Hair loss support thread

[Marasme]

I did find an old 2012 thread and thought I'd post something new here.

After a shitty year or so at home and at work, I noticed that my scalp was showing more than usual along my parting. Further investigation using the selfie camera on my phone revealed an awful little bald patch at the top of my head, as if the parting was widening at this place.

Absolutely terrifying :( and not helping the fact that I suffer from some pretty bad health anxiety.

I now feel sucked by the entire "remedy" industry despite the strong belief that they are just snake oil peddlers.

Looking for anyone, from the old thread or not, to join in sharing positive stories...

[ReeOkAh]

I am just about to buy some Biotin for the same reasons. My hair is long and I end up with handfuls falling out when I wash it. My worst problem is at the hairline on my temples.
I have had a couple of people mention Biotin so I thought that would be my first trial.
Hopefully someone will have a miraculous cure!

[Marasme]

Hey ReeOkAh - it's crap, isn't it?

what I have done so far:

• cut my super long hair (bra-length) to a short bob yesterday
  
• invested in some perfectil vitamins and dusted out my old ferrous sufate, since I read ferritin levels must be at least 70 to sustain hair growth
  
• booked some blood work to check iron and thyroid function
  
• bought the l'oreal fibrology shampoos
  

I am still not too sure about the validity of the "hair growth serums" and whether they work, and have read far too much about "genetic" hair loss.

One article, in particular, freaked me out - saying that hoping for it to regrow is pointless since most hair loss is genetically programmed (and to not throw money down the drain).

[retainertrainer]

My hairs been thinning for a few years now. I've been trying to ignore it but one side,by my temple,is very sparce. I keep it short (no longer than jaw length) and wash and style it everyday.

Unfortunately I think my loss is genetic. My mum and Nan both have/had very thin hair and my dad and brother are completely bald so there's no hope for me really!

I keep taking biotin,multi vitamin and ferrous fumarate but it hasn't made any noticeable difference.

[RiojaHaze]

I've had major issues with hair loss. Two things that have really helped me are I got diagnosed with a vitamin b12 deficiency so am now taking b12.

Since doing this the amount of hair that fell out when I washed it has more than halved.

The other thing is using elasticizer by Phillip Kingsley. Expensive but I got told my hair looked thicker after only 2 uses. There is a thread on here about how it contains castor oil and people have been using that rather than buying the expensive treatment.

But I know mine is also hereditary and my mum and Nan have very sparse hair so I'm only putting off the inevitable...

[Marasme]

now something odd: my haidresser recommended washing my hair once a week max, if i could?

i cannot follow her rationale? something to do with wet hair being more fragile?

[ilovecherries]

Shuffle along everyone, and make space for me :(. Mine is terrible and getting worse daily. Loads of investigations, nothing appears to be wrong. GP says a combo of my age (postmenopausal) and genetics. I've got my fingers crossed it's weight loss related as I've lost 50lbs this year, but I'm pretty sure it's not. But if it is, then that would bring some hope for recovery. I've actually started to look at wigs, because I fear that day is not too far away.

[retainertrainer]

I couldn't possibly wash my hair just once a week. I have to wash it everyday to get the volume and style back in it.

I think wet hair is more vulnerable to breakage but we're talking about hair loss and I think the frequency of washing is irrelevant to how much sheds.

[Marasme]

retainer - that was my feeling too! mine looks awful after 2 days - nevermind seven!

Hello RiojaHaze & Ilovecherries!

Rio - how long have you been on the B12?
Ilove - 50lbs! congrats - massive achievement! how long ago was your weight change?

I don't have the explanation of age (or at least I don t think so - I'm 35, with regular, if not super heavy, periods), or weight loss (although my diet is crap - I undereat chronically as I do not feel hunger - but that's been forever)

another crap realisation: I don t know how to style hair :'(

[DdJames]

I’m jumping on board, I have a horrible bald patch on the back of my head
I struggle with low ferritin levels- lowest being 4 and now it hovers around 30.

I have also cut my very long hair to shoulder length and have stocked up on vitamins aimed at hair growth and got a lovely caffeine scalp mask- it gives excellent volume at the roots that lasts a couple of days, not sure about its hair growth stimulating qualities yet as I’ve only used it a few times.

[Marasme]

Hey DdJames - welcome.

If anything, this makes me feel less alone - since I spotted my problem, I have been looking around obsessively at people's hairlines - not healthy!

which mask do you use? I am still hoping that this is a reversible problem but hold little hope.

Ferritin at 4 is super low! how did you get it back up?

[WellTidy]

Hello all. I am in the same boat. Family history on the female side of very thin hair indeed and I am no exception. I went to give blood yesterday and they wouldn't take it as my haemoglobin count was too low, apparently it was fallen by a third since I last donated in June, and before which it had been at a constant level. I a, now thinking that maybe my noticeably thinning hair may be linked to this low iron.

I am ready to buy and try anything and everything. I am going to get some Elasticizer and see the GP about iron levels.

[user1474462227]

10yrs ago I had really really thinning hair. I went to see a tricoloigist. My serum ferritin levels were at 4-7. He recommended me Florisene. It took 3 months to see new hair and by 6-12 months there was great improvement. I still take the tablets but only few times a week to keep on top of my levels. My hair is really thick and long. I would definitely recommend Florisene. My sister recently raised concerns of thinning hair and she's noticed a slight improvement. Yes they are expensive but definitely worth it. I order them on line.

[DdJames]

Hi Marasme - I take ferrous sulphate- although do admit to not being the most consistent with it. I notice I get more and more tired as my levels drop which gives me a kick to take it properly again.

The hair mask is grow gorgeous back into the roots
m.lookfantastic.com/grow-gorgeous-back-into-the-roots-10-minute-stimulating-scalp-masque-240ml/11351950.html?_ga=2.61683436.1934214754.1510929971-385606241.1497211549

[Tiddlywinks63]

Hi everyone, I'm another in the same boat, noticeable hair loss despite healthy eating, losing 21lbs and taking a multivitamin daily.
Just praying it isn't yet another inherited trait from my DM --along with the deafness, tinnitus, hysterectomy for inherited condition etc 😢
She lost all her hair in her early 60's my age now.
It's shit, no supplement or application seems to help, my bloods are normal too.

[mrsrhodgilbert]

Those of you who take iron tablets, are you buying it over the counter and if so where or do you get it on prescription?

[Marasme]

MrsHodgilbert - my iron is OTC, 200mg ferrous fumarate - I am not good at taking it daily, as the side effects are awful for me. So I need to find a more gentle solution.

DdJames - will look up the mask

[RiojaHaze]

I've been on the b12 for about 6 weeks now. The symptoms I had of the hair loss, really bad mood swings, tiredness, numb fingers and being cold could have all been iron, thyroid or b12 but that's the only thing I was lacking.

Re washing your hair less, I tried that but all that happened was even more hair came out when I did wash it! My hairdresser said it will come out irrespective of how often so if you lose 100 hairs a week, they'll come out 100 at a time if you wash your hair once, 50 at a time if it's twice and so on iyswim.

[MaidenMotherCrone]

This was me! It was so hard to see handfuls of hair coming away when I combed it. I saw my GP who said it's was alopecia something or other (general all over hair loss) .

All bloods came back fine so it was put down to stress /possible hormone effects as I'm 49. GP said it would come back in 6 months or so.

I'd already spoken to my hairdresser who was insisting I was seeing things. I went back, saw a different stylist and basically had the lot chopped off. Shoulder length to short, short pixie.

Just not seeing handfuls of hair coming out when I washed it helped me feel better.

I used caffeine shampoo ( just bought the one bottle) and when that was finished I carried on with my normal shampoo. It's coming back👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 and it's only been about 3 months so don't despair it can come back.

[MaidenMotherCrone]

Have you tried Spatone Op? It's a natural and very gentle way of improving your iron.

[Marasme]

good to hear a positive story Maiden!
I've not tried spatone yet - will add it to my list.

I am not sure I am brave enough to go back to a pixie crop, which I had when I was in my early 20s, and had a more elfin face (and arguably less of a bad skin too!) but I agree - chopping hair to a short bob makes me feel better from the point of view that less hair (total "volume" if not number" is falling out!

[Marasme]

re iron - has anyone heard of this:
luckyironfish.com/

it s the same principle than cooking a tomato or acidic food dish in an iron pot....

[Marasme]

I ve also been reading this: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12190640

I need to look into lysine....

and whether my scalp is problematic

[myrtleWilson]

Hello - can I ask a question? I'd not really paid much attention to hair shedding previously but then panicked about hair coming out when I ran my fingers through it. I read up and saw average person loses between 75-150 hairs per day (and the various tests to do) - I know that I have health anxiety and I hyper focus on symptoms and then Dr Google takes over so am not sure if I have been shedding more than usual or I'm just more aware of it? When you say you have hair loss and describe it as handfuls -would you have an idea of how many hairs that is at any time? And is that coming out without force - i.e I run fingers through hair and will have some on fingers (test says that in a clump of 60 hairs you'd expect to find 7 or so after a finger run through - although I think actually counting out 60 hairs to do this test leads to madness.. !!)

[Marasme]

hello myrtle - i have health anxiety too so try to blot it all out as much as I can.

having cut my hair, i get a lesser shock when I run my hand through my hair - which i avoid doing. The bad test for me is the brush which is always full of hair, every day...

[myrtleWilson]

oh marasme - I hope one of the treatments you've been exploring works for you - I really do