for those who have lost and regained lots of hair

[hennared]

Hi ladies... I'm not around very much these days, I kind of went 'away' once I started losing tons of hair. I just could not bear to read all the hair 'stuff' I enjoyed reading when my hair was beautiful :( I know however, that I'm not alone here, that others of you have experienced hair loss issues, too. So, I am back 'cause I have a question!

I have some meager evidence that maybe, just maybe, my hair is starting to 'act normal' again. I have a crop of baby hairs - I never was one to have them - along my front hairline. And my crazy never ending 3 year shed has finally let up :cheese:. None of this makes any obvious sense, since i have not changed anything recently in my routine. But if it's spontaneous recovery, hey, I'll take it! But I don't want to make myself crazy getting my hopes up for no reason, either. Although I know it's a process and it's an individual one at that, for those of you who have experienced a large loss of hair and regained it, how did you know it was getting better? What were the early signs? Was it a relatively steady slow return, or were there bumps along the way (ie, a return of shedding, that sort of thing).

I appreciate your support :) Thanks for reading...

-Hennared, still a henna head!

[girlcat36]

I am just gaining back my hair from a heavy shed, and I am praying it all sticks to my head, so I have no advice for you yet.


I remember your post from a while ago when you were having a large amount of hairloss. I'm glad to hear things have improved for you, and I hope it sticks!

I think Jessie58 had a lot of hairloss and then regained it, maybe she will see this! She has very thick hair.

[Mesmerise]

I'm also in the process of gaining back from a heavy shed, but I can't say how good it's going yet as the new hairs just aren't long enough, and the long hair still looks stringy. However I did have a lot of baby hairs (most of which are now able to lie somewhat flat and don't stick out as much) and I guess in a few months my ponytail at least will start to thicken up!

Sorry I don't have any real advice for you though.

[mystgirl]

I have lost at least 50% of my hair over the past 5 years. It only stopped falling a few months ago, so I suppose it's too early to say for sure it's over, but I feel certain that it is. I lose only a few now when I wash it, one or two when I comb it, and NONE on my pillow in the morning! I've gone from handfullls, to less than 20 a day!And it's definitely growing back, I have this crazy halo of new growth all over my crown just sticking through my length. Definitely not attractive, but I love the proof that I am not doomed to be bald. For me, it began when I started coloring, and a year after I stopped coloring, the hair stopped falling. So I'd say it's definitely related. Sorry I can't give you a long term account, but it's still a work in progress. Good luck. :happydance:

[mystgirl]

Actually, I'm wondering how long you've been a henna head? I just hennaed for the first time Jan 27, and again Feb 7. I have very pale cool skin and need the cool, dark burgandy instead of the flaming copper my first henna gave me, so I did it again after only 10 days. It's much better already, so I think I can put up with it for another month or two before my third application. But one of the reasons I decided to henna was in hopes of it strengthening my obviously weak roots. I'm concerned that you have experienced years of hair fall while hennaing.

[CarpeDM]

About a year and a half ago, I lost a lot of hair for no apparent reason but it was really scary! I would say it went on for a couple of months, and then right after I had a lot of new hairs pop up. Ever since then things have been pretty normal except for the new hair halo I have to contend with, but I'm happy to have it rather than not :guns:

[Darkhorse1]

I shed a ton one year due to mega stress. I couldn't get over how much hair I was picking up daily--like, handfuls. It was gross and upsetting. I also was so stressed, my hair had crusty, painful dandruff all over my scalp.

My doctor said that high levels of stress will cause hair to fall out, but she also said the good news is that when you lose hair to stress, it does grow back. I did get my hair back, but I'm lucky I have a lot to begin with, so I never really noticed anything, other than the painful dandruff which she gave me something for and it cleared up.

All I can say to you is hugs and for anyone experiences drastic hair loss, see your doctor--changes in hormone levels, iron deficiencies and other medical issues can cause hair loss.

[fluffybunny]

It is frustrating when you don't know the reason for the shed, and don't know the reason for the end of it. Sounds like you're definitely in a re-growth phase!

I've had up and down shedding for years now. Ponytail was down to 2.5" at one point, it's now 3.0". It used to be 3.5-4. My favorite theory is changing hormone levels due to perimenopause, because I've heard that can resolve itself eventually.

Here's hoping you're shed free for a looooong time!

[irisheyes]

I lost alot of hair when i was in my forties. It used to clog the drains, fill up my brushes, and be all over the pillow in the morning. I was using hair dye, going through perimenopause, and dieting. I have alot of hair to start with, so it didn't really bother me until I could see my scalp through my hair when I lifted it up. I guess I had alot of stress, too. Anyway, my rate of hair loss slowed down to what I considered normal until recently. Since starting some changes I've learned here, I rarely lose any hair at all. I don't use any styling products, I shampoo once a week, comb my hair once per day, no brushing, no hair dye, caruso hair setter only, no blow dryer, and I handle my hair very gently to avoid breakage. I also take Biotin, multivitamins, and fish oil. I am too lazy to braid my hair at night, so I am amazed to find there is no hair on my pillow anymore. I also have alot of short hairs sticking up all over-I'm sure it is new growth because there is no evidence of hair loss or breakage. I was a skeptic about combing instead of brushing, but it really made a difference for me. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck !

[CrystalStar]

About 2 years ago I lost around a third of my hair for reasons I still don't know and as a result stopped hanging around here. I was so used to hearing people around me tell me I had thick hair, that reading about others lovely hair was heartbreaking..

The main fix I found is vitamins, and scalp massage :) After taking the vitamins (biotin, fenugreek, hair skin and nails, silica complex, and evening primrose oil) my hair recovered within months!

Your hair is beautiful even if it isn't as thick as before :)

[Katze]

In the summer and fall of 2009 I lost at least half my hair due to postpartum hormones. The new growth has come in thick and wavier (I think) than it was before, and is at every length from short baby hairs to almost-shoulder (the rest of my length is almost at waist).

I am continuing to eat better, taking a special vitamin drink (for europeans, I can highly recommend this stuff: http://www.cellagon.de/en/) and taking better care of myself - I have to, my daughter doesn't sleep so I have to do everything I can to prevent a depressive attack, constant colds and flu, and burnout!

My hair is coming in thicker than it ever was. I am trimming the ends in the hopes of a blunt hemline SOME day, and in fact am going to the salon at 5pm (when I called to book the lady who trims my hair every 6 months or so, who is otherwise very supportive, said, 'oh, you're the lady with the thin hair.' :( Depending on what she says, I may cut back to BSL again as I did last Spring - thin ends aren't worth the extra length, to me; I'd rather have hair I can wear down and be proud of. :)

Although I wanted to shave my head or bleach it again, I stuck out the awkward times and really do feel that my hair looks a lot better now that most (not all!) of the new growth lies (somewhat) flat.

I don't think everyone's story is like mine, but biotin did help, as did just waiting it out (I cried a LOT over the loss of my beautiful thick pregnancy mane, see pics). If I ever have another kid, I think that might be the absolute hardest part...

good luck!

[Purdy Bear]

I have Alopecia Univarlis, so its a very long road for me, but I do have some baby fine hair like yours. My whole scalp is itching like made.

Im eatting a lot better, Im also going through putting a hat on and forgetting about the hair thing. I guess it would be the same for everyone just putting their hair in a bun and forgetting it.

Im also working a lot to get my future a more hopeful place, with better education etc., and I know this sound silly, but its like my hair is responding to my positive thoughts about that. I simply wont allow negative thoughts to stay in my head. I try to whip the rug from underneath them and stop them before they start. I call it cutting the link/thought.

Good Luck with your hair regrowth. Big hugs :)

[Cupofmilk]

Good luck - It sounds like things are starting to improve.
I lost a lot of hair last year - I had a baby in Oct 2009 and was very ill beforehand and went through a huge amount of stress afterwards when my son was in hospital and had to go back repeatedly.
I have started to grow a new halo of baby hair - very noticeable around ,my face and temples and underneath. I am hoping it will grow long and thick.
Take care of yourself

[hennared]

Thank you everyone SO much for your input and experiences. It helps give me hope, it really means a LOT! :) Today the shed went up some.. but I am near the beginning of a menstrual cycle, and that is usually a 'peak' time.

To the poster who asked, I've been using henna since I was 20 (I am 44 now) so I don't think that's the trouble - and I only use henna from hennaforhair (pure stuff).

My hair in my avatar - that pic was taken when the loss first started, in 2008. My hair is not anywhere near that full, now; but thank goodness I have waves; it helps make it 'look' fuller.... from 10 yards away or so ...

I was on mega multivitamins when this started, but nothing seemed to help. I may try taking biotin, iron, and MSM powder again, now. (I am known to be low in iron; though regular supplementation did not seem to help me in the past).

[In2wishin]

I have been through 2 cycles of major hair loss. The first one was 10 years ago when I lost a lot of weight. I ended up losing about 1/2 of my thickness. I ended up trimming to keep my hair APL (it was BSL when the shed started) and it eventually thickened up again. The halo of baby hairs was definitely the first sign.

Last summer/fall I went through another shed where I lost about 1/3 of my thickness. I suspect it was caused by a fever I had that was 104 for 2 days then gradually went down over the next 4-5 days. A couple of weeks later, the shed started. Anyway, right now I have a bunch of baby hairs coming in and when my hair is just dry after a washing the hair down to my chin level looks nice and thick but the rest looks rather thin :( I am sure it is the frizzies of the baby hair that is doing it so I am hopeful that I will regain my thickness.

[mystgirl]

Thanks Hennared. I never suspected henna as contributing to the hair fall. I am only disappointed that it didn't help prevent the hair fall. I've been hoping it would act as a kind of safety net for me. It seems hair must always remain unfathomable.

[mira-chan]

I had a shed when I first joined here in 2005 where I lost 1" of thickness (4.5 to 3.5), and it lasted a year for no apparent reason other than lots long distance airplane travel in one summer. Then I had another slightly more minor shed that also coincided with similar travel. Though My hair got back to a 4" or sometimes a bit above thickness.

Then last year my hair went into a stall, stopped growing completely. I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency in late spring and by the summer when I was in Russia, it stated falling out in clumps. I'd literally drag out thickish strands of hair every time I finger combed during wash. That was terrifying. Now I'm back at 3.5" or so and the shed has stopped about 2 months ago. I'm hoping it will grow back and maybe I won't have another one like that. I'm taking vitamin D supplements now so hopefully it will help. No baby hairs are visible at this point but at least it's growing now.

Most of what I shed this time were long hairs so my hemline, already fairytaled, became super thin. I'm at my length goal so I'm just trimming an thickening now but still very sad to compare pictures from last spring to now.

[SilvraShadows]

I experienced a heavy, out of the norm shed for many years! It just kept continuing no matter what I did. I tried everything, from supplements to oil treatments to cooler rinses to henna to not using a brush to using just a comb to not combing it at all to scalp massages to scritching to letting go and just giving up and accepting it.

After a 14 year bout of this big shedding, it finally stopped sometime last autumn. I am still holding my breath. Stress seems to trigger it and I have much to stress about over the years, my list is way too long, but I also have become "numb" to some of the stuff my family is going through at present. I've just gotten so tired of hardships. Life wants to be mean, well this time I'm not fighting it. Let it pick me up and drop me where it will and I will still be standing. The fight is out of me, but I don't think it is a bad thing.

Maybe, because I am not stressing I have helped my shedding to cease. I am not sure. Even though I have much thinner hair now, I am loving the fact that I can handle my hair without the maddening losses. It's a wonderful, new experience! I miss my thickness, my braids are so thin now... horribly thin. But I am grateful I still have my hair.

One thing I have learned is to keep oil off my scalp. Whenever I use an oil blend, I shed. I still use oil blends on my length from time to time.

And I am still hoping to gain my length back, but there are sections of my hair that appear terminal now at a much shorter length than the rest. For most of my LHC days I have cut it back to this thickness in hopes it would all grow out together and be thick again. It took me awhile to realize that it wasn't going to do this. So now I am just growing what will grow which will eventually create those wispy faerie mist ends.

[fluffybunny]

SilvraShadows, you really inspired me with your post. That's where I want to get with my attitude. I want to grow it out despite shorter terminal length and less thickness. It's hard to accept & I admire you for doing it!

[autumn_aqua]

Hennared,

I went through a major shed 11 or so years ago while going through a divorce and dealing with the financial aftermath. I went to a couple of different doctors, had my thyroid tested, etc- everything came back normal and I was told it was just stress. From the information I could find online, I think it was "telogen effluvium"- basically a lot of the hair abruptly/prematurely enters the shedding phase as a response to emotional shock.

I remember how it felt literally watching my hair fall out, the handfuls of hair that I'd find around my computer chair, and no being able to put my hair up because I had so much scalp showing on the sides and no amount of arranging would cover it. These things on top of everything else just added to the other stress, and it didn't really help that no one understood how upsetting losing my hair was for me, on top of everything else. (I remember one of the doctors I saw telling me I "still had a lot of hair", which was probably meant as a comfort, but wasn't.) My friends didn't really understand how hard this was for me either, even though they were understanding of all my other stresses at the time. So I basically went through it alone and it was pretty awful.

I would say I probably lost between 1/4-1/3 of my hair over the course of about a year or so. I took biotin, nettles, did scalp massages, and changed my diet- I had been a vegan for about six years and began eating animal protein again in case that had something to do with it. Eventually my shedding slowed down to normal, and like others have mentioned, I had to contend with a halo of sudden regrowth for quite awhile, but knowing this meant my hair was returning, I was okay with this! It took quite awhile for the new hair to catch up with the rest, but eventually, it did. My individual hair strands are finer than they used to be, although I'm not sure if that's something that would have happened with age anyhow- the shedding started when I was 31 and I am almost 42 now.

So, in my experience, YES, my hair grew back, even if it came in a little differently and it took a while to fully recover to what felt normal. But it did grow back, and luckily a major shed like that has never happened since, despite there being other stressful periods between then and now.

Sorry this was so long- it's just that I will never forget what it felt like to go through it all alone and my heart goes out to anyone who experiences sudden hair loss and want to offer my support. :blossom:

[hennared]

Gosh, this has all been so much more helpful that a dozen postings on hair LOSS boards.. I guess because there are less 'turned around' stories, there.

I am especially heartened by the 'seemingly no reason' hair shed stories. Yes, I was going through a very stressful time when my loss started, and in many ways, the entire past few years have been awful for me. But then again, I have had other stressful time with no hair loss. So this is perplexing!

Anyway, I have gone from a 4.25" ponytail to about 2.5"... kind of more than a little depressing. More depressing is losing my bangs and having barely enough hair to just just cover my scalp.. if the wind does not blow. Crossing fingers that I get at least a little back.
Thank you all again for your words and support. I too feel great sympathy for any one going through a huge shed.. for me, losing so much hair really hits at the core of my femininity.

[SilvraShadows]

SilvraShadows, you really inspired me with your post. That's where I want to get with my attitude. I want to grow it out despite shorter terminal length and less thickness. It's hard to accept & I admire you for doing it!

Thank you... it hasn't been easy. It's all I have now, so I grow on :bluesmile


Gosh, this has all been so much more helpful that a dozen postings on hair LOSS boards.. I guess because there are less 'turned around' stories, there.

I am especially heartened by the 'seemingly no reason' hair shed stories. Yes, I was going through a very stressful time when my loss started, and in many ways, the entire past few years have been awful for me. But then again, I have had other stressful time with no hair loss. So this is perplexing!

Anyway, I have gone from a 4.25" ponytail to about 2.5"... kind of more than a little depressing. More depressing is losing my bangs and having barely enough hair to just just cover my scalp.. if the wind does not blow. Crossing fingers that I get at least a little back.
Thank you all again for your words and support. I too feel great sympathy for any one going through a huge shed.. for me, losing so much hair really hits at the core of my femininity.

It has done the same for me. This is true.

I find this thread encouraging too!

I do hope you regain your thickness back, someone long ago said stressing over the loss of hair will only make it worse. This could be true, so take a deep breath and cherish the thickness you have. I think 2.5" ponytail is thick! Relatively speaking. Not even relatively speaking... it is!

I think I should apologize because after I posted I re-read the title... and regained lots of hair... well... I haven't yet regained lots of hair back but I sure hope to. My bangs have been very thin and as of lately they seem a teeny bit more filled in. So I hope to see a change as time passes. My shedding just recently stopped, as of a few months ago, and we all know a few months equates to half that amount in growth.

And remember... my excess shedding has gone on for over a decade without ever knowing if it would ever stop. I certainly did not know what was causing it other than stress was adding to it. I know it could start up again, but I almost don't think it will for some reason. :shrug: So don't give up, never give up!

[cubedcoley]

Can I ask? Whenever I wait more than 3 days to wash my hair or if my hair gets real oily between washes, I seem to shed like mad. Then the next few times I don't notice hardly anything for a few weeks. I don't brush every day and use a wide comb. I have a theory that what I do lose is from a few days "building" up of hairs I would have shed if I brushed every day or washed every day. Does anybody else notice this ? TIA. :toast: happy new growing!

[cuticom]

I'm just trying to get over hair thinning. After a year of awful stress my hairs been shedding since about two months into it and is now only just slowing down. My hairs at 2.5" and looks so much thinner then what I had, my one saving grace is the fact is went from barely noticeable waves to corkscrew curls over night so the thinness is only noticeable if I wear it in plaits or buns. At one point I was looking at buying a wig because the shedding was really starting to freak me out.

Because of the curls I don't brush my hair. At first I was only combing it out in the shower with conditioner but the clogged drains were getting really bad from the loss. So I finger comb it out the night before and watch as a good handful comes out, which is the build up from the days before. It's not helping that my mother yells at me every time I do that. I'm not sure what she wants me to do, glue the hairs back in? I can't exactly stop them coming out, if I could I would.

I 'think' the hair closer to my scalp is thicker, it covers my scalp much better then it used to, but it still doesn't go far enough to reach my plaits or a pony. I normally wear twin plaits to sleep and they are scarily thin. I can certainly empathise with anyone going through this. At the moment I'm working on taking vitamins, I have problems absorbing iron and B12, so my current vitamins are iron, B12, vitamin C, a multivitamin and a hair, skin and nails vitamin. I've switched to a satin pillow and am trying not to tug on my hair at all either. I'm also majorly conditioning what I have left, in the vain hope that that might keep it attached to my head....

[WickedLady]

I went to my dermatologist to schedule a biopsy on my scalp bcuase im running in to the hair loss and thinning phase. I take multivitamins but currently changed up my vitamins and shampoos. and he mentioned that an overdose of vitamin A can increase thinning/shedding/hairloss in women among other attributes. I was also reading a health site that suggested things to do for this and tohelp increase thickness of hair. but how well your body absorbes the vitamins is a different story.

Herbs:

Use ACV and Sage tea as a rinse to help hair grow.
Ginkgo Biloba improves circulation to the scalp
Horsetail is a good source of silica, neccessary for strong shingy hair.
Green Tea, Pygeum, and saw palmetto may aid in reducing hair loss
Tea tree oil combats bacteria andmites that may cause hair loss. Massage 10 dropps into the scalp, then shampoo your hair in the usual fasion.Recommendations:

Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in starch. may help slow down the process.
Eat plenty of foods high in biotin and or take supplements. Good source of biotin - brewer's yeast, brown rice, bulgur, green peas, lentils, oats, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.
Include soy foods in your diet such as tofu, tempeh, soybeans. Soyfoods appear to inhibit the formation of dihydrotestosterone, a hormone implicated in teh process of hair loss.
Do not eat foods containing raw eggs.
lie head down on a slant board for 15 min out of the day to help increase circulation in the scalp.
use shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin and silica. Aloe very gel (where can you find Aloe vera gel for the hair???), Vitamin C and E, and jojoba oils are very good for the hair. Conditioners containing chamomile, marigold, gensing to help keep hair healthy.
be careful using products that are not all-natural and pH-balanced.
Do not comb wet hair.
Cover hair in sunlight.Considerations:

It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs a day
Taking Large Doses of vitamin A can increase hair loss. Stoping the use of A vitamin and getting vitamin A in foods can help reverse the problem

[didrash]

You do mean diluted Tea Tree oil, right? Essential oils should never be applied to the skin undiluted, or so I know.


Tea tree oil combats bacteria andmites that may cause hair loss. Massage 10 dropps into the scalp, then shampoo your hair in the usual fasion.[/LIST]Recommendations:


By the way, last summer I went through a very strong shed - I clogged my drain for the first time in my life. I think it was caused by a chemical dye, it started after my last dye job. Lasted 4-5 month, but now I'm back to normal and I have lots of baby hairs.

[Dina L.]

use shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin and silica. Aloe very gel (where can you find Aloe vera gel for the hair???), Vitamin C and E, and jojoba oils are very good for the hair. Conditioners containing chamomile, marigold, gensing to help keep hair healthy.


There are 2-3 kind of aloe vera gels here in the drugstores. They contain 99,x% aloe vera and are for internal use, so they must be great for hair. I guess you must have in drugstores of pharmacies too. You can also buy the plant itself (aloe barbadensis) and use small parts of the leaves. Important: the plant must be 3-4 years old to have the medical properties.

[Dina L.]

Castor oil also helps to stop shedding. This is the thread for it: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=18265

[WickedLady]

There are 2-3 kind of aloe vera gels here in the drugstores. They contain 99,x% aloe vera and are for internal use, so they must be great for hair. I guess you must have in drugstores of pharmacies too. You can also buy the plant itself (aloe barbadensis) and use small parts of the leaves. Important: the plant must be 3-4 years old to have the medical properties.


I bought a bottle of the Aussie Hair Insurance Leave in conditioner spray and it has the Aloe barbadensis in it i love the smell and it also has a smidge of caster oil in it along with other wonderful natural ingredients. I love this stuff and will keep using it until i find an aloe gel to replace my hair gel :)

[firicia]

This thread has been very informative.

I have often wondered how much hair loss is too much for me. I seem to be losing a lot more the past couple months, sometimes I wonder if I lose so much after a shower how I have any left. I never really thought about stress and hair loss before, that really open up my eyes. Also eating healthier.

I wish you the best of luck in finding what is right for you.

[Vintagecoilylocks]

[QUOTE=SilvraShadows;1478637]Thank you... it hasn't been easy. It's all I have now, so I grow on :bluesmile



Thank you for this. I too as the OP said could not bare the continued reading on long hair sites while mine was coming out by the hand fulls. I fell into an awful cycle of afraid to do any thing with it because more came out. So I did nothing and that probably didn't help. I came to the conclusion my hair journey was at an end and it would just whither away and be this short awful grey thin stuff.

I would see woman older than me with thick beautiful hair and it just would reaffirm that it was just me and I was doomed to be bald. Yet I could not bring my self to cut. I used to have six nice braids to make a bun and it dropped to one braid equal to what one of the six braids in volume. 2/3 of my volume was gone over a period of 4 years shedding.

The photo in my siggy was taken to have a record that one time in my life I had achieved part of a dream of long hair.

Then I just waited for the slide to being bald. In the fall of 2010 my shedding slowed. I was doing my hair one day and my 14 year old said my hair wasn't so bad and she now wanted to grow hers to her knees. I decided it may not be the end and found my special little book of my hair journey and got back into the game.

So now I look like fuzzy wuzzy the bear with the shorties and my braids have hairs shooting out the full length. Layers from shoulder to tailbone.

So like you said its about all I have and I am going to care fof it and help it to get as full as it can and grow. It is one of the things important in my life that may stick by me for the long haul through life.

[WickedLady]

You do mean diluted Tea Tree oil, right? Essential oils should never be applied to the skin undiluted, or so I know.


By the way, last summer I went through a very strong shed - I clogged my drain for the first time in my life. I think it was caused by a chemical dye, it started after my last dye job. Lasted 4-5 month, but now I'm back to normal and I have lots of baby hairs.

It does not mentioned diluted or not. If you feel it should be diluted then you should dilute it. Where doesit say the oil has to be diluted?

[WickedLady]

There are 2-3 kind of aloe vera gels here in the drugstores. They contain 99,x% aloe vera and are for internal use, so they must be great for hair. I guess you must have in drugstores of pharmacies too. You can also buy the plant itself (aloe barbadensis) and use small parts of the leaves. Important: the plant must be 3-4 years old to have the medical properties.


do you know the names?

[In2wishin]

It does not mentioned diluted or not. If you feel it should be diluted then you should dilute it. Where doesit say the oil has to be diluted?

Here is a good article about EO safety: http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/safety.asp

ETA: it says that tea tree CAN be used undiluted but it isn't a good idea. Personally, I can't use it at all on my scalp because it causes open sores

[Dina L.]

do you know the names?
I'll check them next time I go there, but FLP has aloe gel for sure and it is available in the US, as I know... https://www.foreverliving.com

[In2wishin]

use shampoos and conditioners that contain biotin and silica. Aloe very gel (where can you find Aloe vera gel for the hair???), Vitamin C and E, and jojoba oils are very good for the hair. Conditioners containing chamomile, marigold, gensing to help keep hair healthy.


Another alternative is to use aloe vera juice to dilute your shampoo or conditioner. It is about $10 a gallon at Walgreens and is pure aloe (with a small amount of preservative). The gels you buy are aloe with a polymer thickener added since aloe gel directly from the plant will thin into juice very quickly after taking it from the leaves.

[WickedLady]

Here is a good article about EO safety: http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/safety.asp

ETA: it says that tea tree CAN be used undiluted but it isn't a good idea. Personally, I can't use it at all on my scalp because it causes open sores


that is weird. dont know why it would do that

[WickedLady]

i have always wondered do you guys use it to replace store bought hair gel to style or just use it just becuase to make the hair healthy?

[WickedLady]

Another alternative is to use aloe vera juice to dilute your shampoo or conditioner. It is about $10 a gallon at Walgreens and is pure aloe (with a small amount of preservative). The gels you buy are aloe with a polymer thickener added since aloe gel directly from the plant will thin into juice very quickly after taking it from the leaves.

I'll do that! :)

[WickedLady]

Another alternative is to use aloe vera juice to dilute your shampoo or conditioner. It is about $10 a gallon at Walgreens and is pure aloe (with a small amount of preservative). The gels you buy are aloe with a polymer thickener added since aloe gel directly from the plant will thin into juice very quickly after taking it from the leaves.


is this it? http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/fruit-of-the-earth-aloe-vera-juice/ID=prod6011869-product

[In2wishin]

is this it? http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/fruit-of-the-earth-aloe-vera-juice/ID=prod6011869-product

Yes it is. I'm sure that there are other brands and other stores that may be cheaper but if you live anywhere in America you probably are within blocks of a Walgreens :p

[WickedLady]

Yes it is. I'm sure that there are other brands and other stores that may be cheaper but if you live anywhere in America you probably are within blocks of a Walgreens :p


I also found this that i could use to replace my store bought gel: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/jason-styling-gel/ID=prod6056272-product

as well as wanting some opinions on my leaving in conditioner which smells so good but the oils after a day or so make my hair stringy. any thoughts? http://www.drugstore.com/aussie-leave-in-conditioner-hair-insurance/qxp26983

Btw i did not know you could ingest aloe vera let along putting the ingestible stuff in with shampoo or conditioner to dilute it can someone explain this? LMAO so if i were to take reg aloe gel and eat it thats ok? LOL

[In2wishin]

I also found this that i could use to replace my store bought gel: http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/jason-styling-gel/ID=prod6056272-product

as well as wanting some opinions on my leaving in conditioner which smells so good but the oils after a day or so make my hair stringy. any thoughts? http://www.drugstore.com/aussie-leave-in-conditioner-hair-insurance/qxp26983

Btw i did not know you could ingest aloe vera let along putting the ingestible stuff in with shampoo or conditioner to dilute it can someone explain this? LMAO so if i were to take reg aloe gel and eat it thats ok? LOL

Apparently drinking aloe juice is a long standing thing for a number of bodily functions http://www.livestrong.com/article/166129-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-drinking-aloe-vera-juice/

[WickedLady]

Apparently drinking aloe juice is a long standing thing for a number of bodily functions http://www.livestrong.com/article/166129-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-drinking-aloe-vera-juice/


LOL why couldnt i just find this forum a long time ago! I think i would be lost in bodily life without it :) i'll start buying gallons! and goign to wholefoods to get some shampoo and conditioner tonight after work :) andim going to use the Jasons aloe gel as a replacement to my generic brand hair gel :) any comments on the other links i posted? oh ya and going to try the caster oil mix. although not sure if i should wait until i run out of this stuff. http://www.jessicurl.com/Stimulating-Scalp-Massage-Oil-pr-570.html although i like this stuff alot not sure if going back and forth wiht casteroil mix and this stuff or one or the other. Any comments appreciated.

[xoxophelia]

How your hair grows back in may depend on how you lost it but for me it was (and is) a very slow process. I lost probably about 2/3 of my hair which resulted in a "haircut" of about 6" from hair loss alone. For me it was because I was both very ill from nearly a year and extremely stressed out. I didn't even notice that I was losing my hair because of everything going on until I saw the before/after pictures.

I could eventually feel it becoming thicker and heavier around my roots again. That might be partly because of how much hair I lost but I really could feel the difference in a huge way. Eventually it grows out to ponytail length and you can easily grasp the difference. For me it seems to be at about ponytail stub length that I keep thickness, a long length of moderate thickness, and then my ends which in two braids form braids thinner than my pinky. Probably the last 5" is the worst effected for me now.

I get through it by doing regular small trims as needed. I did a major cut before joining LHC and then maintained around 30" from August-January after 4 other trims growing to 30".

I think the most important thing is just growing out slower that you would otherwise, sleeping a lot, eating protein, and trying to keep stress down.

[WickedLady]

How your hair grows back in may depend on how you lost it but for me it was (and is) a very slow process. I lost probably about 2/3 of my hair which resulted in a "haircut" of about 6" from hair loss alone. For me it was because I was both very ill from nearly a year and extremely stressed out. I didn't even notice that I was losing my hair because of everything going on until I saw the before/after pictures.

I could eventually feel it becoming thicker and heavier around my roots again. That might be partly because of how much hair I lost but I really could feel the difference in a huge way. Eventually it grows out to ponytail length and you can easily grasp the difference. For me it seems to be at about ponytail stub length that I keep thickness, a long length of moderate thickness, and then my ends which in two braids for braids thinner than my pinky. Probably the last 5" is the worst effected for me now.

I get through it by doing regular small trims as needed. I did a major cut before joining LHC and then maintained around 30" from August-January after 4 other trims growing to 30".

I think the most important thing is just growing out slower that you would otherwise, sleeping a lot, eating protein, and trying to keep stress down.

Well honeslty mine is from 6 years of stress. Stress from the jobs i go on, men, finances, freinds, family, tragic events, my anxiety disorder. Just a General group i would say. I did crash diet in 2003 that might have started it but ever since i been eating normal with all food groups and healthy too. I did limit the amount of vitamins and which vitamins i took. I was OD'ing on vitamin A though. I'm now trying to reverse all effects by letting my in relax after work, I quit smoking, I now limit myself to any soda beverages, i drink more water now, i exercise regularly, i just recently started to do the upside down thing. I was looking in to gettign ginko biloba but not sure what dosage is the proper amount to get? i will be purchasing the aloe vera juice quite frequently now along with teh aloe vera gel. but with teh shampoo and conditoner and scalp oils i'm goign to have to choose and pick and for me thats stress in itself cause they all look good some have half the ingredients some have all , some have biotin and silica lol and some dont. so i'm at a stall point here. Any opinions apprectiated.

[In2wishin]

LOL why couldnt i just find this forum a long time ago! I think i would be lost in bodily life without it :) i'll start buying gallons! and goign to wholefoods to get some shampoo and conditioner tonight after work :) andim going to use the Jasons aloe gel as a replacement to my generic brand hair gel :) any comments on the other links i posted? oh ya and going to try the caster oil mix. although not sure if i should wait until i run out of this stuff. http://www.jessicurl.com/Stimulating-Scalp-Massage-Oil-pr-570.html although i like this stuff alot not sure if going back and forth wiht casteroil mix and this stuff or one or the other. Any comments appreciated.

I don't use any gels and the only leave in I use is pure argan oil on my ends so I really don't have anything to add about the other links...perhaps someone else can help.

One suggestion: you may want to only try one or two new things at a time. This way you can see what is working and what isn't. I know that there are so many new ideas and products but a little patience is helpful (both to the pocketbook and to your hair).

[WickedLady]

I don't use any gels and the only leave in I use is pure argan oil on my ends so I really don't have anything to add about the other links...perhaps someone else can help.

One suggestion: you may want to only try one or two new things at a time. This way you can see what is working and what isn't. I know that there are so many new ideas and products but a little patience is helpful (both to the pocketbook and to your hair).


yea i know the feeling. My hair is curly so i have to use soem kind of gel to keep down the fly aways. I have to have my hair up 8 hours out of a day for work since im military. and its not long or thick enough for a bun. is argon oil similar to caster oil?

[Dina L.]

Another student from the yoga school told me 3 or 4 years ago that she puts Aloe gel into a bottle with a nozzle and sprays the gel on her hair after washing it. She was really happy with the amount of hair she had.

[RitaPG]

I lost a lot of hair, not sure when it started but it was around the Summer of 2009, and nearly got a bald spot on my hairline.
There was no change in my routine, but I had just been through a lot of stress, and got really sick, and lost almost 10 quilos (22 lbs) in two months.
Only around August or September of 2010 I realized my hair was growing back because I had this awkward halo of little hairs growing all over the place. I actually put up an album about it. It was when I first joined LHC http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=6333
It was an annoying, slow progress, but it was steady and it got better with time. Castor oil, peppermint and rosemary EO seemed to help. I think being around here reading through other people's experiences has helped me a lot too, not just because of the support, but because of the AWESOME tips I got on general haircare.
I no longer have those bangs of regrowth, and my bald spot is bald no more :)

You should try to figure out the reason behind that shedding.
Hope all grows back soon :grouphug:

[In2wishin]

yea i know the feeling. My hair is curly so i have to use soem kind of gel to keep down the fly aways. I have to have my hair up 8 hours out of a day for work since im military. and its not long or thick enough for a bun. is argon oil similar to caster oil?

No. It is a very light oil that is easily absorbed. I use it as a leave in on my ends, part of my facial cleansing oil, and in the undereye cream I make to reduce dark circles (argan helps prevent wrinkles)

Here is some info I cut and pasted from one of the websites I buy from:

Argan Oil, C/ORG Virgin
Argan Oil is one of the most sought after botanical oils in todays market. With its unique composition of unsaturated fatty acids, plant sterols, polyphenols and squalene it delivers a therapeutic profile that offers regenerative and restructuring activity to all of your skin care products. This revitalizing oil improves skin's flexibility while softening and protecting.

SPECIFICATIONS

Appearance: golden semi viscous
Odor: characteristic fatty, slightly nutty
Solubility: oil soluble
Absorption: rapid, complete
Storage: tightly sealed away from direct heat, light and moisture
Shelf: 2 yrs. when properly stored

APPLICATIONS

•skin care creams, lotions, scrubs, cleansers
•bath and body creams, lotions, scrubs, cleansers
•hair / scalp conditioners
•treatment products

eczema
psoriasis
dermatitis
scar minimizers
after sun care
sun protection
anti-inflammatory's
sebum control
anti-aging skin care


tightening

firmness / elasticity

anti-wrinkle

[musiclvr2675]

Hennared,

I went through a major shed 11 or so years ago while going through a divorce and dealing with the financial aftermath. I went to a couple of different doctors, had my thyroid tested, etc- everything came back normal and I was told it was just stress. From the information I could find online, I think it was "telogen effluvium"- basically a lot of the hair abruptly/prematurely enters the shedding phase as a response to emotional shock.

I remember how it felt literally watching my hair fall out, the handfuls of hair that I'd find around my computer chair, and no being able to put my hair up because I had so much scalp showing on the sides and no amount of arranging would cover it. These things on top of everything else just added to the other stress, and it didn't really help that no one understood how upsetting losing my hair was for me, on top of everything else. (I remember one of the doctors I saw telling me I "still had a lot of hair", which was probably meant as a comfort, but wasn't.) My friends didn't really understand how hard this was for me either, even though they were understanding of all my other stresses at the time. So I basically went through it alone and it was pretty awful.

I would say I probably lost between 1/4-1/3 of my hair over the course of about a year or so. I took biotin, nettles, did scalp massages, and changed my diet- I had been a vegan for about six years and began eating animal protein again in case that had something to do with it. Eventually my shedding slowed down to normal, and like others have mentioned, I had to contend with a halo of sudden regrowth for quite awhile, but knowing this meant my hair was returning, I was okay with this! It took quite awhile for the new hair to catch up with the rest, but eventually, it did. My individual hair strands are finer than they used to be, although I'm not sure if that's something that would have happened with age anyhow- the shedding started when I was 31 and I am almost 42 now.

So, in my experience, YES, my hair grew back, even if it came in a little differently and it took a while to fully recover to what felt normal. But it did grow back, and luckily a major shed like that has never happened since, despite there being other stressful periods between then and now.

Sorry this was so long- it's just that I will never forget what it felt like to go through it all alone and my heart goes out to anyone who experiences sudden hair loss and want to offer my support. :blossom:
You have NO idea how long I've been trying to find out what's wrong with me and your story sounds EXACTLY like mine!!! I live a very healthy lifestyle and have always had really healthy hair so it blew me away that one day I eventually had a bald spot after some lengthy heavy shedding. :( I've had heavy sheds before but nothing like this and then for it to just not grow back in has been so confusing. :confused: I stumbled upon this message board and learned about some supplements that has been super helpful. The shedding has stopped about a month or two ago after using some shampoo while visiting some family who lived out of town. I searched for it when I got home and even tho it was $20 I bought it and am now about to start my second bottle. I have also had some ease in the emotional stress I was dealing with which is what I think really started this whole thing. :mad:
Last year was quite emotional for me but was also one of my healthiest to date which is why it made no sense that I was losing hair. It had to be the emotional stress I was under. I cut my hair in March to donate. I knew it would grow back but I had not had it that short in probably 20 years so it took some adjusting. Later that summer (late June) I learned my ex husband decided he wanted to go for custody of our son and I fell apart into a brief depression. I got back up and fought and I took control of the situation which just finally was finalized a couple of weeks ago. It's taken a while but now knowing the shedding has stopped and the stress is starting to ease that my hair will really start growing back soon. I plan to go see a Derm next month for a real diagnosis and hoping for a good prognosis. I've been taking progress pictures for the last couple of months to watch for changes but I can't really tell much of a difference...
I'm currently taking 1500mg MSM, 2500mg Biotin, 500mg Silica, multi-vitamin, Fish/Flax/Borage oil combo, among my other vitamins I take. I've also increased eating more red meat and spinach for iron.
THANK YOU so much for your post. I don't feel so crazy now.:p

[WickedLady]

Actually, I'm wondering how long you've been a henna head? I just hennaed for the first time Jan 27, and again Feb 7. I have very pale cool skin and need the cool, dark burgandy instead of the flaming copper my first henna gave me, so I did it again after only 10 days. It's much better already, so I think I can put up with it for another month or two before my third application. But one of the reasons I decided to henna was in hopes of it strengthening my obviously weak roots. I'm concerned that you have experienced years of hair fall while hennaing.


did the henna contribute to your hair falling out?

[Busybee]

So glad to hear that there is hope for women who have hair loss - to gaining thickness again and regrowth!

I am terrified that my medicine-induced-hair loss will be irrepairable. I can't seem to find any solid stories on LHC about Elmiron, or other women who lost hair/thinned hair, overall wiry damage due to medicines.......and what their aftermath is.

Regardless, all you women who had to wrestle with your negative feelings and depression over your plight - I am where you were. So thank you for giving me some hope. I pray I can post on this thread eventually with results of regrowth and regained density.

[ilovelonghair]

I had awful shedding in my early 20's, my hair was everywhere all over the house. I think it was due to stress and bad diet, being very underweight. It only started growing around age 30 and now at 37 I am finally getting better hair. I had another shed recently but didn't loose thickness, I have a bit of vaguely see through spots. I didn't notice any extra shedding (I don't shed much at all in general), so I have no idea how that happened and why. It happened in a time where I was happy and totally stress-free, eating very healthy as well. There are lots of baby hairs, but I always have them, I suspect that a third of my hair just doesn't grow long ever: my hair is quite thick at the top if I make a ponytail, but much thinner if I make a low ponytail.

Would rooibos tea work?

[RitaPG]

I think I might have to reconsider my thickness, when I joined this place I was recovering from hairloss, and I swear my braid feels much thicker. It didn't even cross my mind to re-measure! I have bangs now, and they are of "respectable" thickness, so I may have even more hair than I initially thought.

[Chetanlaiho]

I just recently started shedding like crazy, I think quite similar to how it was before I took any care of it whatsoever (and rather extremely unhealthy eating habits probably accounted for a lot of it.) Since I´ve started to take my vitamins again on a regular basis it seems to have at least slowed down but I´m terrified of it starting up again.

The longest parts of my hair are already quite extremely thin due to an underthought haircut but now I just feel like they´re completely see through =( I wear it up most of the time so it doesn´t show but unless it´s washday I´m too selfconscious about it to even consider wearing it down.

[WickedLady]

I just recently started shedding like crazy, I think quite similar to how it was before I took any care of it whatsoever (and rather extremely unhealthy eating habits probably accounted for a lot of it.) Since I´ve started to take my vitamins again on a regular basis it seems to have at least slowed down but I´m terrified of it starting up again.

The longest parts of my hair are already quite extremely thin due to an underthought haircut but now I just feel like they´re completely see through =( I wear it up most of the time so it doesn´t show but unless it´s washday I´m too selfconscious about it to even consider wearing it down.

My hair is doing exactly what yours is doing but i have been struggling with mine for over 6 years now. My was stress, starving myself, and not taking vitamins and not drinking water. now im back on the wagon and doing castor oil treatements and taking vitamins and drinking 8 glasses of water a day. My hair is thin at the bottom and see through like urs. My shedding has decreased but my hair sheds each time i brush my hair or shower. try doing the castor oil again, acv rinses, and maybe a shampoo bar like CV Bars

[Misti]

Although I know it's a process and it's an individual one at that, for those of you who have experienced a large loss of hair and regained it, how did you know it was getting better? What were the early signs? Was it a relatively steady slow return, or were there bumps along the way (ie, a return of shedding, that sort of thing).

-Hennared, still a henna head!

Hi, Hennared, I'm glad you're back. But I understand. I lost almost half of my hair volume a few years ago and I ahd to go away for a while, too.

I know what it was, in my case. It was a stupid doctor who called the pharmacy and changed my prescription without informing me. I never looked at the label and kept taking the wrong medicine for a year before the symptoms were so bad I couldn't ignore them. (Hair loss, while extreme, was not the worst of it.)

Once I switched doctors and got my medicines sorted out again, it took several months before the baby hairs started to appear. After a while, I had a halo effect going.

Since then, I have had minor "sheds" every so often, just like always before, but the "line" of the new hair thickness is now a little past my shoulders.

I'm afraid I can't be too detailed about how it all went because the only way not to cry for six years was to keep it all up and out of the way and try to ignore it -- I was throwing away literal handsful of hair three or four times per day for a year!

I feel for you.

[Sewas]

I am currently in a major "shed" and it is great to have some encouragement and to know that I may not be completely bald in a month. I started Rogaine last month to treat the thinness at the top of my head...so I wonder if that has caused my major shed. Hope each one of you can find a remedy or solution for your hair loss.

[WickedLady]

I am currently in a major "shed" and it is great to have some encouragement and to know that I may not be completely bald in a month. I started Rogaine last month to treat the thinness at the top of my head...so I wonder if that has caused my major shed. Hope each one of you can find a remedy or solution for your hair loss.


I would not recommend using rogaine unless you want to use it for the rest of your life. Once you stop using it hair will start to shed by 2xtimes as much. My recommendations is doing a Castor oil / EVOO mix for a few months, take your vitamins that your nair needs, and if you have stress relieve stress.

[FrozenBritannia]

Oh wow, I am so glad I found this thread!! I went through this too, lost all my hair. It back now but thinner, way thinner.

[freecelt]

Sigh it was over: I quite getting handfuls of hair when I washed or (very very rarely) combed.

Sigh I was on the up side: Seeing patches of baby hair (woo hoo!).

[arielágua]

I lost a lot of hair this year due to a surgery. This kind of hair loss is called (telogen effluviam) it's basically a reaction of your body for something stressful in your life, like surgeries or childbirth or bad nutrition. I don't consider I'm losing hairs now, it has slowed down a lot. I might lose 50 hairs a day, or even less. I consider it normal. I actually did not do anything special. Here's what I changed:

1. I ate better, much better! Lots of protein and biotin rich foods. (tomatoes, cooked eggs, peanuts etc etc)

2. I gave up on oiling my hair since it only made the loss worse. (true, every time I would oil the scalp, the loss was extreme, I only oil the ends/tips)

3. Don't wash it very often. (twice a week, also depends on your type of hair i think) I guess there's always a certain friction, when shampooing, styling, brushing/combing...

4. I never brush it, only comb it gently, I realized brushing my hair was pulling extra hairs.

5. DON'T WEAR PONYTAILS! :'(
every time I would do a ponytail I felt my hair was being pulled too. I usually put it in a loose braid or bun, and the number of hair coming out is minimal compared to the pony.

Well, these are the things I'm remembering now, I also take vitamins supplements (just to help), but of course they are not a universal solution and what works for me might not work for others. :(
I heard oiling the scalp and massaging is good for regrowth, for me it's a disaster and only makes it worse, maybe because I already have oily scalp. Don't now... :/
I actually think the best remedy is PATIENCE! I waited 6 months to see some difference in the shedding rate. Maybe it takes longer for others. All we can do is play gently and do the best we can to save the hairs we already have. :)

Well hope I have helped in some way. These are just advice. Good luck for you. :)

[raishalini11]

What a great thread and so encouraging for me!!!

Well I dont exactly remember how I started losing my hair I guess it started when I entered 30s and I am 41 now. The main reason was Poly Cystic Ovarian syndrome and the worry of not getting pregnant, weight gain and bad relationship. Ultimately it ended in divorce 8 yrs back but by then I was left with 1/3 of the thickness.

I used to have very thick and long hair and putting it in braid was a pain for me and my arms. Anyways though I got out of emotional stress but got into another kind of stress of supporting myself. It affected me so much that I ignored my hair completely, just shampoo and thats it. Once I used to do a lot of things according to Indian hair care routine but I guess priorities change with time:rolleyes:.

Suddenly about a year back I realized that my crown area has thinned a lot and I can see my scalp if hair is not freshly washed and this was the shock of my life. At the same time I developed dermatitis due to hair color I was using.

It made me search the net for natural remedies coz Minoxidil never helped me. First thing I started doing was to apply onion juice everyday. I did not see any benefit immediately but I kept on applying patiently as I wash hair everyday so it was easy. About 3 months back I switched to Henna and that was the time I joined LHC which helped me a lot in understanding many things about hair. I also started using oil infused with Methi and Cayenne pepper mixed with EOs and switched to herbs for washing hair. With this routine a month back I noticed baby hairs and I was so delighted.

Now I can see baby hairs all over my head some are 2-3" long some just started growing but yay it is growing:cheese:

I do not hope to get my previous thickness back. The new hair growths have really made me positive that I am not going bald and can have reasonable hair on my head for hopefully rest of my life :)

Thanks to all who shared their pain/story here, I can totally relate to it and understand what it feels to lose hair and and anticipate worse :(.

You all gave me new hope ..Happy regrowing all of you and One day we all shall have head full of thick hairs :hollie:

[Chetanlaiho]

Everytime I think my shed is over it comes back with a vengeance. I've just started doing castor oil mixes but I shed like crazy whenever I oil my scalp. I'm going to stick with it in case it calms down but it's depressing me like crazy, something I don't really need on top of being on the other side of the country from where I want to be and starting university >_<

I'm taking my vitamins pretty regularly again as well so I really don't know what else I can do. CO always worked for me before so I can't see why that would start acting up now =( I had my thyroid tested but haven't called in for the results yet. Think I'm going back to the doctor's soon >_<

[ElusiveMuse]

You know, I gave castor oil treatments a few tries because I'm going through a major shed but honestly, it made it worse so I quit. I don't think you should stick with something that isn't working. Lots of people have reported more shedding with scalp oiling so, it may not be good for everyone.

[Chetanlaiho]

You know, I gave castor oil treatments a few tries because I'm going through a major shed but honestly, it made it worse so I quit. I don't think you should stick with something that isn't working. Lots of people have reported more shedding with scalp oiling so, it may not be good for everyone.

I've only done it twice so far and the shed was horrendous. Someone on the castor oil thread mentioned that if you do it more often your scalp gets used to it and stops doing that so I'm really, really hoping for that. Castor oil by now is kind of my last hope to stop my shedding and thicken up my hair again. I'd give about anything just to gain back what I've lost over the summer >_< (before the summer I also felt like my hair was too thin xD)

[curlytiff27]

I had to quit oiling as well because its made my shed worse. My opinion is...if your not in a major shed, like a TE oiling may be fine, but for those of us that are in TE it seems that oiling is no good.

[veronicaM]

I have the same crop of baby hairs around my hair line. Now that my hair is natural color it looks kind of funny. After my pregnancy I lost a LOT of hair and it seems like that stage is finally over (baby is 8 months now) and I am actually growing hair again. I am also using a vegan kind of shampoo line and I believe that;s what helps as well.

[Barb]

I'm another member who's glad she found this thread. Several times throughout my life I've undergone a major shed for no apparent reason. The latest time was this spring and summer (2011). In fact, ever since I hit my mid-thirties, it seems to happen about every 3 or 4 years. I lose about 33% of my total hair each time. It's always freaked me out.

Up until this last, latest shed, I'd always go to my doctor frantic with worry. And my doctor -- on not finding obvious bald spots associated with alopecia areata -- would pretty much dismiss it. That really used to piss me off.

Except for the first time, in my teens, I've never been to a dermatologist about my major sheds. The one dermatologist I did see just happened to be, well, kind of a bitch, really. She wasn't much help. That's not to say every dermatologist is like that, of course. If I could afford it, I'd definitely go see one.

Eventually, my hair grows back. At least it always has. I don't know if it's stress, hormones, or all of the above that are responsible. I do wish it would stop, though. It's damned hard to grow some serious hair length when it keeps falling out like this.

Oh, and boy do those shed hairs get all over the house! Drives my DBF crazy.

[millyaulait]

It's nice (in a way) to know that you're not alone on this forum.. :)

My hair is currently shedding more than usual, at the best of times I still clog up the shower every time I wash my hair. It's most apparent at the top of my head, but I've found certain hair patterns/ways to put my hair so that it doesn't show *too* much. I use cocoa powder to cover my scalp & some bald patches right now, since I have very light skin and dark hair. I now find clumps of hair on my pillow every morning but when I'm washing my hair & just seeing more, and more, and more hair hit the floor it gets a little distressing. I keep thinking "Ok, hair! You're done now, you've fallen out enough, now quit it!".

Right now I'm babying my hair with ketylos, coconut oil & CO-ing. It *feels* better & I guess knowing that I'm doing what I can to keep the condition of the hair I do have makes me feel a little better about it. For me it's all about adapting, finding styles that cover missing patches, using hair toys strategically, colored powders, etc. As I patiently wait for it to gain length I also wait for it to grow in & stop shedding as my health improves. It could be years before it stops, so in my case there isn't a lot I can do to change it, so I try not to stress about it too much (until I wash it or find clumps, that is!), I hope sometime it will grow back but for now I am just *so* thankful to this forum for showing me that I can, at the very least, take very good care of what I have.

Um.. I'm not sure where that came from but it was sure nice to get it out there. Thank you for letting me share this. :)

[Silverbrumby]

I started shedding with a combination of late childbirth (40), hypothyroid disease that kicked in then and my response to the medication to treat it. I tried biotin, vitamins (was low iron), satin pillow slip, rooibos tea, head massages, oil, CWC etc. It's all helped. I'll never have thick hair again but I have grown back about 25&#37; of what I lost. I'm hoping to have 30 plus inch hair one day. That would be amazing for me. Well 30 inches of hair in great condition. During the shed I decided to take up flat ironing and blow drying my hair so now I have this damage to grow out.

It's been wonderful reading the threads from people who have thinner hair. It's been inspiring to see their hair and how beautiful it can look. I'm trying now for 'grace' and 'acceptance' of the hair I have. It's helping.

[BunnyWabbit]

I realize this is an older thread, but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents because massive hairloss is one of the reasons I joined backin 2007 and quickly stopped reading the forum. I also found it depressing like the OP said.

When I was young I had massively thick Shirley Temple 3b/3c curls. When I was 21-24 I lost so much hair, people thought I had cancer. I don't measure so I can't say exactly how thick my hair was, but I went from wrapping a regular pony tie twice to it being loose after wrapping it around my hair 4 times.

Then last year, I finally started to get truly healthy again and my hair started to grow back. The first signs were ingrown hairs! I thought they were pimples on my scalp at first. My back had broken out slightly from hard water so I thought my head was doing the same time. But then I saw tons of short little stiff baby hairs all over my scalp. Even now I notice baby hair grown on my forehead and at the nape of my neck.

I haven't been able to add any length during the growing process. After I finally admitted to myself just how thin and sick my hair looked, I did a chop from just above BSL to around APL (this is when straight. When curly it's about collar bone or shoulder). I've been getting more regular trims than I used to because as it grows in, the ends look thin compared to the massive new growth. It's still probably only about 2/3rds to 3/4 the thickness I had in my teens, but it's getting there. I'm taking the opportunity to make sure what growth I have is kept healthy and treated better so I can keep the length I get!

It's been about a year since I was at my thinnest and my hair hasn't looked better in around 10 years. Plus I have a new found appreciation for my curls! They're a gorgeous combo of 3a/3b/3c (depending on oil saturation, humidity, or just what mood they're in haha). I've also gone back to a more natural color (I'd been dying it darker, now I do some gentle auburn highlights, so it looks just like it did when I was a little girl!) I'm can't wait till it's MBL and this curly! It's going to be amazing - but I have no admit, nothing feels better than being healthy again :)

ETA: my regimen includes supplements, argan oil (my hair has never loved something so much!) an argan oil shampoo, alba conditioner and focusing on my overall health. I think this has been the most important part. I knew that my health issues caused my hair loss - a derm diagnosed it as telogen effluvium, which is basically hair loss due to health failure. I have a grouping of chronic disorders collectively called autonomic dysfunction. I eat a wholeistically as possible (that's not a typo - I mean I eat whole foods, ex. whole grains like quinoa, lots of veggies, healthy lean proteins, healthy fats. Trying to get as many nutrients from food as possible, not just supplements)

[Vintagecoilylocks]

I realize this is an older thread, but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents because massive hairloss is one of the reasons I joined backin 2007 and quickly stopped reading the forum. I also found it depressing like the OP said.

When I was young I had massively thick Shirley Temple 3b/3c curls. When I was 21-24 I lost so much hair, people thought I had cancer. I don't measure so I can't say exactly how thick my hair was, but I went from wrapping a regular pony tie twice to it being loose after wrapping it around my hair 4 times.

Then last year, I finally started to get truly healthy again and my hair started to grow back. The first signs were ingrown hairs! I thought they were pimples on my scalp at first. My back had broken out slightly from hard water so I thought my head was doing the same time. But then I saw tons of short little stiff baby hairs all over my scalp. Even now I notice baby hair grown on my forehead and at the nape of my neck.

I haven't been able to add any length during the growing process. After I finally admitted to myself just how thin and sick my hair looked, I did a chop from just above BSL to around APL (this is when straight. When curly it's about collar bone or shoulder). I've been getting more regular trims than I used to because as it grows in, the ends look thin compared to the massive new growth. It's still probably only about 2/3rds to 3/4 the thickness I had in my teens, but it's getting there. I'm taking the opportunity to make sure what growth I have is kept healthy and treated better so I can keep the length I get!

It's been about a year since I was at my thinnest and my hair hasn't looked better in around 10 years. Plus I have a new found appreciation for my curls! They're a gorgeous combo of 3a/3b/3c (depending on oil saturation, humidity, or just what mood they're in haha). I've also gone back to a more natural color (I'd been dying it darker, now I do some gentle auburn highlights, so it looks just like it did when I was a little girl!) I'm can't wait till it's MBL and this curly! It's going to be amazing - but I have no admit, nothing feels better than being healthy again :)

ETA: my regimen includes supplements, argan oil (my hair has never loved something so much!) an argan oil shampoo, alba conditioner and focusing on my overall health. I think this has been the most important part. I knew that my health issues caused my hair loss - a derm diagnosed it as telogen effluvium, which is basically hair loss due to health failure. I have a grouping of chronic disorders collectively called autonomic dysfunction. I eat a wholeistically as possible (that's not a typo - I mean I eat whole foods, ex. whole grains like quinoa, lots of veggies, healthy lean proteins, healthy fats. Trying to get as many nutrients from food as possible, not just supplements)

I can relate to you feeling healthy again. I had also lost alot. Reference your desire to eat healthy, the sad fact is unless you are growing your vegies and raising your own animals there by knowing for sure the soil is optimum in nutrients and what the animals eat, much of what we eat, organic also, is not up to par on the nutrient level. Also heritage foods are different than the new hybrids. Many of the hybrid seeds used today have been designed to grow on less than what was required to produce food years ago. We are literally being starved by the food we eat. Requireing us to eat more and that can lead to our system overloaded with alot of unneccessary ingredients. Its sad but true. I was always eating healthy but found I was deficient in many vitamins and minerals my body needed just to keep hair on my head.
If you are able to buy local and really know the quality of the soils in your area maybe. I am older and can remember the local vegetable man coming around with his cart. The veggies were small tender and delicious. My mom kept a garden and my dad kept it mulched. No chemical fertilizers and such. I have yet to taste veggies in the store today like those. They look good but that is deceiving. That is all the hybriding they have done. We got our chickens from a family farm. Little to no fat and not alot of fancy seasonings required to enjoy. Organic label is not a panacia either. Most time it only means something was not used but not how high the quality or nutrient it is. then it only has to meet a minimum.
Well to cut this short:o after I started taking supplements my health, skin and hair improved. Shedding stopped and regrowth started. This proves I was deficient.
We just cannot eat enough these days to maintain what our bodies need. We have not been hybrid yet. ;)

[BunnyWabbit]

I found a great pic of what my new growth looked like. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180376_1862199757662_1320994181_2139496_5756115_n. jpg

You can see TONS of little hairs growing in along the hair line. This was New Years Eve 2011 (so about a year and a half ago now). Those are all nice long hairs now :)

[Silverbrumby]

I've gone through two periods of hair loss. First was when I was diagnosed with thyroid disease. It's changed my hair permanently but I'm adjust to this new hair.

The second one is age related. I think it would be helpful if there was information out there for us 40+ women giving us a heads up that for some, quite a lot, there will be a thinning effect in our 40's. Of course we should do our best to grow healthy hair but it's a relief to know it's also not totally in our control. Even Heidi who is on here with amazing hair has had thinning through this period.

What I've found works for me at the moment (and it could change as I just lost my beloved pet Pooka yesterday, it's been a awful shock to the system) is this:

* Biotin
* Vit D
* Get Iron levels checked and if borderline get a good natural plant based iron supplement
* Tangle teaser (scalp loves it)
* satin pillow
* Biosil
* monist at seems to reduce the shedding and also it's filled in the areas around my temples. There is scientific evidence that it might help counter act the testosterone which effects follicles in women in their 40's as estrogen decreases.

Good luck