The Great Shed -- The Thinning Hair Support Thread

[Suortuva]

FWIW, I've been using Minoxidil 10% prescribed by my derm, and it's made a world of difference! I've also been using collagen powder in my drinks (just two scoops once a day) and Viviscal. My hair went through a horrendous thinning period. But now, 18 months later, it's growing back almost as think as it was before I had my kids 17 years ago.
Wow. That makes me sound so old.

If your derm won't prescribe it, can you just buy it over the counter? We can here in the US, but I'm not sure about Sweden?

That's really interesting, thanks for the reply! Yes, it's OTC here too, and I think there's several generics available. So now it's about me, if I had a courage to test. At that point I'm seriously considering it, given the time I have had problems with my hair.

[Suortuva]

ipickee, did you have a big shed when you started using minoxidil? I think we have only 2% and 5% available, and both are OTC and I think you can't get a prescription...

Anyway, if I had understood this correct, so if you have that kind of thinning where Minoxidil helps, then there will be a big shed in the beginning when you start to use it. And if it's not that kind of thinning, then nothing will happen. No additional shedding, no improvement. But I'm not sure how long you need to keep using it before you know if it will help you...

[renia22]

^I probably mentioned it in this thread before at some point, but I tried the minoxidil, and was one of the people who didn’t have luck with it. I recall having the increased shedding/ big shed, but it didn’t regrow my hair, my hair just ended up being even thinner for a while .

Like anything, it depends on the reason for the shedding, but my medical/ nutritional issues are pretty much worked out at the moment, and I’m not taking any medications that can cause hair loss. But I’m always looking for something that can regrow my hair/ stimulate dormant hair follicles. I’ve had good luck over the years with rosemary essential oil (with pure aloe and distilled water- no scalp oils for me) for shedding, but it doesn’t really stimulate dormant hair follicles. However, this product from Hobe Labs seems to help some. Although I haven’t gotten it back to the thickness I used to have, it’s a lot better than it’s been at my worst:

[purple_omelette]

Hey everyone, I've been absent for a while and just thought I'd give an update.

I achieved my goal of classic around Christmas last year (yayy!), then decided to trim back to BCL because it was too unmanageable for me (I like to wear it down occasionally, and don't like the feeling of sitting on my hair).
Anyway, length-wise I'm quite happy with it,but I have noticed an alarming change in thickness over the last year or so. Here are two sets of images, taken exactly a year apart, for comparison.

October 2019



October 2020



My ponytail circumference is not drastically different: the bulk of the loss is due to longer hairs falling out, as I still seem to have plenty of wispy baby hairs and upper-back-length hairs.
Additionally, I have noticed a (to me) very obvious difference in the thickness of my hair below my bra strap, but only on the right hand side (not visible in the pictures, this is a recent development). This means that when I wear my hair down (which I no longer do due to self-consciousness), my hair below the bra strap (again, only on the right hand side) is see-through. I have no idea what caused all of this (although COVID and 2020 most certainly didn't help!)

Anyway, that's my story. It's been very disheartening and I've seriously considered cutting it all back to bra strap and starting again, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. Would appreciate any tips/support (but no medical advice, please) <3

[JasminxCat]

I belong here. A few years ago my hair used to be so thick, and heavy in my hands. Then I guess around the time when I was pregnant I was shedding non stop and still almost 2 years after, and also a year before because of stress and was at an all time low in my life during that period. I have a million fly aways when I put my hair up which looks to be new growth. They're only 4 inches at most. But while examining single strands, they aren't as thick as before. I guess all the shedding on top of over the last few years my hair has changed. I don't know if there's anything I can do to promote natural thickness. I've tried castor oil treatments and although helps with growth I've seen no change in the density of my hair. In fact, I think I shed more when I massage anything on my scalp. I shed 20 hairs, 50 at most when I wash it. I used to shed what looked to be like 300 hairs any time I washed it, but its slowly reduced over the last year now. I unclogged my shower drain the other day and I couldn't believe what I saw. It looked like if I were to roll it up, it would be the size of a baseball. I don't know if that's normal if I haven't cleaned the drain in 4 months? I know, that's disgusting, I was lazy. And yes, I'm the only one who uses that shower so it had to be all of my hair. So I'm not sure, I know the shedding has reduced but I don't know if it's normal yet. I don't think I'm shedding more than 100 hairs a day, unless I go without washing for a few days

[foreveryours]

Hey everyone, I've been absent for a while and just thought I'd give an update.

I achieved my goal of classic around Christmas last year (yayy!), then decided to trim back to BCL because it was too unmanageable for me (I like to wear it down occasionally, and don't like the feeling of sitting on my hair).
Anyway, length-wise I'm quite happy with it,but I have noticed an alarming change in thickness over the last year or so. Here are two sets of images, taken exactly a year apart, for comparison.

October 2019



October 2020



My ponytail circumference is not drastically different: the bulk of the loss is due to longer hairs falling out, as I still seem to have plenty of wispy baby hairs and upper-back-length hairs.
Additionally, I have noticed a (to me) very obvious difference in the thickness of my hair below my bra strap, but only on the right hand side (not visible in the pictures, this is a recent development). This means that when I wear my hair down (which I no longer do due to self-consciousness), my hair below the bra strap (again, only on the right hand side) is see-through. I have no idea what caused all of this (although COVID and 2020 most certainly didn't help!)

Anyway, that's my story. It's been very disheartening and I've seriously considered cutting it all back to bra strap and starting again, but I can't seem to bring myself to do it. Would appreciate any tips/support (but no medical advice, please) <3

I hated the classic head jerk when sitting down LOL so I learned to move my hair out of the way.

On topic, the fact your PT has not significantly changed (yay!) yet your length thickness apparently has is strong evidence for mechanical breakage in your life. Problem may eminate from your scalp (e.g. nutrition) or your hands.

How are your nails? Do they break or tear easily?

I also have the same "thinning" on the same side even. You are probably at the point where reach is becoming an issue when combing. Does your right side snag more? Are you right handed?

[purple_omelette]

I hated the classic head jerk when sitting down LOL so I learned to move my hair out of the way.

On topic, the fact your PT has not significantly changed (yay!) yet your length thickness apparently has is strong evidence for mechanical breakage in your life. Problem may eminate from your scalp (e.g. nutrition) or your hands.

How are your nails? Do they break or tear easily?

I also have the same "thinning" on the same side even. You are probably at the point where reach is becoming an issue when combing. Does your right side snag more? Are you right handed?

Thank you for your reply I actually double checked, and unfortunately I have lost some ponytail thickness. I've gone from roughly 9cm to just over 7cm in a year and a half. So looks like it's definitely loss rather than breakage (also, my baby hairs are all tapered, new hairs).
No issues with nails that I can tell, although I do keep them very short, so it might not be noticeable.

It's so strange, because last year was the year I properly started trying to grow my hair and taking better care of it, but somehow I ended up with this loss! I definitely haven't been handling it roughly, and I wear protective hairstyles every day and to sleep as well, and all my life before that (when I wasn't as careful), I had hair that was solidly in the ii/iii range (9-10cm).

Might go get some blood tests, but I fear this is just one of those 'shedding periods' and I'm going to have to stick it out

[GrowlingCupcake]

purple_omelette could the protective hairstyles be causing it? I know a few people who have hair loss when they wear buns/braids all the time, and I suspect my hair may prefer being left loose rather than contained. Or did you switch products since you started taking better care of it?

-----

Does anyone know where that old thread for ~2 inch circ hair photos went? I'm feeling pretty down about my 2.5 inch circ hair, and I remember that thread had such lovely pictures.

[purple_omelette]

purple_omelette could the protective hairstyles be causing it? I know a few people who have hair loss when they wear buns/braids all the time, and I suspect my hair may prefer being left loose rather than contained. Or did you switch products since you started taking better care of it?

That's a very good point. Maybe I'll try letting it loose occasionally and see if that helps. It seemed to do fine when I was neglecting it completely *sigh

Last year I introduced a while bunch of new routines and experimented a lot (protective styles, extending washes, oiling, daily detangling, sleep cap, daily bunning) so it's hard to say which, if any, of these is the culprit.