Massive shed (with pic).... sooo thin suddenly!

[Sarah4983]

So.... For the past week or two I have been experiencing a VERY unusual amount of shedding.

I have not changed any habits other than the fact that I started a new (stressful) job in sales last week, and I haven't been eating as healthy as I should.

I didn't realize how thin my hair was getting until seeing it from the back in the mirror tonight.

I almost feel as if I should cut it up to just past my shoulders (where my ridiculous layer stops) for it to look "good" anymore due to the thinness.

I see other threads where people are struggling with an autumn shed, and I understand that's what could be happening here... but if I lose much more hair I'm definitely going to have to cut about 8 inches off because the length is soo thin. I mean really, if you compare how it looks now to my pics from before there is a huge difference in the thickness.

I want to cry.... :(

Any suggestions?

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=3251&pictureid=53084

[kam984420]

I dont know what to tell you Sarah! But you're right it does look awfully thin.:(

[Themyst]

It may have thinned, but it still looks good, and it's nicely shaped, too!

[hennaphile]

I'm not sure what it looked like before but :grouphug: . I know how much hairloss sux.

My suggestion would be to wait before cutting. You can always do more with hair that's there, even if it's think than hair that isn't. I find that what really pumps up the volume is braiding and then setting it with aloe. When you take it out hair looks much fuller, and the thin pars look more like fairytale ends than thinness.

But do what you feel you need to do be happy, best of luck :flower:

[maegquare]

The stress may have a lot to do with it, and getting extra rest and taking better care of yourself may help, but it would probably be best to get a checkup soon, and make sure that a health problem, such as a thyroid disorder or diabetes, isn't the real culprit. If you've already eliminated that as a cause, maybe think about vitamins, and take extra good care of yourself while you are in this stressful situation.

Meanwhile, there is good advice in several threads and articles here about how to treat your hair as gently as possible. I know it's very upsetting right now, but with time and patience, you can regain your usual thickness. Maybe you could wear it up more often, until it improves? If you maintain it the same length until new growth catches up, maybe wearing it up can help conceal differences in thickness while it is recovering.

Hope this helps a little. I'm sure someone more helpful will be along soon. :)

[bgarrison]

Hang in there, and cry a little if it helps, but wait a bit before cutting. Maybe wear it up for a while? Your hair's really pretty and I'll bet you notice it more than anyone else. I'm shedding, too, and in my experience it's seasonal.

[Indigo Girl]

I don't have any advice because I'm in the exact same boat as you and not sure what to do either, but I wanted to send a hug and comforting thoughts your way. Hang in there.

~ * :grouphug: * ~

[hennaphile]

This probably has nothing to do with your situation, but in case it might help, you might want to check out your water and see if there have been any changes. When I moved to a country with cleaner water, my shedding went down to almost zero. And I've lost over half my hair, so I know where you're coming from :flower:

[jivete]

Look at it while wearing a different shirt. I know that sounds like a joke, but as someone with thinnish hair, the shirt I'm wearing can make it look really bad. Patterns and stripes are hard on my hair. A solid, dark color makes my hair look the best.

Your hair looks healthy and the hem looks really good, so I wouldn't cut.

[Wicked Princess]

How much overall thickness do you feel you have lost since the massive shedding started? Are you noticing more hair in the shower drain, or on your hairbrush than you have before it started - or could it be that you've only started paying attention to it recently, making it seem like you are shedding more?

You said you haven't changed habits - have you changed any products? Started any medication? Stopped any medication?

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm interrogating you. :o An increase in shedding could happen because of many, many different reasons, or a combination of reasons - which can lead to a very frustrating time. I was experiencing quite a bit of shedding for the last month which has, thankfully, seemed to die down.

I recommend what maegquare and others have said. Take care of yourself for a little while longer and see if that helps any. If it doesn't...it may be time to see a doctor.

In the meantime, feel better! :flower:

[Kris Dove]

Look at it while wearing a different shirt. I know that sounds like a joke, but as someone with thinnish hair, the shirt I'm wearing can make it look really bad. Patterns and stripes are hard on my hair. A solid, dark color makes my hair look the best.

Your hair looks healthy and the hem looks really good, so I wouldn't cut.Totally agreed. It's no thinner than mine is btw, and I don't want to cut it.

[Charlotte]

Check out the photos in my album if you like. I'm in the same boat as you too. Please don't cut. Mine can also look thicker or thinner depending on what top, T-shirts etc. that I wear. :o

[Arctic]

So.... For the past week or two I have been experiencing a VERY unusual amount of shedding.

I have not changed any habits other than the fact that I started a new (stressful) job in sales last week, and I haven't been eating as healthy as I should.

I didn't realize how thin my hair was getting until seeing it from the back in the mirror tonight.

I almost feel as if I should cut it up to just past my shoulders (where my ridiculous layer stops) for it to look "good" anymore due to the thinness.

I see other threads where people are struggling with an autumn shed, and I understand that's what could be happening here... but if I lose much more hair I'm definitely going to have to cut about 8 inches off because the length is soo thin. I mean really, if you compare how it looks now to my pics from before there is a huge difference in the thickness.

I want to cry.... :(

Any suggestions?

Don't panic!

I'm so sorry you are going through this, I know loosing hair is really awful!

You got great advice already from others.

It is usual that hair starts to shed a lot about 2-3 MONTHS after a stressfull period/occasion, like death of a loved one, moving, etc. This is because of the hairs' natural growing cycles; in the very stresfull situation hairs can prematurely go from Anagen (growing phase) to Catagen (transitional phase) and Thelogen (resting phase, where the hair falls down). The latter two phases take 2-3 months all together.

This in mind, your new job maybe is not a culprit. Did you have anything particularly stressful happening to you 2-4 months ago?

Another thing I would ask: Are you sure the hairs are shed, from the scalp with root attached -- or are they broken?
See I have recently went throug a phase where I though I was shedding when in fact my hair was breaking off. The culprit is too much protein in my hair. Also mineral deposits from water, chlorine, etc can cause hairs breaking. ETA: Heat damage or damage from chemicals like perms can wreck havoc in hair after quite some time after one stops using them.


Third: My hair's thickness can differ a lot depending how dirty it is, what washing methods I use, and what products, etc. Any of these things could make the hair appear thinner than it really is.

If you can avoid it, don't trim to shoulders, at least not yet. There are good chance some of the ideas you've got will help you. If you really want to trim, start with say an inch. That can make a big difference in how your hair feels, looks and moves.


ETA: You could start reading some stress management tips and try some of them out. Right, balanced and healthy nutrition is ofcourse very important to hair, but it will only effect the new hair that grows after the nutrition gets better.

ETA2: It ofcourse can be seasonal shedding. I personally wouldn't be worried yet if the shedding has lasted only few weeks, but if it lasts longer than, hmm... a month, it would be good to contact a doctor.

ETA3: The layer below the shoulder, it is cut in there, right? And not "natural layer" from breakage?

[bjt]

Hey--I'm sorry you're shedding!
But just from looking at the picture, it only looks thin after that last layer... so I wonder if you continue to grow out your layers if it will look thicker. because above that last layer (at your shoulder) it looks nice and full!

I slowed down my shedding by taking biotin, selenium and iron supplements. Maybe you could add that do your routine and see if it works.

[Jezerellica]

This is a frustrating and scary thing!

Nutrition is so important. There could be a dozen reasons for your shedding. Nutrition is something you can control, so don't forget your B vitamins and fish oil supplements. This way, if you are not able to eat properly, you will still have this helping you. It made a huge difference in my hair shedding! Best wishes dear!

[eresh]

I dont know what to tell you Sarah! But you're right it does look awfully thin.:(

I don't agree at all, it doesn't look "awfully thin" at all.
It looks like layered hair and your ends still look healthy to me!

I agree that the colour/pattern of clothing can make a difference.
Try to wait out the autumn shed period, then decide if you want to cut or not.

ETA: and yep, you already got good advice about nutricion and suplements :-)

[eadwine]

I agree with Eresh. Awfully thin, this is not.

I have seen awfully thin, and rest assured Sarah4983, it WILL grow back.

Eat lots of fruits and veggies, and take a proper supplement (not something geared to just hair, just a normal one geared towards getting everything you need). It WILL grow back, and in the mean time, just put it up in a bun with a pretty toy. :)

[getoffmyskittle]

I don't think a week or two of heavy shedding is enough to see a difference, unless you're literally losing handfuls of hair. I also don't think your hair looks THAT different than it did before, or especially thin. It looks like it is just lying flatter in this pic than it usually does (in the photos in your albums).

[florenonite]

I don't think it looks particularly thin, but if it's bothering you I suggest wearing it up for a while. This way you don't have to think about its thickness and when the massive shedding stops you can re-evaluate how your hair looks.

Have you been keeping track of your ponytail circumference? I've always shed a lot but sometimes if I think I'm shedding more than usual I'll measure my circumference again to make sure it's not changed. If yours is significantly smaller you might want to see a doctor, as it could be symptomatic of something larger than stress.

[patience]

I'm going with the shirt pattern theory. It really doesn't look that bad. If I were you, I would put it up and forget about it for awhile. Are you planning on growing out your layers? If so, maybe some micro-trims to help with thickening up the hemline while you're waiting for the layers to catch up.

my :twocents:

[florenonite]

Oh, another thought:

You've got a lot of layering, which can make your hair look thinner than it is, so that might be contributing somewhat.

[ambychelle]

My hair is almost exactly the same length as yours and my shortest layer is exactly where yours is, right below the shoulder.

I have to point out that where our layers are makes it seem like the bottom is really thin. It's sort of a trick of the eye.

Oddly enough, I think my longer layers grow faster than my shorter layers because what use to be a 4 inch difference between my longest and shortest layers is now more like 6-7 inches. Maybe my top layers take more damage because they take the brunt of the sun, burshing etc. or maybe my crown just doesn't grow as fast.

Anyway, did you just recently go back to cones? You might try clarifying just to see if maybe a little coney buildup is keeping your hair from being as "fluffy" as it can be.

I can tell that it seems a *little* thinner by the photo and those in your profile, but what I can't tell is if some of it is just the way the hair is laying (it's all spread out compared to when it's not quite as spread out in other photos), the lighting, or maybe even a little coneyness weighing it down.

I wouldn't go trimming it all up to the shortest layer. An inch or so might be all you really need to make you feel like you have fuller hair. You have a pretty nice hemline as it is though so don't get too hasty to trim just yet.

I'm "scalp" watching right now with great fear that my scalp will start to peek through a little too much for my comfort.

I hope your (and my!) shedding stops and/or slows really soon. It sucks!

[pinchbeck]

You're right your hair looks sparse at the ends. But...hair grows at different rates!! I would only "trim" it if you have damaged ends and wait for the other hair that isn't growing to wake up from dormancy and perhaps give those stragglers and loners a little bit extra TLC by lightly oiling them and ensuring none are ripped during wide tooth combing.

[Katze]

mine looks like that too, and about the same length and amount of thinness. I am very sorry to hear you are going through this! :(

I constantly examine my taper and found that my hair pretty consistently tapers from about shoulder length down, so cutting at any particular chosen point would not really solve the problem. If I had not shed, the taper would look fine, so I am just going to continue to trim and take good care of it and hope the thickness from new growth moves down.

lots of good advice here already that I won't repeat, but hope you find a solution soon and your shedding stops!

[jojo]

I also dont think it looks " awfully thin". you have had a lot of excellent advice already, so just wanted to wish you all the best and hopefully this will clear up.

If you look in my album you will see a picture of my hair when I first joined the site, my hair was a lot thinner probabaly due to the products and time I spent drying it prior to joining LHC. It is possible to thicken hair, it just takes time and patience and less stressing. x

heres the link to my thin hair http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=354&pictureid=29006

[Sarah4983]

Thank you ALL for the great advice and concern!

After receiving such varied responses I thought about it and decided to try to wear my hair up more often (I hardly ever wear it up...) to protect it.

To answer some of the questions...


I measured my circumference (great idea!) Just now and I was 3.5" a few months ago and I'm now about 2.75"..... Oh dear...:-/


I do take a multivitamin daily and 1000 mcg of Biotin each day.

I DID experience a very stressful event exactly 3 months ago this week (!!!) which could be contributing to my hair loss now... That's so interesting; I never knew it was 3 months after the event.

yes, the layer was cut in there and it's slowly catching up to the ends as I do micro trims every few months.

I have stopped eating fruits and veggies completely the past few weeks because it's difficult with the new job.

I have not been using cones... I kept going back and forth and haven't been using them for a couple months now.

Yes, it could very well be the shirt pattern; I thought of that... I'm sure it made it seem much worse. Still though; it feels much thinner when I bunch it into a ponytail.

3.5" to 2.75" circ. makes me want to cry again.

It's only hair............... right?



I will try to wear it up as often as possible and continue with the vitamins.

thank you all again for the encouragement and advice. <3

[Indigo Girl]

It is usual that hair starts to shed a lot about 2-3 MONTHS after a stressfull period/occasion, like death of a loved one, moving, etc. This is because of the hairs' natural growing cycles; in the very stresfull situation hairs can prematurely go from Anagen (growing phase) to Catagen (transitional phase) and Thelogen (resting phase, where the hair falls down). The latter two phases take 2-3 months all together.

This is SO true. I had the worst job stress July - August, and only over the past month is my hair reacting (massive thinning, etc). It's like a delayed response to something that happened a few months ago - the stress is finally catching up to my body.

It's awful but again, hang in there. You're definitely not alone.

[Sarah4983]

This is SO true. I had the worst job stress July - August, and only over the past month is my hair reacting (massive thinning, etc). It's like a delayed response to something that happened a few months ago - the stress is finally catching up to my body.

It's awful but again, hang in there. You're definitely not alone.

3 months ago this week I made a difficult decision to end a 3 year relationship, move 2 hours back home with my parents, and got a new job. It was a VERY stressful week or two.

Again, lots of thanks for the support.

Ps- Vegetarianism for 3 months starting the same time the relationship ended, new home, new job etc.... I lost 13 lbs in those 3 months and when I began looking malnourished and had blood work come back showing low iron and protein I began eating meat again 2 weeks ago. This could be the culprit as well.

I REALLY hope the hair loss stops soon..........

[MsBubbles]

Ps- Vegetarianism for 3 months starting the same time the relationship ended, new home, new job etc.... I lost 13 lbs in those 3 months and when I began looking malnourished and had blood work come back showing low iron and protein I began eating meat again 2 weeks ago. This could be the culprit as well.


This reminds me of what happened to me about 4 years ago when I went through a child custody battle and post-divorce relationship break-up. I lost about 25 lbs. Low iron, low calories, low everything. I lost half my hair thickness. Even my hairdresser at the time remarked about it. Now I think about it, it did take about 3 months. I had short hair back then so I didn't notice the shedding until I realized when I washed my hair one day that there wasn't much left :(.

Good news is it grew back no problem. I now do all I can to avoid ever letting that anxiety take hold and paralyzing me again...aside from the obvious health risks, I don't want to ever lose my hair like that again (if it's preventable).

[Indigo Girl]

As long as you're eating balanced meals, I doubt vegetarianism is the culprit. While every body is different, there's no reason you shouldn't be obtaining all of your nutrients from a plant-based diet. ;)

I've been a vegan for six years now, and my hair has actually improved since.

[hennaphile]

You know just a thought, if you feel your scalp is strong enough, you might want to use cassia at least for some temporary thickening :flower:

[girlcat36]

I have struggled with very thin hair since joining LHC in 2007.
My hair may look thick in my siggy, but it's not really. My ponytail now measures 2.75 too.
I had a lot of medical stuff going on, and each time I would have a surgical procedure, 2 months later---a huge shed(on top of already having lost HALF my hair to cancer in 2007!)
I have been able to get through it with microtrims, updos, clarifying, and using Jason Thick-to-Thin shampoo.
Shampoo bars gave me a lot of volume, too, but after a month of use I would always end up with scalp flakes so I would have to stop using bars.
So hang in there, you're not alone!
:grouphug:

[Darkhorse1]

The reason the ends are thin are due to your layers. Let the hair grow--don't panic--I think all of us are going through an autumn shed. Focus on some styles that are fun to do while your layers are growing out. Then, when the ends are not what you want, THEN do a cut and you'll notice your hair will feel and appear much thicker. That's what I used to do. Hugs to you!!!

[Arctic]

One thing I think is not mentioned yet:

Do you see new growth coming in, baby hairs sticking out all over? If that is the case it's a very Good Thing and you can be sure your hair will grow back.

[florenonite]

I measured my circumference (great idea!) Just now and I was 3.5" a few months ago and I'm now about 2.75"..... Oh dear...:-/


3 months ago this week I made a difficult decision to end a 3 year relationship, move 2 hours back home with my parents, and got a new job. It was a VERY stressful week or two.

Again, lots of thanks for the support.

Ps- Vegetarianism for 3 months starting the same time the relationship ended, new home, new job etc.... I lost 13 lbs in those 3 months and when I began looking malnourished and had blood work come back showing low iron and protein I began eating meat again 2 weeks ago. This could be the culprit as well.

I REALLY hope the hair loss stops soon..........

Vegetarianism isn't bad for your hair if you're eating a balanced diet; it looks like you weren't eating a very good veggie diet, though, if you had low iron and protein. Hair is chiefly protein, so that might be the cause.

Do you have a lot of new growth? If so, then although you might have lost hair due to stress your body is probably doing ok now.

You got bloodwork done a couple weeks ago, you say, so the hair and weight loss wouldn't be due to diabetes, because the doctor would have noticed it. Thyroid problems are a possibility, but I don't know whether or not those would show up in a blood test.

My advice to you is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, and if the shedding continues and/or you don't see much new growth, see a doctor. 3/4" of an inch is a lot to lose (though did you measure at the same degree of cleanliness? My circumference is bigger the cleaner my hair is), but as you weren't eating a healthy diet and lost weight it makes sense to also lose hair.

And don't stress over it, that only makes it worse.

[Sarah4983]

Here is hope to all those struggling with an unusual amount of shedding right now;

I work with a girl who has hair down her back reaching almost to tailbone....and she mentioned her huge amount of shedding and proceeded to run her fingers through her hair and pull out a huge clump (like mine!!!!) of hair and put it in the garbage can.

this was very comforting to me.... so I thought I'd share it with anyone else struggling with losing a lot of hair this time of year... it is most likely just a seasonal shed.

Mine again, is probably due to that, plus stress from three months ago and my poor diet for the past three months.

I've been taking 1000 mcg daily of Biotin since about 2 months ago and hopefully that starts working soon.....

Thank you again for all the great advice and comforting similar experiences!

Hopefully the handfuls of hair stop coming out soon!