Shedding, and when enough is enough *sad day*

[Friesiangirl]

Okay, I know I've had some stress lately, but this is INSANE.

I'm shedding about 300 hairs a DAY.

It's driving me insane. I've not changed much, except CO'ing a little more frequently because all the loose hair is driving me bonkers and I have to rinse them off, because just combing leaves so many tangled into my hair.

I take a multi-vitamin (pre-natal), and biotin. I eat average/well. I'm not severely thin or severely over weight. I have some issues with pain but nothing that could really explain this.

I have no idea what to do. I have no health care, so going to a doctor is out.

I'm just really upset because my hair is one of the few things I really like about myself, and it's... err... not doing so well. I've gone from about 3.5"-4" circumference, to about a 1.5'' in 3 months.

This is not good.

I'm 18, btw. That might be important.

Hayley

[Capybara]

I'm sorry I don't have any medical advice to offer, but I want to wish you the best in resolving this ((hugs)) Your hair still looks beautiful to me :blossom:

[Friesiangirl]

Aww thank you! I keep telling myself it'll be okay! It'll be okay...

and that it'll be easier to do hair styles now. But... it's not. Because it feels all wrong. And so much hair is everywhere. It's driving me nuts haha

Hayley

[Roseate]

Have you seen Emichee's thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=60182) about recovering from hairloss? Just for inspiration: she has been able to get some great thickness back (without cutting much length) after sorting out her medical issues.

2" loss of circumference in three months does sound like there's an underlying problem. Thyroid, hormonal imbalance, something in that department... It might be worth it to start negotiating the fun and exciting US medical system (http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/GoogleSearch_HCC.aspx). I know it sucks to try to get health care when you're not insured, but it can be done: there are sliding-scale clinics out there, state programs, etc. I've gone down this road in the past. Best of luck.

[IcarusBride]

About Biotin, do you ever forget to take it? After you forget to take it, do you take 2 the next day? I used Biotin for a while and for a few months it worked good, and I remembered to take it every day, but then I started forgetting and when I'd forget I'd usually take it the next day along with that day's pill... I think that inconsistancy in the daily dose makes hair fall out :(

[Friesiangirl]

No, I sometimes don't take it, but very rarely. I usually forget in the same day, so I just take it in the afternoon rather than morning. I never double up though. It'd kill my stomach haha

Hayley

[Madora]

Do you get enough iron in your diet?

Hair loss goes hand in hand with iron deficiency (thru anemia). I found out the hard way (lost a lot of thickness because of iron deficiency due to anemia).

[girlcat36]

Three hundred hairs a day is too much, are you actually counting? I have experienced a LOt of hairloss for a variety of reasons. I finally had to count each day to get an idea of how much is too much and what is normal.
For me, anything over 100 a day is a sign of a problem. When my health is good, 40-70 a day seems to be normal.
Low iron or low ferritin, a hormone imbalance, thyroid condition, fungal infection, and gastrointestinal disorders are all things that can cause hairloss. Also stress.

Without health insurance, it's difficult to know what's going on. In most states(not mine!) you can order your own bloodwork online and have it drawn locally and get the results emailed to you. It's not terribly expensive.
This, of course, can never replace a doctor's visit, but gan give a general idea on whether you might be low on iron, or if a thyroid condition could be present.

[Dars]

How long have you been CO'ing for? I would stop CO, clarify and use regular no cone S/C method to see if has any effect.

[luckyduck]

Did you happen to have an illness with a high fever within the last few months? Sometimes that can trigger a huge amount of hair loss.

[Bibliophile]

This is helpful for me too, thanks for posting! I've been having a lot of shedding the last few months, and my thick hair is now "normal", which I guess isn't too bad, but for me it's quite a difference. Friends keep saying, "Oh did you get layers to thin it out?" Aiyee! I'm going to start taking some "hair vitamins", and doing my hair massages more often.

[May]

OMG where do you live that you don't have free health care? Are there clinics? What about emergency? School nurse?

This could be serious. It MAY not be and likely isn't but it could be.

[halo_tightens]

OMG where do you live that you don't have free health care? Are there clinics? What about emergency? School nurse?

This could be serious. It MAY not be and likely isn't but it could be.

Ohhhh, May... That's life in the USA! It's just normal when you've always lived here.

Hayley, I've been reading about telogen effluvium lately. ANY major event in the last two to six months could potentially trigger it. A high fever (as luckyduck mentioned), severe illness, a stressful event, a change in diet, a change in hormones... Anything disruptive can jolt a large percentage of your hairs into the telogen phase, and they will then shed naturally a few months later.

This is by no means the only answer, of course. You've gotten a lot of great suggestions as to things you might want to look into and tests you might want to perform. I just wondered if, by chance, some major event or change might come to your mind if you look back over the last several months. Anything?

[ChloeDharma]

Ohhhh, May... That's life in the USA! It's just normal when you've always lived here.


I find that prospect quite terrifying. I get this idea that poor people who are ill are just left to die....is this what happens?

My initial response is to suggest seeing a doctor as this much hair loss is a concern and sounds drastic enough to have a medical cause. If you can't afford a doctor then um....i really don't know what to suggest. Many things can help with hair loss, massage, essential oils, herbs, supplements and it's worth looking around this site for threads about it. However, if it is caused by an underlying medical condition these things are unlikely to help and of course hairloss seems much less of a concern in comparison.

I can sympathise, hairloss is something i've battled with for a few years now.

[milagro]

I guess in your age it's very likely hormonal crise. My hair changed a lot in the period from 16 to 19yo. It got a lot wavier and darker (from light golden to dark honey blond, people often asked me if I dyed my hair for it was a curious gradient in color from roots to tips :) )
I hope it gets better soon but if it doesn't I would say better shell out for a doctor advice.

[pepperminttea]

Ohhhh, May... That's life in the USA! It's just normal when you've always lived here.

And this is why I'll never emigrate. No healthcare is scary! shudder: I really don't know how you guys manage.

OP: I know you said your weight is okay, but have you lost/gained anything significant lately? That can mess up your hormones for a bit, especially when they're already a bit 'high-strung' while you're in your teens, and hormone problems can trigger hair loss. Apart from that and what others have said, I've no idea I'm afraid - my suggestion would be a doctor, too, so I hope you can find something.

Good luck. :grouphug:

[In2wishin]

Did you happen to have an illness with a high fever within the last few months? Sometimes that can trigger a huge amount of hair loss.

I didn't know that this could happen. I had a major shed late summer and put it down to an unusually heavy seasonal shed. I had a fever of 104 for a couple of days earlier in the summer and that could be what triggered it. (I am back to normal shedding)