Thinning hair

[ParisUSM]

I'm still peri and have shed so much hair over the last couple of years. Although not yet noticable, I've got some aread of quite thin hair on the crown of my hair. My sister says it'll grow back once I'm into menopause but want to try to help it on its way!

Have finally got my ferritin levels up to 70 after a long haul and have been taking sea kelp for a month now which I think has made a difference. Too scared of overloading on iodine to take it for any longer though.

Anyone have any success with Viviscal?

Not sure where your sister got that information but hair thinning tends to be associated with menopause and our falling hormones, notably oestrogen and testosterone. It isn't likely to improve once it has thinned - we never go back to our luxurious locks. We don't get our hormones back again... The rate of loss may slow down though? Some of the male-pattern type hair loss may be associated with the relative greater loss of oestrogen compared to testosterone. Other conditions also affect hair eg vitamin B (?12) levels - can't remember which one, and underactive thyroid. Haven't heard of the product you mention....

Thanks Lulu, my sister's older than me and she lost a lot of hair during perimenopause and it came back in after menopause. Seemingly this happened with my mum too - women in my family suffer quite badly during perimenopause and then it all settles down when we're finally in menopause. My hairdresser and I were discussing this and she told me hair loss is often down to hormonal imbalance so it always as straightforward as falling oestrogen. She explained all about the anagen phase which my hair hasn't gone through for a while - the seakelp definitely stopped the hair loss (no hair in plughole now) and got it going as I have a lot of extra growth now.

B12 and thryoid are fine for me, just looking for some experiences of Viviscal which I've now purchased.

This explains better than I did about the difference between perimenopausal hair thinning causing telogen effluvien, and androgenetic alopecia post menopause. Very confident mine is the former, and that my hair can be talked into remaining in the anagen phase I've finally pushed it into through seakelp.

I'll make sure I report back on Viviscal.

I don't know much about hair loss as it relates to menopause (though not far off that myself) but mine was falling out when my ferritin was low. You say your ferritin is now up to 70? I seem to recall that ferritin levels need to be at a certain level for regrowth to begin. And that level was over 70, possibly 75.

Once my levels reached 80 I noticed the hair growth beginning again. The shedding stopped a couple of months before that.

What were your iron levels before you started the ferritin?

I'm officially menopausal (exactly one year since my last period) and my hair is a nightmare. It's always been super-fine but now the hairs themselves are almost invisible! I don't notice any hair loss, though. I don't know what to do. Shave it off and invest in a good quality wig? I hate the idea of a wig but short hair doesn't suit me.

Hi MrEzraGoldberg, my ferritin levels were 10 two years ago - has taken a long while to get them up to 70 as my periods are horribly heavy. There is iron in the Viviscal so I was laying off the ferrous fumarate for a wee while, but I think I should aim for 80 and then maintain so thanks for that information.

Been using Viviscal for a week and it definitely has made it feel different and look better. I don't need to straighten it anymore which is weird. Losing a lot less hair too so will see what happens in the months to come.

diodati, maybe a hairdresser would be able to advise you better but worht checking on ferritin levels too and maybe researching biotin or other hair vitamins?

Just to give an update after 3 weeks, my hair looks so much better and is poker straight, even if I'm caught in the rain. It has noticeably grown, I get my hair cut and coloured every 6-8 weeks and there are definitely more roots on display than normal. Losing a little less hair when I wash it and my nails are growing a lot faster. My skin looks much better too -milia are far less noticeable.

Not seeing any difference in the areas which are thin, but it's early days for that.

Only negative was a rash on my stomach but that's disappeared now too.

Viviscal is expensive but if you get the 3 for 2 at Boots and use double points it isn't too bad.

Will report back again if I see any more changes :)

Update after 2 months - pretty impressive improvement to my hair. People are commenting on it so it can't just be my imagination. It's growing faster, looking thicker and I can't find the area which I was worried about any more. Loads of baby hair has appeared around my temples - didn't even realise it was thinning there.

Turns out my ferritin levels were only 21 as - like an idiot - I'd been taking calcium at the same time as my iron supplements and completely cancelled them out. Building that up slowly again now.

Viviscal is expensive, but I really do recommend it.

I am peri too and my hair is thinning like crazy, I have nice long below my shoulders natural redhair and am 47, i mentioned to my DP this morning that I am going to have to consider cutting it.

So do not want too, it is a miracle i have any left on my head with the amount i am losing daily. :(

Hi Beaverhausen Have you tried Roots shampoo/conditioner/spray from Superdrug? I have been holding off trying it because I wanted to see how Viviscal did on its own, but been using it this week and I'm losing a lot less hair.