Hair loss

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Does anyone have any magic answers?!

Since my last child 3 years ago my hair has fallen out so much. So much so I can't tie it back as there are bald patches at the side.

Doc did blood tests a year ago and I was on iron tablets for 6 months. They didn't make a difference and doc told me there was nothing I could do. Is he right? Please tell me there's a magic myth he didn't tell me about!

Hormones?
Folic acid?
Thyroid?

I just feel bad going back to the docs for something essentially cosmetic. How could I tell if I was missing those things?

It's not cosmetic! Ask for a print out of your blood test results. There are some great people on here who can tell you what the figures mean. Apparently you need 70 for hair growth.

Have you been diagnosed with alopecia or.....?
I have alopecia. I have steroid stuff I have to rub on twice a day that tbh doesn't make any difference I just have to deal with it and learn to be creative with hair styling.
I have a referral to a dermatologist coming up soon but I don't think it will make any difference.
It doesn't really bother me on a day to day basis other than cleaning up all the bloody hair but it is a pain that I can only wear my hair in one style

It's really hard to increase iron I'm trying too for the same reason but not having much luck you need to take l lysine tablets then 20 minutes later take the iron tablets with orange juice. Iron is hard for your body to absorb.

book an appointment with a different gp - you're not wasting their time. It might be a symptom of an underlying issue such as thyroid. Agree with pp ask for a print out of your previous tests.

I starting losing my hair post sepsis. No patches just got really thin. My gp took me seriously. Sent me for blood test, put me on iron tablets. Was prepared to send me to dermatologist if required. However most likely due to
Trauma and would stop after 3 months. It has stopped falling out now and now chopped the straggly bits off.
However point is gps didn't think it was minor.

Look into getting a topper.

Hair loss is not just cosmetic though - it can be a sign of a underlying health condition. Go back - ask for blood tests for thyroid, iron, b12 and when the results come back ask for the print outs.

It could well be alopecia, but you will only know if you ask your doc to investigate it properly.