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!

There are no quick fixes, sadly. My hair is much improved now, but was very thin for years. I started using minoxidil and saw a small but significant improvement. Then I found out my ferritin was 13 (I felt shocking!). A year's worth of of iron got it to 40, which the doctor said was fine so she stopped the prescription. Then (thank you mn!) I read on here that iron should be above 70 for hair regrowth, so I bought the same prescription strength iron over the counter at the chemist. I'm still taking that and later this year I will ask the doctor for another blood test. Then about five months ago I also added marine collagen. The iron plus the collagen have been the answer. It's not perfect but I am so happy! Oh, and a good multivitamin and mineral with biotin.

I'm about to start Nizoral shampoo after seeing it recommended on here as a dht blocker. Next stage of the long process!

If you want a quick fix, go for a topper. You can still do all the other stuff as well.

I’d agree with the ferritin needing to be higher. Mine was on the floor (2) so I got an iron infusion and so much hair has regrowth, it was about 8 months ago so have really thick hair (but fine) at scalp for about about 3 inches. Apparently ferritin needs to be sixty plus to keep up hair growth.

I definitely agree it needs to be a multi pronged approach and needs patience. And doctors are really not that interested. There is no quick fix.

I’ve just started taking minoxidil from Hair + Me and am hoping it will help. I’m also taking collagen and vitamin d (I had a test for Vit d as the dentist recommended it and I am within NHS parameters just but it’s still low so I’m supplementing with 10,000 iuis per day which is a high dose and needs to be taken with K3 and magnesium. There is a good Facebook group - Vitamin D Wellness.

I think if you start taking iron and vitamin d and collagen and maybe look into hrt you should see some improvement but it won’t be instant.

In a year you could then ask about having your bloods retested. Or maybe six months. If your gp won’t retest then there are private companies that do.

Yes you can self refer for some specific bloods, or, you can use a pinprick postal service (I’ve used Thriva and they were very accurate, and relatively inexpensive).

OP try rosemary oil( mixed with a bland oil, as it’s strong.) Apparently results are similar to minoxidil, but it’s much cheaper. I take biotin, vit D as well. Unfortunately, you will have to be patient!

OP, forget all the stuff about herbal oils and builder shampoos etc - what you need is minoxidil (get the strongest - the weaker stuff for women is pointless). Have a listen to this - they speak to actual hair loss experts about male and female issues and what might help:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0025l23

I’ve got a thread on here from a few months ago in AMA about my hair loss, I’ve been seeing a trichologist and had good results, I’ve put my results photos on the thread. The trichologist said your iron needs to be 100 or above for hair health, mine was 19 which the GP said was fine 🫤 I’ve had micro needling with calecim serum, minoxidil 5%, marine collagen, iron Vitamin D3 and B supplements. I’ll try and post a photo but they take a while to come through now.

J

@Audubon - that's fantastic, you must feel like the bees knees with your new hair!

I have been using minoxidil topical foam for 3 months & have seen a decent improvement. As PP said, you need patience and be prepared to ride out the shedding phase 😱 it falls out before it grows back...
I also use a micro needle roller twice a week (new addition, can't comment on efficacy yet) with the foam and take regular biotin and collagen. From this thread I might up my iron too 👍🏼 it was 70 last count.

I think mine is hereditary hair loss as much as hormones because of the pattern, but obviously peri doesn't help at all.

I absolutely second getting a topper for immediate relief - it feels like a thing before you try it, but once you have a decent one you won't look back and you'll feel amazing when you go out. They're much better than a full on wig - I can hardly feel I'm wearing mine.

These results are amazing! What time period is this over please? At least this gives me a smidgen of hope!

@ToooldtopretendI started treatment in May last year (and minoxidil at the same time) these photos are from November, but it’s improved a lot since then too. Don’t lose hope! But as others have said time is of the essence to get the follicles working again before they completely die, very much recommend starting minoxidil straight away.

I was so terrified of getting any form of wig. My hospital consultant dermatolgist recommened our local Aderans to me. You can have a completely free consultation. As as they said to me - wigs feel terrifying because everybody only thinks of the bad ones they have seen. Good wigs / toppers are amazing and toppers blend into your own hair. It's been transformative for me and no one notices. When I tell the odd new aquatintance they are utterly astonished. Even with old friends, when I first appeared in one, nobody noticed, other that the occasional, 'oh have you had your hair cut, it looks great' (I told my very my very closest friends obviously). On the whole people are very unobservant.
OP I know you are interested in a transplant - a consultant derm will chat about that too. But depending on the cause of your hair loss, they would look to stabilise the loss first.

@TreesWelliesKnees Be careful about Nizoral, as it really dries out your hair. I used it for a while, but it tuned my hair to straw.

If you are going to use it, I would suggest using it as an in-shower scalp treatment: Try to keep it on the scalp only for 5-10 mins and away from the ends as much as possible, rinsing off as fast as possible before using your regular shampoo.

A good way to keep hair follicles free of the sebum (which produces DHT) is simply to wash it more frequently than usual with a clarifying shampoo.

Glycolic acid is meant to be good for scalp cleansing and the L'oreal glycolic range makes hair really soft.

@CinnamonJellyBeans Oh, thank you for that, I had no idea. I'll be cautious. I've been looking after my hair so carefully, I definitely don't want anything to wreck it now.

Thank you for this. I have found an Aderans very close to my office and booked an appointment for tomorrow. I’m really nervous about it but if it helps whilst I try the various supplements suggested then worth a go.

Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia is specifically receding hairline loss. I'd also been blaming perimenopause and hormones - currently awaiting some tests to see if it is in fact FFA.
OP, would love to hear how you get on, good luck with your appt.

Oh well done! I know the courage that took to do that. I really hope you find it a helpful expereince. As you say, while waiting for the supplements to work etc, you may be able to claim some of your confidence and peace of mind back.

It is also possible to get an injection I understand. However you would probably have to pay for this privately, and it’s not definite that it’s the cause of the hair loss

I had hairless two years after I had my youngest. I was reffered to a dermatologist who also said it was low iron. The nhs range at the bottom just means your not dead. The dermatologists exact words

Quick update on my appointment-a lot of the toppers had a lot more hair than I needed as my issue really is my hairline. There was one (called “The Munch” 😂) which was lighter and has potential. They are ordering it in for me to try as they didn’t have my colour so it really depends how good the colour match is too. It’s so hard to judge whether they can look natural though as they move the parting and trim them to suit if you buy them.

I’m still worrying about it being noticeably fake though - especially after seeing a clip of Michael Fabricant on Big Brother!

just start taking the iron. You’re clearly low. You don’t need to be monitored by your gp for this. Also hair loss IS a meno symptom.

are you a veggie? Eating iron rich meat might help. I know that’s not a popular thought right now but your body might be craving more protein (which helps build hair )

I’m pescatarian-not eaten meat for 35 years. I do try to eat a varied diet but I’m sure it is still likely to be a factor.

That’s interesting about vitamin d. Since having breast cancer, I have hair loss, not severely but whenever I brush my hair there’s hair strands in the sink. I been prescribed vitamin d for osteoporosis so it’ll be interesting to see if it improves my hair . My nails gave definitely got stronger.

Stop flapping! I know it's not great, but look around you: Very few woman are rendered bald because of this type of hairloss. I'm not sure you should resort to a hair topper just yet, although I think it's a good idea purchase one as a back up, so you know that if other methods don't work, it is there, so your hair can still look great.

You could re-consider HRT, or the contraceptive pill. This is fairly drastic, but as PP have said, you don't have to wait for periods to cease completely before starting HRT. This may need a change of GP

Your iron levels could be higher. You can buy 200mg ferrous sulphate OTC from a pharmacist, or floradix from boots or superdrug. Take with vitamin C. If you go for the (cheaper) ferrous sulphate, be aware that they are very dangerous for young children to ingest. If you eat eggs, the yolks are high in iron. You should also take a hair supplement. Viviscal is meant to be amazing, but is extremely expensive. Perfectil is a lot cheaper. Holland and Barratt always have it on 3 for 2, always have an online percentage discount, give you points and free delivery if you buy enough packs.

As a pescatarian, make more of your fish oily. So good for hair and skin (and heart health)

Topical applications can be very helpful: grow gorgeous serum, ordinary density serum, minoxidl. I am personally doubtful about the efficacy of shampoos and conditioners to promote growth, but they can definitely improve the thickness of your hair

Wash your hair often: This does not make more hair fall out, keeps the follicles clean and stops roots going flat and greasy

Hairstyle: If you have a lot of length/thickness as the back of your hair, the sparseness at the front will be made more obvious by the difference between front and back. (Think balding man with ponytail, kidding himself that he has youthful hair). You may want to remove some of the length or go for a more balanced hairstyle, that minimises the difference in hair density across the head. You may need to grow out a fringe, or even cut one in

Yep you will need to up your protein. We do need it for muscle and hair growth

greek yog / eggs for bfast
fish and pulses for every lunch and dinner
nuts for snacks

you might want to consider protein shakes and occasional meat tho I appreciate that is not what pescatarians would choose