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Original poster

Hair loss support thread

389 replies

Marasme · 17/11/2017 11:37

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...

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:32

Some different views.

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:32

Some different views.

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:32

Some different views.

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:34

Oops, sorry! Have clearly been showing it off too much today. Not allowed any more photos.

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:35

Last attempt!

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:36

And more

ilovecherries · 28/01/2018 16:38

What I will say is that I should have done this at least a year ago.

BWatchWatcher · 28/01/2018 19:04

That is really fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing.

antimatter · 31/01/2018 11:09

Those pictures show me that your wig suits your skin complexion and shape of your face.

Wtfdoicare · 31/01/2018 12:12

It looks amazing cherries. Suits you really well, I would never have guessed it wasn't your own hair from the photos. Embrace it.

ilovecherries · 09/02/2018 14:16

I thought I'd come and show you all my latest wig. I can't believe that a month ago I couldn't contemplate wearing faux hair, and now I wear it every day. Goes on after my shower, and doesn't come off till I take my makeup off at night. It has transformed how I feel, my only regret is I waited so long. As it turns out, it wasn't a moment too soon as alopecia has run riot round my head the last couple of weeks, with proper bald spots, not just thinning. But the wig means I no longer obsess about how much is falling out, or constantly running to the loo to check my camouflage.

My first one was as near a match as possible to the style I used to wear my bio hair in, so this one is short as I wanted a throw on and go wig. It's very lightweight and I really don't notice I'm wearing it and it never moves. Again, colour very near my own. Jon Renau Blair in Eclair for anyone interested Smile

Tinkerbellx · 09/02/2018 23:07

Sorry marking place as can't figure out how to watch on my phone Blush

IhatePipArcher · 10/02/2018 08:06

It really does look great, cherries. You have gorgeous bone structure!

Tinkerbellx · 10/02/2018 18:27

Hi
Sorry if this has already been discussed as I've not read the whole thread .
I'm 45 and have always had long blonde natural hair .... never even blow dried it but it's my crowning glory to be honest . Almost waist length .
Too old to wear it down now unless my daughter does it perfectly for me !
Anyway , over the last 3 years ( got divorces and lots of stress ) I've lost about a third of it . I know I need to visit my GP and have some bloods to check thyroid ect ( was hyper a few years ago ) but I still would appreciate any practical advice .
No bald patches it's just incredibly thin..... I've had a closer look and it's breaking or broken at sort of ear height .... so the top quarter is fine .
I always put my hair in a long plait and I've noticed lots of stray hairs as it's so broken all of a sudden . Also my lovely thick plait it now a thin frail plait . Could it possibly be the styling wand I used ? When I used it my hair felt like it had been so abused after and it had never been exposed to anything . I used it a few times .

Anyway .....dd clipped just 4 of her hair extensions into my hair recently for a special night out and omg it was lovely !!
I can't be doing with that on a daily basis but has anyone with similar had hair extensions just for thickening / fuller type look rather than long golden locks the younger generation go for . I'm so nervous of making my thinning hair worse it needs to be really gentle technique ?
TIA

Labradoodliedoodoo · 10/02/2018 18:30

Iron needs to be above 70

Amoregentlemanlikemanner · 13/02/2018 18:02

I love cherries -you look absolutel6 great!

Mine is still shedding.... :( I can see the difference now :(.

Hairdresser Said one of her customers had hair transplant...

Am plucking up courage to go to GP. What should I ask for? Blood tests? Will they tell me it’s not important and go away?

ilovecherries · 13/02/2018 22:27

No, I don't think they will tell you it isn't important, and there are a number of blood tests they will probably do to exclude anything easily treatable such as low ferritin, thyroid disease etc. You might get a dermatology referral and have a scalp biopsy (not too bad at all!). These initial investigations are important, but ultimately they may show nothing. And ime that's the point where you can drive yourself crazy looking for answers and spending a fortune on supplements and snake oils which you don't need and which don't work. People often say their doctor was 'useless' (and they are if they don't do exclusion testing). But the reality is often not that the doctor is useless but that there IS no answer, and no cure.

hairnightmare17 · 16/02/2018 17:46

Ilovecherries.

Your new hair looks fantastic. I think layers help it look natural. Do you go to bed au naturale?

ilovecherries · 16/02/2018 19:52

Yes, I tend to keep it on till I'm cooking dinner (usually about 7pm). I don't want it getting frazzled with a blast of heat from the oven, or stinking of curry or something. When it comes off I have the most hideous hat head and my bio hair can be sticky with glue (don't always use that). I gave my head/hair a good rub over with a wet cloth, and let it fluff up - only takes 5 mins to dry these days. Then I wear a wide stretch hairband or a bandana - to be honest only wear these as my scalp is very sore and tender if it gets cold just now. I also take my lenses out and my make off at that point so it's like some reverse transformation that takes place! Then at bedtime I leave my head bare. My husband doesn't seem fazed by it.

ilovecherries · 16/02/2018 19:54

Here's today's hair :)

antimatter · 17/02/2018 08:43

Do you have third wig or trimmed that one you bought first?

IhatePipArcher · 17/02/2018 09:40

Cherries - I like how natural the fringe looks.

What kind of reaction have you had from co-workers/friends/acquaintances?

ilovecherries · 17/02/2018 09:59

anti. This one came from a friend of a friend who was having a declutter. I wasn't 100pc sure, but she only wanted £50 for it and it was brand new, still in box with labels. In fact, it has really grown on me. Jon Renau Blair in 8RH14. Very lightweight and quite low hair density so I don't feel I need to wear it with a lot of make up to stop it overwhelming me. I do have what was meant to be my third and final one on order, arriving Monday, so will decide on that when I see it.

Pip. Everyone has been extremely positive. My bio hair had got so bad, no one was ever going to be fooled so I was completely upfront (and upbeat) about it. I made a blanket announcement that I was fed up of bastard alopecia and from now on was going to have a lot of fun with wigs, so they could expect to see a lot of colour and style changes in the future. I get some questions, but never too intrusive, people are just curious. Had I transitioned to wigs two years ago, I could probably have got away with one wig very near my own colour, worn the same one every day, and carried it off. But I left it so long, messing about with snake oil and looking for a reason and a cure, it was far too bad. People would know straight away, so I felt it was better to force them into taking a lead from me, rather than worry about what they might be saying or thinking. Of course I'm still upset, of course I wish it hadn't happened but I don't want people giving me pity glances, so for me this approach works best.

Funnily enough, asked my DH the other night what he thought was a reasonable wig 'wardrobe. I'd been thinking 2-3. He said at least 5. His reasoning is that as time goes on I might only want one and a spare, but for now, I needed to have fun with my hair again rather than see it as the enemy, so I should do lots of experimentation.

IhatePipArcher · 17/02/2018 10:12

Fantastic approach, cherries. Thanks for what you have shared on this thread, including before and after pictures. Without wishing to sound sappy - you have given me courage and hope.

Please keep us updated.

ilovecherries · 17/02/2018 11:22

Pip, thank you so much, that means a lot. It was actually a MNer who turned it round for me last year by suggesting a wig as an option and put me in touch with a lovely support group. The actual decision to get my first week was very hard, and really only prompted by a huge shed over the Xmas holidays that has left me almost hairless on the top of my head. I thought initially I'd buy one wig for occasional use. In fact, since I got my first wig a month ago, there have only been two days when I went wigless, and I really missed it. Of course if I had a magic wand I'd make it different, but wigs have been the next best thing for me. I put one on, and feel like me again. Will strangers guess? Well, they might. But a) so what and b)I feel, rightly or wrongly, that I 'caught' a lot more people gazing at my bald bits than I do gazing at my wigs.