Stress related shedding...how did you minimize?

[Vanilla]

Hi everyone!

I've been under a lot of stress lately regarding my personal life, and I'm noticing I'm shedding way more hair than normal. I know a lot of this stress isn't going away soon, and it's unfortunately beyond my control.

If you went through a stress related shed, how did you reduce how much you were shedding (other than eliminating the stress)?

I'm currently taking a prenatal multivitamin and extra calcium (I'm not pregnant nor planning on it) to try to help.

Is there anything else I can do?

[heidi w.]

My shedding recently increased because of high stress AND because I'm washing less often to save money. I've had this once before, and it only stopped when the stress stopped.

heidi w.

[Roscata]

First of all *big hugs* for whatever trouble you're going through Vanilla.

Second of all the only thing you can really do is to reduce stress. Here are some options: meditation (sit or lay down with your eyes closed, relax and focus on your breathing for 5-10 minutes daily), yoga, any cardio work out, take a walk, get a massage, or drink a cup of warm herbal non-caffeine tea. I hope one of those works out for you and your stress sources are reduced soon. :)

[Vanilla]

Thank you both for your advice and support. I will try some of these relaxation techniques, and will have to find my favorite roobios teas and chamomile teas to have during the evening.

:). Thanks!

[Mommyof4]

Biotin and reading a good book helped me.. Also, just writing ALL of my worries down daily, at least. It seems to help me get it out of my system and it makes it a challenge to "mark off" the stresses that I can do away with off my list... :)

If anything, a relaxing tea like chamomile/lavender always helped me :)

[einna]

Check out some threads on castor oil. A lot of people have decreased their shedding using oil massage.

[kitten1986]

I have been going through stress shedding for the last 4 months and I have lost over half my thickness :S
I went to the doctor and had a whole battery of tests done which all came back clear so the doctor diagnosed me with stress related shedding and suggested I do some meditation.

Honestly, I dont think there is much you can do apart from trying to de stress and do some relaxation exercises. If there is a particular cause of your stress it might be worthwhile seeing a counsellor to discuss your issues.

I think it is best to see a GP and first rule out any medical problems or deficiencies. There is no point in taking extra vitamins if you are not deficient.

Hope you find a solution, it is a very difficult thing to deal with :S

[Achtland]

Honestly... a really good book, a hot bath, some lavender oil maybe? ...and BIG glass of lemon ice water - do this on a nightly basis. Finish a few books maybe, heck while your at it do some oil treatments! But when stress/anxiety get me down, I find distractions are the best cure :)

[Vanilla]

Ooo, almost forgot about castor oil! I have some in my bathroom cabinet :). Checking with my GP is a good idea as well.

Thanks again for all of your support.

[Nymph]

Check out some threads on castor oil. A lot of people have decreased their shedding using oil massage.
A scalp massage is highly relaxing, and good for hair growth!

[MissAlida]

I think we are in the same boat. I am in a stressful period right now, and to my astonishment, me coping with the stress really made my hair shed less than on other occasions similar to this. I try to think positive, go for walks, listen to classical music(it is highly relaxing), drink warm, sweet teas, work out every day for at least half an hour, deep condition my hair twice a week.Yesterday I drank a cup of coffee, to keep me awake, and then I couldn't fall asleep for more than an hour after going to bed. And all of a sudden, it hit me: I started to meditate, and such peace washed over me, in 10 minutes I was asleep. It is really worth a try. You just need to find a realxing position, close your eyes, and just listen to your brathing slowing down, and concentrate on it. I sometimes get a tingling feeling in the middle of my forehead when doing this. I read somewhere that it is our third eye. However, it really does help. Good luck:).

ETA: someone suggested chamomille tea...I second that, it is very good, especially if you have problems with sleeping.

[jacqueline101]

I've high stress levels and I've shed a lot more then normal. Mine comes and goes. I'm not thinning in patches but I've noticed my hair is shedding. I hate it but I don't think I've a choice.

[Finoriel]

When I'm stressed it's important for me to still do things I enjoy doing. Like sports, meditation, some random artsy stuff, inviting friends, music, going for a walk even if it's just 5 minutes. Those things really help me to feel better and relax during a stressful phase.
Also cooking good food and eating healthy instead of just microwaving the next best convenient thing I find in the freezer.
I'm not sure if it actually helps against the shedding, but it makes me feel better :wink: which definitely helps with ignoring all the shed hairs around the house...

[Audrey Horne]

Nothing helped me to minimize, frankly speaking. With all treatments and vitamins I still shed more than normal. Reduced stress = reduced shed... :(

[jojo]

I don't really shed a huge lot probably 10 hairs at the most, my hair sheds in September in higher numbers where I lose probably 50-100 hairs a day. I do take cod liver oil and eat a lot of garlic, so if these contribute to not shedding too much I dont know?

Maybe learning what causes the stress and learning ways to unwind may help. I know when I l had a lot of stress in 2009 my hair just stopped growing for 12 months, that really worried me but I found walks and deep breathing exercises helped me de-stress and then my hair started growing at its normal rate.

[heidi w.]

If you notice shed hairs coming out in clumps or handfulls, or massively breaking off, there's a strong chance you have a thyroid condition, and it needs to be looked into. It's usually a simple blood screen, for which you have to fast for a short duration. Even a borderline thyroid condition can cause shedding and be problematic.

Thyroid problems is one of the more under-diagnosed problems that women have. It affects everything. Everything. It's as though you have faulty wiring with all the things it can adversely affect in the body. There a two types of thyroid: hyperthyroid and hypothyroid. They each have somewhat different symptoms. Hyperthyroid is typically associated with the hair falling out in chunks or clumps and bald patches occurring or extreme thinning over a short period of time. ETA: Hypothyroid is apparently linked to hair breaking off and thinning in the ends showing a bit more dramatically.

The medications can take a bit to figure out the right cocktail, so it can take some trial and error, but once it's figured out, things will right themselves in time, including your hair will grow back. Know that with hair, it takes the hair a bit of time to react/respond to the new situation. So, if you're having shedding, the stress may be ongoing for a bit itself before the hair responds with increased shedding. Such as a couple of months later, and similarly for things to stop, it can take a little bit of time to stop.

Food is VERY important. What we eat matters. If you're low on protein one can have then Anemia. And here again a borderline case of anemia can cause problems. With anemia, one has low iron and, likewise, shedding can increase. Vegetarians love to argue about this, I notice, claiming protein in all manner of foods. I don't disagree that protein is in other foods other than say, red meat. But some women just don't get enough protein, and this is well-documented as a potential concern for women in particular. There is apparently a bit of concern when a woman has her mensus. Loss of blood can mean loss of iron. I am not against being Vegetarian. I was one for 4 years, and I tend to still be somewhat veggie oriented in my eating habits but I was one of those that just simply needed more protein.

Take another case, as an example. A person that's a Celiac isn't receiving much nutritional absorption within the body, even though they are eating. They may be experiencing bloating, gassiness, and a few other not so fun episodes. Once diagnosed that they need to eat gluten free, things tend to right themselves if they follow these eating habits. And here again, hair can increase in shedding.

All I'm getting at is that increased shedding has many potential causes from medications, to anemia, to other diseases, to side effects from medications and on it goes. So it is important to keep an eye on shedding a little bit. It provides some data. Stress absolutely can increase the shedding rate. I've expierenced it twice in my life. Hair everywhere, and it was unnerving!

It's important to allow yourself somehow a little relax time, maybe as much as an hour a day. Some people have more or less stress; some experience more or less stress through how they interpret their world. I am one of those. I can become stressed by seemingly nothing because of how I interpret stuff. I would love to have a life that allows for affording a few vitamins, and decent food all the time, and I find that I have to relax more than the average person otherwise I am simply exhausted the following day. I also have to sleep a lot. More than most. I need 9 hours of sleep. So I go to bed early; earlier than almost everyone I know. That's just my nature, so paying attention to your needs really matters. Learning to focus, to breathe, to not hold it too long when you need to use the restroom, eating at least breakfast and lunch....very important.

In my last job, I ate very well, and my coworkers would make fun of me and my food that I brought to eat. Only one was ever interested in what I was eating. I didn't care. They aren't me.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

heidi w.

[gazelle]

heidi.w thank you for information

[Vanilla]

Thank you all for your wealth of knowledge and information. I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to trying the other relaxation techniques you all had mentioned.

[Hypatia415]

One of the essential parts of managing stress is exercise. Even a few minutes a day can help elevate the harmful effects stress has on the body. Taking a walk or doing some jumping jacks for few minutes every day may help a lot.

[Lala3488]

I went through this, and it got even worse when i started taking wellbutrin. I probably lost about 25% of my hair.. it was so embarrasing.. I started taking vitamins, xanax and stopped the wellbutrin. I have anxiety issues and the xanax really helps with them..

[TiffanieJean]

I lost a lot of hair after I had my son and the stress that came with being a first time mom and loseing all of my hair and whatever else definitely made it worse. Nioxin helped me a lot. I use the system 1 clenser and scalp therapy shampoo.

Stress can produce increased levels of testosterone which converts to DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) and interrupts the hair’s growth cycle. High levels of DHT can also be genetic. DHT is one of the causes of male baldness; it increases in your folicles over time. Nioxin is a DHT blocking shampoo, which is why a lot of people see results. It's also a clenser, Sulfate and silicone free.

They have a good website if your interested in knowing more. I'm not affiliated in any way, but the product did help me so I figured I would share.

[TiffanieJean]

I lost a lot of hair after I had my son and the stress that came with being a first time mom and loseing all of my hair and whatever else definitely made it worse. Nioxin helped me a lot. I use the system 1 clenser and scalp therapy shampoo.

Stress can produce increased levels of testosterone which converts to DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) and interrupts the hair’s growth cycle. High levels of DHT can also be genetic. DHT is one of the causes of male baldness; it increases in your folicles over time. Nioxin is a DHT blocking shampoo, which is why a lot of people see results. It's also a clenser, Sulfate and silicone free.

They have a good website if your interested in knowing more. I'm not affiliated in any way, but the product did help me so I figured I would share.

It's not silicone free, sorry.. lol I dont know how to edit my other post.

[heidi w.]

I lost a lot of hair after I had my son and the stress that came with being a first time mom and loseing all of my hair and whatever else definitely made it worse. Nioxin helped me a lot. I use the system 1 clenser and scalp therapy shampoo.

Stress can produce increased levels of testosterone which converts to DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) and interrupts the hair’s growth cycle. High levels of DHT can also be genetic. DHT is one of the causes of male baldness; it increases in your folicles over time. Nioxin is a DHT blocking shampoo, which is why a lot of people see results. It's also a clenser, Sulfate and silicone free.

They have a good website if your interested in knowing more. I'm not affiliated in any way, but the product did help me so I figured I would share.

Women who are done either with gestation (and not breast feeding) or women who are done with breast feeding -- whichever occurs last -- will often within about 3 months begin shedding a lot of hair. This last perhaps around 3-4 months, and should generally cease. But if it continues for a whole lot longer, certainly by 6 months, then it's Houston! We have a problem! and you need to re-visit your ob-gyn to look into thyroid or other potential causes. During gestation hair does not shed as much and builds up to more volume; and once child bearing is done or breast feeding is done, the hair begins to shed back to its more normal volume. This is all hormonally based, but sometimes things can go wrong a bit. Just stuff to know.

Biotin is known to be quite helpful.
There are long hair vitamins one can take if you can handle all that Vitamin A, which I found out I can't.
Also consider upping the B6 & B12.
Lots of people like what Zinc does for them.
There's also Magnesium to consider.
I would also suggest looking into CQ10....not precisely sure of its name but this is as close as I recall.

Nioxin is known to help with baldness in men and hair loss in women. It takes a bit for it to build up and begin to work, around 2-3 months, but once you stop using it, then that's it for it to work. Nioxin has a hair vitamin one can take, and I knew a lady in her late 40s who was experiencing thinning, and all she took was the vitamins, and she declared they worked for her. So, that's an option to consider.

Turns out there are a number of reasons for increased hair shedding. There's even potential for shedding to increase if you wait too long between hair washes, and when one is close to having their period, a kind of mini lowering of blood marrow related occurrence.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

One of the essential parts of managing stress is exercise. Even a few minutes a day can help elevate the harmful effects stress has on the body. Taking a walk or doing some jumping jacks for few minutes every day may help a lot.

When the weather permits, I like to take a walk right after work whenever possible. I find it helps to calm me, to be in touch with the Day -- the actual sun -- and it just helps my mood.

My pooch likes it too.

My fave exercise form is swimming. But I can't afford the cost of a gym membership right now, and the last ten years, I haven't been able to afford it.

heidi w.

[Vanilla]

I lost a lot of hair after I had my son and the stress that came with being a first time mom and loseing all of my hair and whatever else definitely made it worse. Nioxin helped me a lot. I use the system 1 clenser and scalp therapy shampoo.

Stress can produce increased levels of testosterone which converts to DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) and interrupts the hair’s growth cycle. High levels of DHT can also be genetic. DHT is one of the causes of male baldness; it increases in your folicles over time. Nioxin is a DHT blocking shampoo, which is why a lot of people see results. It's also a clenser, Sulfate and silicone free.

They have a good website if your interested in knowing more. I'm not affiliated in any way, but the product did help me so I figured I would share.

Thanks for your information and suggestion. A little light bulb went off in my head as you mentioned testosterone levels.

I have higher than normal androgen, and I haven't been consistently taking my anti andrgoen pills lately because frankly, I've been so overwhelmed that I've forgotten.

:brainbleach:

Sounds like the Nioxin would probably help me too, lol.

[TiffanieJean]

Women who are done either with gestation (and not breast feeding) or women who are done with breast feeding -- whichever occurs last -- will often within about 3 months begin shedding a lot of hair. This last perhaps around 3-4 months, and should generally cease. But if it continues for a whole lot longer, certainly by 6 months, then it's Houston! We have a problem! and you need to re-visit your ob-gyn to look into thyroid or other potential causes. During gestation hair does not shed as much and builds up to more volume; and once child bearing is done or breast feeding is done, the hair begins to shed back to its more normal volume. This is all hormonally based, but sometimes things can go wrong a bit. Just stuff to know.

Biotin is known to be quite helpful.
There are long hair vitamins one can take if you can handle all that Vitamin A, which I found out I can't.
Also consider upping the B6 & B12.
Lots of people like what Zinc does for them.
There's also Magnesium to consider.
I would also suggest looking into CQ10....not precisely sure of its name but this is as close as I recall.

Nioxin is known to help with baldness in men and hair loss in women. It takes a bit for it to build up and begin to work, around 2-3 months, but once you stop using it, then that's it for it to work. Nioxin has a hair vitamin one can take, and I knew a lady in her late 40s who was experiencing thinning, and all she took was the vitamins, and she declared they worked for her. So, that's an option to consider.

Turns out there are a number of reasons for increased hair shedding. There's even potential for shedding to increase if you wait too long between hair washes, and when one is close to having their period, a kind of mini lowering of blood marrow related occurrence.

heidi w.

Very good info!

I would like to add to my previous review -

Part of the problem I was having was that I stared to develop psoriasis at the same time my hair was shedding.. (My father had it, so I knew what it looked like, but didn't have the money to go to a dermatologist..) The scalp therapy conditioner worked wonders for that part of the problem. It started healing it from the first use, and by default my hair was shedding less. It took about 6-7 months for my hair start growing back, but I do give a lot of credit to the Nioxin system for helping.

I have also heard the the Nioxin Vitamins are very good, but haven't actually tried them.