Hair loss due to a thyroid issue maybe? Or is this normal shedding? I'm worried.

[rosieex3]

Whenever I wash my hair (every 3-4 days normally) I am pulling clumps of about 6-10 hairs out pretty much any time I run my fingers through my hair in the shower. Yes I do count the clumps of hair, and its normally 6 hairs at the minimum. I run my fingers through my hair maybe ten times. So I'm assuming I lose over 100 hairs in the shower alone. I do brush my hair before I shower, but I've honestly avoided paying attention to how much hair is in my brush after daily brushing. When I get out of the shower and detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb, I lose a huge clump of hair by the end of de-tangling. (I counted the other day, I got to 60 hair when the hair ball was about 1/3 gone and decided to stop counting). Right now I just ran my fingers through my hair (I washed it this morning) and pulled out 4 hairs.

Now, I know I started noticing tons of shedding in the shower ever since I started co-washing this summer. I feel like that kind of triggered the shedding in the weirdest way. I don't co-wash anymore, but the crazy shedding continues. Or maybe this is normal and I'm just noticing it recently because I've actually started "paying attention" to my hair?

I've googled this a bit, and came across hypothyroidism. My periods (sorry if TMI) have been way out of whack lately, I've been having never ending ones and sometimes two a month..so this is leading me to believe that I might have a thyroid issue causing this. If it is hypothyroidism, will medication stop the shedding and regain whatever thickness I've lost? (I honestly can't really tell if my hair looks thinner just because I never used to pay attention to it).

Thank you for any replies. :o

[spidermom]

When you are worried, it's never a bad idea to check with your doctor, unless, of course, you don't have the $ to cover seeing a doctor. In that case, take the best care of your health that you can and save $ for a doctor visit to at least have your basic health indicators checked (blood count, thyroid, electrolytes).

[Purdy Bear]

I would also suggest you get checked out with a Dr, it sounds more hormonal then thyroid problems as I think that usually shows up with dramatic weight gain or loss.

Other areas worth checking would be for anaemia and serrum ferratin levels, as iron is fital to hair growth.

We do loose up to 100 hairs per day naturally, but as you are worried its always worth getting it checked. Hair loss can be a sign of many problems so its always worth following up your intuition with a check up.

[Panth]

Definitely check it out with a doctor if you can - as Purdy Bear said, it can be an indicator of lots of serious things.

If you're worried that you're loosing more hair than normal, perhaps measure your ponytail circumference (once or twice a month - no need to make it another thing to worry about). That way when you do see a doctor you can say "I have lost x cm in ponytail circumference in y months" or whatever and he/she'll be more likely to listen to you.

...alternatively, you may find out that your circumference is not decreasing. In which case although you are shedding that hair is being replaced in a timely manner.

*hugs*

[Imnotarobot]

It depends if you feel that it's making a difference in appearance. I lose a lot of hair, all the time, yet I have so much of it that it is never something that I worry about.

[Chamomile betty]

I was losing more hair than usual Fall 2009. My mom was noticing alot of hair in the shower. I was also having a lot of anxiety and rapid weight loss. After a blood test my doctor told me I had hyperthyroidism. I had many test and the specialist told me sometimes the thyroid gets kicked into an overdrive for a short time. I am fine now and suggest you have some bloodwork done.

[GRU]

I think you definitely should be checked out by a doctor, especially because of the whacky menstrual symptoms -- that's not normal in an adult. It could be your thyroid, but it could also be a number of other things. So as much as I hate to sound like a tv commercial for a prescription medication.... "Talk to your doctor."

Also, you don't have your hair type mentioned in your profile. My hair is curly and I don't comb/brush it during the day, so all my hairs that were shed normally throughout the day don't actually fall off my head -- they disengage from my scalp, but stay lodged in amongst all the neighboring strands. As a result, they ALL come out in the shower the next day (I detangle in the shower with conditioner). I think I could crochet a toy rodent with all the hair I collect in the shower every day!

So depending on how much you manipulate your hair throughout the course of the day, your daily shedding may not actually be all that much.

[fairy_ends_girl]

Gru, you should post your clump because when I saw it I felt much better :) I remember you posting it last week or so ;) And to the OP.. I am very low Iron and I get 2 heavy periods a month. I have shed lots of hair a few months ago but have since started vitamins and Iron and it has helped. I actually only got 1 period this past month and it was not as heavy as previously. I really think the iron is helping me. I also agree with gru that a lot of us curly girls do not use a brush all day or ever so the only time we notice our hair coming out is in the shower and boy is it scary seeing a days worth of hair coming out all at once! If you do not plan on going to doc then at least start up on some iron and see if it helps

[GRU]

Gru, you should post your clump because when I saw it I felt much better :)


Actually, that was another curly redhead, redcelticcurls, that posted The Clump That Ate The Internet (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=1437960#post1437960). Hers was a week's worth... my daily clump is probably about a quarter of that, give or take a few strands.

[rosieex3]

Thank you so much for the replies everyone. I am definitely going to get this checked out, but honestly I will probably put it off for a bit since I really dislike doctors (I know it's super silly, but if things are still the same in a month I WILL be making an appointment). And that clump of hair photo actually made me feel a bit better, thanks for posting :D

[GRU]

Since this is a period-related issue, I highly recommend that you seek out the services of a certified nurse midwife (CNM). They usually are found in OB practices with other midwives and doctors.

People often think that midwives just catch babies, but they are actually providers of women's healthcare throughout the lifespan. I saw a midwife for my prenatal care when I was pregnant with my son, and I continue to see her for my "female checkups".

Seeing a midwife is a totally different experience from seeing a doctor, IMO. For one thing, she gives me a hug when she enters the exam room, instead of shaking my hand. (Her comment was, "C'mon, once someone's had their hand up your hoo-haa, you're way beyond the handshake stage!" :lol:) We chat about what our kids are up to, show off school pictures, etc. She takes the time to LISTEN to me, and she actually has the time SCHEDULED to be able to listen to her patients (she has appts every 20-30 minutes, instead of every 7-10 minutes like the doctors have).

She can order labs just like a doctor can, she can prescribe medications, and she can write referrals to specialists if needed (like an endocrinologist, if your labs came back with something that was beyond her scope of practice). In order to become a CNM, she had to get a bachelor's degree in nursing, a certain number of years of experience as a Registered Nurse, and then go back and complete a master's degree program in nurse-midwifery. It's like going to see a doctor who doesn't have that "god complex" that doctors are so well-known for. I highly recommend giving it a try!

[teela1978]

In case it eases your mind a bit... I was shedding horribly when my thyroid levels were out of whack... well not that horribly, but probably 3x more than normal. Now that my meds are alright its stopped and I seem to be getting lots of new growth. I'll repeat the check with your doctor thing. 100+ shed hair a day can be normal, but if its not normal for you, that could definitely indicate a change in health. Hope everything is alright!

[Venefica]

I had a period a few years ago when I shed allot, however I did not really loose noticeable thickness. Going to a doctor might still be a very good idea just to have ti checked out. However periods of much shedding is common.

[Panth]

Please go sooner rather than later. Lots of medical things are much easier to treat when they're caught sooner.

...and you have two unusual symptoms, not just one.

If you are scared/wary of doctors, perhaps initially visit a nurse or even a pharmacist. Pharmacists (at least in the UK) are highly qualified in diagnosis, not just prescription, and are great places to go for initial advice. They're also generally a lot less busy and less intimidating.

*hugs* I hope you get things sorted out soon.