So distressed. Did this man make me lose my hair?

[safefacespace]

I'm so distressed about my hair. This year, but particularly in the last 6 months or so my hair has drastically thinned to the extent there's almost nothing left!! I went to the trichologist after no products were working. She said I had generalised thinning and thought it may be a deficiency or I could be a coeliac.

I had the tests which came back normal although I messed up my coeliac test so hopefully I can do it again.

I got hair extensions at the end of July just before going away as my hair was getting so thin, I had three rows which gave me lovely thick hair. I went to get them replaced yesterday and I was could have cried!! I have next to no hair left! I go to a very reputable and expensive technician who promises me that the extensions do not damage my hair (LA Weave). She showed me that my scalp seems to have lots of hairs and no gaps but almost everything else is gone. If I was to plait it it would be the thickness of a thin carrot, if that.

I've had to make another dr appt and email the trichologist again in a panic. I've been racking my brains for why this is happening. I eat a healthy diet, take my vitamins, I'm still relatively young. I was looking back through my photos and saw that last November I had lovely hair, no problem.

I then realised that this coincides with a very traumatic incident that happened around that time, when a man pulled my hair to the absolute extreme. I thought all my hair was going to be ripped from my head it was so hard. It lasted for a few agonising seconds before it was stopped.

Ever since I have had very bad scalp sensitivity and find it hard to stand any sort of pressure on my hair now. I have to ask hairdressers to be gentle as when they wash my hair it is painful and I get very anxious.

I'd not connected the two things before and google isn't being helpful but I'm wondering now if it could be the reason for my hair loss. Best case scenario if it is then I have lost a lot of hair but I have healthy new growth which I will just need to wait for that to grow down. Or is it more likely to be health related? I'm so upset and worried.

I think the guy pulling your hair is a red herring and that this is done kind of genetic thing or hormonal thing.

Of course the extension fitter promised you they wouldn’t damage your hair, that’s how she makes her money!

Would it be worth getting a second opinion or seeing a dermatologist instead of a trichologist?

After noticing my hair was even thinner than normal last year I got referred to a dermatologist by my GP last year. I had a raft of blood test that showed very low ferritin but normal hormone levels. Despite this I was diagnosed with female pattern hair loss exacerbated by TE (telogen effluvium) cause by the low iron levels. You can have normal hormone levels and hormone related hair loss. The issue is having hair that is extra sensitive to androgens, even at normal levels.

My treatment was iron supplements. Spironolactone (which has also cleared up my skin) and oral minoxidil. Hair is nearly back to normal though my pony tail is still on the thin side. My mental health is so much better after treatment.

Please keep seeking medical advice as there are so many possible causes and more treatment than most people realise.

Unmumsnetty hugs. I know his awful this can be.

@bluetongue Thank you that's really interesting. I'll definitely explore those possibilities and see what the dr can do.

Thank you

I lost a lot of my hair after being in hospital earlier this year, I've been diagnosed with ptsd, but also had sudden weight loss, both trauma and sudden weight loss can cause hair loss, it's largely stopped falling out after about 6 months but hasn't thickened up again yet

Olaplex bond restorer I swear irritated my scalp and triggered sebhorreic dermatitis I’ve lost so much hair

Please look up telogen effluvium. I have experience of this, and it sounds very much like this. The good news is that if it’s thinning rather than distinct bald patches, it will recover.
my money is on this- triggered by Covid (extremely common side effect) or another illness, stress or trauma. With telogen effluvium, the trigger event happens 3-4 months before hair fall starts.
x

I lost a lot of my hair after dh died, it was a very traumatic thing for both he and I at the end and my hair has just started to grow back. I had a bald patch on one side of my head. As well as going thin

i reckon the physical trauma of having your hair plus the mental trauma and extensions have contributed to your hair loss

It's awful you feel like your husband would
leave you if you lost your hair, I'd be more concerned about that to be honest.

Get yourself a good wig - and a better husband

Was it your husband who pulled your hair ?

Did your DH pull your hair or someone else? Only asking because if it was your DH I am assuming you live with considerable stress?
However the incident happened though I would have thought there is some correlation as its quite a rare thing to have your hair pulled so hard it must have done some root damage as well as the trauma.
There are some lovely wigs out there and that might give you the chance to forget the hair for a bit and hopefully it might recover over time.
Keep on with the medical tests just in case of vitamin deficiency or anything and I would pop a few general vitamins anyway if you don't already. A really good multi vit.

Sorry to hear this OP. Hoping you aren't referring to an incident with your husband pulling your hair 😢 if so then please consider leaving him. That is abuse

My hairdresser started losing all her hair and then discovered she was celiac. She's cut it out and lost 3 stone as a side note. Her hair is better but not completely back to normal but she says she feels much better overall. Energy etc

What is you ferratin level on your blood test - if it's below 50 start taking an iron supplement. Anywhere below can cause hair loss.

Stress can cause hair loss, it will likely grow back. Scalp massage can help and OTC shampoos. 💐 DM lost some of her hair once, it grew back- but curly.

Your husband being dismissive of a trauma and potentially leaving you if your appearance changed sounds very stressful to live with.

OP it could be traction alopecia caused by the hair pulling. While stress can cause hair to fall out I really don't think that's the case here at all, as the link between hair pulling and traction alopecia is a very strong one, and seems to be to the likely cause, given the time line that you gave us. I'd see if you can see a specialist who focuses on this.

@Loocheeyar I had olaplex conditioner on my hands and in a rush didn't wash my hands properly before applying face wash in the shower, by the time I got out I looked like I had severe sunburn. Olaplex is strong stuff, my skin is not normally sensitive at all. If you google olaplex reaction a lot comes up.

I wont use any of the products now just in case.

I am very interested to find out how old you are and if your trichologist recommended a biopsy of your scalp and/or a collect and count over x No of days to check your average hairfall and where in the cycle this is happening? My hair drastically thinned with perimenopause. I had to collect every hair from my shower, clothes, couch and car as well as my brush for ten days. (Separated into dated plastic bags) and I had two punch biopsies on my scalp. I was diagnosed with telogen effluvium and female pattern baldness, then prescribed oral minoxidil (same stuff as rogaine) and spironolactone. It’s certainly nowhere near as thick and lush as it was, but my scalp has no visible bald spots, etc.

I had body stress after illness (covid) and about 70% of my hair fell out.

Hair is tricky stuff, the roots can get shocked and the hair cycle suddenly aligns as it all goes into the shedding phase.

The good news is it grows back. The hair follicles will go into the next phase with is dormancy. This is similar to leaving a field fallow to recover the soil.

I'm nearly two years on and my hair is thick again. Not 100% sadly but I've recovered a lot of the volume and I can use a clip to secure it whereas a year ago it just fell out.

Check out luswigs on Instagram. My hair thinned so much after stressful events in my life and my ponytail was about an inch thick and could see my scalp. I got one of the wigs from there and they are very expensive (think I paid around £2000) but a year later it’s still in near perfect condition so I think I’ll get at least another year out of it before having to get a new one So it only works out about £80 a month I have to save up over 2 years.
viviscal hair growth tablets also seemed to have made a difference with the shedding for me. My hair hasn’t really started to thicken up but it’s at least not falling out much anymore

My mums hair mostly fell out after covid. She was left with very little. I was so upset to see my mum so upset, I hope yours grows back soon op.

Imho, rather than get bogged in diet issues, look at the obvious. You went through a traumatic incident directly related to your hair that has left a sensitive scalp at very least- it is far more likely that if hair loss did not happen before that, and is now happening, that this is cause.
here is some notes from nhs medical site relating to alopecia, which appears to be what you have. There are other types of alopecia caused by other issues as well, but this type is relatively common . You need to go back to GP

“Telogen effluvium is a type of alopecia where hair sheds in excess. It can happen suddenly, or hair can thin over time. Causes of telogen effluvium include:

Medications
Stress
Childbirth
Physical trauma
Restrictive dieting
Life changes

Women are more likely to report telogen effluvium.”

You are doing the right thing OP by having tests done by your GP.

You need to eliminate a physical cause first (lack of iron/anemia, issues with hormones, thyroid problems...) before you can look for other causes.

I started losing my hair when I was 13. Looking back a lot was to due to with stress and being bullied at school and living with two toxic parents.

Unfortunately my hair never grew back. No doctor was ever able to find a physical cause beyond saying that some hair loss can be genetic too (just like it is for men). I never lost all my hair but it is basically thin hair that shows my scalp in places. I chose to keep it short and I wear a lot of hats and scarfs. Hair supplements helped a little and I get some good shampoos.

I hope your GP can help and that maybe finding support for your trauma will have a positive impact on your hair too.

Your posts suggest that your needs aren't considered important and that your well-being is a way down the list.

Please address that. You deserve it. Your needs are not less important than everyone else's, even if they are are in crisis right now.

You must prioritise you. You can get ill from not being looked after.