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Original poster

Support thread for hairloss

38 replies

ilovespinach · 02/12/2009 20:45

Just wondered if there are any others out there who, like me, are loosing their hair.....

It's crept up on me...I had a few weeks of thinking if my hair was getting thinner and then have noticed for sure that I am loosing too much especially when I wash my hair.

I went to the drs and tbh they weren't so interested. They checked my thyroid and although the level is borderline underactive, they weren't willing to do anything even though hairloss and a few of the other symptoms I have been having mean there could be a problem on the way. It was only because I said I wamted another child that they agreed finally to put me on thyroid medication. I feel better since taking it but I still am loosing too much hair.

Feeling depressed at the thought of Christmas and seeing relatives I haven't seen for a while. You can really see that I am thin on top as I have dark hair I also really need it cut but I don't really wanr to go to the hairdressers.

Sorry to ramble on about myself. Would like to chat to any other ladies out there whose hair is falling out...I can't be the only one?

OP posts:
MrsDingDongMerrily · 02/12/2009 23:13

Hello,
I have been suffering with alopecia this year, different to yours in that mine has been specific bald patches, but I know just how distressing it can be and how much it can sap your confidence. There have been a few threads about hair loss, so there are certainly a few of us out there.

There are products you can buy which claim to help with thinning hair, it might be worth going to Boots and talking to the pharmacist. Also there are products which can help you camouflage the problem, thickening sprays etc. I am also dark haired and use one which is like shoe polish you dab it onto your scalp, but it is better for patches than thinning on top. Your hairdresser might be able to suggest ways of styling it that would help.
With any luck some of the people who were on the other threads will see this one and post on here too. Hope this helps.

Original poster
ilovespinach · 03/12/2009 16:14

Hi

Thanks for the reply mrs dingdong

I never knew there were products out there that could help camouflage so thanks very much for the tip.

What causes alopecia? Will your hair come back eventually?

OP posts:
FlorenceandtheWashingMachine · 03/12/2009 16:34

If you get no joy with your GP and the hairloss continues, I would recommend going to see someone at Philip Kingsley if you can get to London.
www.philipkingsley.com/

Appointments are not cheap, but having been fobbed off by the doctors for years I went there and had a proper diagnosis and plan within weeks. They take hairloss seriously!

Buda · 03/12/2009 16:43

It can also be a sign of an infection somewhere in the body. I was losing a lot of hair 2 years ago and went to the GP. She referred me to a dermatologist in the same practice (we are in Hungary so system is different and we have insurance) and the dermatologist checked everything - even my teeth. She also arranged blood tests. And told me to see gynae which I did. Turned out I had a chronic bladder infection which wasn't showing any other symptoms. Some antibs and the hair loss stopped.

Might be worth checking?

teatotal · 03/12/2009 18:45

I hope this helps, google hair loss and mold and fungi. It could be something as simple as the mold or fungi in your pillow, contamination is due to head sweat?

MrsDingDongMerrily · 03/12/2009 18:45

There are lots of possible causes for hairloss, either thinning or alopecia. Alopecia is often associated with stress, I am 99% certain that's what caused mine. I think thinning is more commonly associated with illness/hormone imbalance (including thyroid)/or maybe even diet deficiency but I am not medically qualified.

I had about 10 patches all over my head, all are starting to grow back now, so I have tufts of different lengths all over the place, there is one patch still fairly bare so I have to camouflage that. To say I was devastated would be putting it mildly.

It might be worth going back to your GP if it continuses and pressing for a referral to a dermatologist. Mine wouldn't refer me on the NHS so I went privately, after the first appointment the consultant transferred me to his NHS list for follow ups.

Original poster
ilovespinach · 04/12/2009 20:58

Thanks again for the tips. I'm living in Germany so the system is with health insurance like with Buda. I have anóther appointment with the dr in January so I will bring up some of these points if I see no improvment.

I just a have a question - mine and Dhs pillow often gets mixed up with the kids playing on the bed, changing the covers etc - if there was a problem with the pillows shouldn't that mean that Dhs hair should be falling out to?

Sounds like you have had a rough time Mrs DingDong. Glad to hear that it's starting to resolve itself.

OP posts:
MrsDingDongMerrily · 05/12/2009 13:35

Why not try sticking the pillows in the tumble dryer for 20 mins if you have got one, that should kill off most things? Fluffs them up nicely too! There are so many possible causes for this, but at least that would be an easy thing to try.

Fingers crossed for you, hope it starts to improve soon.

Original poster
ilovespinach · 07/12/2009 20:58

good idea will do that tomorrow

OP posts:
MeltedTreeChocolates · 07/12/2009 23:35

My hair started falling out when I was very stressed. When I took myself out of the stressful situation I was in at the time and destressed my hairloss starting calming and eventualy stopped. Dont know if this is the case with you... just a suggestion?

Feelingoptimistic · 08/12/2009 13:39

I posted a long reply to this last night but then lost it...
But just wanted to that I have badly thinning hair, and I am only in the 30s, and it is incredibly upsetting. I have had all the blood tests, etc. I have no idea what to do about it, because I can't imagine going to work etc. when it's worse in another 12 months or so. At the moment it still looks ok, if I have freshly washed hair, but soon it will not look ok.

teatotal · 08/12/2009 13:54

Just googled hair loss, mold fungi - there is loads of info and advice!

KnickerstoChristmas · 08/12/2009 14:21

I suffer from female pattern hairloss and have done for years, so my hair slowly fell out over a long period. It is caused by my PCOS and steadily got worse until it was really impacting on my confidence. About two years ago I gave up on my hair ever growing back and I now have real hair applied on top once a month which is bonded to my scalp. I can swim, dance etc and I actually get compliments on my hair!

I was so proud of my own hair when I was in my teens and still can't quite believe what has happened, but my new hair has helped me a lot. It is thicker than my own hair and I never get grey roots so there are some good points!

PS: Have namechanged as most of my closest friends do not know about the above and I don't feel the need to tell them. They think I was miraculously cured!

Feelingoptimistic · 08/12/2009 21:08

Knickers - my problem sounds like yours, except I don't have PCOS - maybe just bad genes...
Can you tell me more about having hair bonded to the top of your head?

KnickerstoChristmas · 09/12/2009 09:58

No problem. My mum had hair loss too, so I have a genetic weakness and the PCOS. I wish that my mum had passed down her gorgeous green eyes rather than her alopecia!

I think that there are two main systems - one is the one that Lucinda Ellery offers which is where the new hair is woven in with your remaining hair. I went to see Lucinda Ellery and that option was very expensive indeed, but might be worth exploring.

The method one I opted for involves having a template made of where your hair is thinning/gone (this can be anything from a small patch to to the whole scalp) and then it is sent off to be made into your 'piece'. This is applied with special bonding glue and some of your hair has to be shaved off to allow the bonding. You can have the piece clipped in (with no shaving required) but I didn't find that secure enough. However, my own hair is very fine and shiny so that didn't help matters.

Some firms offer 'invisible' style 'gel' bases while others use the more traditional wig bases, but even these are amazingly good these days.

I have had this system for two years now and as far as I know no-one has realised that it is not my own hair. In fact, the couple of people I have told about it have found it hard to believe. The pieces are very thin so even if someone runs their fingers through your hair (I wish!) it's hard to detect.

If you have a look in Yellow Pages under Hair Replacement there might well be someone in your area who can offer this. I am in the north east.

Costwise, I paid around £500 for my new hair and then around £45 every time I have it rebonded(which includes cut and colour if required). I had a free consultation to begin with.

I hope that this helps. Alopecia really can have a huge impact on your confidence and this has made a huge difference to me.

ShyBaldy · 09/12/2009 10:15

I'm a regular and I've changed my name for this thread because over the years I have found that my intermittent hair loss due to alopecia has affected my self-esteem so very badly that one of the things I like about online conversation is that no one pictures me as having bald patches.

At the moment I have quite a few patches, totalling about 15-20% of my head. That is fairly normal for me. Sometimes I have periods with almost no patches; other times I lose up to 60% or so of my hair for a few months. I've had this since I was 12 (40s now). My sister lost all her hair aged about 20 and never got it back. She uses brilliant wigs. Because my loss is intermittent I have never really explored wigs, or anything else, and feel frightened and un-self-confident about it.

Steroid lotions and sometimes oral steriods help a bit. What worries me most now is the poss of DCs inheriting (apparently the chances are something like 20%).

One thing I want to say is be careful about consulting private companies for treatment. Treatment for alopecia is very limited and imperfect. The NHS is on the ball with the options that might actually help, and their are a lot of quacks aiming to make money from the unhappiness this problem causes.

delllie · 09/12/2009 13:43

I suffer from hair loss too and have done for the last 4 years, I do have a diagnoses for mine - folliculitis decalvans - which is basically an inflammation of the hair follicles, but don't know the reason for it occuring. When it flares up my hair falls out in patches and I have bald spots, just getting over a bad flare and am taking antibiotics long term again and thankfully I am getting some regrowth. I do use a thickening spray to hide the patches but to be honest it is really getting me down at the moment

KnickerstoChristmas · 09/12/2009 14:28

I take heart in the fact that it isn't life threatening (which is why it isn't always taken seriously by GPs I guess) and obviously my body could have thrown much worse at me.

However, the psychological impact is huge. Because my alopecia is on my scalp (like a man's) it makes me feel deeply unattractive and before I started with my bonding I found that I avoided seeing old friends and work colleagues as I was so mortified by what had happened to me.

webchick · 10/12/2009 11:26

Hi everyone, i've found my hair seriously thinning over the past few weeks which seems quite sudden for me. Am depressed every time I wash/brush my hair, it's really coming away in my brush no matter how gently I handle it. I'm awaiting blood tests results for anaemia & thyroid, I'll get them next week. I'm 40 & always had great conditioned hair, this has knocked me sideways. Luckily it's not overly noticeable as it's not patchy but I'm paranoid I'll be bald in a few months time my life isn't stressful, my family are v supportive but I'm wondering how this will change me if it carries on & blood tests come to nothing.

This hasn't happened to any other females in my family so genes not affected.

Thanks to the previous posters I know it's not just me!

KnickerstoChristmas · 10/12/2009 16:05

Hi Webchick,

My sister had a very similar experience to yours and it was her thyroid, but she was terrified that she would end up like me. The good news is that the problem was sorted quickly once the results came back and her hair is now back to normal. I hope that'll be the case for you too.

Knickers

ChocFudgeCake · 10/12/2009 16:20

Hi, count me in! I came today specifically to post about it. I noticed 1 1/2 years ago that my forehead looks bigger in the pictures and now I can really see my scalp on the sides, like my dad But the GP won't do anything about it (sounds familiar, right?) because I have slight anaemia and the fact that I had a baby 4 months ago, so obviously I should be shedding hair. But I KNOW this is not normal. I'm loosing so much everyday that I dread to think how I'm going to look like in a few months.
It particularly upsets me that I'm quite hairy everywhere else!! It's not fair. I asked the GP if it could be a hormonal thing, she said that there's no use in having a hormone test now because my hormones are still all over the place... I'll have to post later about laser treatment for my face, argh.

CandyKane · 10/12/2009 17:21

I have had alopecia for around 20 years.

As a result of a 'faulty gene' being triggered by hormone contraceptive, specifically when I stopped taking the pill.

I have worn hair replacement systems similar to KnickersTC, and have only recently given up the hope that my hair will grow back and have shaved my head. I look strangely beautiful!

Can I recommend:

Alopecia UK

HH365 · 10/12/2009 21:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

webchick · 10/12/2009 22:42

thanks everyone for the replies.

Knickers, I'm desperate to find out the blood test results next week. Did your sister have any indication of a thyroid problem? How quickly did her medication take to make her hair normal again? Thanks for the info.

I sometimes feel tiny pins and needles on my scalp, its weird, feels like nits (which I had 6 months ago from my daughter) but less itchy just a minor tingling sensation over my head. I'm paranoid about everything to do with my hair now!

My pharmacist suggested I take Floradix as a generall well-being supplement in the meantime.

KnickerstoChristmas · 14/12/2009 11:40

Hi Webchick,

My sister lives abroad so I am a bit hazy about the time involved. I tried to reach her over the weekend but they must be away. I think that it took a good year for her to recover (she has shoulder-length hair so it took longet than that for full recovery if you see what I mean).

I hope that you get somewhere with a solution this week. Good luck and keep us posted.

Knickers