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macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 09:15 AM
Hello Ladies! I am new on this forum and really pleased to meet you all. Your lovely long has inspired me to grow my hair till waist-length. I have been reading this forum since 3 days and nights and there are some amazing hair care ideas I have learnt about. I am staying in UK since 3 and half years now and I have experienced some terrible hair shedding. Would you please be kind enough to help regarding this matter?!

I came to UK in November 2008 and have started shedding hair like crazy since then. After 3 and half years its still the same. Every time I have a head bath I loose around 100-150 hair and 80 strands otherwise. There was a time when I lost 400-500 strands a day. I mean this is crazy. Back in my home country India I hardly shed a couple of strands during head bath and almost none while combing.

I have got all my medical tests done. I don't have iron deficiency, no thyroid, no alopecia, nothing (thank god for that). I have also started taking multivitamins and flax seeds (as am a vegetarian don't eat eggs either). I oil my hair regularly, wash twice a week and also comb regularly to remove build up. I eat healthy food and also exercise regularly.

When I go India for holidays which is once a year for a month I suddenly stop loosing hair. My hair becomes so thick in a month's time and I see all new baby hair sprouting :) I hardly shed any hair during head bath or otherwise. I don't even take any flax seeds or multivitamins back there.

I understand that UK weather is harsh and very dry and cannot be compared to tropical climate. I am very regular with oiling and shampoo my hair by mixing 1 part shampoo with 4 parts of water. I have recently started to have head bath with a bucket and tub. No overhead shower. Still there is no difference. I see that all most of the women around me (British, Indian, Nigerian) have hair thinning.

I am 26 years old and my space between my hair parting have increased. My hair are also thinning from the sides. My hair line has reduced considerably. Please help me :(

Madora
June 15th, 2012, 09:19 AM
Perhaps it is something in the water...since you don't have the problem when you return to India? I hope you find the solution. Have you visited a trichologist (hair doctor)?

macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 09:19 AM
PS: I cut my waist length hair to shoulder length twice and now I am growing back again and hopefully this time for keeps

gonzobird
June 15th, 2012, 09:22 AM
There step Soooo many reasons this could be. Glad you got a doctor to check things out. Dunce that isn't it...first things first... are you super stressed and homesick perhaps? Would explain why the shedding stops when you're hone. Stress is huge as far as shedding goes. Also... what's the water like chemically wise in the UK compared to India? Maybe the water isn't agreeing g with your scalp if its too hard / alkaline. New shampoo?

I think it may be stress if not the other two things. I work in a salon and women that loose lots of hair it's either stress or a poor diet. Sounds like you eat well enough. And Indian food is more than good for you as far as iron and nutrition goes.... hope this helps.

MintChocChip
June 15th, 2012, 09:28 AM
I'm sorry to hear you're shedding so badly. That does sound really strange, I agree with Madora, perhaps it's the water over here that's making you shed. I can't think what else it could be.

I'm sorry not to be more helpful :( I hope you find out why you're shedding so much soon and are able to come up with a solution that'll fix it. :)

meteor
June 15th, 2012, 09:29 AM
I'm just hypothesizing here, but does your diet change significantly when you travel from the UK back to India?
When I lived in the UK, I also shed a lot, but I suspect it was all the SLS- and cone-laden hair products that I used there. However, in your case, if you do heavy oilings and use quality products, and you are healthy (nothing hormonally out of whack), then take a look at your diet and also lifestyle and stress levels.

onlyforhim
June 15th, 2012, 09:38 AM
I am so sorry to hear that. does your diet change? In india you would usually eat food cooked in the house ...everything is natural... a lot of rice... water and yoghurt..
I assume
so did your diet change?
and yes it might be the water too like Madora said
are you using any hair heat appliances? do you do scalp massages regularly? do u wear your hair up or down? did you dye your hair?

macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 09:40 AM
Thank you lovelies for your replies. Even I think that it's water or weather. I even washed my hair with mineral water for a month. But honestly it was getting a little expensive and I really din't see much difference. I stay in an area which has hard water. I mean even if it is water what can I do about it? There should be something.

To be honest, I am not under any stressful condition. Yes a little homesick, but not too much.

Dear Madora.Is that your hair in the picture? Its so lovely. I visited a trichologist in London but all he said was that he can't see any reason of me shedding my hair. He said I would be fine but am not :(

furnival
June 15th, 2012, 09:50 AM
I hope you find the cause, I know how distressing it is to lose loads of hair. I have no advice I'm afraid, just wanted to tell you that I'm from the UK and when I spent a year in India my hair started to fall out in handfuls! It was literally coming out in clumps but stopped as soon as I returned to the UK. I don't know if it was diet, climate, water or stress either. Good luck :o

macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 09:54 AM
Dear gonzobrid, mintchocchip, meteor and onlyforhim,

I eat a very healthy diet when I am in UK. I hardly eat junk food and stock up on all fresh and seasonal fruits and veggies. Because I can't afford to give my already shedding hair a reason to shed more. Infact when I am in India I binge on Indian delicacies like crazy because I know that I will miss it when am in UK.

Regards heat application I never ever blow dry my hair, always air dry. I hardly use any straightening machines or iron tools (once or twice in 6 months for any occasion). So I don't use any styling gels or products not even for fly aways. I have never dyed my hair and now with the shedding I can't even think of it I use henna once every two weeks and also have bath with lukewarm water because its very cold here. I massage my scalp regularly while oiling it which is thrice or four times a week.

I usually braid my hair when its oiled(no parting) and keep it open when I dont have any oil in my hair.

I use a very natural hibiscus shampoo for my hair made by Indian doctor for me without any chemicals.

gonzobird
June 15th, 2012, 10:20 AM
Hmmm... Im going with the water for now. Can you get one of these?? Ive heard great things about them.....http://www.rainshowermfg.com/page1/index.html

or another type??? Depends whats in your water over there. Maybe some UKers can help and know a bit more about the water over there.

Madora
June 15th, 2012, 10:44 AM
Thank you lovelies for your replies. Even I think that it's water or weather. I even washed my hair with mineral water for a month. But honestly it was getting a little expensive and I really din't see much difference. I stay in an area which has hard water. I mean even if it is water what can I do about it? There should be something.

To be honest, I am not under any stressful condition. Yes a little homesick, but not too much.

Dear Madora.Is that your hair in the picture? Its so lovely. I visited a trichologist in London but all he said was that he can't see any reason of me shedding my hair. He said I would be fine but am not :(

Yes, it is, macrothinker. Or should I say, that was my hair circa 1989. I've lost a lot of thickness since then due to anemia plus auto immune issues. Thanks for the compliment.

I think Gonzobird is right on target re: showerhead appliances that can filter hard water. Maybe you might want to investigate these and try them.

furnival
June 15th, 2012, 11:01 AM
Depends where you are in the UK- we have both hard and soft water.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4NdzlR51D7I/S9MVZgzeoLI/AAAAAAAAAD0/2CtdFzM3FXQ/s1600/Hard-Water-Map.gif
Hope that helps! :)
ETA: Oh, you're in a hard water area... :o

louzen
June 15th, 2012, 11:34 AM
The area I live in has very hard water - so hard that if I wash with water only, it dries out my scalp! (although I have a sensitive scalp)

Maybe your scalp gets really dry here which could be irritating your scalp? I second what the others have been saying and recommend buying a shower filter. I was considering buying it myself, but haven't got round to it yet :). There's one here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Shower-Filter-more-scale/dp/B001MZ49JU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339781436&sr=8-1

I would also recommend trying CO for a couple of washes and see if that improves your situation.

pepperminttea
June 15th, 2012, 11:49 AM
I eat a very healthy diet when I am in UK. I hardly eat junk food and stock up on all fresh and seasonal fruits and veggies. Because I can't afford to give my already shedding hair a reason to shed more. Infact when I am in India I binge on Indian delicacies like crazy because I know that I will miss it when am in UK.

Are there any of those delicacies you can find here, or if not, any you can cook yourself here? :)

heidi w.
June 15th, 2012, 11:53 AM
A visit to someone somewhat knowledgeable in hair situations might produce some new information. But they will tell you that losing up to 100 hairs a day is in the normal zone. My hair shedding rate has been all over the map, from 2 strands to probably 80 or more strands, which results in a ball of fuzz. I always tend to have slight uptick in shedding after a fresh hairwash. That's my normal.

If I were you, I'd bring in photos showing what your hair part was versus what it is now. Anemia can cause an uptick in the shedding rate; a hormonal imbalance of some kind can show in the hair first. IF anything was borderline in the recent medical testing you underwent, then pay attention to that.

Meanwhile you could consider taking MSM which may help with the shedding rate; you could consider Ultra Plus Hair Vitamins which have a boatload of Vitamin A in it and does help to reduce shedding. But if you stop taking it, then the shedding picks up again. There's a program of hair loss shampoos, but I hear that taking merely just the vitamin has helped some women I knew who were suffering from an increase in hair shedding. Man! I can't recall the name of that program. It's another name, but it basically is rogaine. Women can suffer from female baldness....because of a rise in DHT levels which is associated with hormonal condition, imbalance of hormones.

Has autoimmune deficiencies been ruled out by a blood test as it was for thyroid? That's a blood panel screen. Does anyone in your family have a problem with thinning hair? Although I've never really heard of water quality affecting hair shedding, what is difference in the waters between where you are in India versus the UK? Usually water quality merely affects the integrity of the hair such as dryness or something like that, it doesn't usually affect hair thinning in any way.

Some more medical tests may be necessary, and be sure to work with a doctor that understands hair and its behavior. The best is a Trichologist. You might seek the counsel of a Dermatologist, for example.

I hope you understand the way hair grows. This information is somewhat useful, although it won't resolve the problem necessarily. I assume you have no scalp condition such as psoriasis or exzema, or Seborrheic Dermatitus. These conditions can lead to increases in shedding.

Use a comb and perhaps slightly cooler water temp when you wash your hair. Don't detangle wet hair; wait for it to be at least somewhat damp or even dry....You might consider using a detangler spray to make it easier to comb through the hair. I hope you are not adding anything to the scalp such as conditioner or massaging in oils on the scalp. I have Seborrheic Dermatitus and can only condition the length. The scalp and related hair I have to otherwise leave alone, and let nature do its job on its own.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sorry you're suffering and having a helluva time finding out the reason.

heidi w.

heidi w.
June 15th, 2012, 11:58 AM
I don't imagine that CO washing is going to make a difference because these are exterior applications to dead hair. What you need is to find out what's going on where the hair is live: in the root. Something is going on, and I'm surprised that Trichologist didn't do more work to try and find an answer for you. To me, leaving a person with an unanswered question, as it concerns health, is somewhat unprofessional. That was a WOW for me to hear.

For some reason your hair is being released somewhat early and hair IS thinning. So there's a cause, even if it's hard to find it. That's all about the inside of hair at the follicle, more than likely.

heidi w.

macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 03:22 PM
Dear Gonzobird, Madora and Louzen,
Thank you so much ladies for your help. I have ordered one dechlorinator straight away. When I read some reviews on Amazon I was amazed by how many people suffered similar hair loss like mine. It's definitely worth a try and I will post my reviews both here and everywhere else so that other people can benefit from it. Once again thanks so much :)

Dear Furnival,
Thank you for the chart. I stay in London where the water is very harsh and you stay in Yorkshire where the water seems to be comparably softer. This explains why I had less hair shed when I stayed in Wales(soft water area) for one year for further studies. When I returned to London my hair shed was the usual. :(

Dear Heidi,
Thanks for the info :). I don't have any underlying medical conditions. I always air dry my hair and comb with a wide toothed comb after it has dried completely. I don't dare touch my wet hair. They come off on their own. One of my cousin is a doctor and just like you she never oils her hair and let the nature do its work. But to be honest my hair becomes crazy if I don't oil them. I mean they come out in clumps even weather I oil them or not but at least I have the satisfaction of doing something.. like moisturizing so I don't have the feeling that I din't do anything when I had the chance. :(

Dear Pepperminttea,
I like your name so much. Yes, we do get some delicacies here in London and I cook some of them myself but the taste is not so authentic.. but my mom stays in India and as we all know Mum is always the best cook :)

macrothinker
June 15th, 2012, 03:28 PM
PS: I further found this link http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=73425 people having the same problem like mine

louzen
June 15th, 2012, 03:44 PM
Dear Gonzobird, Madora and Louzen,
Thank you so much ladies for your help. I have ordered one dechlorinator straight away. When I read some reviews on Amazon I was amazed by how many people suffered similar hair loss like mine. It's definitely worth a try and I will post my reviews both here and everywhere else so that other people can benefit from it. Once again thanks so much :)


No worries :) I mentioned CO too since it has seemingly halved my shedding (coincidence maybe?) and some other members have experienced the same too - although I have read it going the opposite way and increasing shedding for some. I guess everyone is different...

Please let us know how the dechlorinator goes, I would love to hear if it makes a difference :)

pandora114
June 15th, 2012, 03:55 PM
I think that's the difference..diet. Indian food is laced with cardamom, tumeric and other beneficial herbs and spices to the hair! Ghee and yoghurt is also very good as well.

Find a nice little mom n pop curry place and pig out!!! Look for recipes for all the goodies you like, cook them up yourself. the UK has a very rich Asian community and you'll have no problems finding ingredients.

Tisiloves
June 15th, 2012, 04:25 PM
Have you double checked your vitamin D levels? That can cause shedding and pretty directly correlates to how much sun you get.

jaine
June 15th, 2012, 04:36 PM
I was thinking vitamin D too. You get a lot more sunlight in India compared to England, and if you are dark-skinned then you need more sunlight to produce vitamin D. Really pale people can produce vitamin D from 10 or 15 minutes in full sun at midday ... but for dark-skinned people it can take hours to produce enough vitamin D.

heidi w.
June 15th, 2012, 04:44 PM
Dear Heidi,
Thanks for the info :). I don't have any underlying medical conditions. I always air dry my hair and comb with a wide toothed comb after it has dried completely. I don't dare touch my wet hair. They come off on their own. One of my cousin is a doctor and just like you she never oils her hair and let the nature do its work. But to be honest my hair becomes crazy if I don't oil them. I mean they come out in clumps even weather I oil them or not but at least I have the satisfaction of doing something.. like moisturizing so I don't have the feeling that I din't do anything when I had the chance. :(


Macrothinker, I in fact DO oil my length, but just the length; nothing near or on the scalp related hair. The point I'm trying to make is that you may have simply a situation of early warning signs of something, and that it's nothing you're doing or not doing. The problem is not externally based, in my estimation. My opinion is that it's a problem at the root of the hair, somehow, because hair length is essentially dead. So it's something internal that's going on, somehow. I asked about family members that may have a similar situation....because that could give a clue as to where or what to look at. As it regards oiling my length, some time back now, I did make a youtube video regarding how I oil my length, which also showed a bit about detangling, a bit on how I BBB, and an updo that I thought a number of people might like to know about.....I highly doubt that water quality is causing an increase in shedding, for example. Water doesn't typically do that, or a whole lot more of humans would be having this shedding problem. There ARE some people that shedding around 150 hairs/day is normal, although I must state that that is a bit much, in my opinion.

I hope you eventually get an answer. I did suggest to look at the numbers of your recent blood screening, and look particularly at things that may be close to what one might label a problem. You could simply be in a situation of some kind of borderline problem. THAT you want to look at more closely. A number of people have come on LHC and indeed, they have a problem even if it's a borderline case. That scenario has been reported a few times here on LHC. Just trying to help you look at the numbers more carefully. A lot of doctors think if you're anywhere close to the critical point, but not past, they think all is fine. That can happen.

Good luck,
heidi w.

heidi w.
June 15th, 2012, 04:45 PM
Have you double checked your vitamin D levels? That can cause shedding and pretty directly correlates to how much sun you get.

This is actually true.
heidi w.

Othala
June 16th, 2012, 02:55 AM
I have quite a few relatives coming to the U.K from India, Pakistan, South Africa and Dubai who stay for a couple of years for work and then go back. Hair loss seems to be a pretty common complaint and like Tisiloves and jaine I think it is related to the sudden fall in the amount of exposure to UV radiation.

In your shoes, I would book a course of sessions at a tanning salon and see if that makes a difference. Also try and get a much safe sun exposure as you can during the summer. LOL, I know it is a complete wash out this year but hopefully things will improve later.

heidi w.
June 16th, 2012, 07:52 AM
So what the latest post suggests is a problem with Vitamin D. Internal. Not external. The topic of hair shedding/thinning/loss has been looked into and although lately nothing a whole lot newer has popped up, it's somewhat thoroughly understood. In all such articles on hair loss, thinning, shedding, rarely does it cite water or external conditions as a big reason for the loss. It's always internal, for the most part. For women, it's hormonal shifts; often genes are mentioned or family history; vitamin D; polycystic fibrosis; problems with one's menstrual cycle; diabetes, even; medical conditions of various sorts, and on the list goes. Look more carefully at the numbers from your recent blood panel screen, and observe if any of the numbers are somewhat close to the tipping point. Anemia is cited. And certainly stress is a strong factor. I'm betting that someone in your family has a similar problem that you have, but you may not know of it. You need to find and work with a professional. Someone who will not give up on the first feedback. There IS a reason this is occurring, and once that's identified, things will be arighted. The problem you're having is that hairs coming back in are likely a lot shorter and slough off more easily. That's a hair root issue.

I am sorry this is occurring, and I know that people often poo-poo me, but I have looked into learning about hair thinning/loss for a number of years now.

Part of this may be normal within your family. That's a possibility, as upsetting as it is. As we grow older, our hair does thin, and we have at least 3 major sheds in our life. I know my hair is less thick than it used to be when I was 16-22.

Have you visited a Dermatologist? or an Ob-Gyn? I'm entirely upset to hear that the Trichologist didn't have much to offer you. Makes me wonder about his/her skills rather......

heidi w.

Linnet
June 16th, 2012, 08:17 AM
Dear gonzobrid, mintchocchip, meteor and onlyforhim,

I eat a very healthy diet when I am in UK. I hardly eat junk food and stock up on all fresh and seasonal fruits and veggies. Because I can't afford to give my already shedding hair a reason to shed more. Infact when I am in India I binge on Indian delicacies like crazy because I know that I will miss it when am in UK.

Regards heat application I never ever blow dry my hair, always air dry. I hardly use any straightening machines or iron tools (once or twice in 6 months for any occasion). So I don't use any styling gels or products not even for fly aways. I have never dyed my hair and now with the shedding I can't even think of it I use henna once every two weeks and also have bath with lukewarm water because its very cold here. I massage my scalp regularly while oiling it which is thrice or four times a week.

I usually braid my hair when its oiled(no parting) and keep it open when I dont have any oil in my hair.

I use a very natural hibiscus shampoo for my hair made by Indian doctor for me without any chemicals.


You mentioned that you are a vegetarian. Are you getting enough B vits and Protein in your diet?

macrothinker
June 16th, 2012, 08:44 AM
Dear lovely ladies,

I have some good news :) After you all suggested about the water, I ordered one dechlorinator straight away, but with the weekend I guess it might take 4-5 days for it to get delivered. I was getting very impatient to have a head bath with dechlorinated water. So I dechlorinated one bucket of water with about 3/4th teaspoon of citric acid, thank god I found that in my kitchen :) and had a head bath. You won't believe it, my hair shed reduced to 30 (both dry and comb together):) That's sooo sooo sooo crazy :) I mean how is that possible :) This is for the first time in 3 and half years in UK that my hair shed has reduced and that too immediately.:cheese:
However much I am jumping with joy, I still want to wait for about four weeks to finally come to conclusion that citric acid works. I actually oiled my hair a little after having a head bath yesterday on wet hair as a leave in conditioner (I did that first time). I hennaed my hair today, shampooed as usual (one part of shampoo to 4 parts of water) and conditioned it with lush veganese and rinsed after 5 minutes. Is it oiling my wet hair or the conditioner or the water? But still my heart goes with the water :) They feel strong and shiny. I can actually touch my hair without any strands coming off :)

I really can't thank you guys enough :)
I plan to keep posting my progress here so we all can be sure of the reason.

winship2
June 16th, 2012, 08:51 AM
I'm so glad to hear you might have found something that works for you! Please let us know how it goes. Hopefully your problem has been resolved; I was just going to add that if there are any Ayurvedic physicians in your community, they might make a recommendation that would take into account both your usual personal condition and the nature and effect on it of the abrupt changes you encounter when you come to the UK. Good luck!

macrothinker
June 16th, 2012, 09:01 AM
Dear Louzen,
I will definately write a review for dechlorinator, meanwhile try to use that citric acid thing. I think it works :) And what is CO?

Dear Tisiloves, Jaine, Othala, Linnet
Vitamin D can be one of the cause but I am on a multivitamin which I have to take each day which contains all the vitamins including B & D. I started taking vitamin D tablets during winter for a month but no change. I am high on proteins and also take whey protein as a part of hair care and after workout. I am big on sprouts and daal (Indian recipe for beans and legumes and lentils). Its so unfair that after living such a healthy and disciplined lifestyle you loose hair and other people use tons of products and have that shine :( The most irritating part is that you don't even know the reason :(

Dear Heidi,
You won't believe what my trichologist told me. She said that I might be loosing hair because you might be pulling it? Whaaaatttttttttt? Really I din't bother to listen what all things she had to say after that. I went to dermatologist too, he suggested minoxidil. When I started applying that my eyes started burning like crazy so I dint complete the course. Regarding genetics, my mom is 54 and has head full of hair, nice, thick, black and strong hair only couple of gray strands and my dad too had head full of hair till he died at 48. Its unbelievable. All my other aunts are graying and ask her all the time which dye she uses. She never touched dye in her life. All she does is oil religiously. You will never see her in dry hair. She washes her twice a week and oils as soon as her hair dries. So definately not genetics either. But my grandpa (both) were bald I dont know if that counts.

macrothinker
June 16th, 2012, 09:13 AM
Dear Othala,

I read about your comments on Indian hair please thread.. and just fell in love with your advise. Your hair is such an inspiration..love the volume of your hair.. I hope to have such growth some day.
Tanning? I am not too sure about that. I mean I feel little scared. Is it good for Indian skin, I have a wheatish complexion.

Dear Pandora,
I feel that eating the food you are born and brought up with is the best, because since the time you are in your mother's womb, she is eating and nourishing you with the same food. So yes I stick with turmeric, curd, rice and lot of water :)

Dear win2ship,
I am so looking forward to post my progress here :) You are right, I would want to see an Ayurvedic physician when I visit India next and tell him about my hair situations both here and India for comparision.

Arya
June 16th, 2012, 12:26 PM
Not enough vitamin D perhaps? If you're darker skinned that would make it even harder on you..
http://www.naturalnews.com/029018_hair_loss_vitamins.html
http://marathonsweetheart.com/2011/08/01/faq-hair-loss-vitamin-d-deficiency-update/
EDIT: How much vitamin D is in the pills?I think they recently raised the recommended dose...you may not be getting enough?

louzen
June 17th, 2012, 09:07 AM
Dear lovely ladies,

I have some good news :) After you all suggested about the water, I ordered one dechlorinator straight away, but with the weekend I guess it might take 4-5 days for it to get delivered. I was getting very impatient to have a head bath with dechlorinated water. So I dechlorinated one bucket of water with about 3/4th teaspoon of citric acid, thank god I found that in my kitchen :) and had a head bath. You won't believe it, my hair shed reduced to 30 (both dry and comb together):) That's sooo sooo sooo crazy :) I mean how is that possible :) This is for the first time in 3 and half years in UK that my hair shed has reduced and that too immediately.:cheese:
However much I am jumping with joy, I still want to wait for about four weeks to finally come to conclusion that citric acid works. I actually oiled my hair a little after having a head bath yesterday on wet hair as a leave in conditioner (I did that first time). I hennaed my hair today, shampooed as usual (one part of shampoo to 4 parts of water) and conditioned it with lush veganese and rinsed after 5 minutes. Is it oiling my wet hair or the conditioner or the water? But still my heart goes with the water :) They feel strong and shiny. I can actually touch my hair without any strands coming off :)

I really can't thank you guys enough
I plan to keep posting my progress here so we all can be sure of the reason.

macrothinker, I am sooo happy for you that this works!!! That's amazing.


Dear Louzen,
I will definately write a review for dechlorinator, meanwhile try to use that citric acid thing. I think it works :) And what is CO?


CO is Conditioner Only washing (no shampoo). A lot of members use this method since it's gentler on the hair and scalp. I find it helps me a lot since my scalp is dry.



You won't believe what my trichologist told me. She said that I might be loosing hair because you might be pulling it? Whaaaatttttttttt? Really I din't bother to listen what all things she had to say after that. I went to dermatologist too, he suggested minoxidil. When I started applying that my eyes started burning like crazy so I dint complete the course.

I suffered from contact dermatitis a while back from a volumising spray and went to see a trichologist and dermatologist. The trichologist told me that I should never oil or brush my hair(only use comb) and that I shouldn't care about the ingredients in shampoos. Needless to say I never returned (although it cost me £100!). The dermatologist shockingly said I should put shampoo on my hair and leave it on OVERNIGHT!! (This shampoo was full of sulfates which are the worst enemy for people with dry/eczematous skin). After telling her that coconut oil really helped me, she disparagingly said 'it's gloopy' and advised me to put on a chemical-laden lotion instead. She also dismissed that my reaction was due to the volumising spray and theorised that I possibly have a neurone disease (even though I was perfectly fine before the spray had been sprayed on my scalp and I'm very healthy, thank God). And let's add to this incompetency network - my GP wanted to prescribe me drugs that supress the nervous system!! I'm not sure if this is a UK thing or not, but the incompetency from so called 'professionals' is shocking. I simply do my own research now and have learnt so much from the internet and this forum especially - the members are so knowledgeable and kind, it's such a God-send :)

Denebi
June 17th, 2012, 09:49 AM
I can recommend Vera Peiffer's book "Regrowing Hair Naturally" ISBN 978-0-9547227-5-3. Also have a look at her website www.hairgrowthuk.net. She really knows a lot about hair loss (suffered herself from it and recovered) and also offers to analyze your hair to find out any deficiencies. She happens to have an address in Ash, I don't know how far away that is from your home, but maybe the outcome is worth a longer way. She also has a list of therapists in the UK, maybe you find someone in your area, who can really help you.

Debra83
June 17th, 2012, 10:05 AM
I think it is the water too. Do they add chemicals to the water like fluoride or something that you don't have added in India?

I would try distilled water or bottled spring water brought in from somewhere else. To me, that would be an expense worth spending.

It has to be something environmental like that because you don't have that problem in India when you visit. And you are noticing other women around you with the same problem.

macrothinker
June 23rd, 2012, 10:07 AM
Hello ladies,

I have some bad news :( I think was too quick jumping to the conclusion about citric acid. It worked but only once :( Then when I had a head bath second time with citric acid water.. my hair began to fall like crazy.. about 300 washing, drying and combing. I am so sad.

My water filter is here but it dosent fit into the shower head so I ordered a new shower head too. I am just waiting for it to get delivered. I am not having a head bath till then.. I am so scared. Or even if I have, I will buy distilled water..

And honestly, its not just me. Yesterday I went to a movie premier in west London where I had a chance to observe many ladies around me. Most of them had thinning hair.. even girls as young as 6-7 years, teens, ladies in twenties, fifties.. all of them. Out of so many people, I hardly saw 3-4 ladies with head full of hair.

I have read thousands of posts both here on LHC and elsewhere.. and I am pretty confident that its water.. just that don't know what to do about it. Water filter seems the only solution right now.

faellen
June 23rd, 2012, 10:23 AM
And honestly, its not just me. Yesterday I went to a movie premier in west London where I had a chance to observe many ladies around me. Most of them had thinning hair.. even girls as young as 6-7 years, teens, ladies in twenties, fifties.. all of them. Out of so many people, I hardly saw 3-4 ladies with head full of hair.


I'm not saying I don't believe you but I just find this pretty odd. I am from the UK and have never had problems with hair thinning and shedding, AND I live in a very hard water area. I rarely go out and see a ton of people with thinning hair, lol. I know hard water can cause hair problems for many but it also may be that the people you are seeing just have naturally fine hair, which is common among caucasian hair types.

Really hope the water filter works for you! You could also try using rainwater.

pepperminttea
June 23rd, 2012, 10:35 AM
I'm not saying I don't believe you but I just find this pretty odd. I am from the UK and have never had problems with hair thinning and shedding, AND I live in a very hard water area. I rarely go out and see a ton of people with thinning hair, lol. I know hard water can cause hair problems for many but it also may be that the people you are seeing just have naturally fine hair, which is common among caucasian hair types.

Ditto. Some of the thickest hair I've ever seen has been on Indian women, I can imagine after that European hair does seem like it's thinning, but it's just different. :shrug:

I hope you find a solution soon macrothinker, fingers crossed the water filter will be it. :flower:

red-again
June 23rd, 2012, 10:51 AM
I know youbsaybyou are on a multi vit that contains Vit D but what is the amount in it? And is it a natural source vitamin d? The body will only absorb a certain amount of the vitamin d if it is a synthesised ( made in a laboratory) form. Whereas, in natural form you will absorb a much higher percentage. You will also need more than a white European too as you have dark skin as others have said.


I would advise getting a good natural form vitami d and taking it to the RDA amount. It may take a few weeks to see any benefit but that with the water filter should help greatly. I really hope you get this sorted soon

louzen
June 23rd, 2012, 11:17 AM
Hello ladies,

I have some bad news :( I think was too quick jumping to the conclusion about citric acid. It worked but only once :( Then when I had a head bath second time with citric acid water.. my hair began to fall like crazy.. about 300 washing, drying and combing. I am so sad.

My water filter is here but it dosent fit into the shower head so I ordered a new shower head too. I am just waiting for it to get delivered. I am not having a head bath till then.. I am so scared. Or even if I have, I will buy distilled water..

And honestly, its not just me. Yesterday I went to a movie premier in west London where I had a chance to observe many ladies around me. Most of them had thinning hair.. even girls as young as 6-7 years, teens, ladies in twenties, fifties.. all of them. Out of so many people, I hardly saw 3-4 ladies with head full of hair.

I have read thousands of posts both here on LHC and elsewhere.. and I am pretty confident that its water.. just that don't know what to do about it. Water filter seems the only solution right now.

Hi macrothinker. Sorry to hear the citric acid thing didn't work out. I travel to East London to work and I have to say I do also notice thinning hair quite a bit (maybe about 2 people per 20 or something like that), although not so much where I live (countryside).

I am quite optimistic about the water filter. In the meantime, I spoke to another member a while ago who used Emu oil which decreased her shedding by half. The thread is here http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=436&page=10. I appreciate though that this may not be an option for you if you're vegetarian. An alternative would be Flaxseed oil which also contains beneficial Omega 3s.

Some other methods that have been known to decrease hair shedding (although everyone is different. One thing might work for some people but not for others.)


ACV rinses
Oiling (Emu, jojoba, coconut etc)
Conditioner Only washing
Water only washing
Using a mild, non-sulfate shampoo
Garlic applied topically and taken internally (capsules)
Other.. (maybe other members can fill this in :) )


HTH

jeanniet
June 23rd, 2012, 01:47 PM
Hello ladies,

I have some bad news :( I think was too quick jumping to the conclusion about citric acid. It worked but only once :( Then when I had a head bath second time with citric acid water.. my hair began to fall like crazy.. about 300 washing, drying and combing. I am so sad.

My water filter is here but it dosent fit into the shower head so I ordered a new shower head too. I am just waiting for it to get delivered. I am not having a head bath till then.. I am so scared. Or even if I have, I will buy distilled water..

And honestly, its not just me. Yesterday I went to a movie premier in west London where I had a chance to observe many ladies around me. Most of them had thinning hair.. even girls as young as 6-7 years, teens, ladies in twenties, fifties.. all of them. Out of so many people, I hardly saw 3-4 ladies with head full of hair.

I have read thousands of posts both here on LHC and elsewhere.. and I am pretty confident that its water.. just that don't know what to do about it. Water filter seems the only solution right now.

Citric acid doesn't dechlorinate water! It's a chelator, and binds to minerals in the water, so will help with hardness (calcium carbonate), but won't remove chlorine. I don't know how much water you used, but 3/4 teaspoon might have been too much citric acid. I use 1/4 teaspoon in a gallon of water for my rinses. You might need a bit more than that because the water in London is very hard, but don't overdo it. If you get a filter, you need one that softens the water.

Generally speaking, hard water will cause build up more quickly and can make your hair feel dry, but won't make it fall out. London's water is harder than most, but I still don't know that it would cause actual hair loss, unless the hair was breaking off; I don't think it would fall out by the roots. I agree with the advice to have a complete blood panel done to rule out internal causes. It's always a good idea, since hair loss can be caused by many things.

macrothinker
August 23rd, 2012, 09:14 AM
Hello Ladies,

Thanks you all once again for being there :) I know I took a while to get back to you all but in this two month's time I did various things to lessen the hair shed.

First I ordered a shower filter, a cheaper one for about 17-18 pounds. It simply din't work as I was still smelling vapors of chlorine in my shower and it do nothing to minimize the hair loss. After a couple of weeks, I ordered this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/dechlorinating-sensitised-Sensitive-Skincare-Co/dp/B0025TYZTG/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1345733863&sr=1-2 for 35 pounds. I must admit I did shed a little less but not any drastic difference.

I then started keeping a journal where I could record daily what products I use on my hair what kind of treatment I give them and the number of hair sheds. I shed anywhere between 200-300 when I wash my hair, about 150-200 when I oil them and 20-40 on the days when I don't do anything.

And then one day i shed about 350 hair.. I was so angry I chopped off about 4 inches :(

I did a complete body check up.. and thankfully nothing came up. All reports are normal.

I shed a lot when I dry my hair. Really don't understand why? Can't blame the UK weather during summer. Its really pleasant here. When I wash my hair and sit to air dry them I just can't move anywhere for two hours or else I see a crazy trail of hair following me. Its really so annoying. I can't even dare to run my hand in my hair.. I am so lost. It has been 4 years now..

I think I am going to wash my hair with evian now because even spring water from other brands dont seem to work. I know this is going to be very expensive but I will stretch headbath to once a week.

louzen
August 23rd, 2012, 11:37 AM
Hi macrothinker

Is your scalp aggravated in any way? Is it red/sore? You might be having an allergic reaction to something. Telogen Effluvium can be a response to allergic contact dermatitis.

Shedding decreased for me when I started CO washing with this conditioner: http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/organic-base-no-scent-conditioner-200ml.aspx. It doesn't have any harsh ingredients and is specifically for people with sensitive scalps.

What oil are you using? Might be worth feeding nutrients to your scalp by adding biotin to the oil. Rosemary oil is also well known for stimulating hair follicles, as is emu oil.

Might also help increasing circulation to your scalp. You can achieve this by exercising for 30 minutes 3x a week and by taking circulation boosting foods/herbs like cayenne pepper, gingko biloba and rosemary.

gthlvrmx
August 23rd, 2012, 11:55 AM
Don't have anything i could help you with but i can just let you know that i hope everything goes well for you and that my mother experienced the same thing. She probably had a 5 inch circumference when she was living in mexico and it was fine when she came to Pasadena in California but the moment she moved to Pomona, her hair started falling out. Now she has a 3 inch circumference? Around there i think it got a little thicker actually since we switched to a filter. she also thinks its the water and shes been to doctors and done the same as you, and found nothing wrong healthwise. They could only conclude its genetic but shes the only one in the family balding :confused: Her parents have lots of hair on their heads and their like in their 80's. We think its the water, we got a filter but im not sure how good its working. I really hope things get better for you!! :D It's awful losing hair, i understand your pain i had awful hair sheds too but let's hope we all find the solution and fix this :)

PetuniaBlossom
August 23rd, 2012, 08:02 PM
Hi macrothinker. I'm very sorry for the problems you are experiencing with shedding.
I tried Conditioner-Only (CO) washing when I first found this forum. After just a short time, I experienced a tremendous increase in the number of hairs I was shedding. So I switched over to Condition-Wash-Condition (CWC) and the massive hairfall stopped. Immediately.
Everyone's hair is different, though. There are people on this forum who experience just the opposite with CO.
So, although I can hardly believe I'm saying this, perhaps trying CO might work for you?
Your regular hair care routine sounds like you are doing lots of good things. Perhaps the recommendation regarding extra Vitamin D might be worth looking into? Also, some people say that mixing a bit of castor oil in with their regular oil, e.g. coconut, stimulates new hair growth. I've just started playing with castor oil myself, so I have no results to report yet.
Finally, it occurs to me that, in addition to different water, you might be using different laundry products, and perhaps something in your pillow-case (pillow-slip) might be harming your hair. Maybe washing it (or your sleep cap, if you use one) in filtered water with a super mild soap or detergent might help? I know that sounds a bit far-fetched but it might be worth a try.
Good luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Namaste.

HappyHair87
August 23rd, 2012, 08:32 PM
It could be a mixture of the climate change and there may also be something in the water. Is it possible to try a water filter on your shower? I've never been to that side of the world (although i always DREAM to:)) It could also be stress.

You may want to try taking garlic supplements for a little while to see if that helps. Garlic is supposed to stop shedding.

I hope something works out.

renia22
August 23rd, 2012, 08:38 PM
When I go India for holidays which is once a year for a month I suddenly stop loosing hair. My hair becomes so thick in a month's time and I see all new baby hair sprouting :) I hardly shed any hair during head bath or otherwise. I don't even take any flax seeds or multivitamins back there.
(

My first thought was the water/diet too, but also your supplements? What are you taking and do you take them consistently when in the UK? Is it a reputable brand, known to test for contaminants? Are any of the vitamins or minerals in it particularly high doses?



I am high on proteins and also take whey protein as a part of hair care and after workout.

Would it happen to be Whey Protein Isolate? There was a recent study saying consuming this is related to hair loss. Someone wrote about it on a recent thread, too, but I can't recall where now. But google it, you'll find all sorts of info pop up



Finally, it occurs to me that, in addition to different water, you might be using different laundry products, and perhaps something in your pillow-case (pillow-slip) might be harming your hair. Maybe washing it (or your sleep cap, if you use one) in filtered water with a super mild soap or detergent might help?
Namaste.

^^ also this makes sense. Or something in your shampoo/ conditioner in the UK if you use a different brand than in India? Have you tried one with no known irritants (fragrance, chemicals, sulfates..but also possible irritating essential oils, botanicals etc? Do you use the same hibiscus shampoo both in the UK & India? I have also heard good things about the Green People brand Louzen recommended)



m
I suffered from contact dermatitis a while back from a volumising spray and went to see a trichologist and dermatologist. The trichologist told me that I should never oil or brush my hair(only use comb) and that I shouldn't care about the ingredients in shampoos. Needless to say I never returned (although it cost me £100!). The dermatologist shockingly said I should put shampoo on my hair and leave it on OVERNIGHT!! (This shampoo was full of sulfates which are the worst enemy for people with dry/eczematous skin). After telling her that coconut oil really helped me, she disparagingly said 'it's gloopy' and advised me to put on a chemical-laden lotion instead. She also dismissed that my reaction was due to the volumising spray and theorised that I possibly have a neurone disease (even though I was perfectly fine before the spray had been sprayed on my scalp and I'm very healthy, thank God). And let's add to this incompetency network - my GP wanted to prescribe me drugs that supress the nervous system!! I'm not sure if this is a UK thing or not, but the incompetency from so called 'professionals' is shocking. I simply do my own research now and have learnt so much from the internet and this forum especially - the members are so knowledgeable and kind, it's such a God-send :)

Louzen, this is horrible, I have come across this type of attitude in the US too and I can't stand it. Years of this crap I went through before the internet & discovering a Naturopath. The state I live in requires that insurance companies now cover Naturopaths, so I am fortunate. Usually now when I am beating my head against the wall & regular doctors don't listen or dismiss my concerns, I go to her and she gives me the full scoop. That, and I'm with you that internet forums are a God-send.

koala
August 23rd, 2012, 09:31 PM
I'm so sorry about your hair. I really hope you find a solution.

You say you're very careful about eating healthy in England. You might be going too far with it? It's very easy to try to eat healthier and end up vastly underestimating the amount of calories you're getting. You might want to try increasing how much you eat a bit and especially eating some more fat. Avocado would be a good food for that. Or even just adding a little bit of cake or a couple cookies a day.

katfemme89
August 24th, 2012, 12:19 AM
I'm not a doctor, but it almost sounds like an allergic reaction to me. You maybe should go to the doctor and be tested for allergies, if you haven't already. It is possible that whatever you are allergic to is only present in your home in the UK and when you go back home to India, when you are out of contact with your allergen, your hair reverts back to normal.

And I am so sorry for your problem...

Also, is anyone in your family going bald? Perhaps your father or mother have thinning hair? Because it is possible that it is genetic. But that would not explain why it stops shedding in India.

Please try a caffeine rinse (black coffee or black tea) and massage it into your scalp Caffeine in these drinks is said to eliminate a chemical called DHT which causes hair loss.

Please keep us updated and once again I am so sorry that you are having this problem, I really hope it stops soon.

sakuraemily
August 24th, 2012, 07:18 AM
That is really scary.
I'm an Indian girl too. but I live in India. I think katfemme89 has a point about allergens.
I don't think you should try CO because I've noticed terrible results from getting conditioner on my scalp.
Its supposed to rain a lot in london so maybe you can collect rainwater in buckets. Rainwater is supposed to be distilled water because in the process of getting evaporated and all for the water cycle, the salts get left behind and it is pure water which then comes down.
If you were a non-veggie you could have taken fish oil:it is a good source of vit d.

sakuraemily
August 24th, 2012, 07:19 AM
Also, maybe you'd like to try shikakai and aritha to wash your hair with. Most people find a decrease in shed with them(including me).

PolarCathy
August 24th, 2012, 08:05 AM
That is really scary.
I'm an Indian girl too. but I live in India. I think katfemme89 has a point about allergens.
I don't think you should try CO because I've noticed terrible results from getting conditioner on my scalp.
Its supposed to rain a lot in london so maybe you can collect rainwater in buckets. Rainwater is supposed to be distilled water because in the process of getting evaporated and all for the water cycle, the salts get left behind and it is pure water which then comes down.
If you were a non-veggie you could have taken fish oil:it is a good source of vit d.

I would not collect rainwater in London. It would be liquid poison. :(

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:23 AM
Hi macrothinker

Is your scalp aggravated in any way? Is it red/sore? You might be having an allergic reaction to something. Telogen Effluvium can be a response to allergic contact dermatitis.

Shedding decreased for me when I started CO washing with this conditioner: http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/organic-base-no-scent-conditioner-200ml.aspx. It doesn't have any harsh ingredients and is specifically for people with sensitive scalps.

What oil are you using? Might be worth feeding nutrients to your scalp by adding biotin to the oil. Rosemary oil is also well known for stimulating hair follicles, as is emu oil.

Might also help increasing circulation to your scalp. You can achieve this by exercising for 30 minutes 3x a week and by taking circulation boosting foods/herbs like cayenne pepper, gingko biloba and rosemary.

No-no! My scalp is not red or sore just that I see more of it now. The parting between my hair is pretty visible. For oiling, I alternate between Dabur Vatika and coconut oil to which I add 2-3 drops of rosemary essential and a vitamin e oil tablet. I am very regular with my exercise and have also started to practice yoga. I think I will introduce some inverted poses so that more blood is circulated to my scalp. Oh and about herbs and spices :) be rest assured my Indian palates can not do a single day without pepper :)

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:29 AM
Don't have anything i could help you with but i can just let you know that i hope everything goes well for you and that my mother experienced the same thing. She probably had a 5 inch circumference when she was living in mexico and it was fine when she came to Pasadena in California but the moment she moved to Pomona, her hair started falling out. Now she has a 3 inch circumference? Around there i think it got a little thicker actually since we switched to a filter. she also thinks its the water and shes been to doctors and done the same as you, and found nothing wrong healthwise. They could only conclude its genetic but shes the only one in the family balding :confused: Her parents have lots of hair on their heads and their like in their 80's. We think its the water, we got a filter but im not sure how good its working. I really hope things get better for you!! :D It's awful losing hair, i understand your pain i had awful hair sheds too but let's hope we all find the solution and fix this :)

My heart goes out to your mother :( My whole family has head full of hair.. my mum who is 54 has only a couple of greys and my grandmom who is 86 has quite some hair. I am just the unfortunate one. I ordered two filters.. one was just rubbish.. the second one is better but I don't see a drastic change :(

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:35 AM
Hi macrothinker. I'm very sorry for the problems you are experiencing with shedding.
I tried Conditioner-Only (CO) washing when I first found this forum. After just a short time, I experienced a tremendous increase in the number of hairs I was shedding. So I switched over to Condition-Wash-Condition (CWC) and the massive hairfall stopped. Immediately.
Everyone's hair is different, though. There are people on this forum who experience just the opposite with CO.
So, although I can hardly believe I'm saying this, perhaps trying CO might work for you?
Your regular hair care routine sounds like you are doing lots of good things. Perhaps the recommendation regarding extra Vitamin D might be worth looking into? Also, some people say that mixing a bit of castor oil in with their regular oil, e.g. coconut, stimulates new hair growth. I've just started playing with castor oil myself, so I have no results to report yet.
Finally, it occurs to me that, in addition to different water, you might be using different laundry products, and perhaps something in your pillow-case (pillow-slip) might be harming your hair. Maybe washing it (or your sleep cap, if you use one) in filtered water with a super mild soap or detergent might help? I know that sounds a bit far-fetched but it might be worth a try.
Good luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Namaste.

Namaste PetuniaBlossom :)
You are right.. why din't I think of this.. it could be the laundry.. I use the liquid tablets non-bio for wash as bio gives me an itchy skin.. and no-no its not at all far-fetched idea.. you can't even imagine to what extent I can go to have my hair back. What you said is definitely worth a try.
I stay in London.. and for the past couple of months the weather was quite pleasant like about 26-30 degrees. Do I still need Vitamin D in summer?

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:37 AM
It could be a mixture of the climate change and there may also be something in the water. Is it possible to try a water filter on your shower? I've never been to that side of the world (although i always DREAM to:)) It could also be stress.

You may want to try taking garlic supplements for a little while to see if that helps. Garlic is supposed to stop shedding.

I hope something works out.

Hi HappyHair87
Its a beautiful country.. there is no doubt about it :) I just hope the water dosen't put you off.

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:46 AM
My first thought was the water/diet too, but also your supplements? What are you taking and do you take them consistently when in the UK? Is it a reputable brand, known to test for contaminants? Are any of the vitamins or minerals in it particularly high doses?


Would it happen to be Whey Protein Isolate? There was a recent study saying consuming this is related to hair loss. Someone wrote about it on a recent thread, too, but I can't recall where now. But google it, you'll find all sorts of info pop up



^^ also this makes sense. Or something in your shampoo/ conditioner in the UK if you use a different brand than in India? Have you tried one with no known irritants (fragrance, chemicals, sulfates..but also possible irritating essential oils, botanicals etc? Do you use the same hibiscus shampoo both in the UK & India? I have also heard good things about the Green People brand Louzen recommended)




Louzen, this is horrible, I have come across this type of attitude in the US too and I can't stand it. Years of this crap I went through before the internet & discovering a Naturopath. The state I live in requires that insurance companies now cover Naturopaths, so I am fortunate. Usually now when I am beating my head against the wall & regular doctors don't listen or dismiss my concerns, I go to her and she gives me the full scoop. That, and I'm with you that internet forums are a God-send.

Hi renia22,
I use multivitamins from Hollands and Berrett which is a reputable brand. I am telling you I eat a very very healthy diet.. infact my skin has started to behave so well.. not bragging but I can really see the difference in my skin..it literally glows and I have stopped applying foundation altogether.. its just my hair :(

I don't think it's whey protein cause I just started having it 6-7 months back and I had case of hair shed both before and after I introduced it in my diet.

I use the same hibiscus shampoo both here and India.. I plan to check on the brand Louzen recommended.

I am in total agreement with you.. the doctors I visited were so unprofessional.. one of them went to the extent of saying 'but you haven't seem to develop any bald patches yet' so what should I wait for them to develop and then get a treatment?

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:48 AM
I'm so sorry about your hair. I really hope you find a solution.

You say you're very careful about eating healthy in England. You might be going too far with it? It's very easy to try to eat healthier and end up vastly underestimating the amount of calories you're getting. You might want to try increasing how much you eat a bit and especially eating some more fat. Avocado would be a good food for that. Or even just adding a little bit of cake or a couple cookies a day.

Oh I am just loving you advice about the cake and cookies :)
I always try to eat the calories recommended for my kind of lifestyle and try to get all the good and healthy calories from diet. hmmm I might give Avocado a try :)

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:54 AM
I'm not a doctor, but it almost sounds like an allergic reaction to me. You maybe should go to the doctor and be tested for allergies, if you haven't already. It is possible that whatever you are allergic to is only present in your home in the UK and when you go back home to India, when you are out of contact with your allergen, your hair reverts back to normal.

And I am so sorry for your problem...

Also, is anyone in your family going bald? Perhaps your father or mother have thinning hair? Because it is possible that it is genetic. But that would not explain why it stops shedding in India.

Please try a caffeine rinse (black coffee or black tea) and massage it into your scalp Caffeine in these drinks is said to eliminate a chemical called DHT which causes hair loss.

Please keep us updated and once again I am so sorry that you are having this problem, I really hope it stops soon.

I have no allergic reaction or any bald people in family. And trust me.. if I find a solution I really plan to write a book and distribute it for free. I don't want even my worst enemy to face this problem :( I tried an ACV rinse.. but that dried out my hair.. I will try tea rinse

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 08:55 AM
I'm not a doctor, but it almost sounds like an allergic reaction to me. You maybe should go to the doctor and be tested for allergies, if you haven't already. It is possible that whatever you are allergic to is only present in your home in the UK and when you go back home to India, when you are out of contact with your allergen, your hair reverts back to normal.

And I am so sorry for your problem...

Also, is anyone in your family going bald? Perhaps your father or mother have thinning hair? Because it is possible that it is genetic. But that would not explain why it stops shedding in India.

Please try a caffeine rinse (black coffee or black tea) and massage it into your scalp Caffeine in these drinks is said to eliminate a chemical called DHT which causes hair loss.

Please keep us updated and once again I am so sorry that you are having this problem, I really hope it stops soon.
Oh btw is that your hair in the picture.. my my what lovely color!!

katfemme89
August 24th, 2012, 09:01 AM
Yes it is, and thank you!!! :-)

macrothinker
August 24th, 2012, 09:03 AM
That is really scary.
I'm an Indian girl too. but I live in India. I think katfemme89 has a point about allergens.
I don't think you should try CO because I've noticed terrible results from getting conditioner on my scalp.
Its supposed to rain a lot in london so maybe you can collect rainwater in buckets. Rainwater is supposed to be distilled water because in the process of getting evaporated and all for the water cycle, the salts get left behind and it is pure water which then comes down.
If you were a non-veggie you could have taken fish oil:it is a good source of vit d.

Hi sakuraemily,
You can understand what beautiful hair an Indian girl has :) The other day I met a South Indian women about 55-60 years old.. you shoul;d have just seen the circumference of her braid.. but she had wide parting. Even she complained that she has been loosing hair like crazy since she came here.. she told me that when she was in India she used to make a paste of fenugreek leaves and apply it on her scalp and length. Imagine her hair before shedding! I stay in an apartment here so its difficult in collecting water but I would do that.. no shame in putting buckets out rather than going bald :)

renia22
August 24th, 2012, 09:16 AM
And trust me.. if I find a solution I really plan to write a book and distribute it for free. I don't want even my worst enemy to face this problem :( I tried an ACV rinse.. but that dried out my hair..

Good luck, hope you find a solution. The shedding can be maddening, especially when medical professionals poo-poo your concerns.

piffyanne
August 24th, 2012, 11:26 AM
Is it lithium levels? When I was having hairloss, my doctor prescribed lithium.

He didn't believe anything had changed on my head, so I started taking the shed hairs and putting them in a big, big juice jar. At the end of the month it was full, I brought it in, and he suddenly "got" it that I wasn't kidding. :shrug:

Vrindi
August 24th, 2012, 01:00 PM
Dear Macrothinker,

I have the same diet as you. I'm not Indian-bodied, but I lived in India for a short while. I grew up on the U.S. east coast, lots of humidity, good water, and have been vegetarian, no eggs for years now. When I moved to the American Southwest desert, my hair started shedding like crazy. Between the super dry air and the heavy mineral/chlorinated water, I've been losing a lot more hair. I put baking soda in my sls free shampoo to remove the mineral build-up, and I've gone from washing it every day to only once a week, with a CO wash in-between shampoos. My hair texture also changed when I moved here. My hair got very straight and limp. With the baking soda to clarify, and keeping it conditioned, I'm noticing less fallout. It's taken some time. My hair is also becoming wavy again.

I travel a lot and I notice that my hair will react very differently to different kinds of water. People in the UK might not notice a problem because they grew up there and are totally acclimated to it. When I went to India, my hair seemed to really love the water. Not so much in New Zealand. I hope that your problem is the water. If that's the case, then the filter on your shower head should really help. It might still take some time for your hair to adjust, so you might not see immediate results, but gradual ones. It sounds like you take excellent care of your hair, so it should respond nicely and hopefully grow back in quickly. Good luck.

piffyanne
August 26th, 2012, 02:17 PM
Dear Macrothinker,

I have the same diet as you. I'm not Indian-bodied, but I lived in India for a short while. I grew up on the U.S. east coast, lots of humidity, good water, and have been vegetarian, no eggs for years now. When I moved to the American Southwest desert, my hair started shedding like crazy. Between the super dry air and the heavy mineral/chlorinated water, I've been losing a lot more hair. I put baking soda in my sls free shampoo to remove the mineral build-up, and I've gone from washing it every day to only once a week, with a CO wash in-between shampoos. My hair texture also changed when I moved here. My hair got very straight and limp. With the baking soda to clarify, and keeping it conditioned, I'm noticing less fallout. It's taken some time. My hair is also becoming wavy again.

I travel a lot and I notice that my hair will react very differently to different kinds of water. People in the UK might not notice a problem because they grew up there and are totally acclimated to it. When I went to India, my hair seemed to really love the water. Not so much in New Zealand. I hope that your problem is the water. If that's the case, then the filter on your shower head should really help. It might still take some time for your hair to adjust, so you might not see immediate results, but gradual ones. It sounds like you take excellent care of your hair, so it should respond nicely and hopefully grow back in quickly. Good luck.
I really hope this is the case, I'm glad someone with symptoms similar to the OP's was able to chime in! :cheer:

sakuraemily
September 3rd, 2012, 09:18 AM
I can totally understand...though my hair is not thick; its just really smooth. You could try the methi leaves. The other day I saw a girl in my college who had an unbelievably thick pony. There are some girls whose hair is like liquid silk.
Someone said something about rainwater in London being liquid poison so that may be a bad idea. It turns out it collects a lot of pollutant as it comes down.

pelicano
September 17th, 2012, 10:28 AM
Hello from the UK - hope this thread is still valid/going.

How are you getting on with the Evian washing? Does that help? If it helps, it must be the water.

Another thought, if it isn't the water: is the salt iodized in India? Hardly any salt in the UK is iodized, so you could be deficient in iodine.

MaryO
September 17th, 2012, 11:20 AM
Oh dear! Hope you find an answer soon! :-(

louzen
September 25th, 2012, 02:12 PM
Any luck with the shower filter macrothinker? I suspect chlorine is causing me issues, so I've been looking into shower filters too.

This seems like a really good one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dechlorinating-sensitised-Sensitive-Skincare-Co/dp/B0025TYZTG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348401639&sr=8-2. Anyone using something similar?

piffyanne
September 25th, 2012, 10:25 PM
Just wanted to reinforce that you should try a method several weeks at least before switching to the next tactic, and not doing more than one thing at once, or you won't know which thing is working!

I've been doing a specific hairwashing technique for a couple months, because it was easy to do, and just recently noticed that the baby hairs I have, which have ALWAYS been 2 inches long MAX are suddenly growing, I think the new method of haircare might be why it's suddenly growing, but if I had been trying multiple things at once, I wouldn't know WHICH thing it was, and might have to experiment one at a time, possibly having to go back to something that WASN'T working, and making my hair worse again.

You see?

Keep us in the loop about what's going on, I hope you find something soon, and recognize it instead of going on to the next tactic too soon! :blossom:

macrothinker
October 24th, 2012, 09:40 AM
Hi Ladies,

I am sorry I was not able to reply. I have been trying to log in since weeks but it always shows 'server is too busy at the moment'. Has anyone been experiencing the same? I was able to read all your comments but whenever I tried to login the server was too busy. I don't know why. I felt so bad. I don't want to come out as someone who found a solution and did not report back.

Okai so I have a few updates on my hair routine. I started using Evian to wash my hair not only rinsing. And honestly, my hair are so so so beautiful. I can't stress enough how amazing they look. They are so soft to touch at and I don't even use conditioner I had never seen this shine in my entire life not even when i was in India. Ladies seriously, if you have any major occasion coming up you should definitely try washing with Evian.

Now not so good part. My hair shed is still between 250-350 on washing days and 50-60 otherwise . I stretch my headbath to once a week now that I am washing with Evian only as it can be very expensive.

I bought that shower filter from amazon but it lasted only for 6 weeks after that I started to smell vapors of chlorine in my bath. Very strong smell. To test this, I collected some hot water from my shower(without filter) in a mug. It was so cloudy but after sometime it turned transparent as chlorine must have evaporated. Now imagine, if I have a headbath even with my shower cap on, due to the steam of chlorinated water the pores of my hair follicles are opened each time and clogged with chlorine and other chemicals. So even if I wash my hair with Evian, the chlorine still has harmful effects on my hair. I have read numerous articles on the same. Does anyone know if drinking chlorinated water effects your hair?

A friend of mine stays in a house(I stay in apartment) and she has 'inhibitor filter' attached to purify water for the whole house. She dosen't have any hairloss problem. I think I might try this 'inhibitor filter' for bathroom only as I stay in rented property, I can't install it for the whole house. I will ask my friend and post the link here. I hope the server is not too busy.

Currently I am having bath with a bucket and mug (to evaporate chlorine) and its really getting cold here But hey, anything for hair!

Dear Louzen,
Yes yes that is the one I used. Doesn't last for more than 5-6 weeks. Water quality was alright. Not very good but removed the chlorine though.

Dear piffyanne,

You are absolutely right. I have tried washing with Evian for quite some time and I can really see a positive difference. Would you be kind enough to share your new headbathing technique? Since how many weeks have you been trying?

Tisiloves
October 24th, 2012, 11:15 AM
I bought that shower filter from amazon but it lasted only for 6 weeks after that I started to smell vapors of chlorine in my bath. Very strong smell. To test this, I collected some hot water from my shower(without filter) in a mug. It was so cloudy but after sometime it turned transparent as chlorine must have evaporated. Now imagine, if I have a headbath even with my shower cap on, due to the steam of chlorinated water the pores of my hair follicles are opened each time and clogged with chlorine and other chemicals. So even if I wash my hair with Evian, the chlorine still has harmful effects on my hair. I have read numerous articles on the same. Does anyone know if drinking chlorinated water effects your hair?



The cloudiness isn't chlorine, it's lime/chalk. The agitation of being run into the mug causes it to precipitate, then as it settles and redissolves the water goes clear.

louzen
October 24th, 2012, 12:23 PM
Hi Ladies,

I am sorry I was not able to reply. I have been trying to log in since weeks but it always shows 'server is too busy at the moment'. Has anyone been experiencing the same?

Yes same here, I haven't been able to log in for weeks!



Dear Louzen,
Yes yes that is the one I used. Doesn't last for more than 5-6 weeks. Water quality was alright. Not very good but removed the chlorine though.


Oh dear, I bought that filter a couple of weeks ago. Looks like I won't get long term usage out of it then. There's another shower filter on Amazon, however the reviews complain of the same thing - lack of longevity.
So far though, my scalp feels much softer. Will give it another couple of weeks and post again on effectiveness.

Does your hair shed more while you're washing your hair, or throughout the day after you wash, or both? I wonder why you shed more on wash days...

cmg
October 24th, 2012, 01:16 PM
Hi macrothinker (Love that nick!)

I think you might be able to rule out food, stress or other illness related causes for your shedding. There is a latency in all of these and they would not give the dramatic change that occurs just by travelling - and then change back. Water and less silicones in the products could be a possibility of course, but I think there should be something more pronounced to make this much of a difference. Perhaps the reasons are much simpler: The heat in combination with air moisture in India makes your skin and hair follicles swell. When you get back to UK the swelling subsides and leave more of the hair shaft bare and they loosen easier. Also the muscles of the hairs react differently, which can cause shedding. That could be it, really. A sign would be that the shedding doesnt change dramatically over time - since your growth speed is not being influenced, just the shedding itself. We are all individuals and small changes make bigger effects on some of us. What do you (macro-)think about this suggestion?

I love everything Indian and have lots of Indian friends. Thinking about it, more than one of them complained about loosing more hair while living in Germany, and not while staying in India. One was strictly ayurvedic (food and other things). I am strict vegetarian but experienced no differences myself in India compared to elsewhere. I do seem to react negatively somehow to air conditioners. Not really conclusive though. Just thought I'd mention it.

Also, it could be early warning signals of something.

If citric or any other acid helps your hair and causes less shedding, then this help is cosmetic (just like silicones). Dont forget that! Your hair is still in a damaged state. Albeit, all hair over 20 cm length is damaged in this sense. And may need different taking care routines in different climates. Perhaps you should try finding different products.

Also, the hair cycles of some of us can be alittle discerning. You would have to wait quite some time until it can be determined if this is part of your problem (several years).


So yes I stick with turmeric, curd, rice and lot of water :)

Don't know what curd is, but there is plenty of those other things in the UK so go ahead with that! :D

/ CMG

macrothinker
November 27th, 2012, 09:32 AM
Hi macrothinker (Love that nick!)

I think you might be able to rule out food, stress or other illness related causes for your shedding. There is a latency in all of these and they would not give the dramatic change that occurs just by travelling - and then change back. Water and less silicones in the products could be a possibility of course, but I think there should be something more pronounced to make this much of a difference. Perhaps the reasons are much simpler: The heat in combination with air moisture in India makes your skin and hair follicles swell. When you get back to UK the swelling subsides and leave more of the hair shaft bare and they loosen easier. Also the muscles of the hairs react differently, which can cause shedding. That could be it, really. A sign would be that the shedding doesnt change dramatically over time - since your growth speed is not being influenced, just the shedding itself. We are all individuals and small changes make bigger effects on some of us. What do you (macro-)think about this suggestion?

I love everything Indian and have lots of Indian friends. Thinking about it, more than one of them complained about loosing more hair while living in Germany, and not while staying in India. One was strictly ayurvedic (food and other things). I am strict vegetarian but experienced no differences myself in India compared to elsewhere. I do seem to react negatively somehow to air conditioners. Not really conclusive though. Just thought I'd mention it.

Also, it could be early warning signals of something.

If citric or any other acid helps your hair and causes less shedding, then this help is cosmetic (just like silicones). Dont forget that! Your hair is still in a damaged state. Albeit, all hair over 20 cm length is damaged in this sense. And may need different taking care routines in different climates. Perhaps you should try finding different products.

Also, the hair cycles of some of us can be alittle discerning. You would have to wait quite some time until it can be determined if this is part of your problem (several years).


Don't know what curd is, but there is plenty of those other things in the UK so go ahead with that! :D

/ CMG The heat in combination with air moisture in India makes your skin and hair follicles swell. When you get back to UK the swelling subsides and leave more of the hair shaft bare and they loosen easier. Also the muscles of the hairs react differently, which can cause shedding. That could be it, really. A sign would be that the shedding doesnt change dramatically over time - since your growth speed is not being influenced, just the shedding itself.

Thank you cmg for understanding my condition so perfectly. You explained it in much simpler and better way. I think that I am speaking to me...lol.
Like you mentioned, there is no problem with the growth. The shedding is the culprit here. You won't believe it but as soon as I land Mumbai (Bombay) airport in India, I can feel the heat and moisture. I instantly know that my shedding is going to stop until my stay. Here the air is way too dry and now that it is winter, radiator might dry it out even more. Do you suggest I invest in a humidifier? If yes, which brand?

And I really can't thank enough for translating my condition in such an uncomplicated way :) :)

P.S. Curd is yoghurt btw.


Yes same here, I haven't been able to log in for weeks!



Oh dear, I bought that filter a couple of weeks ago. Looks like I won't get long term usage out of it then. There's another shower filter on Amazon, however the reviews complain of the same thing - lack of longevity.
So far though, my scalp feels much softer. Will give it another couple of weeks and post again on effectiveness.

Does your hair shed more while you're washing your hair, or throughout the day after you wash, or both? I wonder why you shed more on wash days...

Dear Louzen,
I tried this shower filter http://www.aquatiere.co.uk/health-well-being/spring-shower-handle-with-filter and its really amazing. You can check this on amazon and ebay too. The water is really clean and better than all three I have used so far.
I shed more on wash days and days I oil my scalp. I wouldn't say that my hair loss has stopped though. I my planning to buy a humidifier for dry air. I will post my experience with that :)

ETA: Oh okai. Thanks a lot Tisiloves. I see you stay in London. Is your water chalky too? Does it affect your hair?

wendylai
November 27th, 2012, 11:10 AM
Maybe it's the sun? Have you tried vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acides? You need those both in order either one to kick in. Where I live it's nearly night 24/7 at the moment, and I think this changes your body quite a bit. Good that I bumped into this post, I run out of my vitamin D yesterday have to go and shop some more now! And remember that in the beginning, take 30-50 micrograms of the stuff - more than recommended so you get results. Good luck and dont give up :)

DancingQueen
November 27th, 2012, 11:52 AM
I think it might be lack of vitamin D? One of the symptoms is hairloss. It is often said, that people who come from a warmer, more sunny climate, and move to colder northern climates (especially scandinavia and england) don't get as much Vitamin D from the sun as they are used to. This will of course influence the body in many ways, including hairloss. This would also explain why your hair grows like crazy when you get back to india, and get more vitamin D from the sun.

I have always been a heavy shedder (I live in Denmark, Scandinavia), but when I go on vacation to a warmer place, my hair does seem to shed less than when I am home.

Anyway, I hope I helped a bit. I didn't read the thread, so maybe it have already been discussed. Good luck, I hope you find a solution soon. :)

ETA: I see wendylai beat me to it - but that means I am not the only one thinking that way. :)

wavykisses
November 27th, 2012, 07:08 PM
Could it be maybe the oil your using?, what kind of oil is it and what are the ingredients
Some members reported shedding from Indian oils that contain antimony the effect is cumulative
So you might be fine using that oil until enough quantity builds up and then the shedding start.

You mention your hair is fine the days you don't do anything to you hair so perhaps is the oil,
Try to change it maybe you are allergic to it and is causing your hair fall, some oils also have mineral oil
Which you can use on your length but in your scalp it can clog it.

Laila23
November 28th, 2012, 12:13 AM
Did you have your Vitamin D levels check? If not, please do. A lot of Indo-paks will be deficient in the UK. Hope this helps

jojo
December 1st, 2012, 09:20 PM
Depends where you are in the UK- we have both hard and soft water.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4NdzlR51D7I/S9MVZgzeoLI/AAAAAAAAAD0/2CtdFzM3FXQ/s1600/Hard-Water-Map.gif
Hope that helps! :)
ETA: Oh, you're in a hard water area... :o
You beat me to it! I live in a soft water area and ive never noticed more than average women with thinning hair! I have a thinning hemline but its due to hypothyroidism and anaemia so for me it a health issue not the area i live in. Are you using hotter water maybe to wash your hair? Like it is freezing here in the UK, hot water is as damaging as hot weather or appliances IF you are using hotter water try washing in lukewarm. It may be your scalp is sensitive to something, apple cider vinegar may help? Wish i could offer you more options, hang in there as long as your health is good, you should get through this, its also possible you are going through a large shedding season, try not to worry.

jojo
December 1st, 2012, 09:24 PM
Your chart is actually incorrect for my area Manchester, Manchester has the softess water in England due to the Pennines which is where i live. southern England is known for having hard water though!

krishnaviator
November 2nd, 2014, 01:33 PM
Hey macro thinker I'm from Bangalore,India and I have the exact problem like you mentioned here. My hair is shedding and thinning rapidly when I'm in the UK but completely stops when I go back home.Have you found a solution to this problem yet? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share it with me.

betterhairday
November 19th, 2014, 09:19 AM
I also live in the UK and may I suggest that you live in an area that has hard water? You need to find a shop that sells taps and showers and explain to them that you think that the water in your taps is hard (water with a low PH). They might suggest you add a filter. Then you will need to use a hair repair system. I use Pro-naturals.com/uk which is available online. I hope this is of some help to you.

lapushka
November 19th, 2014, 09:34 AM
I also live in the UK and may I suggest that you live in an area that has hard water? You need to find a shop that sells taps and showers and explain to them that you think that the water in your taps is hard (water with a low PH). They might suggest you add a filter. Then you will need to use a hair repair system. I use Pro-naturals.com/uk which is available online. I hope this is of some help to you.

This post is about 2 years old. ;)

chen bao jun
November 21st, 2014, 01:08 PM
But the thread is but Krishnaviator's post is only about 2 weeks old. Probably would have been better to start another thread, though.

GetMeToWaist
November 21st, 2014, 01:12 PM
I'm in the UK too. The east and southeast especially have particularly hard water, you may need to chelate? I heard caffeine shampoo like Plantur 39 helps with reducing hairlines.

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 12:34 PM
Hi macrothinker
Iam from Chennai India. Im also suffering from extreme hair fall. Could you please help me

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 12:35 PM
Hello are you still in UK

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 12:36 PM
Please help ladies I came to uk one month back and am suffering from extreme hair fall. Im in ilfo area

Reyesuela
March 23rd, 2018, 12:47 PM
Can you start your own thread with the full details? :)

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 03:48 PM
i came to uk one month back and im having severe hairloss here.please help

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 03:50 PM
why hairloss in london

Garnetgem
March 23rd, 2018, 05:03 PM
why hairloss in london

It can be caused by environment just a thought...have you been to see a doctor to rule things out?

Dayana
March 23rd, 2018, 05:16 PM
It can be caused by environment just a thought...have you been to see a doctor to rule things out?

are you from india. i have checked. and all reports are normal. and im taking multiitamins.why this severe hair loss since coming to uk from india

Garnetgem
March 23rd, 2018, 06:38 PM
are you from india. i have checked. and all reports are normal. and im taking multiitamins.why this severe hair loss since coming to uk from india

I am from UK but when i moved to another part of UK i got hair loss all my checks were normal too..it was caused by my environment.

Dark40
March 23rd, 2018, 08:45 PM
Hi and welcome to the forum! :) I'm so sorry for your significant hair loss or shedding. It might be the water there in the UK, and dry weather. I really think you should start eating eggs, and more protein in your diet. You might be low deficency in protein. As you know, hair is nothing but protein. I consume a lot of protein and iron in my diet daily, and it cuts the amount of shedding I suffer on a daily basis, and I wash my hair either 3 times a week or daily. My hair is growing tremendously well.

Reyesuela
March 24th, 2018, 12:37 AM
It is most likely to be stress. If it lasts longer than 3 months, then it may be something else. :)

Dayana
March 24th, 2018, 05:04 AM
Iam eating eggs daily and taking dietary supplement it includes iron as well. I have tried good shampoos too. Im really so sad.

Dayana
March 24th, 2018, 05:05 AM
Even my neighbor from India was having hair loss in UK . I don't know why Indian people have hair loss in uk

Reyesuela
March 24th, 2018, 05:08 AM
1. Stress from the move.
2. New hair products.

Dayana
March 24th, 2018, 05:14 AM
Last time I came to uk in 2015 . During those period also I faced severe hair fall.

Dayana
March 24th, 2018, 05:15 AM
I m losing more than 100 hairs daily

Reyesuela
March 24th, 2018, 05:42 AM
What is the difference in your hair care routine?

Dayana
March 24th, 2018, 09:19 AM
Without combing hair s coming . I think due to weather