Please, please help me I am in tears over my hair.

[RubyPreciousJewel]

I desperately need help. My hair has always been on the thin side, I've never had thick, full locks. With that being said I noticed a few years ago that I was starting to see my scalp through my hair and it has got so, so bad 😢. My hair looks absolutely dreadful, I hate wearing it down because it's so fucking obvious that I have hardly any hair. Last night i washed and blow dried it and just looked at it in the mirror and cried 😢. I went to the doctor a few years ago and he ran tests said the only thing that came back in a negative was my vitamin levels and gave me tablets to get them up. It doesn't seem to have helped as my hair has got worse so I have been taking a multivitamin. I have tried every promising product going with no real results and I just feel like my life has no quality ( sorry I know that sounds dramatic but my confidence and happiness has plummeted). I am only 30 and feel like I might as well resign myself to just buying wigs and stop wasting money on something I can't change, what little hair I do have left is very long because I'm too embarrassed to go to the hairdressers to even get it cut 😔. Has anyone been in a similar position and found something that worked? For reference I am very overweight ( slowly coming down), have depression which I'm taking ADs for, constantly anxious (had a bad break down 4 years ago), sleep very badly (ok..starting to see why I may have hair issues!) If there's anything else you need to know that may help me please just ask and thank you for making it through to the end of this novel!

just looked up Minoxidil and it states this treatment is for men only and should not be used by women ( maybe it has certain hormones in it🤔).

Not the case at all. Topical minoxidil, which is the type used for Androgenic Alopecia, can be purchased without prescription in the UK.

I used to get 2% on prescription from my GP. Then that was lifted and I now buy 5% from Amazon.

You mentioned that you’re trying to lose weight? I recently went on a low cal diet and my hair started falling out in chunks. I upped my calorie intake and I’ve started to take a supplement with biotin in it (just a cheap boots hair and skin one) and I’ve already noticed I’m growing lots of new hair. I’ve also started using Charles worthington overnight conditioner which I can’t recommend enough - my hair oooks far better x

Depending on how thin your hair is at the front op you could have a scalp tattoo? It's a semi permanent effect and gives the illusion that you have more hair than you do. It's not cheap, but the results should last a few years and it's quite effective

So does the minoxidil work for you Butchy?

Hi lovely ! I can't say my hair has ever been that thin but after having my baby I suffered with really bad breakage, I began taking a biotin everyday, and started using the Lee Stafford hair growth shampoo conditioner and serum which seemed to really stimulate hair growth, I also used L'Oréal no cut serum on my ends to stop split ends and didn't use any heat of 180 degrees, this all has seemed to help my hair, not sure if it's what you're looking for but I didn't want to read and run xxx

So does the minoxidil work for you Butchy?

That's really hard to say. I'm tended to say 'no' but then, I don't know whether I would have been totally bald without it by now.

Suffice to say, things progressed to such a pass that I now have a full head weave. But I was a pretty extreme case and the balding did not progress in the moderate way initially predicted.

Look into Sea Kelp Tablets, you can get them from holland and barratt etc, i was recommended them years ago by a hairdresser and they really made my hair grow (along with leg hair etc annoyingly lol)

Definitely get a referral to a specialist. Have you tried Regaine? I heard it works for over 80% of women. I also read that not getting enough protein can lead to thinning hair. My hair is thinning and I'm making myself eat extra protein. Good luck.

I had a period of time where my hair seemed to be thinning. I read about taking Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and eating a high protein diet. It definitely worked for me and I lost weight too.

If you are very short of vitamin d then a tablet is no good.

You need high dose spray, 10000 a day for about 3 months to build your levels back up.

Go and see your doc again OP
Hypothyroidism, vitamin deficiencies and hormonal disorders could all be causing this and if not then you need a trichologist referral

Definitely get a referral to a specialist. Have you tried Regaine?

Regaine is a brand name for minoxidil. See posts upthread.

My experience wasn’t great, but apparently it can work for some people with androgenic alopecia.

OP hasn’t been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia though, so there’s no point spending money on something that may not assist.

Best to see a specialist and get a diagnosis before looking at treatments.

I’ve had hair loss at two different stages

First was because my ferritin levels were close to 12 (which the nhs says is ok) but with research discovered they needed to be over 50 but ideally 70. Ferrous sulphate over the counter did the job

Also the pill made my hair brittle and then fall out.

Hair all fine now. Back to normal

Also vitamin D and thyroid can cause hair loss

You DEFINITELY need to go and see a trichologist. That is their speciality and they know what to test for. There are so many different reasons for why hair thins and they understand how much it affects your mental well-being. A GP has to look at your mental health as well, but in the grand scheme of what they have to look after, they may not realise exactly how much it affects your self-esteem, especially when you are so young. Please ask for a referral to a really good one. ASAP. To be honest, the sooner you do, the sooner you may get results!

I would echo what the above poster says about ferritin. I have a triple whammy of Hashimoto’s, PCOS and low ferritin. My mane is lank and pretty thin, but it’s making a decent comeback with the aid of glandular ferritin pills, daily pumpkin seed oil (ingested) and coconut oil (both ingested and applied on the scalp).

Toppik is an amazing product, it will cover the visible areas of your scalp and can be bought on amazon. It will boost your confidence. I have had similar problems with hair and it can be soul destroying but please try to not let it get you down. Also I would get a hair dresser to come to your home as you will feel less self conscious.

I would urge you to go back to your GP and ask for a blood test specifically for your thyroid levels and, at the same time, a referral to a trichologist.

The advice about seeing a hairdresser and trying special products is great, but all that should really only come after you have ruled out any specific health issues - you need to address the cause of this, not the symptoms.

I’m not sure as to the extend of your hair loss but I’m very self conscious about my thinning hair at the front. I’m well...it’s just female pattern hair loss. I think this product is great and gives me so much confidence. I get it from amazon.
wow
It comes in a range of colours and even though it’s marketed as root cover, it’s also promoted for hair loss. You dot it over the thinning areas to hide the scalp. I don’t like the products with fibres. This is a powder.
I have promised myself that if I ever need something more, I would go to Lucinda Ellery. Best of luck op. Sorry you’re so low at the moment.

Agree with many previous posters regarding diet, sleep etc.

I have very thin hair and have found that having it dark helps, as you can then fill in gaps with dark dry shampoo (cheap and helps to thicken it a bit) as well as the hair fibre powder. These also make your scalp darker so it's not as obvious.

Have you checked out YouTube fir tips?

I feel your pain, its massively upsetting I know.

As Labradoodlie said, low ferritin can cause hair loss. As can thyroid and VLCD.

If you do get tested remember what is within the normal range for one person may not be your normal range. Do some research and fight your corner.

Also, polycystic ovary syndrome causes hair loss and weight gain among other things. I would check with your doctor.

After a terrible divorce and ending up homeless because house was re-possessed etc my hair was falling out rapidly. I was so depressed and stressed I could barely eat. GP referred me to a dermatologist who found ferritin of 30 (fine as far as not being anaemia) which she said was too low for hair health and that it should be around 70 and as near to 100 as possible. Vitamin D was also very low. She prescribed nioxin drops and ferritin and vit D. I have very sensitive skin so just started with the ferritin and vit D. I added in biotin high strength and silica. It took around a year but my hair stopped falling out and very gradually started thickening slightly (my hair is naturally very thin and fine anyhow). After 18 months it was back to its normal state which is nothing to write home about but not transparent. It was so confidence draining and distressing to have it looking so terrible and see so much hair on my pillow and round the plug hole. I’d definitely ask for more blood tests a full thyroid test too and get a print out of th result because if you are over the threshold for anaemia they’ll say your result is normal even if your hair is suffering.

Agree it could be hormonal too.