Is there any hope?

[hennaphile]

I've tried many things to try and regrow my hair: monostat, megatek, sulphur serums (though that was hard to use consistently because of the mess), and nothing is working. My circumference hasn't fattened, and the taper hasn't budged in a year; what was a fat braid is now no thicker than a pencil, if that. The actual length is continuing to grow, but isn't thickening at all.

My thyroid was normal, as were my hormones, I don't have PCOS, and I started taking iron suppliments.

I'm going to try the cocoveda oil from henna sooq, and if that doens't help at all, maybe look into a dht blocker.

I've tried to accept this as a permanent change, but it's pretty darn depressing.

Is there any hope? :confused:

EDIT: I'm 23, this stinks :(

[Heidi_234]

How long did you try all that? It would take at least a year for the pony circumference to grow, because even if the treatments do work, it would take a year or so for the new hair to reach the ponytail and become measurable. Just a thought.

[Roseate]

You may have discussed this on another thread that I missed, but do you know what caused the hair loss in the first place? How long ago was the initial hair loss that you are regrowing from?

[hennaphile]

Well I tried monostat and mega tek and sulphur for a month each, i would have assumed that it would have grown out enough to notice a difference but maybe not.

I was growing my hair out from the initial chop with an undercut, but that was five years ago. I think part of it never grew back. But it started falling out like crazy, in chunks, last year, before I started on birth control pills. After I started them and even awhile after I stopped, I was losing handfuls. That's when I had the tests done, and nothing was physically abnormal.

I was severely stressed at the time, and since it started before the bcp, I don't know if it had anything to do with it, or if it catalyzed it, or none of the above. My dad whose a doc yelled at me when I said it could have been stress because "that's not an explanation" and just told me to get over it, because as a 60 something year old guy he's lost most of his, so whatever. My mom also had the Princess Leia hair that we both had, most of which fell out during her divorce around age 45, and after menopause, has remained fine.

I don't know exactly what caused it, but it seems very odd that at my age I would be getting what appears (at least to me, maybe I'm being myopic) severe, permanent thinning :shrug:.

Thanks guys :flower:

[Heidi_234]

Look, it takes time to recover from any hairloss. So even if you recover from it now, it's still too early to tell. Even though it been few years now, I still see traces of my hairloss in my length. Personally, monistat did seem to fill in the thinner hair near my temples, but I stopped it now and it's back to the beginning. It could be genetic though, if your mother seems to have about the same thing. But if you say you were stressed, then it's could trigger the thinning for sure. The most important thing is not to be stressed over it now.

btw, you might be also interested in this: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8939
I hope everything will work out fine. :flower: Been there, hair loss sucks :(

[Roseate]

Well I tried monostat and mega tek and sulphur for a month each, i would have assumed that it would have grown out enough to notice a difference but maybe not.
...
I don't know exactly what caused it, but it seems very odd that at my age I would be getting what appears (at least to me, maybe I'm being myopic) severe, permanent thinning :shrug:.

It's true that a month would definitely not be long enough to affect the thickness of your ponytail. You might be able to notice baby hairs coming in, but they would still be really short, still only a couple inches long at most.

If the stress was the culprit, your hair may just restore itself, but it will take years for the baby hairs to catch up to your length, so hang in there!

I don't think you can say it's "permanent" yet, if it only fell out a year ago. Hair moves slow, even in the best of circumstances.

[hennaphile]

:flowers: you guys.


It's one of those nights where I'm really down about it. Maybe it's time to break out the motivational posters of cousin it.

[SimplyLonghair]

My dd and I are both dealing with major shedding and so I really understand where you are coming from. The thing is that hair and your body, usually take several months before you see changes in your growth patterns. I would recommend adding b vitamins to the mix as anemia of any kind will cause hair loss. The thing is that many times people are told that the blood tests are Normal and they either are not or they have higher levels of need than normal. So just because you don't have anemia according to what you were told, that may or may not be the case. And the levels needed for hair regrowth are higher than the minimums. If that makes sense. My suggestion would be do head massages and take suppliments and stop stressing. Yes stress can cause a major shed and many don't recover, but only because they don't heal the deficiencies that are caused by the stress, and they just escalate. So work on eating well and lowering your stress. That should help. We have good months and bad months but we are slowly getting better. Good luck! :grouphug:

[hennaphile]

My dd and I are both dealing with major shedding and so I really understand where you are coming from. The thing is that hair and your body, usually take several months before you see changes in your growth patterns. I would recommend adding b vitamins to the mix as anemia of any kind will cause hair loss. The thing is that many times people are told that the blood tests are Normal and they either are not or they have higher levels of need than normal. So just because you don't have anemia according to what you were told, that may or may not be the case. And the levels needed for hair regrowth are higher than the minimums. If that makes sense. My suggestion would be do head massages and take suppliments and stop stressing. Yes stress can cause a major shed and many don't recover, but only because they don't heal the deficiencies that are caused by the stress, and they just escalate. So work on eating well and lowering your stress. That should help. We have good months and bad months but we are slowly getting better. Good luck! :grouphug:

:smooch:

Thank you for the encouraging words, and my thoughts to you and your dd for happy hair. I will double check the amount of B I'm getting, that's a great idea :) . I'm also trying to figure out how to take these darn iron supliments without the stomach aches. I was on the lower end of the iron spectrum, so i should be more vigilant about trying to get that in. I think maybe having a period every other week isn't helping (yay for TMI) but that seems a tad dramatic.

Thanks again :flowers: :)

[Desideira]

Ther is something that helped me once.

Its sesa oil. It looks like this.
http://www.desistores.net/catalog/images/83/Sesa_Oil.jpg
I was using this during period when I was loosing hair like crazy. I had a bald little spot and I was puting this sometimes two times a day just on that spot and hair gre out. I had a piece of new hair sticiking out after two months of use. I love the semll too. I dont know where you can find it becuse I bought it in polish internet shop with naural products.

I was using also egg mask-two eggs yolks and 2 table spoons of oil of your choice.

I was massaging my scalp with essential oils too. before putting egg mask

I dont know it it will work but I just wanted to share it. I hope it will help you:)

[enfys]

Have you tried and supplements other than the iron ones? Any specifically tailored for hair? These will have the higher levels than your RDA of the things that make hair grow.

Also, like other people have said, at it's ultimate optimal bestestness rate, an inch is about the best rate most of us can get. I does take ages to recver from hairloss, but most people do.

Especially when they're only 23 and doctors say they're fine.

It might take years, but if you keep at it your hair will probably get back to what it was, if not better :)

[hennaphile]

Thanks enfys :)

You know you're right, I shouldn't expect to see results after a few months hehehe.

For the past few years I've tried various hair suppliments, and just good vitamins, and sadly they produced little result, not even placebo. I used New Chapter, Rainbow Light, Mega Food, etc, and nothing really helped. I'm interested in NuHair which is supposed to be a dht blocker, but I'm wary because even if it isn't snake oil, the risks may outweigh potential benefits.

Thanks again :grouphug:

[Rapunzal2Be]

I have very thin, fine hair, and I shed a lot. My Mom has severe hair loss that started in her thirties (I'm 32 now) so I decided to be proactive. I am finding GREAT success!!

I'll share with you all that I do, not saying it will or won't work for you since YMMV, but it is worth a shot, right?

(It may seem like a lot, so take what you want from it, but it is really working for me...)

I take (once daily):

*One A Day Prenatal vitamins and the DHA supplement that comes with it (this gives me a great multi plus added iodine, iron, folic acid and biotin).
*Garlic
*MSM
*Folic Acid
*Biotin
*B complex
*One packet of Knox gelatin mixed into a cold glass of water/juice and drink immediately

I try to drink at least one cup of hot fenugreek tea, one glass or cup of green tea, and one cup of hot spearmint tea per day.

Other than that and various other teas (I enjoy them) I only drink water and a small amount of juice. I drink sodium free club soda or sparkling water and add a bit of juice for flavor, or I drink plain bottled water with a splash of lemon or some sliced cucumbers.

Every day I try to eat as many superfoods as I can. (This isn't specifically for my hair, but good nutrition does contribute a lot to hair growth.) Daily I have, blueberries, pumpkin (in a shake) or sweet potatoes, olive oil, tomatoes, and soy milk. I make sure to eat lean protein as much as possible and I also have at least one protein shake per day made with egg whites.

I use Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. This was key for me. I saw new growth within the first week (little wispies growing on my hairline) and I was hooked. Even though it contains SLS and 'cones, I will not give it up. It works for me! (That being said, neither my Mom nor my husband have had the same results I have, although they are both continuing to use Nioxin to see if they will get results with continued use.) But while some people report the same really quick results as I had, others have only seen results after months (I've even read that it can take four or more months for some). So if you really want to grow your hair and you want to give yourself every chance, I'd use it for at least six months before deciding if it has or hasn't worked.

I use Monistat. This makes a big difference in the amount I shed, so I use it almost every night. I can even apply it to my scalp in the morning and all it does is give me some extra body, no greasies at all. I apply it undiluted and generously. (I get coupons on ebay for it.)

I use Mega Tek. I dilute it with distilled water and put in a hair color applicator bottle and squeeze onto my scalp then massage in. I do this a few times per week. Sometimes I use it on all of my hair as a protein treatment.

I do a scalp massage nightly and any other time I can fit one in. (Pressing on the scalp and moving it around on my head, not rubbing the scalp/hair.)

I don't get anything other than Nioxin shampoo or conditioner on my scalp. (So if I CO I use Nioxin condish on my scalp and then maybe VO5 on my length, but if I get V05 or anything else on my scalp I have increased shedding.)

I shampoo/condition every few days and in between just CO.

I tried oiling my scalp (even used bhringaraj oil) and all I get is greasy hair and increased shedding, so that does not work for me.

I sometimes brush my scalp gently with my BBB to stimulate it. So far, good results.

When I do a henna or cassia treatment I alway add fenugreek to the mix. I also tried using fenugreek tea in a mister for my scalp, but couldn't stand the smell. But I try to use it as much as I can stand.

*******

Anyway, like I said, I'm not saying this is the cure-all, but for me, I am more than pleased! I first started out with Nioxin (about eight months ago) and saw the new growth right away, that was great. Then I joined here (about three months ago) and learned about MSM, garlic supplements, and gelatin, so I added those to my vitamin regime. Then I learned about Monistat and Mega Tek and added those both (three and one month ago respectively).

The thinning spots on both of my temples (where I both have breakage and added shedding when I stress out) have filled in - I've got hair about an inch or two long there. All along my hairline I can see various lengths of baby hairs. When I part my hair in the middle and smooth it down I have a crop of shorties that poke up (looks rediculous but I couldn't be happier!).

I realize that it will be years before this hair actually adds to my thickness (pony-tail-wise, etc.) but I can be patient just knowing that they are growing in.

My advice is to eat healthier, drink as much water as you can, add in supplements, get enough sleep and de-stress as much as possible (I do yoga), get exercise, and experiment with the stuff I've mentioned. (Also, IMO, one month is not nearly enough time to know whether something is working or not at regrowing your hair - I'd give Monistat and Mega Tek another shot and try either Nioxin or Rogaine.)

Keep in mind that there are many different causes to shedding and they seem very different for different people. Some people are sensitive to SLS, some can't put conditioner on their scalp, some have great success with scalp oiling, some don't. So experiment to see what works and doesn't work by keeping track of your shedding. There is even a thread on here somewhere about a new growth product similar to Nioxin, but without 'cones and SLS, if those are a problem for you, but I forget the name.

Also, with products like Rogaine I've heard that you have to continue with it or else the hair you've regrown will fall out. People seem freaked by that, but to me, it makes sense. I mean, it was obviously fixing a problem that allowed the new hair to grow, so if you stop it, the problem might come back. Well, if it is working and you are regrowing your hair, why would you ever want to stop anyway, right? ;)

Good luck, I hope I helped a little bit!!

[aahavaa]

If your periods are coming in so frequently its most likely that you are also getting deficient in other trace minerals also. Like some others have already said, get yourself a good all round multivitamin and mineral. I am not sure what country youre in but if youre in europe I would recommend BioCare . Make sure the supplement you take contains zinc preferably as zinc citrate, since it is so important for the health of the hair and so easy to get deficient in too.
Hang on in there, as many others also said it is gonna take time for the effects of what you do to show in terms of circumference of pony tail size etc.
Blessings

[Ursula]

Well I tried monostat and mega tek and sulphur for a month each, i would have assumed that it would have grown out enough to notice a difference but maybe not.


That's definately not enough time to notice difference in either pony circumfrence or braid thickness.

When you shed, you loose hair at the root. To regain thickness, each new hair needs to start over, at scalp length. You'll gain thickness at the same rate as someone growing out from bald will gain length.

For the following example I'm going to use an average growth rate of 1/2 inch per month, and no trimming:

So, if you get a bunch of folicles to start new hairs, those hairs will, a month later, only be half an inch long. If you notice anything at all, you'll notice a lot of very short frizz as the hairs stick out from your head. A halo, of sorts.

A year out, those hairs will only be six inches long. some of them will be long enough to reach your ponytail to add to your circumference. Many (perhaps half or more) won't. A few will reach the top of your braid, and while it may make the braid slightly thicker at the top, mostly they'll just give the effect of more hairs sticking out of the braid. If anything, it will look like you have more taper, as the braid may be slightly thicker at the top, but no thicker for most of the length.

Four years from now, those hairs will be 20 inches. Some (the ones that grow from the back of your head) will be adding some thickness to your braid. Others (from the front of your head) will only be adding to the top inch or two of your braid. There will still be noticable taper, with more thickness at the top than before, a little more thickness in the middle, and still the same thinness at the ends.

If you trim and hold the length you're at now, you'll see things thicken up gradually at your ends. If you don't trim, you'll see increased thickness higher up, and a more dramatic taper effect, as the thinness you started with works its way lower.

But if you want to have hair that is visably thicker than you have now, it is a project that will, by necessity, take years.

***

I also don't know if the various things that make hair grow faster (which is what monostat is known for) will help make hair thicker. If it works for you in terms of speed, you'll accelerate the process above.

But what I haven't seen studied carefully is whether or not, in speeding the growth, it also speeds the point at which the hair will shed. So the life of a hair maight go from growing 1/2 inch per month for ten years before shedding, to perhaps growning 1 inch per month and shedding after five years.

In growing faster, does hair get old before its time?

If it does make hair age faster, it might speed the shedding of the hairs you already have long, and perhaps increase percieved taper for those reasons.

[lora410]

I've tried many things to try and regrow my hair: monostat, megatek, sulphur serums (though that was hard to use consistently because of the mess), and nothing is working. My circumference hasn't fattened, and the taper hasn't budged in a year; what was a fat braid is now no thicker than a pencil, if that. The actual length is continuing to grow, but isn't thickening at all.


My thyroid was normal, as were my hormones, I don't have PCOS, and I started taking iron suppliments.

I'm going to try the cocoveda oil from henna sooq, and if that doens't help at all, maybe look into a dht blocker.

I've tried to accept this as a permanent change, but it's pretty darn depressing.

Is there any hope? :confused:

EDIT: I'm 23, this stinks :(


Have you tried the Nioxin vitamins? I had some MEGA THICK new growth, It was so thick it freaked me out at first. Keep in mind, it take a month to notice a difference so get the 3 month bottle.

[Kiraela]

I wish I could offer advice, but I don't know much about hairloss. It seems that the advice that has already been given is quite good, anyway. I just wanted to offer encouragement and a :grouphug:. You'll get through this, it will just take time.


My dad whose a doc yelled at me when I said it could have been stress because "that's not an explanation" and just told me to get over it, because as a 60 something year old guy he's lost most of his, so whatever.

This seems like Fuzzy Logic, to me. It is okay for a 23 year old woman in seemingly good health to be losing hair by the handful, because her 60 year old father is bald? Er, wait, what?

[spidermom]

Sometimes I think that you can be doing too much, and your scalp rebels. If I were you, I'd stop everything (including henna) except good routine care and try to get your mind out of your hair follicles. Focus on general health - good food, enough water, enough rest.

The biggest shed that I've ever had occurred after I joined LHC and started various experiments like CO and herbal rinses. I think that my scalp in particular hates having conditioner or oil anywhere near it. I've settled with CWC using diluted shampoo and have only a little normal shedding now.

Best wishes; I truly hope that your hair and scalp recover.

[embee]

Much sympathy on the iron/tummy-trouble. Been there.

Since we have the internet at our fingertips (which I did not when I had my iron encounter) it is easy to research what foods are good iron sources and what will make them give up their iron better - either cooking methods, or foods eaten with them. I'm thinking eggs, organ meats, dark green leafy vegs, but there's probably heaps more. There are ways that keep the iron from being absorbed by your body and you want very much to avoid those. Do some research. And good luck. While there's life there's hope! :)

[Gigi1962]

I have been taking Philip Kingsley PK4 Hair for about 3 months now, and have seen a difference in my hair. I have a lot of new growth round the temples and hair line, and my hair certainly does seem to have grown (although I have not been measuring it, so can't say for sure - but other people have commented that it has got longer).

It does say on the bottle to allow 4 months for the capsules to work, but I am pleased with their results already.

[GlassEyes]

Yeah, that's not enough time for either to work, really. You'd have to try them for six months, at least, and preferably a year.

Madeleine thickened her thinning hair with Rogaine. She has images in her album.

[EtherealOde]

Cooking methods can really help you with getting enough iron. Try cast iron cookware. While it does take some getting used to, in terms of the care and upkeep as well as in cooking methods, it can impart iron to your diet. It also makes for some more interesting dishes that just do not cook the same in traditional cookware.

To get the extra iron in your diet, you need to cook foods that are acidic, but it does mean you will have to be careful with your cast iron pans so they do not rust. Dishes like tomato based spaghetti sauces, chili, soups and stews using tomatoes, etc will leech iron into the foods you cook and into your system when you eat them! The amount isn't large, but when you combine it with an iron rich diet and multivitamin/mineral supplements it adds up and may mean you do not have to take straight iron supplements. Plus cooked tomatoes are rich in lycopene so you get that bonus too.

One dish I loved as a kid was a thing my mom called tamale pie, though it wasn't a pie at all, and not even close to a tamale! It was basically a saucy chili with added corn, peppers, and black olives. On the top was a tamale-like dough made from corn masa, salt, shortening, and water, then put on top of the chili. The lid went onto the dutch oven (cast iron), and it simmered for an hour on low heat to let the tamale dough part steam through, and then it went into the oven for awhile with grated cheese on top...just long enough to brown and melt the cheese. We kids tore it up, and didn't even know it was good for us. You can even do a vegetatian version using TVP or Boca crumbles and it comes out just as good.

The thing I am trying to say is that diet will play a large part in this, so you may find it worthwhile to consult a nutritionist to get a better handle on how to eat to get the iron you need, while not having to eat foods you loathe. I can't abide liver or kidneys etc, but can happily eat pate. Though anything more than small amounts would be a really bad idea because pate is loaded with fat, lol. But hopefully you see what I mean, and maybe you'll do some research online and see what changes you can start making.

Good luck, and remember that your hair is secondary to your overall health. it is most important for you to get well first, the hair will come back in its own time.

I don't know if you looked into Slow Fe, which is a times release dose. They are easier to take, and have less side effects such as stomach upset and constipation.

[spidermom]

Wait a minute! Don't take iron or try to add it to your diet without finding out from a doctor that you have iron-deficiency anemia. My son's GF has a type of anemia that won't metabolize iron. Too much iron from food or supplements would kill her, and did kill her aunt.

Iron is nothing to self-prescribe.

[ratgirldjh]

You might also try adding virgin coconut oil to your diet.
I definitely have some sort of thyroid issues - as do my whole female part of my family - but mine do not show up in blood tests.

However when I started adding VCO to my diet my body temperature went up to normal! and I stopped being cold all the time and also my skin got much softer (i always had very dry skin) and also my hair felt softer and didn't fall out as much...

Olive oil also seems to help me even though it is not renown for it's thyroid boosting capabilites.

[Gulbahar]

Wait a minute - you get your period every other week? Do you know why? I'd rather find out the reason for that. It's more than likely that your hairloss and the fact your hair is not growing back has something to do with this. So nothing you apply to your head would help at all and also vitamins would be not really useful.

[hennaphile]

Wait a minute - you get your period every other week? Do you know why? I'd rather find out the reason for that. It's more than likely that your hairloss and the fact your hair is not growing back has something to do with this. So nothing you apply to your head would help at all and also vitamins would be not really useful.

When I started taking spironolactone which I have to be on, the crazy cycles started happening, but my hair didn't start falling until long after I was on it. I started the iron because my iron levels were on the low end of normal.

I think the reason I've been concerned about a stagnant taper is that a lot of my hair is only about 8-11 inches long, and has remained that way for over a year, and I would have thought it would have grown out, especially with all of the potions :p . My shedding has stabilized since the hairball festival last year though, so I guess I just really need to be more patient. It's hard when after a year of supposed recovery, your hair is still just as thin and part of it hasn't budged in terms of length *gripe gripe gripe*

Thank you everyone so much, I really really appreciate all the wisdom and advice. This is a great place to hang out, and thank you to everyone who posted on this thread, it helps me stay hopeful :flowers: :smooch:

[ll]

hi hennaphile,

i first noticed my hair was thinning severely in 2005. doctors tested everything, couldn't find any issue. it took until end of 2008/beginning of 2009 for my stress levels to become somewhat normal again, and that's right around when my hair started growing in again. i made a number of other dietary/hair care changes, too, as i think i mentioned before in a previous thread. i don't see any change in the thickness of my length, but see a lot of new growth in areas where my hairline was receding (i'm female). it will undoubtedly take a long time to thicken along the length, but that's okay by me...

i also second the recommendation of yoga. it really relaxes one's muscles which helps with the physiological effects of stress, and i definitely think it has helped my hair re-growth, but YMMV of course. :)

[xovictoryxo]

have you tried biotin supplements?

[longhairedfairy]

Not really any advice here, but :grouphug:

[Myeka]

Just a tip with your iron supplements incase you don't know. Make sure to take them away from any calcium sources, and taking it with a vitamin C source (like orange juice) will help with the absorption.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know how stressful it is, and stressing about it only makes it worse. I lost a lot of hair when I was 18... took tons of tests and couldn't figure out what it was. Eventually I stopped drinking diet coke (had nothing to do with my hair, I think I was avoiding the aspartame), and voila! My hair stopped falling out.

Good luck!

[ilovelonghair]

Hennaphile, I just had a look in your album and I think your hair looks great! Much thicker than mine, I'm jealous :).
From experience: thickness growing back takes a long time. My hair had a major shed in january 2008 and now the thickest part is close to my scalp if I make a ponytail on top of my head. But at the nape it has filled out quite a bit already. I just tell myself to be VERY patient!
Oh and I also tried the monistat thing, not sure if it ever worked. I should give it another try, but I'm too lazy...

[AnnaMarie]

I don't know if you use Henna or would consider it but since I've been using Henna I have been getting a lot of new hair growth around my temples and forehead that had been thinning.

[ratgirldjh]

I agree - yoga helps with stress and some postures actually increase blood flow to your head and this can only help your scalp.

[Tom Steinberg]

I agree - yoga helps with stress and some postures actually increase blood flow to your head and this can only help your scalp.

I agree, yoga does wonders for almost anything. A yoga instructor from India (actually my art teacher when I was in school) demonstrated how strong his hair was by pulling on it like crazy. He did a lot of head standing postures. Also I think regular scalp massage will stimulate the blood flow. I even read an article about a guy who was starting to loose his hair, who got it back by brushing his bald spots every day. It stimulates the blood flow... External stuff you put on the hair might help a little but lasting transformation starts from within if you ask me :)

[hennaphile]

I've added a hairloss album to show the difference.

Here's the funny thing, the circumference around that fat old braid was only about 3" when pulled into a ponytail, whereas the hair at the nape of my neck is now at ~3.5-3.7" . I'm wondering if texture made the other one poofier, other than the actual loss of hair down the length. Still, the bottom layer just wont grow out, it's remained more or less in place for the last few years :confused:

Also, around age 20, I started getting hormonal acne, so I wonder if my hormones just went berzerk and affected how it grew. I also have a halo, but it doesn't seem to grow out past a few inches... I seem to always have flyaways, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's just a phase.

Thanks everyone :flower: