I lost half an inch in thickness in 3 weeks

[Creatureling]

I don't even know where to begin with this... three weeks ago I was 3.5", and I've kind of noticed that my hair's been looking thinner, but since I haven't seen a lot of hair coming out in the shower I ignored it. Well, I measured today and guess what? I'm down to 3" :(.

I'm hoping that switching back to Head & Shoulders shampoo will help, but I've been a typical stupid newbie and tried out tons of new things since joining, so I don't know for sure what caused my hair to thin.

Any advice or reassurance would be much appreciated; I'm a bit heartsick over this right now.

[girlcat36]

When I measure 'dirty' hair, my ponytail is much thinner than when I measure freshly washed hair. Perhaps that is what's going on?

[Creatureling]

That might be part of it, particularly since I've switched to a less harsh shampoo that doesn't make my hair so fluffy, but my hair looks quite a bit thinner, so I think I must have shed a bit?

[Mina17]

Everyone is different and I don't know what your routine has been, but I lost a lot of hair when I tried stretching washes and COing. Other people have had great results with those but my scalp rebelled and I shed excessively.

[Creatureling]

I have oiled my scalp in the past 3 weeks, so that could be part of the issue, but my biggest fear right now is that there might be something physically wrong with me, as I've been sleeping a lot more than normal. Oh well, not much I can do but wait and see. Thank you both for responding!

[kittymallow]

Oh that is so sad to hear! Here have a hug , because hugs always helps :)

[Hollyfire3]

lots of hugs to you! Maybe you are simply measuring differently? The less harsh shampoo could be wieghing your hair down, especially if it is fine. Try washing with your usual shampoo and conditioner then measure. It might just be a fluke, breathe and all will be better. Do not worry, i'm an sure whatever is going on is fixable.

[Amber_Maiden]

Try to cut back on all the new stuff! You should have introduced them one at a time, and experimented with the one thing for a few months before moving on... Your hair probably has no idea what's going on right now!

[Dizzy_zzz]

According to a hairstylist I was talking to once, there is an ingredient in Head and Shoulders that makes the dandruff stick to your head until you stop using it, in which case it (the stuck dandruff) all falls out at once. I'm willing to bet it holds back fallen hairs, too.

[Elph]

Quick question - are you pregnant? I know that when I fell pregnant both times I slept forever and my hair got very thin.....it has never recovered the thickness but it is still very nice.

[Amazinggrace]

If you are more tied, and losing hair you may want to have your doctor do blood work to check your thyroid levels. Those are some symptoms related to hypo and hyperthyrodism, just to be on the safe side. I think if you feel there may be something medically wrong it is always best to go with that feeling and have things looked into. We have intuition for a reason.

[julya]

I did have a shed that made my ponytail go from 4" to just under 3.5" and I was shedding massive handfuls of hair all the time. If you haven't noticed a lot of hair falling out, hopefully the different measurements are just due to differences in the products you have been using.

[amantha]

I have oiled my scalp in the past 3 weeks, so that could be part of the issue, but my biggest fear right now is that there might be something physically wrong with me, as I've been sleeping a lot more than normal. Oh well, not much I can do but wait and see. Thank you both for responding!

As well as getting tested for thryoid levels, you should get tested for anemia/iron levels. I was losing a ton of hair for about 6 months and was also extremely tired. I found out in September that I'm pretty badly iron deficient. However the symptoms for thyroid issues and iron issues are very similar so your doctor should test for both. I hope you figure out what's wrong and that you (and your hair) recover soon!