to ask about body hair?

[Hairyesterdaygonetoday]

I’ve lost almost all my body hair over the past few years. I’m early 70s.

I know this can be a sign of underactive thyroid, but I’ve been taking levothyroxine for several years, and my regular blood tests (and GP) always find my thyroid is OK now.

Is this just a normal sign of ageing? I’ve searched online, and through earlier Mumsnet threads, but I can’t make out how common this is.

I’d be grateful for any ideas.

I do know someone who's 86 and hasn't had body hair since being in her sixties. She doesn't know why, but has never been worried about it. She's a nurse by profession, if that makes a difference to her not being concerned.

She's got a great head of hair.

I'm late 50s and the hair on my legs disappeared years ago. I still have body hair everywhere else 😡

I'm healthy and well as far as I know. I just put it down to age. Hopefully the rest will disappear at some point. I'm not a fan 😊

Former nursing home carer.... perfectly normal. No relevance to head hair. Dont fret, the stubborn chin/nipple hair will fight on 🤣
Though I remember when I started in my early 20s, I was shocked pubic hair went grey too!!

So I'm in my early 70s. I have lost the fine hair on my arms and legs. I have a very small amount of under arm hair and I still have pubic hair though not as thick as when I was younger.
I will say that I suffer from frontal fibrosing alopecia so I have no eyebrows, I'm losing my eyelashes and I am virtually bald - I have worn a wig for years.
I did think the loss of fine body hair was related to my alopecia. I hadn't even thought it might be related to aging. Interesting if it is.

My body hair stopped growing when I went through the menopause.....also I'm getting the occasional white pube 😂😂 sorry if too much information!!!

Thanks for all these answers! I was getting very worried about the hair on my head. I don’t mind smooth legs 😀 but I’ve always had good hair and it does seem to be thinning and breaking easily.

Totally normal.

I'm in my early 40s, definitely peri, and my leg and arm hair are much reduced compared to when I was young. Finer, lighter, and less of it. I have a chin forest to compensate though 😂

My mum was the same, she's in her 70s and has no leg hair at all.

I'm now 66. I have much less hair on my lower legs but thighs and pubes have gone mental with the additional hair since menopause.

Yes well I've been almost totally bald for ten years due to the frontal fibrosing alopecia and I can tell you it doesn't do much for the self confidence. I'm conscious every day that I'm wearing a wig. But when I did have hair it wasn't particularly nice - I'll never forget the comment my first husband made: "if you had nice hair you would be really something" Ironic that since wearing a wig my " hair " is better than it's ever been in my life but I'm too old for it to matter as regards me looking attractive.

It must be difficult for someone such as yourself who has always had nice hair to see this feature affected by getting older.

Oh Bloominheather, that sounds like such a tough journey.
And your ex sounds like a complete wanker.

So much of our identify is caught up in our hair, which when you think about it, is stupid. It’s possibly the least interesting part of us.
I shaved my head once, thought I’d look edgy and cool. Found out that my hair was covering up for the fact my skull is very oddly shaped and could fit inside a big spanner.
I recently had breast cancer and was stupidly worried about my hair! Was less worried about amputating my breasts. I often give myself a head wobble.

Thanks for that.
I hope your breast cancer treatment has been successful.
Best wishes.

I'm 60, I have less since menopause. Some of it seems determined to migrate to my chin ... 🤬

That must be upsetting, @BloominHeather, both the hair loss and the dickhead ex’s comments. Thank god he’s an ex! I was the opposite: quite plain, but with pretty hair.

Ironically, I had my long hair cut very short a while ago, to donate to a wig-making firm. There was too much grey to be of use to the children’s wig charities, but I found a commercial wig maker that could use hair donations for adults. I had a large padded envelope ready for the abundant tresses I thought I’d be sending. Imagine my shock at the skinny little rats-tail the hairdresser handed me.

I remember wearing it in thick plaits when I was young. After that, I suppose it just had enough body to still look normal as it quietly dwindled away.

Snapdragon and Manchester, yes, my least-favourite body hairs were the few around my nipples. And a couple of those are still hanging in there while almost every other hair below my neck has gone! Apart from some wispy pubes that I’ve almost thought of shaving off so it looks deliberate. 😀

I hope you’re well again now, Warning xx

That hair cutting must have been a nasty shock, @Hairyesterdaygonetoday !

I’m 63 and hypothyroid. Leg and underarm hair does not grow as fast as it used to but still grows. Arms still very peach fuzzy. Have full eyebrows and a good head of hair.

Oh it was, Catsmere! As Warning says, so much of our identity is caught up in our hair. I didn’t realise how depleted it made me feel.

Not getting it cut short, that was fine, I chose to do it. But seeing how thin it was. It made me feel old😔. Also, I felt as if I’d thrown away part of myself. And I’d had a brutal haircut for no good purpose.

BUT the lovely young barmaid at our local greeted me the next day with “Name, I love your hair! It really suits you!” Which cheered me up 😀

I’m in my early 70s. My hair is about half the volume it used to be, and I lose a lot on to my hairbrush. But I think that’s just age - look at the elderly ladies you see, a lot have very thin hair. Be thankful that you started with good hair. Even though I’ve lost half of mine, it’s still thicker than that of some much younger friends.

It may be my imagination, but I think the hair loss got less when I started taking a Vit D supplement.

I think it’s important to keep the hair well conditioned.

Imagine my shock at the skinny little rats-tail the hairdresser handed me. I’m a slim brunette. I can’t imagine who this dumpy lady in the photos is, with fly-away white hair

So right about our hair being so important to our identities, or self image, @Hairyesterdaygonetoday . I shudder to think of mine thinning - it's always been my best feature and cutting it short wouldn't suit me at all.

Your barmaid's comment reminds me of seeing a neighbour recently for the first time in a little while. She'd had long, straight hair, white and thinnish, and now the has a buzz cut and it looks great, it suits her really well.

They're discussing this on Loose women right now😂

I'm very hairy down below, and so was my mum, until she was in her 70s and it all departed!