shedding more

[sayyadina]

My hair has been shedding a lot more than it used to, and I can't figure out why. I used to get a few hairs in my brush, but now it almost fills up the brush.

One thing is that in July-August, I wasn't able to wash my hair for 3 weeks since I had surgery on my wrist. It took that long before my wrist felt strong enough to use to wash, since my hair gets very heavy when its wet. Also, within the past month I've had to modify my diet due to food sensitivities, cutting down on the amount of wheat I eat and cutting out soy completely.

This is my usual hair care routine, which has worked perfectly well for years, though I have changed the shampoo & conditioner that I used a few times. Currently, I use Avalon Organics Lavender, which is working nicely. This is the brush I use http://www.earththerapeutics.net/prodinfo.asp?number=9850.

Daily or every other day, once- brush hair & rebraid (always up, so it doesn't tangle)
Once a week- wash hair, shampoo then condition, with the conditioner in my hair while I shave (has worked quite nicely for years) Conditioning, shampoo, then conditioner doesn't work, since it makes my hair greasy & more prone to tangle.

Because of a paraben allergy, I only use paraben free natural or organic shampoo & conditioner.

I am a vegetarian, and have been for 3-4 years, and I haven't had this issue with my hair before. I do eat eggs & cheese. Other than quite a few environmental & food allergies/sensitivities & asthma that's well under control, I'm quite healthy. The only thing I take regularly is a mix of poke root & wild yam, as prescribed by a naturopath. I also occasionally take a B complex supplement.

[Madame J]

Okay, so I'm looking around and noticing a bunch of people posting this concern recently. I just went through a few-days-long pickup in shedding. I wonder if we're all just going through a seasonal shed in preparation for growing in our winter coats?

Also, cutting out soy may mess with your hormone levels, but will ultimately leave you healthier after you renormalize. I would suggest not doing anything drastic, and don't add any new products to your routine. How long has this been going on? A few days? A week? A month? You may just want to keep an eye on things and see if it works itself out.

[ambychelle]

Shedding a lot here too.

You know, in May, I got a grain mill and started grindng our own wheat and baking our own bread. I mean really, can anything be better than homemade bread? The end of July, I started to notice my crazy shedding. So, a wheat allergy is one possibility for me. I've cut out all grains for the past two weeks so we'll see if it helps.

Am I reading your stats right that your hair is nearly 4 feet long? If so, keep in mind that even a tiny bit more shedding will LOOK like a lot more than it really is.

I know a lot of people have joined recently, myself included, because of shedding issues. So, I'm inclined to think seasonal shedding could be at least partly to blame.

I know you are technically suppose to only try one thing at a time and give it 2-3 months to see if it's working, but I didn't feel like I could just take my time figuring out what was causing all this shedding so I started on several supplements that others have had luck with. EPO (evening primrose oil) is suppose to be good for hormonal balance. Biotin (5000mcg) is suppose to be good for hair growth and is a B vitamin. MSM is suppose to lengthen the hair growth cycle. I take my MSM as a joint supplement with glucosomine. And, Garlic which is suppose to lessen shedding. I aslo take and have taken for a long time, childrens multivitamins, B-complex drops, occational selinium, and a D vitamin. I also started eating some pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pistachios every day to increase my zinc and copper (and because they reallly help me deal with my wheat cravings).

I've only been doing this for around a month but I do think my shedding might have slowed a tiny bit but I'm trying not to get too excited in case it's just a fluke.

Since you stopped wheat and soy, you need to make sure to get extra protien somewhere. I see you are taking a B vitamin which is good since a lot of our B's come from wheat but you might want to think about adding biotin which isn't usually in most B blends.

I wish I could actually help. I know it's so stressful to see all those strands slipping out and feel so out of control and helpless.

I did go get my blood checked for obvious things like thyroid issues, low iron, and lupus markers just to be sure and I think it's a good idea for anyone with hairloss. Losing more hair might just be a temporary thing, but it might also be a sign of something internal that you need to get treated for. Thyroid issues and low iron are really really common and easily treated but the only way to find out is to get a little blood work done.

*hugs* .. keep us posted!

[veelee]

My hair has been shedding a lot more than it used to, and I can't figure out why. I used to get a few hairs in my brush, but now it almost fills up the brush.

I am a vegetarian, and have been for 3-4 years, and I haven't had this issue with my hair before. I do eat eggs & cheese. Other than quite a few environmental & food allergies/sensitivities & asthma that's well under control, I'm quite healthy. The only thing I take regularly is a mix of poke root & wild yam, as prescribed by a naturopath. I also occasionally take a B complex supplement.

Just a suggestion, keep an eye on your salt intake or rather non-intake. A couple years ago my sister stopped eating anything that had sodium in it, and as a result her hair started to fall out. Another effect was irridical heartbeat, with feelings of faintness.