Proven methods to stop Hair Fall

[tiny_teesha]

I lost half of my hair since being on the LHC.

from 7.7cm circumference to 4.5cm in 3 years of looking after my hair BETTER. The hair itself is in good condition. It's a problem with the scalp not the hairs themselves. I've had to chop to APL to hide the thinning.

I just want it to stop falling out. All tests came back normal. And nothing is technically wrong. The only thing i haven't done is seen a specialist, which i plan to when i have time.

For the meanwhile i want to try methods to stop my hair falling out.

I believe a portion of hair fall is due to oily/things on scalp, and lack of circulation (i never brush these days!)

I've looked into:

laser combs
micanizole (tried it once, didn't work so well)


Topical natural remedies:
vitamin E (polyphenols)
Green Tea
Sage
Nettle
Rosemary

Maybe even some Chinese medicine like
Fo-Ti (Polygonum Multiflorum)

Has anyone tried these? Do they work?

Anything else might help my hair to stop falling out, get thicker, and grow higher in density?

I might consider hennaing the bottom half of my hair because red around my face isn't a good idea, but underneath won't show so much. And it will slightly thicken the individual strands.

I'm going to brush my hair for 10 minutes / and wash my hair every day.

[nellreno]

With that much hairloss, it's likely a medical issue. Have you seen a doctor about it?

[FluffSpider]

Try using nettle extract on your scalp. And see a doctor, please. Something isn't functioning right, hair doesn't just...fall off because of nothing.Also, consider using indigo with henna, or other colouring herbs, and doing just light glosses:) it might get you the right shade.

[kwaniesiam]

See a doctor, preferably an endocrinologist and a dermatologist. . Get your thyroid, vitamin levels, and adrenal glands checked. Something medically isn't right, losing that much hair from not brushing and having an oily scalp just isn't plausible.

Edit: I've had success with using The Morocco Method products to help with my hair thinning, you might want to look in to those.

[Firefox7275]

If there is a problem with your scalp it doesn't seem to me to be a very good idea to try a ton of topical treatments, as you could make the problem worse or confuse the results when you do see a specialist. It seems to make the most sense financially to resolve the cause instead of trying to treat the symptoms. Without meaning to be rude if you have time to post on here and research hair loss remedies surely you have time to see a consultant? I speak from experience when I say you don't realise how important your health is until you don't have that anymore. :(

The one thing I would suggest is taking a hard look at your lifestyle - physical activity, stress management and nutrition - whether you meet or exceed your government recommendations for health. This has the potential to impact upon your hair as well as any underlying condition.

[x0h_bother]

There are studies on dandruff ingredients decreasing hairfall or telegen phase hair. I use pyrithione zinc and my hairfall is nowhere near it was when I switched to normal SLS. If you have scalp issues, I would try changing up shampoos. I also had bad hairfall when I went cone free. Good luck.

[Mesmerise]

How about vitamins? A lot of people find that taking vitamins like biotin, or supplements like MSM help stop their hair loss.

However, I still think maybe seeing a specialist is a good idea, and also look at your diet!!

I lost a lot of hair today too :( So I need to find something extra quick to make sure I don't go back into massive shedding... or I'll have to cut too...

[DoubleCrowned]

Let's think this through:

The doctors say your tests are fine, so believe that you are not ill; but you are losing your hair. Perhaps the reason you are losing your hair is something that is not medically detectable.

You started losing hair after starting the hair care methods on LHC. Which methods, exactly? Perhaps there is a treatment you started doing that built up on the scalp which is inhibiting its normal function. Perhaps you actually have a sensitivity to something you are using on your scalp, or to something in your environment.

What happened at the same time that you started losing hair? An emotional blow? Changed jobs? Loss of friend, home, finances, anything? Moved to a new home? Redecorated? Started using a new brand of anything? Started using air freshener, a perfume, a new cleaning product? Bought new appliances, carpet, insulation? Got new neighbors? Got a new pet or started a treatment on your pet? Started eating differently; perhaps a new favorite food or restaurant?

Think through the above questions very carefully. I know people who have lost hair from the ideas behind the above questions.

[Tressie]

Dear teesha, There are some good suggestions on here, and I hope some of them will contain the answer. I wanted to send out a hug to you and hopes that this will resolve soon! Love, Tressie

[bettybc]

Hi teesha,

Just saw your post, I have basically posted the same. I have had hair loss (thinning) recently which seems to be getting worse. Going to the doctors soon to make sure there are no underlying issues but the a bad flu or stress can cause hair thinnng but aparently the thinning doesnt start until about 3 months after the event due to the different phases of hair growth.

Let me know how you get on as I am suffering the same. 3 hairs have jsut fallen out as I type this!!!

Also check, if you have just come off the pill/had a baby it could be horones as I know coming off the pill befoer caused some thinnign for me.

I'll let you know what my doctor says too when I go seem him.

All the best,

betty

[Firefox7275]

How about vitamins? A lot of people find that taking vitamins like biotin, or supplements like MSM help stop their hair loss.

However, I still think maybe seeing a specialist is a good idea, and also look at your diet!!

I lost a lot of hair today too :( So I need to find something extra quick to make sure I don't go back into massive shedding... or I'll have to cut too...

Please don't start randomly introducing supplements without addressing your diet and consulting a suitably qualified medical professional. This course of action could potentially be harmful if you have an undiagnosed underlying health issue. :(

[alyanna]

Please don't start randomly introducing supplements without addressing your diet and consulting a suitably qualified medical professional. This course of action could potentially be harmful if you have an undiagnosed underlying health issue. :(

Ditto this!

Not to hijack this thread or anything ... but I'm amazed that some women experiencing hair-loss would try miconazole, untested, unproven and of questionable safety, rather than, say, minoxidil (rogaine), which has been tested and proven to help treat hairloss and which miconazole users claim works in similar ways.

I say this because I am currently using minoxidil after having seen a doctor (mind you this was about 10 years ago and I only decided to use minoxidil now, after being "done" with having kids). I have a couple of friends who are using it as well, without dr. supervision.

Just an FYI ... I haven't grown new hairs yet (been using for 3 months) but the shedding does seem to have stalled resulting in more hairs kept on the head.

[tiny_teesha]

To everyone telling me to see a doctor. I have, on numerous occasions, and with numerous tests. ALL NORMAL.

FluffSpider- i have a list of herbs, nettle one of them, that help with shedding. Thank you though! I highly have suspected its my human growth hormone coming to a halt, but i've been an adult for a while and i should remember that! I do not dye my hair, at all…My natural colour is the "right shade"… See even with henna, it will always have a red tone. I need ashy hair to look good with my complexion. I've had henna, not a good look. Bottom half is A- OK because the top layer will hide it! :) The only thing with henna is it will make my hair thicker, that's the only reason i'm going to be using it.

kwaniesiam- thyroid- normal. vitamins- normal (low vit D but i'm on sups now) and adrenal- if thats hormones, they were normal.

Firefox7275- i have ibs, i can't have dairy, gluten or high levels of fructose. So i guess nutritionally i probably don't have it all, but the shedding started before i was diagnosed anyway.

x0h_bother - I tried head and shoulders for a while, made no difference. The conditioner made me shed like any conditioner.

DoubleCrowned- i started losing my hair as soon as i got out of highschool. It just gradually got worse, which is why i was lead to believe that it's part of the ageing process and this is my "adult" hair. But what puzzles me is that my hair is now baby fine underneath and only the canopy is M. It used to me C/M throughout.
I guess i'm always thinking too much, quite neurotic by nature, so i guess that doesn't help. With my hair, or ibs. Lately i've moved out of home and started a new taffy course while working, i have a lot on my plate an dim stressed but this week i've had no classes so i feel very rested. i don't think it's a result of a new product i'm using. I used to use sulfates etc when my hair was at its healthiest. I would say that the natural stuff made my hair worse. I eat differently because of my intolerances, but as i said, this hair falling out thinning has been going on since 2005. Probably more notably the last 2 years i'd say. I've always shed like a cat. When i moved out and then used the shower at home one weekend my mother was terrified at the hair ball in the drain and made an appointment at a naturpath. She decided to bail in the office because she didn't think they could help me.

Tressie- thanks for the well wishes but i highly doubt i'll ever be "cured".


Bettybc- no hormonal treatments for me. there isn't anything major i can think of, even if so, that should be hitting me next month anyway then if it coincides with moving out and starting a new course in the same week.



Thanks everyone.

[MonaLisa]

Hey dear,

You said it happened since you joined LHC.
What did you change in your routine?
What's your routine now?
Maybe you were trying things agressively?

I'm really sorry you're going through this:( I think you should see a specialist asap.
Dermatologist or something.

Also don't know if you've really already tired some of the things that can maybe stop the shedding, or you have only been considering them?
You should try slowly and carefully one thing at a time anyway.

Hugs

[Firefox7275]

To everyone telling me to see a doctor. I have, on numerous occasions, and with numerous tests. ALL NORMAL.

Firefox7275- i have ibs, i can't have dairy, gluten or high levels of fructose. So i guess nutritionally i probably don't have it all, but the shedding started before i was diagnosed anyway.

Thanks everyone.

IBS can coexist with problems absorbing nutrients; no dairy or grains could certainly contribute to a deficiency. Are you getting plenty of essential fatty acids (especially omega-3)? Have you ever been referred to a medically qualified dietician?

[tiny_teesha]

I've been on the LHC for 4 years now. I went from coney products, heat, dye, to no heat, chemical free (herbs...oils....health shop products).
etc
I don't believe it's the new routine doing it, as i went back to heat, chemicals for the past year as i gave up on my hair. And it probably didn't help. I literally forgot it was there. I didn't even comb it, i lost interest in trying to hard and reaping no benefit. So i bleached just a part of it (already grew out) and i curled that thing. And i hated it. Not that i curled it any more than 4 times in that period, because as i said i forgot about it.

I think it is something internally. A friend of a friend had the same thing, she went to a dermatologist and her hair has improved. So i think i'll see him, probably in a few months, i just cant be bothered rushing into it, it can't get much worse. If he saved her, he can save me.

I haven't tried anything yet. When i used to wash with herbs i'd use the ones that prevent shedding every time but i havn't washed with herbs in ages and i just did a tea rinse this morning out of curiosity.

I've been referred to a Gasto-interologist who diagnosed me. But the hair fall began years before that (Like I'm talking 6 years here, got ibs last November which is just over a year). It shouldn't be solely that, BUT it definitely is contributing some what. Saying this, i got tested for vitamins and such and my levels were all good other than vitamin D which i am supplemented with now.

[MonaLisa]

I'd sincerely advice you to not wait so much and go see dermatologist in matter of days :pray:

[Firefox7275]

I've been referred to a Gasto-interologist who diagnosed me. But the hair fall began years before that (Like I'm talking 6 years here, got ibs last November which is just over a year). It shouldn't be solely that, BUT it definitely is contributing some what. Saying this, i got tested for vitamins and such and my levels were all good other than vitamin D which i am supplemented with now.

Vitamins are only one part of the equation, essential fatty acids and protein are critical for health and hair growth but AFAIK levels are not tested for. Sorry if I sound pushy but I was unwell myself some years back; since my background is healthcare I started researching nutrition. What I learned about causing, treating and even curing many health conditions blew my mind. In my work I see how few nurse-practitioners and consultants refer patients to dieticians or are up-to-date themselves in nutrition. :o

[sorraia]

Hi Teesha

A lot of great things mentioned here.
I am in the very same boat you are in.
One thing not mentioned here but could be the culprit are parasites, candida, fungus ect.
They are hard to detect and most doctors ignore the issue.
A lot of people have them and they can be picked up very easily by eating sushi, uncleaned vegetables and undercooked meat/fish or you can pick them up from your BF or DH.
Something to consider.

[Intotouch]

Maybe you need to get stroppy with your doctor and insist on having more tests until you find out the cause. Hair really shouldn't decrease so much for no reason. Have you considered having allergy tests? You could have an allergy to something in your diet, this can cause digestive trouble also.

I'm curious as to what you're using to wash your hair/ your hair routine. It could be that you're putting something on your scalp that is causing this, so the easiest way to test this theory would be to change one thing at a time in your hair practice and see if there's any improvement. Just make sure that you swap one product for something completely different. Maybe you've already tried this though.

[xoxophelia]

A few things I can think of that might have something to do with it to ask yourself..
-did you go on or off birth control pills?
-are you vegetarian? (I was for awhile and even with supplements lost a lot of hair and other side effects)
-have you been under a lot of stress?
-have you been sleep deprived/not eating enough/working out too much?
-sometimes people also lose hair at a certain age with is a possibility but really a last resort

I know that some tests for you thyroid don't give clear enough results but I don't remember the details. If you have been really sick off and on other things they might not have tested for.. lyme's disease, lupus, mono..

Sorry if this isn't much help but just trying to throw out the options I can think of.

[DoubleCrowned]

The additional information you have given is particularly interesting to me, particularly your mention of ibs coupled with the picture of your hair. That is an indication that something is definitely wrong in your intestines, and that could be a clue of other potential problems as well. My opinion is that you should immediately begin a regimen to establish and nurture healthy balance of intestinal flora because this could solve several problems for you.

Antibiotics destroy the beneficial bacteria in you gut as well as the bad, so anyone who has ever taken them should take measures to get a healthy colony of bacteria working for them again. You have probably heard that before. However, a diet of sugary, refined or processed foods; toxins; and nutritional insufficiencies can also create an imbalance, letting candida become too plentiful. Stress will affect people whose intestinal flora are imbalanced more that it affects others because the flora not only utilize the nutrients you ingest but also manufacture certain vitamins, etc. Health begins in the gut, goes the saying, and it is true.

Certain foods help restore balance to the gut: real yogurt, kombucha, keifer, lacto-fermented foods like real sauerkraut or kim-chi, and others. My favorite is organic kombucha because it contains a full spectrum of beneficial organisms already perfectly balanced. (Yogurt is great, but only contains part of what you need). Also, Garden of Life makes a supplement designed to restore intestinal balance. The people I know who are drinking a pint of kombucha a day have seen huge benefits.

I should back up here a bit and mention that if the intestinal flora are hugely out of whack and candida has overgrown, candida can even be growing on the skin. Using kombucha and/or yogurt on skin helps restore its balance, so it occurs to me that soaking the scalp with them could benefit hair if its poor growth is related to a bacterial imbalance of the skin, or even a fungus. (It sounds disgusting, but it's true: healthy skin has beneficial bacteria living on it) Still, the intestinal balance must be established and maintained--external measures can only be a temporary help.

[haibane]

To everyone telling me to see a doctor. I have, on numerous occasions, and with numerous tests. ALL NORMAL.
Clinically normal does not always mean optimal, and in many cases the ranges are within "not causing severe debilitating conditions" and something like the effect on hair growth might not even have been studied extensively.
For example Ferritin (one of the ways of measuring iron in the blood) is considered within normal range even if it goes below 10 at some laboratories, but I've seen posts on here where dermatologists said that for some people the Ferritin needs to be as high as 70-80 for optimal hair growth.

[pixistixx]

Clinically normal does not always mean optimal, and in many cases the ranges are within "not causing severe debilitating conditions" and something like the effect on hair growth might not even have been studied extensively.
For example Ferritin (one of the ways of measuring iron in the blood) is considered within normal range even if it goes below 10 at some laboratories, but I've seen posts on here where dermatologists said that for some people the Ferritin needs to be as high as 70-80 for optimal hair growth.

This is true! ferritin levels need to be at least 35 to prevent hair loss, and for equal regrowth needs to be around 70.

[tiny_teesha]

Sorry if i sound narky today, it's been a rough one.


It's not dire, it's been happening for years, i won't see the dermo in a matter of days, it will be months, probably actually June 10 onwards when i have my mid year break. School and work take up too much of my time. It's just not something that needs to be looked at now if it's been happening for years.

I would like to mention that it wouldn't hurt to get more blood work done, to update, as it has been probably a good 6 months since. THOUGH my hair has been falling out the first time i took the bloods and it was normal then, and nothing has changed since that i know of.

I actually have a friend studying to be a nutritionist so i could probably find out from her for free, haha.

I eat so much fish and meat, i highly doubt i am low in protein. If anything it should be vitamins since i don't eat much fruit and veg and i'm not allowed to either.

I really thought it might be a parasite of sorts as i worked with animals, but i was educated on zoonosis. I did get ringworm from a cat (thanks cat), but that went away and i washed myself with anti-dandruff shampoo until it went away. I've been yelled at by doctors for showing them suspect spots asking if it was fungal. They told me to calm down and it's just irritation from dry skin and to "forget about it". So i'm pretty sure it isn't fungal, i kept insisting it might and they were annoyed at me playing doctor when they had the degree, ha.

I actually have a list of digestive intolerances that i recently got. But i can't just live off rice and meat so i'm forced to eat things i'm not supposed to, just hopefully in small enough amounts to not make me too sick. It's ibs. People with ibs have a very high incidence of depression and focusing on my limitation and falling out hair and the fact that my entire life is falling down the toilet isn't helping me feel good. So i bet depression won't help my hair so i'm trying to really just not think about it too much, hence putting it off. But yeh, well away of a allergic problem here.

I used to wash my hair with herbs, my hair fell out probably more during this period because it didn't clean my really oily scalp quick enough. (oily skin is in my family). So i went to "natural" shampoos and the past year I've used "regular" type products because i do not care anymore, the natural way wasn't helping at all. So no, i do not think that using these products have anything to do with it. INF ACT, when i was washing my hair DAILY with these "harsh" regular products was when my hair was it's thickest.

[louisemg82]

OK, if you've seen a Dr and they are sure everything's normal then I agree with everyone else that says you should see a dermotologist. Also, have you tried scalp massage to increase the blood flow?

[tiny_teesha]

xoxophelia- i have never used hormonal replacement therapies (or the pill). Hormone test came back normal.

Not vegetarian, if i were, the only thing i would be allowed to eat would be rice and i would surely die.

I'm always stressed. But no, not that much. Just the normal amount that makes you finish your homework on time.

Nope, physically not under too much pressure.

I do believe since it was so gradual over so many years that it is just ageing, the ceasing of the human growth hormone when i was little. That's just my 2 cents. I'm just hoping deep inside it's something else so that i too, can have thick hair like you, and everyone else in the world.


doublecrowned- Actually ibs is related to the nerves in your brain not your intestines at all. I was on ibs "good bacteria" supplement, but it's just so much money and not worth the little improvement i had with my tummy.

I cannot eat any of those foods with good bacteria that you mentioned. They have dairy or soy, which i cannot have. And the others i've never seen or heard of in my life so i doubt i can find it here in Australia.

haibane- i actually had the exact levels somewhere, but i lost them. that's how much i care, ha!

[tiny_teesha]

louisemg82 - scalp massage makes my hair shed. So i tend not to do them. When i was washing with herbs i had to really massage to try to clean my scalp and get the herb bits out, i think that definitely didn't hurt. But the only massaging is done in the shower. I try not to brush so it doesn't get oily but i do think that my hair benefited from constant brushing.

[DoubleCrowned]

xoxophelia- ...
Not vegetarian, if i were, the only thing i would be allowed to eat would be rice and i would surely die.
...
doublecrowned- Actually ibs is related to the nerves in your brain not your intestines at all. I was on ibs "good bacteria" supplement, but it's just so much money and not worth the little improvement i had with my tummy.

I cannot eat any of those foods with good bacteria that you mentioned. They have dairy or soy, which i cannot have. And the others i've never seen or heard of in my life so i doubt i can find it here in Australia.


My concern is that your nutritional intake is imbalanced because of the ibs and strict, limiting diet. An imbalanced diet disrupts the balance of intestinal organisms, the undesirable bacteria and yeasts take over, a vicious cycle starts, and you get sicker.

One food I mentioned, kombucha, is available in Australia. It is very inexpensive to make you own. It will fight undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and fungi for you; plus it is full of vitamins and enzymes. Read up on it at www.kombuchahealth.com.au. There are other sites, too, but that one is in Australia and can get you started making your own. Everyone I know who is drinking kombucha has seen health benefits from it.

[louisemg82]

The only thing I can think of now that won't hurt to try is henna. Ok it only comes in one colour but if you can cope with that, henna coats the shaft and therefore thickens the hairs. Perhaps a henna gloss would help?

[DoubleCrowned]

I really thought it might be a parasite of sorts as i worked with animals, but i was educated on zoonosis. I did get ringworm from a cat (thanks cat), but that went away and i washed myself with anti-dandruff shampoo until it went away. I've been yelled at by doctors for showing them suspect spots asking if it was fungal. They told me to calm down and it's just irritation from dry skin and to "forget about it". So i'm pretty sure it isn't fungal, i kept insisting it might and they were annoyed at me playing doctor when they had the degree, ha.


Did the doctors inspect your scalp with a black light and do a scraping? If not, how do you know it is gone and that you have not been re-infected?

[sorraia]

Doublecrown gave some excellent advice. What she says makes total sense to me.

Along these same lines I would look into doing an herbal colon cleanse.
and totally clean up the diet. Lots of raw organic foods. That Garden of Living is an excellent supplement company.
Regarding the cleansing I like Dr. Schulze American Botanical pharmacy.

Just because you have ID or whatever it is called does not mean you can't turn it around.
But it will take some discipline and determination.
Oh yea check out where lots of people on the LHC are taking food grade Diatomaceous Earth. This will take care of any parasites you or may not have and it is also helping with people's digestion issues however you can't miss one day of taking it for 30 days if you want to get rid of the parasites.

[Kristamommyx3]

Have you had a baby in the last year or two ( or three)? I went through major shedding for a loooong time after each of my three sons were born. Especially badly with my youngest, because I breastfed him for thirteen months, and it took a huge toll on my health. Now that my youngest is three, my body is finally getting it's hormones balanced out again, with help of some specific vitamins and minerals, etc. (Sorry if I missed anyone else posting this earlier)

[aenflex]

Diet is important, even more so than loading up on vitamins and minerals that you may not need in excess, IMO.
Healthy, balancd diet with lots of green, sulhpur rich veggies like broccoli, apricots, peaches, cabbage, asparagus, kale, and water, etc.

Also sounds like you may have some sort of physical issue at play. I don't lean towards calling it medical issue, per se. Have you thought of seeing a homeopath in conjuction with your MD?

Has there been one single variable that has not changed since your hairloss started, I wonder?
I wish you luck and hope things get better :)

[marimara]

IBS can be autoimmune. I was just diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder this year and that was why I was shedding so bad last year. See if your doctors will check you for autoimmune disorders (the ANA blood test). Now that I am on Plaquenil my shedding is normal and my hair is growing in thick and healthy. I lost a LOT of hair last year before my diagnosis (UCTD/lupus possibly). My main symptom was hives, then muscle cramps/spasms, joint pain, then fatigue, and hair loss.

[CrowningGlory]

Clinically normal does not always mean optimal, and in many cases the ranges are within "not causing severe debilitating conditions" and something like the effect on hair growth might not even have been studied extensively.
For example Ferritin (one of the ways of measuring iron in the blood) is considered within normal range even if it goes below 10 at some laboratories, but I've seen posts on here where dermatologists said that for some people the Ferritin needs to be as high as 70-80 for optimal hair growth.

What is considered "normal" for ferritin levels also varies from country to country. My ferritin levels were below 10 but since my haemoglobin was normal it was not considered significant. It wasn't until I started shedding excessively that my doctor agreed to iron supplements. Another thing that I had noticed was that my nails were no longer white but actually transparent in places. Both suggest chronic iron deficiency.

I am not vegetarian and eat a range of foods high in iron yet it seemed that I was still not meeting my nurtritional needs and that I needed the supplement. Almost two months later the shedding has reduced significantly. The only other changes I made was to switch to shampoo bars from organic poo and condish at the same time that I started the iron supplements. Whether they have helped too or not I don't know but I like being able to choose poo bars that have nettle or rosemary that are meant to help stimulate growth.

I know how distressing this is. Even though my shedding appears to have stopped it will be five to six years before I get my hair back to what it was before the shedding - and that's if it grows again. I still haven't seen any evidence of new growth.

[kwaniesiam]

Clinically normal does not always mean optimal, and in many cases the ranges are within "not causing severe debilitating conditions" and something like the effect on hair growth might not even have been studied extensively.
For example Ferritin (one of the ways of measuring iron in the blood) is considered within normal range even if it goes below 10 at some laboratories, but I've seen posts on here where dermatologists said that for some people the Ferritin needs to be as high as 70-80 for optimal hair growth.

Below 10 considered normal, are you kidding me?! My ferratin level was 13, I was severely anemic to the point of being hospitalized and having to have an iron transfusion to get me back on my feet (literally, I couldn't get out of bed and passed out). My doctor wanted my level to ideally be around 100-120 but I would start seeing improvements around 80. Last bloodwork I was at 65 and do feel a bit better but it definitely takes time to bring something like that up.

[haibane]

Below 10 considered normal, are you kidding me?! My ferratin level was 13, I was severely anemic to the point of being hospitalized and having to have an iron transfusion to get me back on my feet (literally, I couldn't get out of bed and passed out). My doctor wanted my level to ideally be around 100-120 but I would start seeing improvements around 80. Last bloodwork I was at 65 and do feel a bit better but it definitely takes time to bring something like that up.
Are you sure you're not mixing up hb (hemoglobin) and ferritin? hb is the active form of iron that the body is using, while ferritin is the storage of iron the body dips into to replenish hb.
They often go hand in hand, but even a very low ferritin shouldn't cause acute anemia symptoms (like fainting) as long as hb is in the normal range.

[dulce]

1 did read somewhere in some article that if you're prone to male/female pattern baldness letting your natural oils build up around the hair follicles increases the dht level[responsible for the thinning] in the hair follicles-don't know if that is true but it's a thought..

[tiny_teesha]

DoubleCrowned- Kumbucha sounds interesting… I may try it but i haven't got a lot of money now because of the debt school has me in. GRr, not to mention rent and such. The docs inspected my scalp with a normal light, they didn't do scraping, he kept saying i have heaps of hair and he couldn't see any hairless (coming from a bald man). I never had ringworm on my scalp, i had it on my arm. But i used antifungal shampoo anyway 'just in case'. My head isn't itchy or breaking, its falling from the root, so i doubt it is anything fungal.

louisemg82- I tried henna and it made my hair feel icky, so i grew it out. I might consider doing half a head, the bottom half, just because at this point i'm getting desperate.

sorraia- i am not allowed to eat high fructose foods (fruits and vegetables) and if i must it must be small portions of the types of fruit and veg that happen to be lower in fructose. Diatomaceous earth also sounds like something i would try.

Krista- no never given birth, hope I don't ever have to! *ouch!*. I know about maternal shedding, and nope, definitely not me!

aenflex- I'm about to see a naturapath but the first date i have free is late this month. About 3 weeks time. So we'll see what they say, the cured my sisters friend from hairless, hopefully they can cure me too! My hair has gradually gotten worse since the end of highschool. Probably stress related, though i was super stressed at the start of highschool. I'm not a healthy person, but i really don't have a choice. I want to be but i suffer. Anytime i add more than one serve of vegetables in my meal i get sick :(.

marimara- looks like i'm in time for another blood test! GAH! I hate those (phobia anyone?) Last time i cried and fainted. lol. Not in that order. ANA, ferratin. Ok.

CrowningGlory- My nails have been weak and translucent my whole life pretty much, at other times they are worse than normal. I hate my body, why can't it function on it's own! It's so expensive buying supplements! GAR!

dulce- very interesting…..but since i was a small child i've noticed that, pretty sure 10 year olds don't get Male pattern baldness! I think the oils make it slippery and they fall out…



So again an update for all of you, i am seeing a naturopath in 3 weeks when i have a spare week in my holidays (I'm going to a country town for the first week and then i have to visit all these galleries for school the next, etc i have things to do). But the next month after that is still off. I'll take blood test upon blood test and naturopath after herbalist after chinese medicine doctor. I'll see if ANYTHING would help. Pretty desperate right now!!!!

My hair is at, i dunno APL i think? I have decided to either cut it in a bob or grow it all out to TB like i originally wanted (if the meds help)
I refuse to cut my hair before the docs see, because its quite alright on top, just the ends get thin fast!

I'm beginning to think my terminal length is waist, and climbing, or something.

[sorraia]

Hi Tiny Teesha-
It's great to hear from you.
I am looking forward to hearing what your naturopath has to say
regarding your condition. I am so glad to hear you are not giving up
and have the determination to get to the bottom of this hair issue ( which is a barometer of your over all health) and to get your health back. It is my belief along with many others
in order for the body to heal one has to take a look at the mind, body and spirit. If I were you
I would take a holistic approach. Based on your responses I can see you are under a tremendous amount of stress. This has got to change and only you can make this happen.
Your health needs to become a priority for you and kept as the most important aspect
in your life. I get the feeling you are so sick of dealing with this health stuff you find yourself
putting it under the rug for a while, work on it, then put back under the rug for a while. We all do it,
I know I have.
Your health and well being needs to be # 1 importance in your life.
Be sure you are doing what you want to be doing with your life. Are you over all happy with your life and if not why not? Try to figure out a way to remove some of the things that are causing the stress in your life. What are you doing to help deal w your stress? Do you take time out to relax and de-stress such as yoga, meditation or walks in the park etc. Maybe it would be a good time to take a break from school so you can put most of your energy into your health and well being? School will always be there.
I am hoping your naturopath is able to find the root problem so you can eat the foods that
support the body. Currently you are unable to do this, until this happens I don't see how you will be able to bring your body back into balance. It is my belief if you heal the emotions behind the dis-ease, decrease your stress, cleanse the body and provide the right nutrients your body and mind will heal itself.

My guess is in addition to being stressed you are malnourished which can open the door for all kinds of issues, dis-eases in the body including the many autoimmune disorders. This does not mean you have accept the condition and there are things you can do to over come it.
Cleansing comes to mind, detoxing, colon, kidney, liver and parasite, taking probiotics then incorporating nutrient rich foods, such as wheat grass, sea veggies, spirulina, kale, spinach sunflower seeds ect. See if you can take a little veggie juice for a while that you make with
a juicer. It will cost you some money probably a lot of money you probably don't have right now, do what you can, perhaps give something else up that you don't have to have and use that money towards your health fund. This will take some time and determination but there is no better place to put your money or energy. If you don't do it now it could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
Ask your naturopath about the importance of organ cleansing and finding a way to be able to eat the nutrient rich foods?
Another thing that comes to mind is candida?
Based on your diet you are probably very acidic vs alkaline, fungus and parasites thrive in acidic body.
If you haven't checked into this already I would ask your naturopath about testing you for candida.
In the mean time you can do a little mini test yourself by spitting in a glass of water technique.
Here is the site explaining the details:
http://www.ninazu.com/tests1.html
I am not sure how clean your diet is but If I were you I would stay away from all the big no no's that can hurt the immune system such as sugar, boxed foods, pop, aspartame, all chemicals and snythetic additives. Every single thing I put in my mouth or on my body I would think to myself is this helping my cause, neutral or hurting me?
If it were me I would do my best to avoid or eliminate all chemicals, put on or in my body.
Another things to look into is mercury poisoning from your teeth? Blood, hair and urine analysis can help determine this. Have you had much dental work done? Did your dentist add or replace the amalgams (the gray fillings) n your teeth. My sister suffered from this years ago and it took a long time to figure out what the problem was and get her health back. The doctors couldn't help her they just said it was all in her head and wanted to giver her drugs, Thankfully we finally found a chiropractor that solved the problem through detox diet and herbal supplements. So don't give up and with determination and the will to get healthy you will do it.

Keep us updated .
Wishing you the very best of health and wellness.

PS I can understand the elimination of fructose from the diet (sugar feeds yeast) but there are many vegetables out there you should be able to eat without fructose that will help build your immune system. Various sprouts such as sunflower are also very good.

[Pandora.]

I agree that having a really greasy scalp encourages hair fall. When I was going through phases of only washing my hair once a week, I would find hair absolutely everywhere all the time. Ever since I started washing my hair far more regularly, my hair only falls out a small/normal amount.

[tiny_teesha]

I did see the HOMEOPATH (not naturopath, my bad!) but first i'll respond...

Sorraia- My health and wellbeing is a tricky thing because every test is coming back normal, which leads me to feel guilt and shame and hopelessness about why i'm stressing over nothing. I'm not happy, i'm stressed with a course i don't want to do but have to to get a job i want so i can get a house i want…one day. I'm stressed about not wanting to marry my very kind boyfriend whom i am messed up about and can't be satisfied with even though he is doing better than i would in his shoes. My job is something to give me money. Moving out is a joy and burden. Moving back and forth is irritating (work at parents, school at his, half week at each place). I think this is a rough patch i have to go through to see light at the end so i'm sticking it out. I used to do yoga i think i'll try to do a bit in the morning and at night. The homeopath was working on getting my body to accept foods again- we'll see on this.

He did mention to stay away from acids.

I am trying to be more natural. I've almost entirely stopped using cleanser and just use oils…only very minimal makeup, but not yet mineral (just mascara and maybe liner, that's it). And vaseline or balm on my lips- the only 2 brands i'm not allergic to.
I don't have fillings, i probably need one by now…
Sunflower makes me sick but i love it. It's hard like that…

Pandora- i'm the same. :)

OK! Update! Read my blog if you are interested i go in more detail and ingredient lists...
He asked many many questions and gave me 4 treatments.
Neelibringadi hair oil 2-3 times a week.
Scalptone hair tablets (supplement?)
Sugar pills with, i think, silicon and selenium.
and
a list of foods to avoid or eat more of.
Active breathing exercises to calm down.
Salt bath for my eczema
Use organic products (Which i did once but stopped because of the price)
Drink 2 lts of water daily, 30 minutes apart from food.
Drink honey water


It's a dose of 15 tablets a day, and an oil treatment every second night, pretty much. He said after a month i should notice a difference and i'm going back to check in. And he also mentioned that the ibs may take half a year to see improvement. I'll be patient. I'm going to just forget about it and see what happens. And i may take a check up blood test for kicks because the other one may be outdated by now.

:) What do you guys reckon?

[dulce]

I don't know your age but I did read an article that if you have a tendency to heriditary female baldness that letting the natural oils accumulate around the scalp follicles is not good as they interact with dht[enzyme linked with heriditary hair thinning] and it increases thinning.]I have a mild case so I wash my scalp [not ends] daily.Co washing or water only is not good for me because of that.So you may be right on your observation and why.Also get checked out medically for thyroid ,anemia and other health problems ,it seems you are doing this.If it all comes back normal then you may have to change your hair washing protocol.

[dulce]

Are you on any meds,there is a thread here giving a list of meds linked to hair loss.

[tiny_teesha]

I'm 23. I wish my hair every second day now. I only take supplements, calcium and vitamin D that's it. :) (Atm i'm taking a lot more supps from the homeopath that i already mentioned)

[dulce]

Heriditary baldness{male/female pattern ] does not occur in children as it's linked to production of dht,and testosterone as well as having specific inherided genes which render you susceptible to dht .That's why some men bald and others don't.Children do not produce a lot of sex hormones.Women do produce testosterone also and in the medical condition PCOS they overproduce testosterone and many get early male pattern balding in teens or twenties. That's my guess as to why children don't get heriditary pattern baldness though they can get other types which are related to the immune system{alopecia etc]It was an interesting medical article,wish I could remember where I read it.

[Leoslaire]

Don't pull on your hair! I checked that one out and according to Web MD, it causes Traction Alopecia. Pulling your hair too tight, or leaving it tightly bound for a long time can damage your roots and will only aggravate the situation.

Hope this helps!

[pixiestar]

I did see the HOMEOPATH (not naturopath, my bad!) but first i'll respond...

Sorraia- My health and wellbeing is a tricky thing because every test is coming back normal, which leads me to feel guilt and shame and hopelessness about why i'm stressing over nothing. I'm not happy, i'm stressed with a course i don't want to do but have to to get a job i want so i can get a house i want…one day. I'm stressed about not wanting to marry my very kind boyfriend whom i am messed up about and can't be satisfied with even though he is doing better than i would in his shoes. My job is something to give me money. Moving out is a joy and burden. Moving back and forth is irritating (work at parents, school at his, half week at each place). I think this is a rough patch i have to go through to see light at the end so i'm sticking it out. I used to do yoga i think i'll try to do a bit in the morning and at night. The homeopath was working on getting my body to accept foods again- we'll see on this.

He did mention to stay away from acids.

I am trying to be more natural. I've almost entirely stopped using cleanser and just use oils…only very minimal makeup, but not yet mineral (just mascara and maybe liner, that's it). And vaseline or balm on my lips- the only 2 brands i'm not allergic to.
I don't have fillings, i probably need one by now…
Sunflower makes me sick but i love it. It's hard like that…

Pandora- i'm the same. :)

OK! Update! Read my blog if you are interested i go in more detail and ingredient lists...
He asked many many questions and gave me 4 treatments.
Neelibringadi hair oil 2-3 times a week.
Scalptone hair tablets (supplement?)
Sugar pills with, i think, silicon and selenium.
and
a list of foods to avoid or eat more of.
Active breathing exercises to calm down.
Salt bath for my eczema
Use organic products (Which i did once but stopped because of the price)
Drink 2 lts of water daily, 30 minutes apart from food.
Drink honey water


It's a dose of 15 tablets a day, and an oil treatment every second night, pretty much. He said after a month i should notice a difference and i'm going back to check in. And he also mentioned that the ibs may take half a year to see improvement. I'll be patient. I'm going to just forget about it and see what happens. And i may take a check up blood test for kicks because the other one may be outdated by now.

:) What do you guys reckon?

I just want to wish you luck, I hope this works for you:) Please keep us updated:)

[sandymady]

I read on other forums that wheat grass is good. I didnt use it because i can not procure it.... you have to grow it in house. And also detoxifiates the body, and it said that gives shine for the hair.

[Java]

I hear something about hair "crumbling" and that is the best term I have heard to describe the scary situation of hair that has to be 'scrapped' to start over. I fear you waiting too long to address what ever you are dealing with you would experience that.

If I was going through what you are, I would look into rooibos tea, spraying it on my head and drinking it. It can be applied with minimal manipulation.
I would check the inner lining of my eyes, as my mother told me this is a good place to check for iron levels. If they are light, light pink, I would find quality iron, in food likely. If the inner linings are saturated with blood and red, that is supposedly telling you there is iron in the body. I would be interested in knowing if I am the only one who has heard something like this.
I think beets have a lot of iron, and I am sure there are plenty of other foods out there that have it. I didn't realize until reading this thread that iron had anything to do with growing hair, but I have learned that there is a delicate balance that I want to achieve in my body, like a batteries electrolyte, I want to function on the best ratios to perform. I can not believe I was not better educated in school about how vitamins, minerals, and other materials get utilized in the human body. What the improper balance can do at times is astonishing.
I would look into the recommendation someone gave on kombucha.
Meditate or do yoga or aromatherapy. I believe all to be highly inexpensive. I can learn different kinds of meditation and yoga online. I use a inexpensive diffuser which is a tea candle with a basin of water suspended above it and a drop of essential oil in the water. I would do blends for hair, like rosemary or lavender. Essential oils, must be handled carefully and are only if fully understood. There are many resources on this, though I feel none are in depth enough by themselves.
Then I would wait and see what I wanted to do next.

[tiny_teesha]

dulce- yep, all my hormone levels are normals so i've got nothing like that. But yes that's why children don't get male pattern baldness.

Leoslaire- yeah i've got some traction alopecea where i part my fringe...opsie!

pixiestar- Thank you! Will do, below!

SandyMandy- I don't think wheat grassxs has gluten i think it's the seeds so i could probably eat that, though i don't see why "wheat grass" is so special compared to any other shoots like alfalfa, etc.

Java- my mother used do to the eye thing to check for iron. Rooibos tea...Hmm, i'll pick it up if i can see it! I am having green smoothies for breakfast so that is getting a lot of spinach in me which is high in iron, which is good :) , as well as many other nutrients.
I believe meditaion would help me immensely, as i stress too much. I think transcendal meditation, which Dr Oz said was amazing for the body, would help me most. :) I'm still trying to find how to do that without paying anyone...but hunting through so many videos on youtube is tiring sometimes!
Kombucha, i am confused on how a fungus can be good, haha.

Update: The neelibringadi oil is AMAZING. I swore all my hair would fall out because when my hair is oily it FALLS, if conditioner touches my scalp, it FALLS. So i was ready to bid my hair a sweet farewell the first night i slept with it in. It was uncomfortable with a towel and cap on it, so next time i'll just deal with changing the pillow case, too bad!
Well, when i washed, nearly no hair fell out compared to at least 60, it was probably more like 20 hairs. No hair ball....no clogged drain. AMAZING! Then i washed my hair with organic products. Seriously, good stuff. Now i washed my hair once without the oil in, and i still didn't notice quite as high a hairfall as i normally get, which would lead me to believe that either the green smoothies i've been having for breakfast, or the other diet changes, OR the supplements are actually making a difference. At 15 pills a day i'm sure they would play "A" part, just not quite sure how big a part. I believe i may have lost about 50 hairs that day, still less than normal but not nearly nothing to what i'm used to.

:) That is all so far, i think the only way i will see improvement will take YEARS of this continued treatment so the hairs don't fall and keep growing and grow out thick. Which is a shame, it can't get much thinner at least. I have an update in a month.

[ange1ito]

I had a major shed last year, i think it was going on for a while but really started to worry when I started reading more on it. By the way I went to a doctor too, all my bloods were acceptable therefore could'nt be referred onto a specialist but she advised me to review the following steps.

The 4 things that helped me were:
1. Review all my eating habits, and implement a more healthy nutitious diet into my lifestyle.
2. Castor oil massages.
3. Sleep and rest when my body is screaming out for it!!!
4. Manage any stressors in my life better.

I have now seen my shedding decrease from 150-200 hairs per day to sometimes as low as15...hooray :)

Hope you find an solution to your issue.

[Busybee]

TinyTeesha,
I want to thank you for your bravery and lack of negativity.
It has been inspiring and humbling to read this thread about your troubles and see your pictures of the abundant beauty your hair was - compared to your 11/2010 photo.

I have been feeling so sorry and bitter for myself, in regards to my hair loss situation - but you have handled it much classier than I have - and for that I commend you.

I look forward to following your progress and finding out what helps you get your hair back on track. I myself know what happened to my hair - but am still struggling to find the regrowth/thickness solution.
*Granted it's only been a month since my discovery - but I suffer along with you in hair loss frustration. Thank you for making me feel humbled about my attitude towards our similar hair loss recovery.

I pray you find the answers you need, and the solutions that help :blossom:

[ktani]

It sounds as if you are making progress. Stress can definitely make things worse and contribute to the problem and without the problem there is less stress. It becomes a cycle.

Doctors should not be yelling at you period!

You have taken charge and seen medical professionals - excellent!

I do not believe that with so far normal tests, you need an extensive complicated regimen. A diet suited to your needs that is balanced and healthy should suffice.

Products? Use what you react to well that cleans your scalp and keeps it healthy - that means most shampoos in general.

Unless there is an undiagnosed underlying cause for the shedding, less stress and a healthy diet plus products that do not clog pores or cause problems like sensitivity or contribute to fungus or bacterial infections should work fine.

Good luck!

[Khiwanean]

I read in one of your posts that you have a problem eating foods that contain fructose. I came across an article the other day about fructose malabsorption, which apparantly can present itself as IBS. The article mentioned that eating foods with a high glucose to fructose ratio helped the body not respond poorly to the fructose. I notice that the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption) on Fructose Malabsorption says the same and lists some foods that have high and low glucose to fructose ratios. Maybe that would be of help to you in being able to eat a better diet?

[ratgirldjh]

SLS shampoo of any kind and ANY dilution makes my hair fall out.

[Busybee]

Tiny Teesha,
I commented on your bravery earlier, and I don't have an answer to STOP hair shedding, but I have a "Proven" method to start hair growth!!

The proof is in the picture below. Within 3 weeks:
A) Taking Nettle 300mg 2x a day
B)Castor oil scalp massages (with a drop of Lavender EO) every 3 days (night before I wash)

This is what I have - Little hair sprouts all over!!!
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/6042638952_c14d326e0c.jpg

Maybe this doesn't work for everyone, but it was a simple, non-radical regimen I've followed after hair loss very similar to yours (over 50% of my density and broken follicles).

I wanted to share my hope with you, as you have with so many of us!

[Othala]

Busybee, that's fantastic! Good for you and thanks for sharing.

[Deborah]

TT,

I wonder if it is maybe a quite simple thing. My guess is that you need to go back to brushing your hair. It's good for the hair and scalp. I know we have many here who think brushes are bad, but try brushing daily again. I bet you will see good results.

Blood tests, etc., can cause unnecessary worry and stress, and won't help anyway if your hair just needs to be brushed. :)

[tiny_teesha]

ange- i have start green smoothies, and while i don't have them daily anymore i have definitely upped my servings of fruits nad vegetables. I'm eating far less "junk" too.
2- castor oil massage friegtens me a little bit, i guess the herbed oil massage will do the same. I can't recall if it did indeed have castor oil as an ingredient but i made my home made oil which does that i use once a week too.
3- i do try to get my sleep but i don't always succeed, i never have less than 6 and sometimes i have more than 9 and a half (when i can!).
I am definitely stressed, actually lately i've been having panic attack like siezures where my entire body violently shakes, so i'm thinking maybe i should seek out something for that but i think counselling is probably the go rather then more drugs.
Thank you.

Busybee- Oh i havn't not been brave, i've whinged and whined. Let me assure you! It is rare that i have "good" days about my hair loss. So don't feel petty. I have had my fair share of bitterness! Let's grow out to thick together!
OH-MY-GOD! That is an AWEFUL lot of regrowth you got there! I took a photo of my baby hairs and it doesn't actually look like new growth. I truely believe the oil just helps the hairs not fall, not start new growth. I hope that my oil massage will work just as well as castor, but now i'm going to get some nettle to eat also. I have some nettle tea lying around which i infused my hair oil with too.

Ktani- I think the oil helps because it is stengthening my roots. I think any shampoo works as i don't see any difference in shedding from organic to SLS chemical ridden ones but i don't like chemicals because i know they sink in the skin and such so i do try my best with my budget. Thank you

Khiwanean- I do have IBS which is the fructose malabsorption thing, though i've found that it generally doesn't affect me too badly. I try to eat a lot of the low fructose ones and moderate amounts of the high fructose foods.

ratgirl- i haven't noticed that to be the case with me but i do try to avoid it lately. And spent many months washing with just herbs but i found i shed more because my oily scalp made my hair fall out and the herbs weren't cleaning well enough.

Deb- absolutely i do believe brushing is something that helped me, i do try to remember but lately it's a quick brush in the morning, i hate to get it oily too fast, i'll try to do a ten minute brush before i oil, to really make sure it gets some blood pumping!

Well i've been slack a bit lately with both my pills and the oil, and i didn't notice hairfall right away, but after a few washes without oil (about a week) i DID notice the hair started to fall out just as hard as before. So i took my pills again and oiled and noticed an immediate improvement. I really don't think the pills are the ones making the difference. Pills should not have an effect in one day. The oil, however, i do believe do something to the roots of the hair to strengthen it. I don't know yet how...but it's truely miraculous. SO annoying though...

[ktani]

Ktani- I think the oil helps because it is stengthening my roots. I think any shampoo works as i don't see any difference in shedding from organic to SLS chemical ridden ones but i don't like chemicals because i know they sink in the skin and such so i do try my best with my budget. Thank you

You are most welcome!

There are mainstream non sulfate shampoos to try too. I would go with a well known mainstream brand. The larger cosmetic companies know the details of all of their ingredients and the organic brands contain chemicals too.

The difference to me is that the larger companies have the resources to make sure that the key amounts used of all ingredients are what they are supposed to be following recommendations and regulations. Skin absorption is one thing rigorously taken into consideration.

With some of the smaller companies you never know as many stay under the radar and do not follow the rules and regulations in place.

[tiny_teesha]

Ahh sneaky fellows! I'll keep that in mind!

[tiny_teesha]

i just got a sesame based neeli oil, and man is it bad...my hair fell more than normal. NOoooo!!

I'm so sad, it seems like nothing is working now. I heard onion worked. But i don't wanna walk around smelling like onion...

[Diamondbell]

i just got a sesame based neeli oil, and man is it bad...my hair fell more than normal. NOoooo!!

I'm so sad, it seems like nothing is working now. I heard onion worked. But i don't wanna walk around smelling like onion...

I am really sorry to hear this. I mostly use sesame oil-based oils. I too was using the sesame-oil based nili oil and I even have a whole bottle of coconut-oil based nili oil almost unused, because I am scared it may cause shedding.

Recently I started using the Baidyanath Mahabhringaraj oil - this is sesame-oil based too. This could help. But what I would suggest is: please don't use any oils for a while, till your scalp gets back to normal. Gradually you can use a bit of oil. Use these herbals oils first only diluted - like one drop of herbal oil in more of the pure coconut oil or sesame oil - this should be OK. But for now, try not using any oils. Hope things get better.

[DancingQueen]

I know it have been a while since you posted this, and I really hope you found a solution. But, When I started experimenting with LHC treatments, I did notice a lot of shedding, and over time, thinning. After I went back to cones and my current routine, it stopped.

I know lots of people in here don't like to hear this, and some will probably say I am wrong. But my hair needs the cones, and I think some hair types just need that. That said, I can't say wether or not it is going to help your hair, but it helped mine. Hope you will figure it out. :)

[millyaulait]

I am going to keep my eye on this thread & I hope you find something that works for you. :)

My hair has thinned out so much in the past few months..
I clog up the shower every time I wash my hair & my pillows/carpet are always covered in it.
Sometimes it gets so bad I wear wigs.

But thankfully LHC has made the health of the hair on my head much better, jut not the falling out.

[Bedhead]

Hey there Tiny Teesha!

Well, I just read through most of this, and the one thing no one commented on is the fact that you haven't brushed your hair. I'm sure the IBS has a lot to do with this (I suspect it was there well before your diagnosis), but without brushing, your scalp is never being stimulated. You didn't mention how long or often you brush, but regardless, a good scalp massage everyday can do wonders. Scalp health is high priority when it comes to hair growth.

Also, if, once you've done everything with the doctors, all is fine, try washing your hair with filtered water for a while and see how that goes. This worked wonders for me. I had been anemic, but even though I fixed the cause of the problem, my hair just kept falling out like crazy... until I used filtered water, then the baby hairs started sprouting up.

Anyway, I wish you well on you hair journey, and hope you find the solution to this challenging situation.

[Silverbrumby]

Haven't read all the replies but here is what Ive found through research so far

* the pill can cause hair loss in some women
* low vit D
* low iron
* sub clinical thyroid. a diet high in cuneform veggies or excessive tofu soy milk can throw out thyroid.
* weight loss and lack of protein.

get the tsh results for thyroid and post here. anything over a 5.0 makes me wonder.

What has helped me

* natural thyroid supplements
* going off pill
* keeping calories at a good level. protein
* bbb once a day to stimulate scapl
* biotin 5000 and biosil drops
* keeping scapl clean and buildup free

I found henna increased shedding for me. loved the results.

[Silverbrumby]

Ignore my post
Just read through thread. Im still losing about 70 hairs a day even with changes. its hard.

[jacqueline101]

I'd go to a doctor.

[heidi w.]

What tests have you done to check for a medical condition?

I assume you've checked for both types of thyroid conditions, and also been checked for anemia. Even borderline cases can cause problems. There's hormonal problems such as PCOS; there's Testosterone level problems; and more.

I have no idea what you've been tested for exactly.

If oil whatever applied to scalp skin causes problems, then don't continue to do that. That seems fairly evidential.

I would not wash your hair daily unless there's a particular reason you're doing this, which your post does not make clear.

The more you fuss with the hair, the more one can have problems from over-manipulating the hair. I would wash at least every other day. Give it a day of rest if you can.

What's your diet/nutrition like? Are you eating enough protein? Are you including some fat in your diet?

Do you have a problem with menstruation of any sort, such as not cyclical enough -- an irregularity?

I would begin with nutrition and work onward from there.

heidi w.