Hair falling out

[Prudence99]

Just that really. I'm 57 and my hair falls out all day long.

Started the menopause at 51 and I remember one day not long after this when I literally filled the waste paper bin to the top with my hair. To this day whenever I run my fingers through my hair and I mean every single time I lose loads of hair, not just a few little strands but loads. Over the last 6 years I reckon I must have lost close to 50% of my hair. I suppose in a way I am lucky that I have always had a very thick, full head of hair so it isn't obvious to most people. I tend now to just tie it back in a ponytail. But will this ever stop? If this carries on I'll have no hair left! I notice the individual strands are much thinner now than they used to be and there is barely a root (or is it called a follicle) attached to the end of the strands. When will this stop? Is this happening to other people too?

Has anybody got any recommendations to stop the hair fall?

When my daughter was 5 months old my hair started coming out in clumps I have thick hair though but was still surprised that I wasn't bald!
I used coconut oil in my hair and during that time only washed my hair when I needed to. 🙂

Have you been to your gp for a checkup and bloodwork recently?

Definitely see your GP and get your blood tested. I lost lots of my hair when I became severely anaemic and basically had no iron stores left due to heavy periods. I was also 51 at that time although I hadn't started the menopause at that point. It may also be down to hormones, so well worth you getting this checked out by your GP.

Thyroid issues?

Thyroid is the first thought - and I'd recommend getting it done privately as GPs only routinely test for TSH levels and this is only part of the picture.

Also get checked out for anaemia (and not just iron deficiency but pernicious and folate deficient anemia) which can cause serious hair loss. I have lost about half my hair since becoming iron and folate deficient but ferritin and folate supplements are starting to help.

Get a full blood workup including thyroid function and ferritin.

Dieting? I’ll health in last year?

GP check

Iron. Levels need to be 70

Mine is too. It’s the migraine medication I’m on. All the others cause massive weight gain, so I have to choose between my overall health or my hair it would seem. I’m not thrilled. Have just spent a fortune ordering Nioxin. I live in Aus and this stuff is even more expensive here. Oddly, I haven’t dyed my hair for years, and it’s in the best state it’s been in and now it’s coming out in clumps - my hairdresser suggested bleaching it would thicken it up.

Get your thyroid checked out asap.

Not to scare you, but this happened to a friend and it turned out she had colon cancer.

I think there is an ongoing thread somewhere on here for people with hair loss. I found it when I was trying to find ways to cover up all the new growth from mine falling out after birth. Lots of helpful advice.

Yes, get checked out, OP.

Thanks for your replies. Will try and get an appointment this week.

I had this a few years ago after I was treated to thyroid issues. I tried every vitamin suggested to me- think I was taking 11 different ones a day. In the end it was my vitamin D and as soon as I got a high dose from drs it stopped falling out. Good luck. As a previous poster said your "iron levels need to be above 70". Normal range is something like 13-100 so you could have a level of 20 and they will tell you they are normal so ask what level they are.