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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think more women losing their hair these days?

141 replies

adrianmolesmole · 23/10/2021 17:39

I know this is a weird question..!

I'm noticing it everywhere, small balding spots on tops of women's hair, or their crowns or partings, is this a covid thing or something? I've been experiencing hair loss myself so it could be me reading too much into things, being as paranoid as I am! Is it just me of us this actually happening?

OP posts:
Mypathtriedtokillme · 24/10/2021 04:26

Mine has been falling out by the handful and when the hairdresser mentioned how thin it was I went to the GP (goes with my general shitty feelingness)
Turns out I have an autoimmune condition and my body is literally attacking itself.

SquarePeggyLeggy · 24/10/2021 04:30

I have the opposite problem as I age, I’m just getting hairier and hairier. My eyebrows, legs, face. It’s not very nice.

Kanaloa · 24/10/2021 04:58

@SquarePeggyLeggy

I have the opposite problem as I age, I’m just getting hairier and hairier. My eyebrows, legs, face. It’s not very nice.
Oh yes I also have this. Hair is growing out of every place except the place I want it.
Peoniesandpeaches · 24/10/2021 05:45

You’re just noticing it more because of your own hair concerns. There are age, health and pregnancy related reasons for female hair loss but more and more solutions than ever before so no I don’t think there is an epidemic of hair loss.

Piapiano · 24/10/2021 05:55

@MeatyRvita

I always had thin straight hair but lots of the individual strands if that makes sense? Last year I had bariatric surgery and a common side effect is hair loss, I’ve lost tons of hair from my whole head and also have a visible balding patch at the front of my hair line in the middle, now it’s starting to grow back I have tons of baby hairs that stick straight up whatever I do. They’re so thin and whispy- like the extreme version of post partum hair loss/regrowth and you can see my scalp clearly through it still. But yes I have noticed a lot of women with thinning hair, I think because I’m more self conscious of mine perhaps?
I have the same thing! Had cancer earlier this year and even though I didn't have chemo I think the stress of it all made a lot of my hair fall out, especially at the hair line. Now it's growing back and I look like Mary in there's something about Mary. Wispy chunks of hair that stand straight up whatever I do. Thank goodness for wfh!
Piapiano · 24/10/2021 05:57

@Mypathtriedtokillme

Mine has been falling out by the handful and when the hairdresser mentioned how thin it was I went to the GP (goes with my general shitty feelingness) Turns out I have an autoimmune condition and my body is literally attacking itself.
Which autoimmune condition? I had a positive ANA test but then follow up tests were negative so I think I may have autoimmune issues too but not sure which one.
LouLou789 · 24/10/2021 07:02

I haven’t noticed it more in general. Mine is very thin due to Hashimotos then completely bald during breast cancer treatment, didn’t grow back very well and then years of Tamoxifen.

Biotin seems to help.I understand you can also have your scalp tattooed (at vast expense) but what put me off was thinking well if my scalp is light brown that will eventually look really weird with white hair (I’m going white, not grey)

I have recently swapped hairdresser and now have a very supportive one (aged 20…I wonder if there is better info in their more recent training ?) Her suggestions have helped: keep a sharp cut, don’t colour too fair as it can look like more scalp is showing, and some subtle use of a product called Root Perfect (from Wilkos or Supersaver) I made the mistake in the past of putting too much scalp powder on, and putting it as the scalp joins the forehead, whereas she puts it further back and puts it at the base of the thin hairs, gently patting it onto the scalp underneath.

I do hope that thinning hair isn’t Covid related, as that would be a heck of a lot of women.

maternitycoat · 24/10/2021 07:46

How are you noticing women's heads and scalps so closely?

Are you a hair dresser?

ElJardinDeLosSuenos · 24/10/2021 07:52

I lost mine due to chemo, and when it grew back, there were areas that were very thin or didn’t grow at all. I also had a surgical menopause, and I have an autoimmune disease, so there’s no hope for me! It’s now a year and a half since chemo ended, and it’s just reached a length where I feel like I can style it so it’s less noticeable, but only some days - other days I feel like it’s screamingly obvious. I hate it.

LadyCampanulaTottington · 24/10/2021 08:02

People are not eating enough protein.

Dancingtomusic · 24/10/2021 08:31

Loulou 789 thank you for recommending that root powder.
Thats interesting about your younger hairdresser. My older hairdresser cant even bring herself to mention the thin spots. If she sees these bald spots i am sure she will refuse to do my hair.
I had covid very badly and my hair went horribly thin and dry- its not recovered since. I have some biotin from holland and barrat i might take it and see if it helps.

Original poster
adrianmolesmole · 24/10/2021 08:53

It's true I'm noticing it more because I'm self conscious about myself and it's been on my mind every day. Been telling myself not to think about it because I'm being vain but i need to figure out what's going on. I just turned 50 this year and i have been noticing regular thinning for a while now. Usually scalp/oil massages have worked for me in the past but they don't seem to be helping me as much more.

I will make an appointment this week with the doctors. I've been hesitating that they'll think it's too trivial and I don't want to take up a spot that could be for an emergency. However, i did have a temporary thyroid imbalance several years ago so I could be prone to that coming back again. I've also been iron deficient in the past too.

Sad that so many women have been experiencing this SadWe have enough to deal with as it is.

OP posts:
CounsellorTroi · 24/10/2021 08:56

I’m 60 and while my hair is not as ridiculously thick as it used to be I don’t have any bald patches. I’ve never washed it more than once a week.

londonrach · 24/10/2021 09:00

Prior to lockdown I noticed my hair was getting thin... husband having covid forced me to give up my NHS job...as a result the awful skin on my back has gone and my hair is looking amazing...I think it's stress as im alot more relaxed than two years ago.

Goshitstricky · 24/10/2021 09:01

I've lost huge amounts of hair due to Covid, I mean when I brush my hair with a clean, 'empty' brush it ends up full of hair that's come out, every time.

Luckily I have super thick, very long hair so it doesn't show but it's quite distressing to see it all come out.

AnyFucker · 24/10/2021 11:00

My hairdresser is great too. I didn’t attend for over a year during lockdown and beyond. During that time I was stressed, post COVID, redeployed to COVID ICU and generally getting run down into the ground. I got to the point where I would wash and condition my hair but not be able to bring myself to even comb it, just bundle it up in a pony tail. Watching the handfuls of hair clogging up the plug hole every time was bad enough. I barely even looked in the mirror.

Once the hairdressers opened up I had to screw up my courage and find a new one. By sheer luck, she is young, clued-up, so kind and reassuring and is helping me with regular styling, some highlights to make it appear thicker, and making it ok to just talk about me and how I have been feeling. I had been bottling it all up, which helps no one. We are a strange match… I am middle aged and fairly conventional, she is young and punky with mad coloured hair. Worth her weight in gold, though.

VexedofVirginiaWater · 24/10/2021 11:56

@garlictwist

I'm afraid I have and have always had the opposite problem - massive thick unruly hair.
I could have said exactly this twenty odd years ago (I hope I didn't though - at least not in this context) so be careful what you complain about. I wish I could complain about my massive thick unruly hair again. Sad
VexedofVirginiaWater · 24/10/2021 12:00

@Ozanj

I had blood tests at the time but they were all OK. My GP told me it was a common after affect of Covid and could also happen due to stress. I had had a stressful time, losing both my parents to Covid within a month of each other and then catching it myself, so she said it could have been that. She also said, though, that any virus is a stress on your system and can cause it.

But thank you for your kind suggestion. Smile

Cocopopsss · 24/10/2021 12:20

@billy1966
Which supplements are those pls?

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 24/10/2021 12:31

A little tip for those for whom the thinning is not too bad - You can use L’Oréal route touch up spray (designed to cover greys) to help “fill in” where hair is thin. I don’t think it would look good on actual bald spots. But if it’s overall thinness it’s quite effective. That and a bit of dry shampoo (already mentioned) can really make a difference.

LadySilence · 24/10/2021 12:37

My hair has thinned massively over the last few months. It's always been fine but I had lots of it, now I'm getting an ever wider bald patch on top as well as general thinning all over. It's so depressing and now every time I talk to someone it's all I can think about. I've had a fair bit of upheaval this year so I wonder whether it's stress related even though I haven't felt massively stressed. Have tried biotin supplements but they made me feel quite sick. I'm only mid thirties so dread to think how much worse this will get! Flowers for all in the same boat

bluetongue · 24/10/2021 12:50

@Mypathtriedtokillme

Mine has been falling out by the handful and when the hairdresser mentioned how thin it was I went to the GP (goes with my general shitty feelingness) Turns out I have an autoimmune condition and my body is literally attacking itself.
It’s definitely worth getting medical advice about. Firstly because in many cases it can be improved or at least slowed. Also because it can be a sign of other medical problems.

I had thinning hair and insisted on getting my iron levels tested due to mainly threads I’d read on Mumsnet. Turns out it was a combination of very low ferritin and androgenetic alopecia. Also got a referral for a dermatologist. After 6 months on iron supplements as well as a couple of other medications I have significant regrowth at my temples and can wear my hair up again. My ponytail is still pretty thin and sad but I’ve never had thick hair so I can deal with that.

Before being tested for iron I was feeling exhausted but just put it down to depression or burnout. The difference in my energy levels now is noticeable. As an added bonus it pushed me to finally deal with my heavy periods as they were the main cause of my iron issues.

VexedofVirginiaWater · 24/10/2021 16:07

Just wondering how dry shampoo helps? Confused

AnyFucker · 24/10/2021 16:14

Gives the illusion of thicker hair

saraclara · 24/10/2021 16:15

People reporting they have tons of hair are deeply unhelpful - would you post on a thread about poverty “oh I have plenty of money”? No you wouldn’t. Please bugger off with your “oh I have so much hair” stories,

Yep. I was one of those people with thick unruly hair. Now I'm not.
I have to steel myself to wash my hair now, and put it off for as long as I can. And when I brush it through I have to not look at the brush. I close my eyes while I pull out the hair and put it in the bin. Pathetic, I know.