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...

I think progesterone only pills are a complete no-no for hair loss, sorry. You need the estrogen to maintain hair growth. Raised estrogen in pregnancy is why pregnancy hair is much better. Something to do with progesterone readily converting to testosterone. I'm not an expert but have read widely on this.

Here is an interesting study, NOT relating to progesterone, but thought it might be useful for some.

Sorry! www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352647517300011

This does fit, but then, i might only have a couple of years until menopause and hair loss anyway. My mother has put the fear of God into me over the menopause and I don't know if hair loss is worth it if I can keep other symptoms at bay.

very interesting paper ofthread!
is hormones something that GPs ever check routinely?

From what I’ve read, a huge majority of women with hair loss are hormonally ‘normal’ for their age. The relationship between hormones and hair loss is not very well understood, perhaps a little better understood in men than in women. I think the first line treatment in women is always minoxidil, it’s the only one that has a real clinical basis.

Is minoxidil oral or put on your head in regain? Can women use men’s stronger regain?

minoxidil 5% foam is the usual format - others on the thread have tried / are using it.
Have not done so yet, although I might as well considering the dramatic level of hair loss :( Waiting for my appointment with the dermato on Tuesday...

Yes, that's what my doctor told me - he ran loads of tests but said he didn't expect to find anything significant as most women with hair loss are hormonally within normal limits for their age. He said the exception was thyroxine, but I haven't had a thyroid gland for a long time, so my supplementation is monitored anyway. He also said minoxidil was the only treatment option, from a medical perspective, although he did encourage me to consider wigs sooner rather than later. i think the things is, that FBP is probably part of a normal aging process.

I am currently using the 5% foam, but it is wrecking what little hair I have - turning it into a coarse, sticky, matted, dry thatch. I'm considering trying the oil, which is lower strength.

Yes, it’s Regaine. Women can safely use the men’s 5% foam, there’s a women’s 5% once per day now. You can get good discounts and points in boots.

My best hair ever was when I was on an older combined pill, one of the higher estrogen ones - marvelon I think. I got comments on my ‘loads of hair’ from hairdressers, I have had naturally thin, crappy and partly see-thru hair since the age of about 12.

if you don't mind me asking @ofthread - why did you come off the marvelon?

I think we all need to realise this is more common than we think the older celebs have hair pieces

probably true @littlebillie - does not help that I work 1) with loads of young people, and 2) other who all have a full head of hair

the only exceptions to these rules are the much much more senior people and my colleague who survived cancer. I now suffer from hair-comparitis and almost compulsively check people's hairline and parting (which I never ever noticed prior noticing my own hair thinning) :(

I also have lots of little head spots since starting cereals. Never had them before, so could be seborrheic dermatitis. But could that be triggered by the pill? Bastard migraines taking me off logynon!

*cerelle. Cereal.is not an effective birth control.

I came off it because it was giving me weird twinges in my legs. I also developed a small varicose vein then that I’ve had since. It wasn’t actually until much later on that I connected up the pill and the good hair.

I just looked it up, marvelon is not a high estrogen pill, but it is not one of the ones that is known to be androgenic and bad for hair either (androgens - male hormones).

www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/hair-loss-oral-contraceptives

GP is very chuffed that ferritin is low and this was his cue to stop looking further :/ he also advised on contraception to stem the blood flow a bit. Advised on the coil if I wanted to avoid tablets. But I think people advised against it here and elsewhere? very confused... been sent to read websites on contraception.

Ilovecherries- I might have missed it but have you seen a dermatologist? Also what shampoos and hair products do you use? I wonder why your scalp is tender?

Thegiantofillinois - my mother didn't have a good menopause and went on HRT. I started menopause around the same age as her but just sailed through. A few hot flushes was about it. So just because your mother had a hard menopause doesn't mean you will.

Just wanted to say to those using 5% minoxidil foam - I think the liquid is better as it's easier to get it on your scalp only (rather than matting-down your hair). Also, I found the normal minoxidil liquid too itchy so I found a low-alcohol formula by Foligain (bought on a website called Biovea). When I was using the normal minoxidil 5% liquid and complained of itching, my dermatologist recommended a shampoo by Eucerin - I think it was called Dermocapillaire. It did help.

Sorry haven't read the entire thread but has anyone tried viviscal? I have hereditary hair loss - mum lost lots of hair from 30 onwards and I seemed to be following her footsteps. Tried viviscal for the first time two years ago, takes a while and isn't cheap, but the change was beyond belief. Then classic, I stopped taking as my hair was great again - cue another round since October. Hair loss has decreased 90% I would say. Hair is much stronger. It does take AGES though, minimum 6 month outlay and it's expensive but I cannot recommend it more. I went from being afraid to touch my hair as so many strands were falling out, to having soft, shiny and full hair.

Jeepers but viviscal is expensive:(