regrowth support

[Katze]

Hey, how many of you here are regrowing after a serious shed, chemo, postpartum fallout, etc?

What is your hair like now?

What tricks do you use, what kinds of hairdos help you, what are you learning about dealing with your hair like it is now?

My daughter is 18 months old and between her 3rd and 6th month birthdays I lost about half my hair. :( When she was born I had thick, wavy, waist length hair. Now I have some stragglers at BSL, but the regrowth is at shoulder length. Shoulder length is a terribly unflattering look on me (I have a round face, short neck, wide shoulders, and big boobs) so cutting back is not an option. I either wear my hair all up in a messy 'do that helps the weirdness look good, or I wear it down. I MUST have 'cones, otherwise I get even more of a halo and frizz.

Oh, and my new hair is coming in much wavier than my old hair, meaning there is a 1b-1c ish layer of thin, fine, lond hair lying on top of a 2c spiral curled coarser hair. I have a lot of taper naturally - it is now obscenely tapered.

Does anyone else have super thick short new growth and very thin ends?!?

I am doing regular trims at a salon and also got bangs put in last Spring.

My best hairdo now is kind of like Bellatrix LeStrange - a mad Victorian doll poof look with my bangs clipped straight back. Or down with bangs down and LOTS of product. Product and 'cones are great!

This hair situation is a big struggle and I keep on thinking of hacking it off, bleaching it, or dyeing it black. It does seem to me like I will never have long hair, since I have not really ever gotten past BSL (pregnancy hair does not really count).

[Anadyomene]

When I had my daughter I shed a lot of my hair I was so busy with my daughter and my son, who was also less than two. I guess that because of this I almost always had my hair up and it didn't get washed too often. Luckily for me neglect seemed to work. As my hair grew
back in I did get trims too. That helped to even it out.
That was 11 years ago (ARRRG). My hair is now headed for my knees and it is healthy and not very thin even at the ends.
I guess what I'm saying is hang in there it gets better. (Even now I can remember the panic at my hair comming out almost in handfuls)

[girlcat36]

Yep, I'm with you Katze.
Had the chemo thing, got over that.
Started raising my iron and treating candida, that seemed to help.
Then, I lost my thyroid and my doctors cannot regulate my thyroid replacement medication, so guess what---hair loss!!!!
When I'm overmedicated----hairloss! Undermedicated---hairloss!!
Can't win. I wear alot of half-ups. That is the best look for thicker above SL hair and thin wispy BSL ends.
Dark shirts are great, too.

[Katze]

Yep, I'm with you Katze.
Had the chemo thing, got over that.
Started raising my iron and treating candida, that seemed to help.
Then, I lost my thyroid and my doctors cannot regulate my thyroid replacement medication, so guess what---hair loss!!!!
When I'm overmedicated----hairloss! Undermedicated---hairloss!!
Can't win. I wear alot of half-ups. That is the best look for thicker above SL hair and thin wispy BSL ends.
Dark shirts are great, too.

Halfups look TERRIBLE on me - poofy uncontrollable top and wispy thin straggly ends. They only emphasize what I am trying to hide.

I am beginning to think my hair will never get long, and that its texture complicates the weird regrowth SO much that I might be stuck at this length (and fighting to keep it!) forever.

My crown hair is fragile and fine. My nape hair is coarser (M) and wavy, needing more moisture. It is now long enough to poof out at shoulder level, giving the illusion that my hair is thick.

If I put my hair up, I have so many wisps and different lengths that I can never get it to look polished, adult, and professional (hence the 'wild woman' or 'mad victorian doll' look - I have already started changing my makeup to go with this look better - more gothic, smoky eyes.

It is really sad to have been growing for so long, taking good care of my hair for 5 + years, and still to only be at BSL. Sometimes I think about just chopping it off, but I know that that would not fix anything...

[Melisande]

Dear Katze, I'm sorry to hear that you are so frustrated. My hair also never looks polished, I have so much weird frizz and uneven ends, and much of what you go through, I went through after a horrible hairloss (medication-induced). It's five or six years ago now but I feel my hair is still not back to its best.

When I had this problem, I went to have my hair cut off. I had a shoulder long bob and it was cut very very well so it could grow out and looked good for a long, long time. But I wouldn't do it again. It took quite some time to grow back. I'm frustrated with my hair and sometimes would love to cut, so I really really hear you.

You have an adaptable routine, and as far as care is concerned, I think you do the very best. You pick your choices and check everything and tweak your routine, I know. I learned much from your advice!

Did you try catnip? I found it very beneficial but I had to be careful not to make it too strong. With catnip, my hair was better behaved and stronger. Other herbs - like rosemary?

What about coconut milk? How does your hair like proteins? My hair appreciates a little protein from time to time. I sometimes put a bit of wheat protein in distilled water and mist it on.

I can recommend wholeheartedly the famous mix of essential oils in jojoba oil. Regular scalp massages with this oil have helped me very much. Lately, I have slacked off a bit and I immediately see the results. My hair grows stronger and healthier when I massage regularly and leave the oil on for a day.

And another recommendation is MSM. I have to go back to MSM! No wonder I'm not satisfied with my hair - I have left off the things that helped best! MSM gave my hairgrowth a real boost, my fingernails too. I don't know whether you can get it in your North German town but MSM has greatly helped me when I took it with other vitamins.

You know I'm a fan of your hair. It resembles mine but because of its special structure, it looks much more alive and wild and interesting. I'm glad to hear that you go with that look. I feel I'm too old to do that (I'm at least 10 years older than you if not more).

As soon as the regrowth has grown down, I'm sure you will feel better with it. I confess that I'm envious of your waves. What about encouraging your waves with rag curls or braid waves? That must look nice.

Hack off: no. Color black: no, too harsh, maybe katam would be better? Bleach: if you find a way to bleach without damage, go ahead - but I remember how happy you were when you had your natural color back...


Do you have a newer picture of your hair? I see your hair so differently from the way you see it. I wish I could give you a way to see it like I do...

[Purdy Bear]

Im with you too. I have Alopecia Univarlis (no body hair) but since being with your darlings here at LHC I have had some hair regrowth - just minor in a few places.

I cant wait for the day when I can show you photos of a full head and body of hair. I live in hope that one day this will happen.

PS: You might want to look at watercress as well - there are some medical problems it isnt good for so you need to read up on it first but the Romans used it for hairloss and shedding.

[Dyefree]

Hey, how many of you here are regrowing after a serious shed, chemo, postpartum fallout, etc?

What is your hair like now?

What tricks do you use, what kinds of hairdos help you, what are you learning about dealing with your hair like it is now?

My daughter is 18 months old and between her 3rd and 6th month birthdays I lost about half my hair. :( When she was born I had thick, wavy, waist length hair. Now I have some stragglers at BSL, but the regrowth is at shoulder length. Shoulder length is a terribly unflattering look on me (I have a round face, short neck, wide shoulders, and big boobs) so cutting back is not an option. I either wear my hair all up in a messy 'do that helps the weirdness look good, or I wear it down. I MUST have 'cones, otherwise I get even more of a halo and frizz.

Oh, and my new hair is coming in much wavier than my old hair, meaning there is a 1b-1c ish layer of thin, fine, lond hair lying on top of a 2c spiral curled coarser hair. I have a lot of taper naturally - it is now obscenely tapered.

Does anyone else have super thick short new growth and very thin ends?!?

I am doing regular trims at a salon and also got bangs put in last Spring.

My best hairdo now is kind of like Bellatrix LeStrange - a mad Victorian doll poof look with my bangs clipped straight back. Or down with bangs down and LOTS of product. Product and 'cones are great!

This hair situation is a big struggle and I keep on thinking of hacking it off, bleaching it, or dyeing it black. It does seem to me like I will never have long hair, since I have not really ever gotten past BSL (pregnancy hair does not really count).

Snap, I lost loads of hair when my daughter was 3 months and it lasted all the way till she was 10 months (she's 21 months now).... I was shedding everywhere. Add to the bleach, home dye, extensions and everyday frying..... well what's left is not good. :(

My ends (at shoulder length) are thin and flyaway, but I have massive regrowth at the roots, all at various lengths so it looks super thick at the top and terribly thin at the bottom... it'll grow.... eventually, I hope.

I cant go any shorter as my hair is curly and it's difficult to manage at this length as it is. I've quit dying and straightening and am really babying my hair to give the little hairs the best chance of growing and catching up with the rest of my hair.
Please reconsider bleaching or dying your hair, this wont make it look any better and will only make things worse as you will get more breakage.

I'm leaving my hair up all the time, and putting as much moisture as I can into it, we'll see how it goes over the next few months... :)

[kdaniels8811]

Hi, Katze! Nice to hear from you but sorry to hear of the hair issues. I lost ALL mine to chemo last December so am now wearing a wig until it grows to a reasonable length - at my age I cannot and will not go around with a bald head. Well, it is a little over an inch now. So I wear my long wig with my hair toys and the wig protects the new hair growing in and allows me to look professional. Best compromise I could come up with. My hair seems to have come back the same texture and color as before.

Are you using oils to help combat the frizz and dryness? SMT's? Nightshades wonderful hair balm? You have been around long enough to know what your hair likes/needs. Would a cassia gloss help tone it down? My hair type is completely different from yours but I certainly sympathize. When I joined this group, my hair was broken off at armpit and would not grow, just broke off. Within a year of henna, SMT's and herbal regiment my hair grew to my waist. So there is hope, you were so patient waiting for baby Kitty, now is another time where time is on your side. It sounds like you are doing the right things, just keep it up and it will get better.

[girlcat36]

Hi, Katze! Nice to hear from you but sorry to hear of the hair issues. I lost ALL mine to chemo last December so am now wearing a wig until it grows to a reasonable length - at my age I cannot and will not go around with a bald head. Well, it is a little over an inch now. So I wear my long wig with my hair toys and the wig protects the new hair growing in and allows me to look professional. Best compromise I could come up with. My hair seems to have come back the same texture and color as before.



Kdaniels--I remember when you were diagnosed! Was it that long ago??? I lost track! So glad you have finished and are having some regrowth. Also glad to hear you are rocking the wig look by using your hair toys!
Happy growing!

Katze---don't cut your hair!!!! I know it's frustrating, but you will regret a cut.
Do I wish I had neat, polished hair? YES. But I don't, never will, and just have to work with what I got. But I do know one thing---it will never be short. I'd rather have long and messy over short and messy!

[Katze]

Snap, I lost loads of hair when my daughter was 3 months and it lasted all the way till she was 10 months (she's 21 months now).... I was shedding everywhere. Add to the bleach, home dye, extensions and everyday frying..... well what's left is not good. :(

My ends (at shoulder length) are thin and flyaway, but I have massive regrowth at the roots, all at various lengths so it looks super thick at the top and terribly thin at the bottom... it'll grow.... eventually, I hope.

I cant go any shorter as my hair is curly and it's difficult to manage at this length as it is. I've quit dying and straightening and am really babying my hair to give the little hairs the best chance of growing and catching up with the rest of my hair.
Please reconsider bleaching or dying your hair, this wont make it look any better and will only make things worse as you will get more breakage.

I'm leaving my hair up all the time, and putting as much moisture as I can into it, we'll see how it goes over the next few months... :)

Congrats to you for going natural! It is a brave and difficult decision but I still believe the best. I know that bleached blonde made me unhappy before, since it never looked quite 'right,' and black was way too harsh for my coloring and blonde eyebrows. I am just longing to feel pretty again...

I have to put a lot of moisture into my hair but honestly am also washing it more frequently and using 'cones more often so that it has some life to it and does not just hang. Updos are such a challenge!


Hi, Katze! Nice to hear from you but sorry to hear of the hair issues. I lost ALL mine to chemo last December so am now wearing a wig until it grows to a reasonable length - at my age I cannot and will not go around with a bald head. Well, it is a little over an inch now. So I wear my long wig with my hair toys and the wig protects the new hair growing in and allows me to look professional. Best compromise I could come up with. My hair seems to have come back the same texture and color as before.

Are you using oils to help combat the frizz and dryness? SMT's? Nightshades wonderful hair balm? You have been around long enough to know what your hair likes/needs. Would a cassia gloss help tone it down? My hair type is completely different from yours but I certainly sympathize. When I joined this group, my hair was broken off at armpit and would not grow, just broke off. Within a year of henna, SMT's and herbal regiment my hair grew to my waist. So there is hope, you were so patient waiting for baby Kitty, now is another time where time is on your side. It sounds like you are doing the right things, just keep it up and it will get better.

Thanks. :)

Oh, congrats to you for your recovery! A wig sounds like an excellent idea in your situation. Happy growing!

SMTs are very helpful but I do not often find time for them. When my work settles down a bit (semester just started) I can fit swimming into my week again, and like to do SMTs the morning before a swim on 'dirty' hair. Oiling - is a crapshoot, so I use Fox's Shea Butter cream daily, often mixed with hair gel on Day One.


Kdaniels--I remember when you were diagnosed! Was it that long ago??? I lost track! So glad you have finished and are having some regrowth. Also glad to hear you are rocking the wig look by using your hair toys!
Happy growing!

Katze---don't cut your hair!!!! I know it's frustrating, but you will regret a cut.
Do I wish I had neat, polished hair? YES. But I don't, never will, and just have to work with what I got. But I do know one thing---it will never be short. I'd rather have long and messy over short and messy!

But your hair LOOKS curly, and is thus expected to be messy. Mine looks like it is 'supposed' to be straight, except for these spiral ringlets at my nape and S-shaped body waves throughout.

A good friend who is known for being brutally honest heard me complaining about the regrowth and said, 'yes, you can see that it is growing back' in a kind of tone of voice that implied, 'Katze, there is no way you can hide the state your hair is in.'

But I am having a good hair day today, Day 2 after washing with 'cones and putting in lots of product, and have it in a 'deliberately messy' side braid which is one of the only ways I can contain 75% of my hair...

thanks and props to all of you going through this.

[MsBubbles]

My best hairdo now is kind of like Bellatrix LeStrange - a mad Victorian doll poof look with my bangs clipped straight back. .

Just dropping in to say Katze you crack me up!

Also, on the messy side-braid, please take heart that there are some of us with hair so thin and flat it looks like it's sprayed on (on wash days, no less!), and we would LOVE to figure out how to do a deliberately messy side braid! Trust me.

[rags]

Yes, I have been through this, and right now am finally getting some regrowth back from the Great Shed about 5 years ago! (medication). I also went through it then. I don't know what to tell you, as both times I chopped my hair. I have the same not wavy, not straight hair texture, and it is maddening! Before I cut mine, I simply wore it up every day. If I wore it down, then I curled it somehow and wore a halfup. Braid waves and curls are your friends! They make it look like the messiness is intentional! :D

[curlytiff27]

I am going through the postpartum shed right now myself. My daughter just turned 3 months old on monday. I believe that I have been shedding for about a month now. I am kind of depressed about it, I hate to say. I am hoping it does not last long for me. I guess it worries me because I have a wedding to be in back home at the end of May, and like many of us, I tend to identify myself with my hair. BUT I wouldn't trade it for my baby girl...she is worth every stinking bit of it :)

Anyone try anything and have success with atleast slowing down the shedding?

Thanks.

[Unnamed]

Regrowth from multiple large sheds here. :waving:

Three, actually. Well, MORE than three actual sheds, but there are three main regrowth layers or whatever want to call it.

he oldest is nearly tailbone and mostly blends in 'thanks' to more recent sheds. The next one is some rather wonky regrowth from two close together sheds in 2008 that is, well, around APL/shoulderblade length maybe? Been trying to get a picture of this one. And I *also* seem to have at least a little bit of regrowth around 4-6" from the most recent mid '09 to mid '10 shed...and may have more over the next few/several months as I've recently restarted some supplements I seem to need, and also added another that some find helps with shedding.

I am somewhat hopeful that I won't have more large sheds after that/from now on, but I also don't really count on it. It'll do what it does, I guess. :shrug:

I'll also recommend half ups and adding some sort of wave or curl. Half ups, french twists, and french braids (done with wet hair) were my staples back in high school and college when my hair (and ends) was/were the thinnest. Length was about BSL to waist most of that time. Oh, and another one is a tucked french braid--french braid with the length of the braid tucked up in under the braid part.

My hair is up/bunned most of the time now, so only the shortest regrowth is really ever visible. With the way the 2008 regrowth line is...right now even half ups, braids, and a basic pony end up 'fraying' or looking a bit fuzzy/non-smooth where that new growth is. :( And it's all the same texture--stick straight! But that regrowth is *really* wonky (in some places it's almost all 'new' hair), and the pony/halfups/etc. were better when that layer was shorter...and I'm sure will behave better once that layer gets a bit longer.

[JamieLeigh]

I had a crazy shed from January to mid-February this year, due to miscarriage. I don't remember ever shedding that much with any of my pregnancies (I have five children and have miscarried one other time too), but those all happened before I had joined LHC, and before I was more aware of what the back of my head looked like. So I could very well have shed this much and just not paid attention.

I had see-through ends from about hip-length, all the way to the ends, and I've been trying to maintain my length with weekly trims of 1/8" until the see-through is gone. Luckily, it seems to be working...my see-through ends are at almost-classic length now...but the maintaining has really been a struggle. I've said elsewhere that it feels really weird to be complaining about how fast my hair grows, but to be honest, I didn't know anyone else ever had trouble with growth until I found LHC. But for now, I'm not happy with the fast growth, I'd rather thicken it up first if possible and then look into getting it longer. :rolleyes:

I also wear my hair up everyday. There have been maybe 4 times all year long that I've worn it loose - my kids' awards day ceremony at school, Renaissance faire, and maybe two other times I just felt like wearing it down. I think the wear it up and forget it bit does help, but I know it can be frustrating when you look back and look at how long you've been wearing it up, and still not seeing the results you want.

Another irritation is the halo of new short hairs that are from cheekbone- to jaw-length and won't go back into my updos. Especially on windy days, like this November has been full of so far. Ack!!!! :eek:

[nemileo]

Oh, I have started the shedding too. My son is now three months old, and I fill up the bathroom sink every time I coumb my hair. It really freaks me out! It is not really visible yet, but if it keeps up like this I guess I will loose a lot of my hair in the following months. Luckily my body seemed to "save up" my hair while I was pregnant, and I practically didn`t shed one hair before my son was about 10 weeks old. I switched to henna while I was pregnant too, and learned a lot about hair care from LHC, so I have a lot more hair now than before the pregnancy. Hopefully it will make it more resistant to the massive shedding, but I am wondering how my head will look when it all decides to grow back.

I guess it is a challenging time to try to grow long hair, and I know a lot of other new mothers that chop off to a shorter hair style to ease the recovery after the massive shed. But you are growing it back! If you can stand these "akward" months, I bet you are left with a full head of beautiful long hair in the end! And if you ask me, it sounds great that your regrowt has waves and curl. Just imagine how great it will look when it catches up with the length! But if you really concider a dark dye, I really reccomend you to do a two step henna and indigo, or a mix. That will only make your hair stronger and more healthy, and you don`t get the breakage that you get from chemical dye. BUT you will have to keep up with the regrowt of virgin hair since it is permanent. And my expirience is that my hair looks thinner when I have that dark blonde regrowt, so I am pretty adiccted to a new round of henndigo when it gets visible.

I just have to say that I feel my problems gets really small when I read the stories from those of you that has gone through medication and alopecia. You are brave women! Sometimes I guess we all have to remeber that the beauty is still there, even though the hair is missing. My deepest respect!

[GuardGirl]

Ooohhh, me me me! I have a 10 month old and when she was 4-6 months i lost about half my hair. I have lots and lots of 2-3 inch long hairs everywhere now that its growing back. I started doubling up on my prenatals (I still breastfeed), I drink a good protein shake at least once a day, and I've incorporated GNC's Ultranourish Hair as well. Oh, and scalp massage too!

Unfortunately, my thin straggly ends got the best of me and about a week ago I CHOPPED it to flip length which is 18-19" on me. :( At least now my ends are super healthy and it isn't as obvious that it is so much thinner. I do have a halo of baby hair, so I'm hopeful that within the next year it will be grown out enough to not notice the difference.

Good luck with your growing!

[JenniferNoel]

Totally me. I had the worst sheds ever over the past year, and both forced me to chop from BSL to the longer end of SL. I'm just recovering from the latest, and haven't experienced shedding of such great magnitude since, but the long haul back to BSL is seeming to be incredibly slow this time around.
Up-dos help loads! I tried joining the wear hair up for a month/few months/year challenge for two months and really got used to wearing my hair up, it's become a habit, and it's making life so much easier.
At least this length is pretty flattering on me.