) downsides or risks there might be in using it.

3) If it seems the benefits are substantial, the mechanism by which it works isn't likely to cause problems, and there are no real risks to taking an effective dose, then I'll find out "how and how much" to take it (What dosage? With food or on an empty stomach? Is there any conflict with other supplements if taken together?). 4) And then there's the search for a reputable supplier who uses pure ingredients and methods to create the supplement.

This is of course initially time-consuming, however it has resulted in a number of "wins" nutritionally (i.e. noticeable benefits from taking the chosen supplements) and has also helped me avoid some serious risks.

Re: MSM: A few years ago I had a couple sessions of taking it consistently for several weeks in a row, for some general health reason(s) that I don't remember now. What I do remember is the obvious new hair growth that surprised me each time. It's nice to find out that I won't need to take as much as I was taking then to get good results. ;)

@SandyBottom For various reasons, it might make sense if the body was a bit "trigger-happy" after a major health challenge, and thus was ready to dial back on hair growth more quickly (and with less provocation) than it was before.

I'm probably going to take some extra care with choice of shampoo, etc. for the time being... which means going back to making a diluted solution of the fragrance free "baby wash" that I used years ago.

I'm about due for another shampoo, and frankly I'm feeling nervous about it. Here's hoping it goes better this time!

Ylva
March 28th, 2024, 04:58 AM
3) In view of the above, does anyone get a sense that the hair follicles are more "easily triggered" (more prone to going back into a resting/shedding state) after an episode of TE? I'm wondering if I need to be more careful (at least for a while) than I needed to be in the past, in order to keep the hair I have and successfully re-grow what was lost.

No. I was warned about this back when I had my TE in late 2019, but did not experience that to be the case. I think it's mostly because after the emotional shock of TE bout, we tend to become so hyper sensitive to shedding that we take note of even the slightest increase in shedding, which is nothing but normal fluctuation.

Arciela
March 31st, 2024, 06:36 AM
I dealt with this due to being put on medications that I didn't need (way too many) and after taking them for 2-3 years, a ton of my hair fell out. I weaned off the meds and am completely off them now. Hair was falling out in chunks.

My hair got quite thin and a couple months ago I cut it from classic to APL. Best thing I ever did. I've a ton of baby hairs now, so it's growing back. I'm enjoying the length, and I seem to be approaching BSL fast.

Vanille
April 1st, 2024, 02:53 AM
I've a ton of baby hairs now, so it's growing back. I'm enjoying the length, and I seem to be approaching BSL fast.
It's great to hear that it's growing back! Here's hoping everything is better from this point forward.

Vintagerapunzel
April 2nd, 2024, 09:40 AM
I went through postpartum shedding last year that was very upsetting. I went 9 months with almost no shedding to running my hands down the length with many loose hairs. Hair absolutely everywhere. It has slowed down a year postpartum. I can't remember what my normal shedding amount was though. But it is encouraging enough to see new baby hairs all over. It is temporary.

foreveryours
April 2nd, 2024, 10:52 AM
I went through postpartum shedding last year that was very upsetting. I went 9 months with almost no shedding to running my hands down the length with many loose hairs. Hair absolutely everywhere. It has slowed down a year postpartum. I can't remember what my normal shedding amount was though. But it is encouraging enough to see new baby hairs all over. It is temporary.

I smiled when I read this.l

So soon? That shedding is temporary and affects not just you is encouraging, but such shedding has a quite early start with the one-year old, no? TE isn't supposed to be contagious, or is it?

I know what you meant. A sense of humor is necessary :laugh:

embee
April 4th, 2024, 06:26 AM
Ha ha! Clever, foreveryours. :)

However... I've known babies to lose their birth hair completely and grow in something rather different in color and texture. Not my kids, but a friend's kid. Strange. Baby was born with almost shoulder length dark hair, then lost it all, grew back in much lighter. So long ago I don't recall how old the child was when the birth hair all fell out.

Vintagerapunzel
April 4th, 2024, 08:57 AM
Lol... Interestingly enough, my baby was born with a whole head of hair and he still has it. His longest length is about to his armpits.

sarana
September 16th, 2024, 08:36 AM
I've been super bummed to realize that I'm having hair loss due to a medication I'm taking.

I had noticed way more shedding than usual starting from around July. I pay close attention to my hair, so I noticed that there was way more hair coming out in the shower than usual, more hair getting caught in my brush and comb, and sometimes I would pull out small clumps of hair while washing or brushing. I thought it might be TE from having had covid in May, or stress from starting a new school. (To be fair, this might be the case or contribute as well. Can't know for sure. I got into landscape architecture btw.)

But then Arciela told me that she had had hair loss from gabapentin and lo and behold I had just started to use pregabalin (Lyrica, a similar drug) a couple of months ago. Upon researching, many people say it makes their hair fall out.

I'm upset, because it's a good med, but I'll have to discontinue/significantly reduce it. I cannot afford to lose my already thin hair. There isn't much to begin with.

I'm glad I caught this fairly early on, so I may be able to stop it before the hair loss becomes noticeable.

foreveryours
September 17th, 2024, 10:06 AM
Yikes, I also take gabapentin but have cut back significantly over this past year. Looking at my records, hair loss over the past few months has lessened. I'm sure that it's just circumstancial. Winter is coming. Winter is shedding season here in Hell :p

sarana
September 19th, 2024, 09:04 AM
Yikes, I also take gabapentin but have cut back significantly over this past year. Looking at my records, hair loss over the past few months has lessened. I'm sure that it's just circumstancial. Winter is coming. Winter is shedding season here in Hell :p

It's entirely possible that it's just a coincidence and has nothing to do with the meds. I think I have had a shed in late summer before too. Are we changing to winter fur?

But I suppose it's good to try to minimize my use of meds if possible, quite a few of them are not good for the hair. Why aren't there any that promote hair growth? :p

(Well minoxidil I guess. But only if you have pattern hair loss)

foreveryours
September 19th, 2024, 06:21 PM
It's entirely possible that it's just a coincidence and has nothing to do with the meds. I think I have had a shed in late summer before too. Are we changing to winter fur?

But I suppose it's good to try to minimize my use of meds if possible, quite a few of them are not good for the hair. Why aren't there any that promote hair growth? :p

(Well minoxidil I guess. But only if you have pattern hair loss)

There's evidence that ketoconazole is another, though not at generally OTC concentrations here in the US

sarana
October 15th, 2024, 05:00 PM
It's been a month since the initial post, and I'm still experiencing significant hair fall. Alarming.

I thought that ok maybe it was just stress or autumn, and didn't really cut down on meds but now I may have to try to do that again.

I'm quite distressed by the amount of hair that's coming out.

Nefcerka
November 5th, 2024, 08:10 AM
I am not sure if telogen effluvium is what I'm experiencing, but whatever the name, I hate this amount of hairloss. My hair has always been on the thin and fine side, but it has never been this fragile.

I don't count the sheds (though I shed visibly more now at short hair than when I had long hair), nor do I measure my circumference (though I'm sure I have fallen from barely i/ii to a i).

My previous nutritionally deficient diet might be to blame. There is little I can do about stress. I have read that somewhere that scalp tension can increase the concentration of DHT near scalp follicles, and my scalp has become so sensitive to any kind of tension that I have to leave my hair loose most of the time. Oh and I found out I have a severe gluten intolerance, but I have not had any gluten for more than half a year now, so that should no longer be influencing the (lack of) quality of my hair (unless it is...).

I am hoping to restore my hair back to health, it is my project for the next year. It includes:
- eating enough good-quality protein
- addressing nutritional deficiencies, especially iron
- taking hair vitamins (biotin+zinc+selenium)
- daily scalp massages, using only fingers
- applying rosemary essential oil - I am not sure how yet, I might put a few drops into my shampoo or maybe I will try scalp oiling with coconut oil as a carrier
- wearing hair in very loose hairstyles
- hoping for the best.

ETA: The last option that SHALL NOT BE THOUGHT OF is henna. Only if I am very, very, utterly desperate in case all else fails.

paulownia
November 5th, 2024, 08:48 AM
I'm very sorry that you experience this, Nefcerka
Hope it will go over soon.
I know nothing about tellogen effluvium, I never experienced it, but I did a bit of reading on this topic;)
Doesn't sound funny.
I think that henna is definitely not an option here, but you could try other ayurvedic herbs that don't give any colour. Brahmi for exemple ;)
Are you getting enough sleep?

Nefcerka
November 5th, 2024, 09:47 AM
Thank you for your words, Paulownia. I don't know if something triggered a telogen effluvium for me, but the quality and quantity of my hair has just gone visibly downhill. The insufferable scalp tension and some thinning has actually started in the spring, while my hair was still very long.

I think that henna could actually help me, scalp and strands alike. It is just that I am not ready, not at all, to go down that road again, dealing with the color (I don't like red color in general, even if it did suit me once) and roots (my hair grows fast, I can expect up to 2 cm roots showing in a month, and I am not fond of the look) and just dealing with the mud and mess in my bathroom.
I have a mix of indian herbs that I will try as a paste, it contains brahmi too, I think. But I think I will have to combine the approach, focus not only on external (topical) treatments, but also on internal healing (diet).
And who knows... I might jump into henna like Neoma did. Why is it so tempting?

paulownia
November 5th, 2024, 09:52 AM
And who knows... I might jump into henna like Neoma did. Why is it so tempting?
The power of henna compells you!:p
It is addictive, take my word for it:rolling:

SandyBottom
November 5th, 2024, 03:47 PM
Sorry this is happening to you, Nefcerka. Not measuring circumference helped me not to get hyper focused on the loss. My scalp doesn't respond well to oils such as coconut, grapeseed, olive etc. They're wonderful in my hair but I shed a lot if I oil my scalp. For some reason I don't have any problem at all with essential oils, thankfully. I hope you get it figured out soon.I think you're on the right track trying to heal it from the inside and also the rosemary oil.

Nefcerka
November 6th, 2024, 06:01 AM
Sorry this is happening to you, Nefcerka. Not measuring circumference helped me not to get hyper focused on the loss. My scalp doesn't respond well to oils such as coconut, grapeseed, olive etc. They're wonderful in my hair but I shed a lot if I oil my scalp. For some reason I don't have any problem at all with essential oils, thankfully. I hope you get it figured out soon.I think you're on the right track trying to heal it from the inside and also the rosemary oil.

Thanks, SandyBottom. My scalp also does not like oiling, but I have read here on the forum that rosemary essential oil should be used sparingly, in a carrier oil. So I might chance using it with coconut from time to time, because frankly, I am already shedding profusely, so who cares... But I will also try a few drops of rosemary in my shampoo and in a hair mask made of indian herbs&honey.

I hope that your hair is already in a better place than it was before.

SandyBottom
November 6th, 2024, 07:05 PM
It is, thank you! I don't notice the thinness on top but at the ends, where it was already quite tapered. That will take some years to catch up. Fortunately, since it's up most of the time, I'm the only one who notices probably...I hope.

Emila
November 8th, 2024, 04:52 AM
I've had a couple of bouts of this telogen effluvium. A month or so after it stops you will have a halo of new baby hairs growing in to replace the ones that fell out. This will be very annoying until they are long enough to go into your bun/pony or at least until they lie down a little lol. But once they get to a certain length they aren't really noticeable as shorter hairs any more.

I went through a period of telogen effluvium early this year, at the same time I developed a seperate scalp condition, and I noticed that my hair was very sensitive to any tension and I had to keep my hairstyles very gentle and I couldn't use sticks at all. I could pretty much only braid or do cinnabuns because these were what my scalp tolerated best. I think this was due to the scalp condition, not the telogen effluvium. BUT I think having both at once made it really hard to tell which symptoms belongs to which condition. Especially as it took my doctor many months to diagnose my other scalp condition. So the reason why I'm mentioning this is please keep an eye out for other symptoms and be sure you don't have any other scalp issues going on too.

Nefcerka
November 9th, 2024, 10:27 AM
It is, thank you! I don't notice the thinness on top but at the ends, where it was already quite tapered. That will take some years to catch up. Fortunately, since it's up most of the time, I'm the only one who notices probably...I hope.

I am glad to hear that your hair is recovering, yay!

I found great advice in some other thread - rosemary tea for scalp, instead of rosemary oil if oils are not tolerated. The member said that they make a rosemary&chamomile tea, let it steep overnight and then just spray their scalp daily, and it helps. Of course, I have already bought the rosemary oil, but guess who ran to the store today and bought all rosemary tea they had?

Nefcerka
November 9th, 2024, 10:31 AM
I've had a couple of bouts of this telogen effluvium. A month or so after it stops you will have a halo of new baby hairs growing in to replace the ones that fell out. This will be very annoying until they are long enough to go into your bun/pony or at least until they lie down a little lol. But once they get to a certain length they aren't really noticeable as shorter hairs any more.

I went through a period of telogen effluvium early this year, at the same time I developed a seperate scalp condition, and I noticed that my hair was very sensitive to any tension and I had to keep my hairstyles very gentle and I couldn't use sticks at all. I could pretty much only braid or do cinnabuns because these were what my scalp tolerated best. I think this was due to the scalp condition, not the telogen effluvium. BUT I think having both at once made it really hard to tell which symptoms belongs to which condition. Especially as it took my doctor many months to diagnose my other scalp condition. So the reason why I'm mentioning this is please keep an eye out for other symptoms and be sure you don't have any other scalp issues going on too.

So far I am not seeing any baby hairs :(
I am sorry that you were going through a similar unfortunate experience. Could you please tell me what was the reason for your scalp sensitivity?
I have not figured what is causing mine. I do not have any visible skin problems. It's just that I am not able to put my hair up in any manner any more, the tension makes me take any ponytail or hair toy down pretty soon. I can tolerate a loose french braid, but when I take it down, again, my follicles hurt.

sarana
November 10th, 2024, 01:38 PM
Interesting, I've had unusually bad scalp sensitivity as well. I can't tolerate a stick bun as well as before these days. It's like you said - follicle pain. I wonder why scalp sensitivity seems to correlate with shedding and hair loss? How to make the scalp more resilient again?

embee
November 10th, 2024, 05:24 PM
I *hate* follicle pain! If I frequently change my updo in a major way - like low bun, high bun, braid - and brushing both leaning forwards and standing upright - I am less likely to suffer from it. So I often wear a topknot at night, low or back of the head bun during the day. Change the part, right, middle, left, no part.

Nefcerka
November 16th, 2024, 07:22 AM
Interesting, I've had unusually bad scalp sensitivity as well. I can't tolerate a stick bun as well as before these days. It's like you said - follicle pain. I wonder why scalp sensitivity seems to correlate with shedding and hair loss? How to make the scalp more resilient again?

I wish I knew the answer, Sarana. I stopped tolerating stick buns in the spring, for reasons unknown to me. Before I cut my hair, I was stuck with a messy top-placed Spock bun held with a lightweight fork, all I could tolerate.

I am leaving my hair down most of the time these days, only a thin plastic hairband to keep the strands off my face. Most of the tension is concentrated around my crown, where the hair also seems to grease faster than anywhere else. Also thins out there and on the sides.

What helps to relieve this "follicle pain" is boar bristle brushing the sensitive spots - maybe moving the sebum away is the key? And indian herbs applied to the scalp as a hair mask give me instant, palpable relief - that unfortunately does not last more than a week or so. I have not gotten around to trying rosemary yet, too busy, but I will report how that goes when I have something to tell.

I am also wondering if I'm using a wrong shampoo. The Balea keratin one I have now is great for the strands, but I wonder if it is too heavy for my scalp :confused:

sarana
November 16th, 2024, 01:35 PM
Embee and Nefcerka, your experiences and practises sound so relatable!

For me too, the crown area is the most sensitive and greases the fastest, and has the most thinning.

I haven't been a huge fan of the topknot before, but I've started wearing it occasionally because there's less tension on the crown area compared to a low bun (which is my preferred style). I do also switch it up, but I can't wear mine down as much because it's long. I do still occasionally wear it loose when it seems to be the only way to minimize pulling and tension.

I assume this sensitization has to do, in my case at least, with having a stressful period in my life, which has also caused increased sensory sensitivity in other areas too such as light and sound etc. The same stress maybe has resulted in the increased shedding too.

I like your tip of BBB on painful scalp - I have found similar results with a TT. (I don't like it as a brush very much but it's a nice scalp massage tool). Maybe I'll try a natural bristle brush too, seems like it would be softer and even more gentle.

Oh, and I've been eating a super strong multivitamin for a couple of weeks now, because some members have said that certain medications can deplete vitamins. At least the placebo of taking some actions makes me feel a bit better if nothing else. But I think the shedding has calmed down a little (fingers crossed). I would say it's still above average though.

embee
November 17th, 2024, 06:04 AM
Remember that long hair sheds *always* look like more shedding in the hairbrush. The only way to be sure is to count the hairs, which is not a road I plan to take. I surely have better things to do with my time, like take a nap or ... most anything! :D

Nefcerka
November 19th, 2024, 05:07 AM
Since my last post I have been using rosemary tonic on my scalp everyday. I made a strong rosemary tea, let it steep for a day, transferred into a squeeze bottle and I drip it over my scalp (sometimes twice a day) and massage gently. I donīt expect to sprout a bushy head any time soon, but I came here to say that it helps against the follicle pain! And it smells nice. And feels nice.

shayna
November 19th, 2024, 06:15 AM
Since my last post I have been using rosemary tonic on my scalp everyday. I made a strong rosemary tea, let it steep for a day, transferred into a squeeze bottle and I drip it over my scalp (sometimes twice a day) and massage gently. I donīt expect to sprout a bushy head any time soon, but I came here to say that it helps against the follicle pain! And it smells nice. And feels nice.
What a great idea! We grew up believing than putting some fresh rosemary sprigs in the bath would help muscle pain and aches. Even some in a bucket of hot water for the feet helped relaxation.
So putting rosemary tea on the scalp might help release the tension in the scalp muscles, plus it was known as a hair tonic for centuries. :magic: