Hair loss support thread

[Marasme]

I did find an old 2012 thread and thought I'd post something new here.

After a shitty year or so at home and at work, I noticed that my scalp was showing more than usual along my parting. Further investigation using the selfie camera on my phone revealed an awful little bald patch at the top of my head, as if the parting was widening at this place.

Absolutely terrifying :( and not helping the fact that I suffer from some pretty bad health anxiety.

I now feel sucked by the entire "remedy" industry despite the strong belief that they are just snake oil peddlers.

Looking for anyone, from the old thread or not, to join in sharing positive stories...

Thank you @ilovecherries for sharing this.

I can't find anywhere how people who wear modern wigs do sport. Running, swimming or gym. Head is sweating too. What would you do?

We talked about that yesterday, anti and I've decided that a sweatband will be enough for me for now. I think there will just be occasions where I have to think that no one is paying much attention, and everyone looks a mess, so I will just need to go with my crappy hair. I do feel strangely embarrassed at the thought of taking it off/putting it on in front of people though, so I'm thinking for the foreseeable future I will probably go to the gym in my gym clothes, and shower at home after. Swimming I will just tie a scarf round my hair till I get home. The statistics for female hair loss are actually horrific, we shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed (ha ha, I'm working on it!)

So pleased you are okay, it just horrible. My hairdresser made some comment last time about wigs but this time she said it looked better, so I am not sure. Good luck and try and post a before and after picture.

I wanted to throw some possible light at the end of the tunnel for posters suffering now, since when I was going through awful hair loss I couldn't find many anecdotes of happy outcomes.
In short, I suffered several episodes of telegen effluvium over a two year period, the last being so severe that I was losing 700+ hairs a day and lost more than 25% of my hair over a few weeks.

For me, this was ultimately a problem with going through an early menopause with fluctuating oestrogen levels. HRT has resolved this for me and my hair grew back, no horrifying sheds since.

I saw a hair loss expert who was surprised at the speed and severity with which I was affected, but nonetheless, low oestrogen was my trigger.

Hoping you all have good outcomes too.

Ilovecherries embrace this new hair adventure! You are going to get the hair you always dreamed of and it will be easier to manage. You will look sensational at all times! Decide the hairloss isn't going to get you down, you are moving into the solution zone and you don't ever need to worry again.

Make sure the wig you get is light and breathable with a realistic silk cap. If you don't like taking the wig off, you can shave small areas and buy long lasting tape that keeps the hair on 24/7. You don't have to shave the whole head for this, just strategic areas. Keeping the hair on, will allow you to totally forget about your hair issues and it will be a nice break from the stress of it. It will also make you wear the wig, as you might feel weird in it and tempted to go workout. You'll get through the transition period better I reckon. Wearing it 24/7 does however shorten the life of the wig. If you can keep a bit of bio hair out near the parting line, you will be able to style it to conceal the start of the parting line and it will look super realistic. Otherwise get a fringe and you will be good to go. No one will ever know.

If you don't tape it on. Then buy a second cheaper wig and wear it to the gym with a headband. Am sure you can still shower. I go the gym every day. I hate showering in the gym, not to do with my hair though. I wear a clip on topper. I usually add in a headband. It depends what I am doing though. Most people look a mess when working out, I don't care too much about that tbh.

It's all good.

I look so much better in a topper than I ever did with bio hair. I should have worn something before it thinned. What's the difference between helper hair and extensions, boob jobs, lipo, Botox, make up even? If you are ok with all of that, then fake hair is no different.

Big kisses to your new fabulous haired self! You will be the envy of all! XxX

Aw, thank you nightmare, you have made me smile. I haven't had Botox, lipo etc but my husband was joking last night that if I'm going to be looking super-hot in my new hair, maybe he needs to get them to keep up.

A good hair day every day. Sounds great to me.

ilovecherries - thank you for sharing; it sounds like a very positive experience. When do you get delivery of your trial wigs? do you have to head back all the way to Glasgow for a fitting?

@BarrackerBarmer - thanks for sharing. Do you mind me asking what age you were? I have no idea of how "early" early menopause is :/ or what signs to look for!!

Yes, I go back to try them. One will only be a few days, the other nearer three weeks but since I'm so far away the shop will hold the first one till they have both in. I've had two hellish wig shop experiences before I found this one - honestly, they were worth travelling twice the difference. I'd probably be able to find the wigs cheaper on line, but certainly to begin with colour/fit/style is so uncertain it's worth going in person. Plus if I decide to buy one they will customise it there and then for me - e.g. If I want it a bit shorter, want a fringe, want it thinned out etc.

My hair loss is continuing :(
Have started on minoxidil but it makes me think about it more.

The GPs are all very busy just now and tbh I don't hope for much from them anyway.

Am 47 so depleting oestrogen could be the culprit. Certainly when I had it before pregnancy "reset" it.

Loving the positive threads about wigs. Trip to Glasgow may be on the books....

Gentleman, while I know the NHS is under stupid pressure in the winter, I don't think you should hesitate to make a non-urgent appt to discuss this. You really need some basic blood tests done to exclude a lot of treatable stuff. I know what you mean about minodixil though - i have decided to stop using it. It's had no noticeable difference and the thought of having to use it every day forever is not for me, given it hasn't worked. I'm not sure it will last but I actually feel relieved to give up on all the searching for answers/swallowing supplements, rubbing minoxidil and various snake oils on my head, spending a fortune on expensive haircuts to try and disguise it, using scalp colourants etc. The thought of every day bring a good hair day is pretty appealing atm.

@ilovecherries is your wig going to cost a lot?
I saw 2K mentioned and I am.bracing.myself for this expens if I have to...

I am tbh also thinking that I just shave my head because the loss is coming to the point where I won't be able to hide it for much longer.

Thanks cherries. I appreciate the support (especially as I've just had a shower....:( )
I will call the GP and ask for blood tests.
I wonder about perimenopause.
I wonder too about my new replacement Mirena coil....
We are 47 so vasectomy seems a plausible alternative brace yourself Ds!)
I saw a kindly trichologist when it flared in my early 30s. I still have his notes but sadly not his name.... a google search is just showing lots of fancy clinics....making suspicious promises
I am wondering about seeing a naturopath, etc....

Best wishes to all shredders.

God no, for that price you'd be looking at custom made, hand tied human hair. I am not that keen on touching other people's hair anyway (unless I gave birth to them our had sex with them!) so I'm not that keen on the thought of wearing someone else's hair on my head - especially if that someone is some poor woman in the third world who had to sell her hair for a well off white woman to be able to look good again. It feels very exploitative.

You wouldn't believe how synthetics have changed. I had a nhs wig when I had alopacia universalis about 30 years ago, and I never used it, it was beyond hideous. At that age I rocked the bald, but my neck and jawline couldn't front that nowadays. No, for a 'good' synthetic, lace front (looks like a hairline), monofilament top (makes your parting look natural), lightweight wig with a rooted colour (makes it look as if your roots are just starting to show) it will be between 250-350. if your doctor confirms your hair loss then you are termed a necessity wearer, entitling you to the VAT off. One of the wigs I have coming is 240, the other 290 after vat deduction. Now I have looked online, and I could get both for between 50-75 cheaper each, but I can't tell you how happy I was with the consultation. It was absolutely worth the mark up on the wigs. And while I could just go see the, say I don't like them and then reorder on line, I just wouldn't. One reason is they will do any customisation I want, the other is that I'd hate to see shops like that disappear - I can't tell you how much more positive I feel compared to a week ago.

Re the shaving - I was at that stage, but when I made the appt they suggested I wait till I saw them, as a shaved head takes the topper option off the table.

You tube is your friend, by the way. Patti Pearls has a mass of videos, and jill lynn beauty therapy. I've been binge watching both.

I’m not a wig wearer but I feel very self conscious when I exercise/swim. I resolved this by wearing a baseball cap in the gym and a swimming cap in the pool (switching to a baseball cap after I’ve changed). It looks good with my gym wear.

thanks you again @ilovecherries for your explanation
the 2K+ price was for human hair and I agree I can imagine only a small fraction of the price must be going to the woman who grew it
I think I will be looking into getting appointment with that company in Glasgow, I can make a weekend of it and would prefer to bring my DD with me. Failing that one of my girlfriends who knows me well.

However my DD is very self contentious about her hair, she's been diagnosed with Diabetes 1 just over 13 months ago, she also lost a lot of hair but it started regrowing a little now her sugar has been stabilized.
I wonder if some of us suffer from undiagnosed autoimmune condition and our hair not regrowing is one of the symptoms? Because is not the shedding what is the problem in my case, is my hair not growing again.

Hi, been lurking for a while and having read the whole thread today, thought l would take the plunge and join in!
I have always had fine and thin hair, tho l don't remember being so self conscious of it in my 20s etc.
Now having turned 50 l am acutely aware of my thinning hairline and envious of other women's lovely thick hair and wondering what to do to limit further thinning. I use hair fibres to try and conceal the thin areas, but today l didn't wash my hair (tired and couldn't face getting up earlier) then l caught sight of my head in the car rear view mirror of all places and was horrified and embarrassed.
Wondering whether to try Viviscal, Nourkrin etc.

friendly, welcome :). I tried all of these things, with no improvement. I believe minoxidil (sold in the uk as regaine), is the only treatment that has an evidence base behind it, and even for that, the stats aren't fantastic. I think the thing is to understand why it's happening: thyroid disease, iron deficiency, auto immune disorder, telogen effluvium as the result of injury/illness/stree or androgenic alopecia. Some of these are completely treatable, but If the latter, I'm not sure much can be done. Which is very hard to accept, I know. But it's just the result of a genetic lottery. Regaine may slow it down, but you must use it daily - when you stop, the hair will shed again.

anti, good luck with what you decide. There was absolutely no hard sell, and even if you decide it's not for you yet, I think it's helpful to look at the options out there. I wish I'd gone a year ago, to be honest.

I was digging out my old Trinny and Susannah books the other day and they are both big fans of wigs for every woman!

They pretty much said that unless your hair is fantastic why not have a fantastic wig :)

I'm sure Trinny must have (very expensive, very lovely!) extensions. Surely no woman her age could have hair like that? (Jealous!)

well let's just keep thinking wigtastic thoughts to stay cheerful :)

Cherries with wigs can you leave any bio hair out or does it all go under the wig?