Experiencing hair loss, volume's drastically cut, scared!

[motu821]

Hello...I have hair loss that has been worrying me for a few weeks now. Please help me figure out the most likely reasons this is happening to my hair! I'm very nervous about it (is this permanent? is it going to worsen??)

I have noticed within the past month or so, but especially within the last week, my hair feels thinner. When taking a shower, I part my hair in two, and each side feels about HALF the size that it used to. It is noticeably thinner by sight when dry AND wet. (mostly the very front parts on both sides, but the length all around is obviously thinned.)

Here are things I think may be relevant/contributing
1. for about 1.5 years I had a very bad scalp picking habit that has for sure left many scars, and I fear it might have damaged follicles too. Maybe now that is catching up with me? (I have only broken the habit for a few months, and still sometimes slip up)

2. a LOT of hair was coming out each time I showered for such a long time that it started to seem normal (this stopped only within the past week or so. it probably lasted one or two months)

3. My hair shed a LOT during this time as well. Like, I could run my fingers over the carpet and come up with good-sized (and sometimes kind of large!) rolls of hair..

4. I've experienced strong stress, anxiety, depression and the like for about 3 years (once again, maybe this is catching up with me??)

5. Lack of exercise (pretty much the most sedentary you can imagine for 1.5 years)

6. Non-stop dandruff for about 6 months now (my whole life I've only gotten dandruff occasionally, usually during the winter, and it's never shown up in concentrated patches like it does now)

these are all the relevant things I can think of right now, feel free to ask questions.
Do you think any of the above contributed?
What are your recommendations for me to reverse or at least STOP this hair loss??

Also, could it be possible that I'm allergic to my hair washing products? I use a diluted mix of Dr Brenner's almond and mint castille soaps with tea tree oil for shampoo, always an ACV rinse, and Burt's bees pomegranate condish. For the past month I have used baking soda maybe 5 times but I think it made the texture of my hair AWFUL)
I wash my hair usually every 2 to 3 days. I put almond oil on when dry. sometimes jojoba or olive.

[skaempfer]

Oh, phooey. My reply just got eaten.

Anyway, i wanted to say it's always good to check with your GP just to rule out any health probs. many here will confirm, though, that stress can cause alarming sheds. Check for new growth, and try to destress your life a bit! We can help you with that by cracking silly jokes, right gang? :D

[kerbear]

I agree, it sounds like you need some YOU focusing time and stress relieving! Definitely check with the GP though, just in case!

Sorry I'm not very funny or witty at the moment, it's late...but I can find a cute smiley :poot:

[LissaJane]

What do you call cheese that isn't yours?

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NACHO CHEESE :cheese:! (buddubumptshhh)


Stress can cause an alarming amount of hair loss. When I was the most stressed out my hair started thinning horribly. Another example is on Aussie Masterchef, Chef Alvin Quah had stress related alopecia where he was actually going bald from the stress that the show caused him.

Try finding little ways to calm yourself. You need YOUTIME figure out what is stressing you out and find ways to eliminate or decrease it. Get adequate sleep every night. Half an hour before bed, turn off your TV/laptop/radio stay away from your cell phone and have a mug of chamomile and honey tea-- chamomile is well known for its soothing effects on people.

I hope things get easier and you see an improvement soon :blossom:

[hototogisu]

I really recommend you read through the Womens' Hair Loss Project (http://www.womenshairlossproject.com/) to learn about the causes of womens' hair loss. After you've learned as much as you can, you should go to your doctor to get some bloodwork done, but be warned that many doctors don't take womens' hair loss seriously. Write down all the contributing factors, figure out what tests you need, and make sure you at least get a basic workup done.

All the things you mentioned - the trichotillomania, stress, dandruff etc - could contribute to your hair loss. Start with the things you can deal with. Scalp fungus can DEFINITELY contribute to hair loss, so you should start using an anti-dandruff shampoo. Do you condition when you wash? A conditioner makes detangling easier, which will result in less hair pulled out through manipulation.

Are you still sedentary? Nothing is more effective at dealing with stress than exercise. Make an effort to go for a walk daily. Start the Couch to 5k programme and take up jogging. Make an effort to eat clean. Diet has a huge effect on your hair. Try a week without sugar and white flour and you'll feel a huge difference in your energy levels and stress.

SO MANY OF US on these boards have gone through hair loss. You're definitely not alone!

[Rose Petal]

Hello motu821
Hmmm, stress maybe?
I'm sure you are barraged with advice about how to deal with stress, but I've had some issues myself, so maybe this is worth a try. Or feel free to ignore- dealing with this stuff tends to be pretty individual, a bit like hair! :)

Things that may help
Reading a really engaging book, or watching a really good film- something you loose yourself in. It does not have to be a happy ever after if you don't feel like it. I like a good cry every now and then- it helps me let off steam and I don't feel so bottled up.

Or, if you are feeling up to taking the bull by its horns
Try going for a stroll. I don't mean the arms pumping, exercise variety. I mean sticking the headphones on with something soothing and ambling around the local backstreets, peering into people's gardens to see how they are coming along, or checking out the patterns the footpath/pavement makes. You don't have to go far, just around the block is good. Rug up so that you are nice and warm. Sometimes its just important to get out of the house. If you are finding it difficult to leave home, or noticing you are doing it less, finding ways around it etc, just getting past the front fence for a few minutes is a really good thing to do.

I am presuming you are discussing this stuff with your GP/counselor/etc, but if not, maybe make an appointment?

Hugs from the Southern Hemisphere,
Rose Petal

[Madora]

Definitely schedule an appointment with your doctor for a complete blood panel plus thyroid check.

Apart from stress, your hair problems might be due to anemia.

If necessary, after the results have come back, you might want to get a referral to a trichologist (hair doctor) to see about returning your hair to health...particularly your scalp. If the scalp isn't healthy, your chances of growing healthy hair are very compromised.

[lostchyld]

OMG, you could be me. Thankfully, I haven't noticed a thinning of my hair, just a full drain when I wash.

I'm used to a shower of flakes when I move my head. Really bad dandruff and itchy to go with it. I've had a small, possibly temporary, amount of luck with scalp massages with conditioner. I just started them, but, while I filled the drain three times with the first one, I haven't lost a noticeable amount of hair since then. The itchy is gone and the flakes are mostly gone and there are less of them every day. It probably wasn't classic dandruff if conditioner made it go away.

I would also recommend getting tested for some imbalances. If there's a physical reason for it, they should be able to find it.

[Tiina]

Stress could definitely be a factor but since you have scalp issues I think it would be a good idea to have a doctor look at it.

I personally couldn't stand washing my hair with baking soda and I'm sure it did me no good. If your hair doesn't like, then no need to use.

[Phalaenopsis]

I recently made a video about this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrr0WF70IGE

Do go see a doctor to get everything checked.