Need Help Advice on Thinning Hair

[Sissy]

Here are some pictures of my hair from October. I am very concerned that it may be thinning. I have had people tell me they think I need to cut 5-6 inches off. This is very frustrating because I love long hair and have been trying to hit classic length.

For background information, my hair is air drying very straight (due to CO washing and use of natural products maybe?). I've been taking my fish oil and biotin (small doses) and trying to eat healthy. I've been avoiding heat styling/blow drying my hair. I do utilize the gym daily and do workouts where my hair sometimes might get some mechanical damage. I also swim 1-2 times per week (I coconut oil my hair and cover it in two swim caps prior to using the gym pool).

I would like the opinion of those of you who have known me over the years here at LHC. I haven't been posting regularly since February due to an extremely stressful event that happened in my life that I'm just now coming to terms with. On the positive side, I have lost weight during this time period and am continuing to work out at the gym and swim and such. On the negative side, my hair appears to be thinning and I cannot sleep at night.

I would like to know how badly my hair has thinned. Also, I would like to determine what's causing this thinning.

Is it stress?
Is it my losing weight?
Is it my insomnia?
Is it my use of natural conditioners like Nature's Gate? Is it my CO washing and lack of frequent shampooing?
Is it just mechanical damage from working out/gyming.

I hardly even brush my hair anymore (I comb with my seamless bhone combs from Hairsense), perhaps I need to start brushing and shampooing more (to stimulate the scalp)?

I'm almost afraid to use oils at this point because I usually see more hair in the shower drain after I rinse oils out. But maybe I should use them anyhow, to nurture the hair?

I didn't think my hair looked that bad, but a few co-workers have made comments

Should I try Nioxin shampoo and conditioner? Does anyone else have any other recommendations for thicker hair? I order a lot of Vitacost and am interested in natural hair care solutions for thicker hair if possible.

Or maybe I am I just letting what others say to me get to me too much? I'm nervous that if my hair is thinning it will only get worse and I don't want to wait until too long to do something about it (I don't want to lose all my hair).

Looking back in my album of pictures over the years, I feel like my hair has improved. However, with people making comments about how I should cut it, I feel really bad.

I realize my center part is really bad looking, does anyone know how I could train my part to look or be less aggressive looking? Can I train myself to have a less thick side part or something? Should I use bobby pins to force the hair a certain direction?

Please help!

Also, here's what I am doing to try to take action on this:
1) I am going to try to do deep conditioning treatments more and am going to use catnip tea rinses again when time allows.

2) I am going to get a hair trim this week.

3) I went to the Doctors and got some prescription sleeping medication (but so far it's not working). They also ordered blood tests for me to check my thyroid and iron and such. I go back on Tuesday to get my results and they may refer me to a dermatologist regarding my hair concerns.

4) I am considering purchasing Nioxin or other products to help thicken hair, I just need recommendations from LHC

I don't know though... if I look at my hair pictures album, I think my hair is improving in some ways but maybe it looks a lot worse in natural light. I'll try to have some better pictures taken of it to see.

Thanks so much for reading and sorry for the long rambling.

[aenflex]

I don't know your journey and I am sorry, so sorry, to hear of your stressful times.
You asked:
Is it stress?
Is it my losing weight?
Is it my insomnia?

I'm gonna give my humble opnion and say probably all 3? I mean they definitely could all be factors of the hairloss, and perhaps also factors of eachother. Rapid weight loss and poor diet are notorious for causing hair fall and thinning. Not saying you have a poor diet, just assuming the stress has effected it as well. The insomnia I'm not sure about about, most certainly a bi-product of the stress, maybe it also effects hair?
I believe the mind has a very strong power over the body. If it were me, I would be doing things to relax, like massage, hot baths, infared heat if you have that kind of money, meditation, yoga, anyhting that helps you calm the spirit. I think those things might make more of a difference than a prescription sleep aid or topical issue. However that's just my opinion and whatever happens I do hope you get some relief

[luxepiggy]

While I haven't known you over the years on LHC, I lost a significant percentage of my body weight a few years ago, and I noticed my hair definitely got thinner along with the rest of me (>(oo)<)`

My hair also naturally parts in the center, but lately I noticed that if I sort of run my hands through my hair to push it backwards while it's air drying, it makes the part a lot shorter and my hair looks fuller (^(oo)^)

[melikai]

Your hair still looks wonderful to me, but to answer your question, I would blame stress. It seems to hit about 6 or more months after the events that caused it, and shows up then in your body. The weightloss was probably, to begin with, also stress-caused, and rapid weight loss could add to shedding.

Just take it easy on yourself, keep doing the gentle care you are doing, and try to do as much as possible to keep your life low-stress.

I'm sorry you had a difficult time, but I'm glad you're beginning to recover.

[Catia]

First off - from those pictures, I'd say there is nothing wrong with your hair! It actually looks admirably full to me.

Secondly - People are ignorant, self-involved, jealous ....idiots (I really wanted to use another adjective there lol)

Don't take their comments as anything more then the ignorance it is.

Thirdly - my personal struggle has revealed that stress, stress, stress is the answer. I have done lots of different protocols for health like different diets and supplements, and frankly - they are the key to a different door most of the time. Not that I discourage improvements in this area if this helps you to feel empowered in your life (I feel this way). But I've found it's a reflection of your heart/psyche. Taking mood elevators/regulators can't change that either. I think it's a good idea to get things checked out like thyroid/iron/B12, but I will also say that I am currently deficient in all three (I'm not finding a happy resolution to any of them) ... any my hair has continued it's recuperation regardless.

The happy news is that it can and will come back. I always thought that once the thickness was gone, it was gone. That all you could do was baby what you have and pray it doesn't continue. It can SEEM this way, because it took years for my own re-growth to be evident ... but it DID happen. I think my hair is close to what it was 15 years ago, before my first (of three) MAJOR sheds.

Take this as an opportunity to put yourself first. And I don't just mean a mani-pedi. I mean in your LIFE.

And screw those co-workers. Seriously. I would bet they would love to see you falter in your desire for long hair. People suck that way.

[Capybara]

I was wondering how you were doing! Glad to see you again.

I think your hair looks beautiful If you are happy with it, don't worry what your co-workers think. And if you aren't happy with it, don't worry what they think either. It's not up to them how you do your hair.

About your part - close-up pictures are rarely very forgiving. That's exactly how my part would look like in a close up picture with flash. A side part may help.

Hope you're feeling better about this soon!

[GrowingGlory]

Your hair looks great. You might try Crown and Glory shampoo and conditioner. They are on sale through their website. I have used them with excellent results.

[indigonight]

I am so sorry to hear of your stress and hair loss.
I think your hair looks great nonetheless and whatever anyone else says, dont listen to them, as others have said, humans are generally jealous people and many will tell you to cut out of jealousy for your mane.
My hair was suffering from stress too, I moved to another continent and then realised my hair was less thick but also that I was spending less time pampering it and more time worrying!

So take a step back, do the things that make you feel good, tlc and treat yourself and your hair.
What helps me during hair loss is:
100&#37; natural organic products- chemicals will just load cr*p in your system you dont need and further cause stress.

Regular oilings to stimulate your scalp, you may see some hair loss initially but trust me it will pay off. If hair is falling out it can make way for new healthy hair.
Use oils like Nigella Sativa and Eclipta Alba (make sure these are 100% pure and not mixed with mineral oil or other chemical poop). Trust me these oils make your hair shed less and grow grow grow.

I use Indian herbs to wash my hair and when I put them on as a mask once a week, heck I've noticed that if I keep up my routine my hair grows like weeds.

I do regular deep conditioning masks with organic conditioners and once again growth stimulating oils.

I take my vitamins, very important: multi vit plus vit C, biotin, B5, B6, B12, vitamin D, zinc . Taking Horsetail and MSM can also help.

Above all, take evenings, weekends to just pamper and relax yourself... hot baths, relaxing music, candles whatever it takes just relax..........

I hope this helps, I understand you are worried but believe me, this will pass you will reach your goal and your hair will regain 100% health.

Hugs!

[Anje]

For what it's worth, your hair looks admirably thick to the ends, and whoever told you to cut 5-6 inches probably said so because they don't like hair as long as yours, not because yours needs any cutting!

Your stress and weight loss might be contributing to hairloss. Both are pretty well-established culprits for that. Early fall also seems to be a prime shedding season, so you might be noticing some seasonal shedding too.

Has your circumference decreased significantly?

[Yozhik]

Your hair looks so healthy and long! I'm sorry that I can't comment on how your hair looked before since I haven't been here for your whole hair journey, but if you do feel like it's getting thinner, I agree that the most likely factor is stress.

As for changing your part, from what I understand if you keep hair in a certain part over a long period of time the hair follicles will actually stop growing in that area and be trained to grow in a certain direction which emphasizes the part. Maybe you could switch up your part location?

Hugs and well wishes.