Hair loss after coloring, what natural items can help stop it?

[xfan]

Hi everybody,

I had recently started coloring my hair about 6 months ago for the first time ever and I have come to realize it has caused a lot of my hair to fall out. I was hoping someone could recommend any natural products or ingredients that I could use to help stop the hair loss and restore/improve the health of my hair and scalp. Promote growth in my scalp and strength in my hair cause it my be breaking too. I have been losing hair for about 3 weeks now and yesterday I counted 130 hairs after a shower. I first noticed the hair loss when I touched the top of my head the first time my stylist did it but it was blamed on my hair straightener cause I didnt use any protectant. And then it seemed to get drastically thinner with each coloring. This 3rd time was the worst and I am making a 180 degree turn on it all. I just hope its not too late.

Some additional details. I first had my hair colored by my stylist about 6 months ago. He used a Demi-permanent color with about 1% ammonia. About 3 months later I decided to buy something more natural at Whole Food and settled on Naturtint 3N due to the lack of ammonia , resorcinol and parabens. there was zero burring on my scalp. Then about 2 months later I colored again with the same product. One mistake i have learned is that I overlapped every time. I never just did my roots, I did my whole head each time for 40min.

For the past year I have used Aubrey Organic Camellia Shampoo (http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=111) and Conditioner (http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=109) cause I have frizzy hair and thats the only thing that can keep it really under control. I am now considering using something like Terressentials shampoo (http://www.terressentials.com/haircareingr.html#212) and then some kind of alternative natural conditioning method and then applying jessie58's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2001) Recipe essential oil blend. I'm very new to this and my eyes are about to fall out from reading so much so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I also plan to never color with traditional products ever again and will mostly like do a 2 step henna indigo black instead but I'll save that post for another day. I really just want to concentrate on restoring the health of my scalp and hair right now.

Thanks for reading :)

[Dragon]

All I can suggest is some leave in conditioner and hot oil treatments to help with the breakage. Dont have any sugestions on stopping hair shedding but on Promoting hair growth, I've herd putting a few drops of lavender oil in your brush and brushing it through is ment to help hair growth. Not sure if it does but I use it as a way to control my frizz as it can also be used as a hair serum.

[ravenreed]

That hair dye has PPD, which is the most dangerous chemical in hair dye and what causes bad reactions in a lot of people. I am not sure why they call it natural. :confused: You might want to go see a dermatologist to discuss what is going on.


Hi everybody,

I had recently started coloring my hair about 6 months ago for the first time ever and I have come to realize it has caused a lot of my hair to fall out. I was hoping someone could recommend any natural products or ingredients that I could use to help stop the hair loss and restore/improve the health of my hair and scalp. Promote growth in my scalp and strength in my hair cause it my be breaking too. I have been losing hair for about 3 weeks now and yesterday I counted 130 hairs after a shower. I first noticed the hair loss when I touched the top of my head the first time my stylist did it but it was blamed on my hair straightener cause I didnt use any protectant. And then it seemed to get drastically thinner with each coloring. This 3rd time was the worst and I am making a 180 degree turn on it all. I just hope its not too late.

Some additional details. I first had my hair colored by my stylist about 6 months ago. He used a Demi-permanent color with about 1% ammonia. About 3 months later I decided to buy something more natural at Whole Food and settled on Naturtint 3N due to the lack of ammonia , resorcinol and parabens. there was zero burring on my scalp. Then about 2 months later I colored again with the same product. One mistake i have learned is that I overlapped every time. I never just did my roots, I did my whole head each time for 40min.

For the past year I have used Aubrey Organic Camellia Shampoo (http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=111) and Conditioner (http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=109) cause I have frizzy hair and thats the only thing that can keep it really under control. I am now considering using something like Terressentials shampoo (http://www.terressentials.com/haircareingr.html#212) and then some kind of alternative natural conditioning method and then applying jessie58's (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2001) Recipe essential oil blend. I'm very new to this and my eyes are about to fall out from reading so much so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I also plan to never color with traditional products ever again and will mostly like do a 2 step henna indigo black instead but I'll save that post for another day. I really just want to concentrate on restoring the health of my scalp and hair right now.

Thanks for reading :)

[CrisDee]

Along with seeing a dermatologist, you may want to try a biotin supplement. That's been a wonder worker for me :)

[xfan]

All I can suggest is some leave in conditioner and hot oil treatments to help with the breakage. Dont have any sugestions on stopping hair shedding but on Promoting hair growth, I've herd putting a few drops of lavender oil in your brush and brushing it through is ment to help hair growth. Not sure if it does but I use it as a way to control my frizz as it can also be used as a hair serum.

Please do. I am open to leave-in's and oil treatments. I just dont know what to use. I'm all ears... er... eyes.


Along with seeing a dermatologist, you may want to try a biotin supplement. That's been a wonder worker for me :)

I have 300mcg of biotin in my daily multi-vitamin. Is that enough?

What else would a dermatologist be able to do for me aside from giving me a steroid of some kind which I dont want. I was really interested natural methods either externally or internally (diet+supplements)

Thanks again.

[TigerLily1]

Hi, I had hair shedding issues for a long time, frankly I thought it was the diet, other product, but finally I realised it was my hair dye, I started using henna to colour my hair, hanna is supposed to make one's hair stronger, my hair loss stopped and I can see a lot of re-growth. I also used oiling and head massage, plus the weekly henna on the scalp. Also quit any heat on the hair if you can.

[xfan]

Hi, I had hair shedding issues for a long time, frankly I thought it was the diet, other product, but finally I realised it was my hair dye, I started using henna to colour my hair, hanna is supposed to make one's hair stronger, my hair loss stopped and I can see a lot of re-growth. I also used oiling and head massage, plus the weekly henna on the scalp. Also quit any heat on the hair if you can.

Hi Tiger Lily,

What oil treatments did you use and which Henna did you end up using. There are so many choices it dizzying.

Thank an bunch!

[Alvrodul]

Hi Tiger Lily,

What oil treatments did you use and which Henna did you end up using. There are so many choices it dizzying.

Thank an bunch!
I used to pour chemicals into my (at the time) poor, abused hair, too. Bleaching and perming is not a good idea for my crowing glory. Well, I started to have hair loss issues too - or it did at least look like it. It was just as much a matter of my hair just not being able to withstand the chemical and breaking off. :trainwreck:

I have learned better.

As for the choices of henna - if you are wondering about the colors you might end up with, there is a good selection of mixes here (http://www.hennaforhair.com/mixes/index.html).

Personally, I am using Purity henna (bought on mehandi.com) and just mix with water and lemon juice. Certainly gives good results on me. :)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=5879&pictureid=76917

[TigerLily1]

xfan, I live in the UK, so choices are different, I used the henna from Asian shops, but I didn't like it and frankly I wasn't sure if the stuff is pure, so I am using Lush as I can read all the ingredients... meanwhile I just ordered Yemani henna from henna boy.

I think in the US you have a few online places, e.g. hennasooq, but most people here recommend yemeni body art quality.

But if you just want to try it, do try the Lush henna, they'll even give you a sample for free.

btw why did you need to colour your hair? are you trying to cover your silvers? If so to achieve the same thing from henna, remember to add ACV.

[xfan]

Thanks for the Henna suggestions Alvrodul and Tiger Lily. That will be very helpful.

Tiger Lily, yes, I did start coloring to cover my silvers. I've had silvers since I was 16 so there are unusually a lot and it just got to be too much for my taste. But as I found out it was so not worth it. My biggest complaint before was how thich and unruly my hair was. Not I stress every day after I take a shower and see how much hair is in the drain. :(

What's they best way to tell if I have a lot of regrowth on the way? If I could find that, I would have hope at least. I really need to find a way to slow down this shedding from the coloring.

[xfan]

Well since my first post, I have tried different things and have some changes good and bad. I eventually started using Jessie58 EO blend and after the the first day I saw a huge reduction in shedding. From eyeing it, It could have been 50 hairs! I also started a ACV rinse as my final rinse. But then over the next 5 days the shedding has slow began to increase again, but not as bad as before, but it's getting there. The other thing I tried was changing my shampoo and conditioner. I ended up trying the Moroccan Method. AFter using it for 4 days, I find it could be irritating my scalp. It makes my hair crunchy too. I also should mention i have added several new supplements like biotin, primrose oil, flaxseed oil, silicon and maxi-hair.

Im a bit confused where I should go from from here. I think I should return to my Aubrey Organic White Camella for now but if anyone has other suggestions for cone/sls free shampoo's and conditioner, I am all ears. Also would anyone have good suggestions as too what else I should try in terms of reducing shedding and making my scalp happy. I have heard good things about emu oil, which I have, but am not sure how to use it. I also heard a lot about nettle but I am not sure what to buy and how to use it. Is it powder or oil or an extract I have to use in a carrier? or tea? any input would be great as well as anything completely different.

Im getting a iron test next week and have to wait 2 weeks to see a dermatologist, but until then, any help would be wonderful. I know its an external issue cause it was caused externally by hair dye.


Each one is one day of hair down the drain :sad

http://idisk.me.com/orbitalpunk/Public/Pictures/Skitch/_MG_1264-20100807-231412.jpg

[caribou55313]

Look at your hair in bright artificial light, say in your bathroom mirror. Look along the part - are there are a lot of short hairs sticking up? That's new growth. You can see this better if light is shining or reflecting from behind you, usually.

I had a couple of surgeries with general anesthesia over the last 3 years. Both times about 3 months later I had massive shedding. So my whole head has those sticking-up hairs showing now, frizzy hair for the first time in my life! :/ But at least it's coming back.

How long is your hair currently? The longer it is, the bigger your ball of shed hairs will look each day, if that is any consolation.

[xfan]

Hi Caribou,

Yes, I do see a lot of hairs sticking up. I do see regrowth for sure. I can see them within the forest of my hair when I look up close to the mirror too.

How long did your massive shedding last? If I could get a sense as too how long big sheds last, then I can see if its going on longer than needed. My hair is a little longer then what you see in my avatar. I can pull the longest part slightly past my collar bone. I agree, the length does make it look worse. Thats why I started counting hairs instead. I have noticed just a few regrowth hairs in my shed. I don't know if thats normal or not. Not many, just a few.

I feel like I need something to help allergic reactions. something topical. Cause the dye had PPD in it and that is a huge no no it seems. That could have been what did it for me and my scalp is just reacting to it now.

What type of doctor would be best for looking at this kind of issue? Do dermatologist specialize enough in scalp issues? Is there another type of doctor who understands this kind of issue better? I wish I could find someone locally who understands the scalp and practices natural remedies that are mentioned in this amazing forum. Ugh, that would be a dream.

[teela1978]

Hairdye always made me shed like crazy too... but I have one other thought for you. I'm not sure from your avatar, but are you male? If so, how old are you and does male pattern baldness run in your family? Could be that a little rogaine would help out if it's a natural type of hair loss?

A good friend has been using it for the last 7 years or so (we're both 32) and managed to regrow some and stop further loss. It does actually work.

[little_cherry]

Hi there.
I had suffered a massive shed that left bald spots on my head after a head injury, and othe massive sheds after times a stress, I started to take garlic pills and massaged my scalp weekly with an herbal oil I came up with..also, for the most natural hair washing technique, I'd check out soapnuts...there's no need for conditioner with soapnuts. Soapnuts contain natural saponins that cleanse the hair very well..I've been contemplating soapnuts for a while now.

[lastnite]

I was also thinking maybe it's male pattern baldness going on. If it is and you want to keep going the natural route (I know you are already trying a bunch of things), but foti and saw palmetto are supposed to be good for that.

For doctors, I guess it depends on the dermatologists. trichologists are the ones that specialize in hair and scalp. if you want to keep trying the natural route you can look for a homeopathic or ayurvedic doctor.

[xfan]

Hi Teela,

Yes, I am male age 36. That's me in my avatar 3 months ago. Up until coloring my hair for the first time recently, I have never had a problem with shedding. My hair has always been thick, unruly, and never shed more than 20 hairs in the tub. I have to use the oiliest conditioner to get it under control. So I dont think its genetics or mpb. I have a slight mature receding hair line that I noticed 10 years ago, but thats it. Nothing has ever changed. This thinning was noticed 2 days after the coloring when I scratched my head and noticed how easy it was to scratch cause of the massive shedding of hair. Im positive this is a topical issue, and not a genetic issue. I have my mom's hair and her dad had a full head of hair and was part native american. So my genes are pretty solid thankfully. Thats also why my problem is harder to solve. I need help from a "scalp and follicle healing" point of view and not "general male hair loss"

I will definitely check out soapnuts cherry. I will also try the garlic pills. I have heard a lot about it too. Thank you!

Lastnite, thank you for the doctor type recommendations. I will look into those.

[Drynwhyl]

Definitely look into biotin supplements. My boyfriend had a "scare" like this a year ago, and started taking some pills he got in the pharmacy, called "Fitoval" and really noticed an improvement in thickness.
I have also heard that using soapnuts (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=95) for washing causes way less shedding than usual shampoo with SLS.

I too have really thick hair, and I used to complain how huge it is until I had a shed and I regretted ever complaining :P

[caribou55313]

I'm not sure how long my anesthesia-induced sheds lasted but I'd say maybe around 3 months? I guess I lost about 25% of my hair, maybe more?

Your situation sounds different though, since it happened after using hair dye. I also get shedding (not quite as dramatic) if I use regular hair dyes (ammonia, peroxide, PPD type dyes). It can start a few weeks after the dyeing and lasts a shorter time.

I notice that commercial shampoos that contain SLS, and even the ones that don't, can increase my shedding while shampoo bars do not.

[ChloeDharma]

With that bit of extra information i wonder if the hair dye has irritated and caused inflammation in the follicles which is said to cause hair loss.

Maybe use some treatments with anti inflammatory properties like german chamomile essential oil which has a high chamazulene content which is anti inflammatory combined with lavender which is also anti inflammatory but also encourages rapid healing. I'm thinking maybe mixed with aloe vera again for its soothing anti inflammatory, skin healing and hair loss use.

This is the kind of approach i'd take Xfan to focus on soothing your scalp primarily and keep washing methods really gentle like shikakai which is great for the scalp and helped my shedding dramatically when i used it.

For base oils i'd also think of things like avocado, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond oil, if you can get an oil with amla, bhringraj, calendula in then those also soothe the scalp and encourage growth.

Edit to add- rosemary rinses are another good scalp treatment. They are said to stimulate the hairs to enter the anagen phase and are great for any scalp irritation.

[little_cherry]

I will definitely check out soapnuts cherry. I will also try the garlic pills. I have heard a lot about it too. Thank you! You're very welcome. My shedding almost looked like the picture you posted here... I was also shedding that amount when oiling, maybe more.. Now I shed way less. :) I was taking odorless garlic, but have better results with ordinary garlic pills.

Good luck! :)

[urara12]

Hi Teela,

I have to use the oiliest conditioner to get it under control. .

you mean that you are using very oily conditioner?
do you think is it possible that you are reacting oil?
because my scalp is super senstive and tend to get seborrheic dermatitis by using oil.( I don't get dandruff but I get small bump or itchy scalp. however my scalp don't show any symptoms)
also could be shampoo?
my hair shed a lot if I use shampoo and conditioner too.
so I wash my hair with water only sometimes.

if I use shampoo, my hair shed like 35-50. if water only then my hair shed like 25.
I think my scalp got hyper sensitive with many chemical now.
I guess hair dye or oil massage did triger it.


also I might be reacting with azo color. because when I use dye without PPD. still my scalp is pain and shedding a lot .

I will not chemical dye any more:(
I already went to see dermatologist and she prescribed clobetasol scalp lotion. I did only use it for 5 days.

stupid me......because the lotion really worked well...
no shedding like 170 anymore..no pain no burning spot.
just back to normal.then I did dye ( this time no PPD dye ) again... my scalp got pain and lot of shedding again even thought I did dye maybe 5 strands gray hair. that's all!!
the dye was just like 1/2 tsp.

my dr appointment is this Wed.I am hoping my Dr give me something strong oral medication because I am too scarry to apply anything on my scalp now and don't want to left traum to my scalp any more.

[xfan]

Definitely look into biotin supplements. My boyfriend had a "scare" like this a year ago, and started taking some pills he got in the pharmacy, called "Fitoval" and really noticed an improvement in thickness.
I have also heard that using soapnuts (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=95) for washing causes way less shedding than usual shampoo with SLS.

I too have really thick hair, and I used to complain how huge it is until I had a shed and I regretted ever complaining :P

Hi ya Drynwhyl,

Well I recently added 5mg(5000mcg) of biotin to my vitamin regiment. So I am seeing how that helps. I'll check out Fitoval. I have been use Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner for the last 2 years and I dont believe they have SLS or Cones. So I think I'm good there :)


I'm not sure how long my anesthesia-induced sheds lasted but I'd say maybe around 3 months? I guess I lost about 25% of my hair, maybe more?

Your situation sounds different though, since it happened after using hair dye. I also get shedding (not quite as dramatic) if I use regular hair dyes (ammonia, peroxide, PPD type dyes). It can start a few weeks after the dyeing and lasts a shorter time.

I notice that commercial shampoos that contain SLS, and even the ones that don't, can increase my shedding while shampoo bars do not.

thanks for sharing your shedding time frames. I do use Dr. Bronners bar of soap sometimes on my hair. I liked it but wasnt sure if it was wise to use. someone recommended Soap Nuts, so I'm gonna check those out. Although I worry about going too natural cause my scalp got upset when I tired Terressentials and Moroccan Method, so we shall see.


With that bit of extra information i wonder if the hair dye has irritated and caused inflammation in the follicles which is said to cause hair loss.

Maybe use some treatments with anti inflammatory properties like german chamomile essential oil which has a high chamazulene content which is anti inflammatory combined with lavender which is also anti inflammatory but also encourages rapid healing. I'm thinking maybe mixed with aloe vera again for its soothing anti inflammatory, skin healing and hair loss use.

This is the kind of approach i'd take Xfan to focus on soothing your scalp primarily and keep washing methods really gentle like shikakai which is great for the scalp and helped my shedding dramatically when i used it.

For base oils i'd also think of things like avocado, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond oil, if you can get an oil with amla, bhringraj, calendula in then those also soothe the scalp and encourage growth.

Edit to add- rosemary rinses are another good scalp treatment. They are said to stimulate the hairs to enter the anagen phase and are great for any scalp irritation.

You cease to amazing me Chloe. This seem like exactly what i need and the right approach to my issues. Thank you for such great tips. I have a few questions if you don't mind. I will definitely try your EO treatment. What measurements do you recommend. I already have jojoba, lavender and just ordered bhringraj. Do you suggest I mix german chamomile, lavender, aloe vera, avocado, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond oil, amla, bhringraj, and calendula all together? And if so, what measurements do you suggest? I definitely want to try this.

For the Rosemary rinse, would that be from a tea? boil or soak rosemary for a while and use that as my final step in the shower? and does it need to be fresh or is dry ok?

I'm gonna check out Shikakai. I already ordered Soap Nuts too.

Thank you so much for helping me out here, again.


you mean that you are using very oily conditioner?
do you think is it possible that you are reacting oil?
because my scalp is super senstive and tend to get seborrheic dermatitis by using oil.( I don't get dandruff but I get small bump or itchy scalp. however my scalp don't show any symptoms)
also could be shampoo?
my hair shed a lot if I use shampoo and conditioner too.
so I wash my hair with water only sometimes.

if I use shampoo, my hair shed like 35-50. if water only then my hair shed like 25.
I think my scalp got hyper sensitive with many chemical now.
I guess hair dye or oil massage did triger it.


also I might be reacting with azo color. because when I use dye without PPD. still my scalp is pain and shedding a lot .

I will not chemical dye any more:(
I already went to see dermatologist and she prescribed clobetasol scalp lotion. I did only use it for 5 days.

stupid me......because the lotion really worked well...
no shedding like 170 anymore..no pain no burning spot.
just back to normal.then I did dye ( this time no PPD dye ) again... my scalp got pain and lot of shedding again even thought I did dye maybe 5 strands gray hair. that's all!!
the dye was just like 1/2 tsp.

my dr appointment is this Wed.I am hoping my Dr give me something strong oral medication because I am too scarry to apply anything on my scalp now and don't want to left traum to my scalp any more.

Hi Urara!

IM sorry your having issues with dye as well. Its not fun. I have been using a organic White Camellia shampoo and conditioner from Aubrey Organics and that seems to have worked really well for me. When I try a less moisturizing shampoo, my scalp gets tight and upset. I have heard a lot of people saying they shed more when they use conditioner, but I dont think its because of the conditioner, I think its because the conditioner is making the hair smoother and is letting the trapped shedded hair come out easier. other wise it's just stuck in your hair all day. Its seems to make sense. Are you going to try clobetasol lotion again? let me know what the doctor give you. You might wanna try Henna. That's what I'm going to do next time and forever. Keep posted!

[ChloeDharma]

Hi ya Drynwhyl,


thanks for sharing your shedding time frames. I do use Dr. Bronners bar of soap sometimes on my hair. I liked it but wasnt sure if it was wise to use. someone recommended Soap Nuts, so I'm gonna check those out. Although I worry about going too natural cause my scalp got upset when I tired Terressentials and Moroccan Method, so we shall see.



You cease to amazing me Chloe. This seem like exactly what i need and the right approach to my issues. Thank you for such great tips. I have a few questions if you don't mind. I will definitely try your EO treatment. What measurements do you recommend. I already have jojoba, lavender and just ordered bhringraj. Do you suggest I mix german chamomile, lavender, aloe vera, avocado, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond oil, amla, bhringraj, and calendula all together? And if so, what measurements do you suggest? I definitely want to try this.

For the Rosemary rinse, would that be from a tea? boil or soak rosemary for a while and use that as my final step in the shower? and does it need to be fresh or is dry ok?

I'm gonna check out Shikakai. I already ordered Soap Nuts too.

Thank you so much for helping me out here, again.



I'm not great with technology so wasn't sure how to get the 2 bits i kept as seperate quotes to be answered seperately but anywho....here goes!

You mentioned being nervous of natural products after using the MM and Terressentials products. I'm not familiar with the ingredients they use but sometimes it can be one ingredient causing the problem or even with some companies a chemical they add despite promoting the "natural" image because it's become popular.
This is why working with individual ingredients is usefull as then you can find out how you react to them to later be able to formulate something specific to your needs. If that makes sense?

As for the bit you wrote to me....first, you're very welcome :) Hair loss and regrowth is an area of specific interest to me so i like to pass on what i can.
Please feel free to ask questions, it's what we are here for :)

Right, essential oils.....the dilution of essential oils in a carrier should be up to 3%. There was a thread not long ago where a member helpfully posted a site to help convert measurements but in metric 3% works out as 3 drops of essential oil in 5ml of carrier oil, 5ml is a teaspoon. So i would use that as a guide to how many drops to add.
Bhringraj and amla and calendula are carrier oils that have had the plant matter soaked in them to extract the chemical constituents into the oil. I think blending them all together in one product might be awkward because to get them all in you would need to combine the herb extract oils with the plain carrier oils which would dilute the amla and bhringraj extracts. I don't know if reducing the concentration that much might reduce the beneficial effects you are looking for. One study i noticed including bhringraj in an oil for hairloss said a 7% concentration was found to work better than concentrations of less that were tested.

Depending on your routine you may be able to include alot of the ingredients i mentioned if those are what you want to use. Just maybe at seperate times for example aloe gel can be mixed into a DT which also has the benefit of being a nice moisture treatment for the length. The main aim in this situation though is to get in onto the scalp.

The avocado, sweet almond, jojoba and coconut can all be blended together easily and think would compliment each other.
You can easily add essential oils to this and of course any other oil or treatment, even hennas (which is what i do). The essential oils are used in such low amounts that they do not really change the concentration of the herb extracts you see.
Can i ask, what bhringraj oil did you buy? You need to be carefull you see as many commercial Indian hair oils contain mineral oil which for your purposes i feel would be counter productive, same goes for synthetic fragrance.

The rosemary rinse is basically as you describe, i make it by putting fresh rosemary in a jug, covering with boiling water then cover to prevent the essential oil in the leaf evaporating and wrap it in a tea towel to keep it warmer longer. Then i let it cool down and use it as a final rinse. You can use dried although i have no experience with it because i have a massive bush of the stuff. Just make sure you get the rinse through to the scalp as you pour.

If i've missed anything or you have any more questions...like i say, please feel free to ask
HTH:)

[urara12]

hi!Xfan
I am using Free and clear shampoo and conditioner
( diluted ) now. I did try a lot of product's to if my shedding change or not. so far this shampoo and conditioner is best for my scalp.

> Are you going to try clobetasol lotion again?

I am looking for something else oral as I have colbetasole lotion now. it's work well if scalp is inflammation like hot and burning and follicle inflammation . my scalp is getting much better now and much less shedding now( I haven't dye at all since last month)

my Dr told me that write down that how much shed in the shower.( since March)
I just noticed that the difference the # shed between month I did dye or NOT is total 800 strands shed hair for 1 month.


I didn't dye for whole heads( since march).
I did dye just 20 hair or less
which only my gray hair. used dye cream like 1/2 tbs or less.
however the shedding & pain was all over.

also what I did is I did apply hydrogen peroxide on my scalp and massages and wash out. other day I did apply tend skin .because I thought that my hair still has some hair dye from the March as I did dye jet black ( btw. my hair is about BSL)
it's made big change that my scalp less pain and less shed.
I don't know why tend skin work the well...?
I am guessing that Acetylsalicylic Acid makes wash out the left over dye from my hair and scalp follicle.

I am ask about it tomorrow when I see DR.
I guess my hair follicle react with even microscopic potion of the dye.

I was really worry my shedding . so far I saw 2 Dermatologist,
kidney and liver specialist ( as due to worry that hair dye dameged the liver. some people have hair dye-induced hepatiti), urologist and my primary Dr. had more than 35( I think I did 38 ) blood test and my urine sent to Lab at Ohio
( I am in California)
all come back as negative. also I ask my hair stylist to take look well my scalp . he told me that hair come out from each follicle with evenly. he took look well my top of scalp and above neck area if the hair grow same potion.


end up Dr is suspicious about hair dye or folliculitis.
I will keep post what he says tomorrow.

here is a my old post about dye and shedding.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1114258#post1114258

after the post I did dye again ( but no PPD,it was July) and shed again.
yes I will do Henna and indigo for cover my gray.

[urara12]

hi! little_cherry:)
I am taking garlic pill ( I am taking kyolic one) too. and love it !

[breezefaerie]

I had huge issues with hair dye as well, massive sheds and open sores on my scalp. Not fun and you have my sympathy.

What worked for me was super-gentle treatment of my hair and scalp. Oiling is great, as are rinses. You may need to try a few different ones to find the right one for you. "Hair" vitamins also worked great for me.

I would recommend that you try one hair-type treatment at a time. This way, should your hair not like something, you can easily identify the culprit.

Good luck!

[urara12]

Xfan. I went to see new dermatologist today.
the Dr is really nice and took long time to chek my scalp.
( also PA spend about 20 min before I saw the Dr)
he also famous for Alopecia and skin cancer and he dose hair transplant etc. so I felt bit relieved because he saw lot of patiant who has ploblem with hair and scalp.

I was told that the scalp pain can be from nerve and recommend to see Neurologist.
I told Dr that my hair had shed a lot for past 6 month or more. also I told the # hair shed I 've having ( show the diary)
he spend a long time to check hair folicle very carefully and told me that I don't have any problem with hair lose or shedding.
he also saied that I have lot of new hair growing & my hair densty is very good.
he told me that he is strongly believe that biopsy is iunnecessary. ( also he took all my blood test result from past)
however he found dandruff on my scalp which is really microscopic which I never thought I have a dandruff.
and burning sensation is from seborrheic dermatitis .
he told me avoid product's contain many ingredient and oil . he told me that it doesnt' matter if it's natural or not.
simple is best.
he prescribed medicated shampoo :) I am going to try the shapoo tonight.

[xfan]

With that bit of extra information i wonder if the hair dye has irritated and caused inflammation in the follicles which is said to cause hair loss.

Maybe use some treatments with anti inflammatory properties like german chamomile essential oil which has a high chamazulene content which is anti inflammatory combined with lavender which is also anti inflammatory but also encourages rapid healing. I'm thinking maybe mixed with aloe vera again for its soothing anti inflammatory, skin healing and hair loss use.

This is the kind of approach i'd take Xfan to focus on soothing your scalp primarily and keep washing methods really gentle like shikakai which is great for the scalp and helped my shedding dramatically when i used it.

For base oils i'd also think of things like avocado, coconut, jojoba, sweet almond oil, if you can get an oil with amla, bhringraj, calendula in then those also soothe the scalp and encourage growth.

Edit to add- rosemary rinses are another good scalp treatment. They are said to stimulate the hairs to enter the anagen phase and are great for any scalp irritation.

Hi ChloeDharma,

You had asked what bhringraj oil I was going to use. Actually it was Neelibringadi and I had purchased this one:

http://www.alcanz.com/Alcanz/ShopCart/ProductCart.aspx?ty=T&PID=201

I was gonna leave it in overnight. What do you think?

Could recommend a bhringraj oil and also how did you use shikakai? in a soap, a powder? Would you have any recommendations for that as well?

Thanks again!

[xfan]

Opps, one last question ChloeDharma. For the aloe vera, do you think a overnight aloe vera gel would be good? or should I find it in another form like a juice or some kind of oil?

Thank you, thank you!

[ChloeDharma]

Hi ChloeDharma,

You had asked what bhringraj oil I was going to use. Actually it was Neelibringadi and I had purchased this one:

http://www.alcanz.com/Alcanz/ShopCart/ProductCart.aspx?ty=T&PID=201

I was gonna leave it in overnight. What do you think?

Could recommend a bhringraj oil and also how did you use shikakai? in a soap, a powder? Would you have any recommendations for that as well?

Thanks again!

I'm affraid that when i tried your link i just get an error message. Personally i've not used a neelibhringadi oil before but i know the 2 key ingredients from the name are indigo (neeli) and bhringaraj. I remember seeing a discussion on a thread a while back where 2 neeli oils were discussed. One contained an ingredient that alot of people seemed to react negatively to but the other did not....unfortunately i can't remember the name of that ingredient.

Pukka do a simple bhringaraj oil that is just bhringaraj in sesame oil i think biotique do one too. Personally i prefer to have other herbs extracted into an oil to compliment the bhringaraj. My favourite one was by a company called Hesh and i had great results with it, unfortunately they brought out a new formula that contained mineral oil and additives i wanted to avoid....i thimk it even had a cone in it as i see they are sneaking into more and more hair oils. They then stopped making the bhringaraj oil i had good results with.
I now prefer to mainly make my own oil so that i can choose the ingredients myself. Good brands that i've found though are Pune Mahabhringaraj oil and Trichup oil by a company called VASU. I've noticed reading over old posting of mine that i reported a dramatic reduction in shedding using the Trichup oil so i might dig out my bottle of that again.
I always leave an oiling on overnight and think this is the best way to use it.

The shikakai i buy is just a powder that i make into a paste, well a teensy bit more watery than a paste maybe a similar consistancy to yogurt. I wet my hair then gently work the paste into my scalp and down the length then rinse off after 5-10 minutes. You can also mix amla powder with the shikakai to make it more conditioning or like i often do use it by itself then use a conditioning herb mix afterwards. The 2 step process i find the most effective for me. I would say though that if you plan on using shikakai then your hair should have been oiled first to protect it from being too dried out during the wash.

[ChloeDharma]

Opps, one last question ChloeDharma. For the aloe vera, do you think a overnight aloe vera gel would be good? or should I find it in another form like a juice or some kind of oil?

Thank you, thank you!

Sorry, you asked this while i was answering your other question so i missed it.

Firstly no need to make this your last question, i'm actually enjoying answering these :D

Aloe vera, well you can find the oil which is made by heating the pulp/gel from the leaf in oil until the water has evaporated leaving an oil form of it. I've not tried this yet but it is certainly on my "to make" list....like oh so many other things! lol
The juice if you wanted to use it might be an idea for making a conditioning herb mix paste......i might actually try this myself sometime.
The gel is really easy to use, one recipe i've seen mentioned alot is combining aloe gel, coconut milk and a little wheatgerm oil.
You could use it on your scalp overnight, i sometimes do that after heavily oiling my hair and scalp....if you combine the aloe with a little oil it emulsifies which makes it easier to apply. If you are still using shampoo you can also dilute it with aloe gel making the wash more gentle and also encouraging scalp health and hair growth.
You could also add the aloe to water in a mister bottle and spray your scalp with that between washes, you could of course add essential oils to that.

Like i said before if you want me to explain further or have any more questions....just ask :)

How is your shedding now by the way? Has it started calming down yet?

[xfan]

Oh thank you Chloe!

I will try the shikakai now that I know how to use it. I am trying soap nuts this week. I've really been searching for a good soap and conditioner routine. Between the soap nuts and the shikakai, I'm sure I'll finding something that works. I just need to find a good daily conditioning method now. My hair is dry if that helps at all.

Here is a better link to that oil I mentioned. Its the homepage. the product I am referring is on the right side call intensive hair treatment.

http://www.alcanz.com/alcanz/

It was mentioned in this thread as a huge shed reducer.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=34344&highlight=neelibringadi

I will do more looking into bhringaraj in the morning :)

[xfan]

Thank you for the aloe very info. No i have a good starting point.

And actually my shedding has reduced to about 130 hairs from 200. I did try Emu Oil last week too.

One thing that has worried me a little is I do find about 10 regrowth hairs in it. I'm hoping thats not too bad.

(25 posts! I can edit now and PM!)

[ChloeDharma]

Xfan i notice the oil you are getting is the one mentioned not to have the ingredient some people have problems with. It also gets the thumbs up from Mira-Chan who is someone that knows her oils well so you can use that with confidence.
You probably do not need to look for another bhringaraj oil as the neelibringadi has it in.
For dryness the aloe should help alot as should the oiling. For the length i find jojoba and or avocado oil especially good when tackling dryness. Misting with the aloe gel added should help too also you might want to add just a drop or two of glycerine to the mister to act as a humectant. Lightly oiling over that helps to ratain the moisture longer, although this is based on me doing this then keeping my hair in a bun.

Congratulations on now being able to edit posts and send PM's :)

[Anda]

Hi Urara12!

Sorry if my English is not perfect.

I don't know, if your're still here on this forum or not, but I wanted to thank you writing down your hair loss experience.
I'm exactly in the same situation you were last summer.
I dyed my hair then 5 days later it started to shed. It was 200 daily. (about 130 when I didn't wash, and 250 when I washed (washing+combing 2x), but I have to wash every other day) My scalp was fine, it was only the hair loss, then after 2 weeks, my scalp started to burn. I could't see anything on it, though.

I was in panic. Went to my primary physician, who sent me for a big blood test. Everything was fine. After 2 weeks of hair loss, I went to see a Dermatologist. She gave me a medium corticosteroid, which didn't help at all.
After another 2 weeks I went to another Dermatologist, she gave me MILD corticosteroid, which I did know, wouldn't help, I was right, it didn't do anything.
She said it's better to wait, let's see what's happening.
I don't have time. I have very fine hair, and not too much.
So I started to search everwhere on the net, and then I found you.
Thanks for sharing the information about clobetasol, because I started to use it for 2 days ago, and it seems like it may help for me.
I still have the shedding, but my scalp looks like turning white again in patches. I hope it will be white all on my head, and get rid of the inflammation.
My hair is shedding now for almost 2 months. I already lost a lot of my hair, especially from the back of my head, right above my neck (I started the dye there)

I hope this clobetasol corticosteroid will help for me also.

Cross fingers for me, please!:)

[xfan]

I thought I should post an update as to why I was shedding. It wasn't the color. It was my diet. I was only eating 1000 calories a day and I shocked my body and it caused my hair to shed. It was similar to a atkins diet cause I had cut out all carbs. If you ever read about atkins your will find people complaining about hair shedding. So I ate normal again and my air stopped shedding after a 1-2 months.

As with my scalp burning, I think that was due to me trying so many different products to help stop shedding in a short period of time that it just really irritated my scalp. The one product that was a lifesaver and so easy on my scalp was a brand called Alaffia. It was the only one that allowed my scalp to finally heal and go back to what I was using before.

I hope this helps someone find answers.

[Anda]

Thanks for sharing this update.
Anyway, for me, it's for sure that my hair loss is due to that coloration.
I didn't change anything in my life, except the hair dye, I used to use another brand.

Now I'm in trouble, and don't know what to do.

My scalp still burns. I used clobetasol for 3 days, and it made my hair loss worse but it made my scalp getting better, also. So, I have hair loss because of the inflammation. But if I use steroid for that, I have hair loss because of the steroid. Looks like I have hair loss anyway.

What should I do now? I have to get rid of the inflammation, and the steroid helps in that, but causes ever more hair loss.
Should I try using clobetasol once in every other day? (instead of using it 2x daily) I wonder it may help healing my scalp, and not causing the hair loss side effect.


Xfan, I'm glad you don't have hair loss anymore! Such a lucky guy....