Female hair loss - please help

[Toooldtopretend]

Posting this in the menopause section as I assume it’s age related…

I’m 48 and really struggling with hair loss. I’ve had blood tests that showed a vitamin D deficiency and so I’ve been on high dose supplements. These seem to have helped but I still have hair loss at my hairline. I already had a high hairline anyway so this is really affecting my confidence. I’ve used Plantur shampoo, again it seems to help generally but not with the hairline.

Ive been reading about hair transplant surgery this morning and would love to hear from anyone who has explored/taken this option. I’d definitely go for it if I knew it would work but am suspicious of claims and people preying on people’s insecurities. Any insight or advice? Thank you!

Morning. I'm sorry to hear about this, it's very distressing. I had this post childbirth. Now I wash my hair every day with baby shampoo and give it a good massage. I take vitamin D and fish oil capsules, this seems to have made a difference. For reference I'm now 65 and have never taken HRT.

my hairdresser offers an integrated mesh weave for hair loss, it might be worth exploring as it’s not invasive like a transplant.

I have just signed up to Hair & Me. I had to take photos and fill in a questionnaire and they have prescribed minoxidil tablets.

I am also low in vitamin D and taking that and using Nioxin shampoo.

I also found Viviscal tablets helped. It did take months to see a difference though.

I considered this but the upkeep worries me. Plus it is very much my front hairline that is the issue. I will do more research though, thank you

Hi
It’s designed specifically for hair loss as it covers the top of head/hairline. Rather than just length/thickness extensions.

Here’s an example. https://www.angelhairextensions.co.uk/hair-extensions/hair-replacement-systems/

I'm have the same @Toooldtopretendand have been taking Minoxodil for a couple of years now, I've finally started seeing a difference, there is new growth and my hair is starting to thicken up. Don't despair, it will take several months to get the right dose and see the benefits so do persist. Keep an eye on water retention, a known side effect of Minoxodil, I take Spirinolactone to solve that. Good luck, I know how distressing it can be x

Would HRT be an option for you?

The doctor claims I have no symptoms to suggest it’s menopausal so he just ruled that out.

Is the minoxidil on prescription? It’s great to hear it’s working for you but I don’t think I can face waiting 2 years for an improvement 😥

Have you looked at lace wigs or lace toppers? Nizarol shampoo was recommended to me by my doctor as even though it is aimed at people with dandruff the main ingredient is a DHT blocker (DHT can cause hair loss in women). Using an oil on the scalp once a week like coconut or rosemary oil can help to keep the scalp in good health. A diet high in protein is good as the hair follicles need protein in order to grow. Saw palmetto is a good supplement to take too (lots of good reviews for it online regarding hair regrowth)

Have you checked your ferritin levels? Ferritin below 70 means no/minimal hair growth so it’s worth taking an iron supplement if your ferritin is low. I noticed a significant improvement in my hair growth after 3-6 months of supplementing iron (I take Ferrograd-C that I but online - was recommended by a nutritionist to me).

Yes, it's on prescription in tablet form, 5mg every other day. I understand how you feel, I was the same and despairing however I personally don't believe anything else is as effective. Diet etc. can help e.g. iron, collagen, biotin but won't support regrowth. DM me if you want to chat about it more x

Just get a Topper OP! They’re brilliant, Jon Renau are great quality and not too pricey.

I was advised by a dermatologist specialising in hair probs to take Biotin high dose supplement which has def helped. I’m early 50’s, take oestrogen only HRT, lost a lot of hair early in menopause but much improved now.

It is scary and hard facing up to this but please, you must insist your GP refers you to a hospital consultant. They will then properly check you out to see what sort of alopecia this is and what treatment can best help you. It may indeed not be menopause related as mine proved not to be. But time is of the essence, leaving this will not help if anything is reversable.

You can buy minoxidil over the counter / from Amazon. Look for 5% once a day liquid and ignore the "ladies" versions, as they're half strength, you have to use them twice a day and cost the same as the "mens". You do have to keep it up and do it every day, but if your hair loss is being caused by peri-menopause, it should help.

I’m sorry to hear you’re suffering with this - it’s rough. I second that it’s worth speaking to your gp or otherwise seeing a dermatologist who specialises in hair loss. My teenage daughter has recently lost a patch of hair and whilst we’re waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist she has been taking vitamin d supplements and also using a red light machine. It seems to be helping a bit so it might be worth trying red light on your scalp whilst you’re waiting to see a dermatologist? I know current body do a machine specifically for hair, but I have one for my hands so have been using that on my daughter’s scalp and it seems to be helping. For what it’s worth, my hair started to thin as I got older and I have found collagen supplements have helped that. I hope you find something that helps - it can affect your confidence so much.

I would recommend seeing a dermatologist. There are various kinds of alopecia, one which affects the hairline and eyebrows. There are targeted treatments and I think you should see a specialist rather than taking something without a proper examination. Best wishes.

Oh my goodness.

I put my disastrously thinning hair down to perimenopause and stress.

My ferritin is 25 (after 6 months of iron supplements. It was it was 17 previous to that)

My GP says this is normal no need for concern, it has to below 15 for them to worry. I started iron because my Hb was low and just out of range.

I am thinking perhaps whilst my ferritin be normal in my GP eyes, it’s impacting my hair growth. I’ve got a receding hairline like a middle aged man going on.

I feel like death and I look half dead too with the wispy witch hair.

45 is the average age perimenopause starts and thinning hair is a symptom so your age is definitely a reason to look into hrt further. I had just turned 45 and had thinning hair and a couple of other symptoms and that was enough for my GP to attribute it to perimenopause and offer hrt. You don’t have to wait for your periods to stop to take hrt. Things like bigger gaps between your periods, longer or shorter duration of bleeding, lighter or heavier periods etc are an indicator. Do you have any other symptoms, weight gain, achey joints, changes in mood - not everyone gets hot flashes. Maybe ask give it a couple of months then ask to see a woman GP to ensure you don’t see the same one as before.

I’ve just looked at the blood test results I had last October. My ferritin says 48, but on the graph it’s looks like the acceptable range is 11 to 307 which seems quite a big range. They’ve said it’s fine and no action necessary but I have no idea 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ferritin!!!!!!

48 isn’t LOW-low but you need it above 30 to even arrest hair loss so 48 isn’t mega.

that plus hormones!

my ferritin caused my hair to shed in huge amounts and more than that combined with Vit D deficiency my most prolific times were always Jan-Mar, even running my fingers through would pull out tons.

I started with:
biotin
vit d
iron bisglycinate - it’s an easily tolerated form (every day is as good as every day)
a decent multi vit

over a year my ferritin has come back up, my hair loss has stopped, and all round my hairline and in a halo I have loads of new baby hairs coming through.

ferritin is often overlooked but a very common symptom of low levels is hair loss.

Thank you - my problem is getting the docs to do something as they don’t seem to see it as an issue. My vitamin D was at 33 against their range of 50 to 250 so they prescribed some high strength tablets. They’ve never offered a retest to see where they are now though, and they claimed everything else was fine.

I guess I need to go back and be more forceful about it!

I didn’t need my doc to do anything I just started the above…

But how do you know your ferritin has come back up if you aren’t being monitored through a doctor? Are you getting blood tests elsewhere?

My problem is that you need patience with all these things and for results to show whereas I just want it fixed instantly 😥!