Hair loss / extremely thin

[Greenjuicelover]

Hi I wonder if anyone else is in this boat. My hair has always been really thin but I think it may have been getting worse recently. I’ve googled female pattern baldness and think I have this. I take biotin and iron supplements but not sure they are helping. I’ve been considering buying a high quality wig but wondering if anyone has found anything else effective in tackling this? I feel AWFUL. I also hate the colour, horrible greenish tinge like dye gone wrong. Sorry ignore the parting don’t know what is going on.

I started to notice hair loss in my early 50s, so perimenopausal. At the recommendation of a friend I went to the
Philip Kingsley clinic:

Blood tests to rule out ferritin/ thyroid etc

Prescribed some drops that contain both minoxidil and an anti-androgen. They are expensive - £70 for a bottle whisk lasts me 7 weeks.

Also told to make sure I eat protein with breakfast and lunch and to take biotin.

It's a long-term commitment - have to use the drops for life now - but absolutely worth it for me. Two years down the line my hair is SO much better.

If anyone is thinking of going down this route I'd advise you to take steps as soon as you can. If a follicle stops producing hair but is dormant then the drops can get it to start growing a hair again. If left too long the follicle can die and then you can never get it back again.

I have alopecia and wear a topper. I wouldn’t say you are ready for one yet. You attach them to your existing hair using the hair grips they have sewn into them, they don’t damage your own hair or limit hair growth. Mine is synthetic hair, cost £70 and last about 3/4 months. I go to a hair dresser who specialises in hairloss. I started with clip-in hair bits which is a good starting point and would probably be a good starting point for you (my hairloss was around ears initially). Definitely see your GP and ask for a referral to a Dermatologist. There are various lotions you can try on prescription and for hair growth your iron levels need to be really high. Good luck

Hey, I just wanted to share my experiences in case they can help anyone here:
I am 29 years old and noticed around Feb / March this year my hair was thinning dramatically on top and at my temples as well as snapping off and not growing. To the point i was conscious of having wet hair in front of my partner.

I had hormone tests and vitamin tests - all came back normal.
The dermatologist said it can be one of three things to start:
hormone / vitamin deficiency
stress
hair loss that just happens due to genetics etc

As we ruled out the deficiency. She looked at my hair under a lense and could see that my follicles had not scarred. Meaning new hair could grow. This , she said, ruled out that it was hair loss that would last and just keep getting worse.
I had an ectopic pregnancy in November; stress causes hair loss up to 4 months later. So she believes this started it.

Since then I have done the following and I really believe it is working:
I take hair skin and nail supplements with high biotin levels
Take a fish oil tablet
Take multivitamins
Take iron tablets

Use phytokeratine shampoo - prescribed by dermatologist but available online
Use phytologist 15 - prescribed but available online
I used only a dyson hair styler twice a week to style

I have started a course of PRP injections - only had one but need 3 about a month apart each time.

I wanted to share my experience as it was so worrying when it first started and all the conflicting research out there to wade through. So maybe this can help someone find their route a little quicker!

Good luck to you all & I hope this helps x

SummerLouise i hope what you are using works for you,
You will see i have posted twice a year ago,there is not much difference,
I have been using Regaine since about last September i think
Can you tell me what the shampoos you are using are called please?
I have been using strong Biotin for a very long time,and zinc and other vitamins, which makes the hair i already have grow ,but no new growth,
Very disappointing really fed up with it

Thank you. Yes of course the shampoo is called phytokeratine shampoo and then the liquid is
phytologist 15. They’re quite expensive but come highly recommended and I’m crossing my fingers it is working and I’m not just in a ‘slow shedding phase’
Good luck to you too

Ill just jump on here to say you need to make sure you're getting enough protein. I have always been a yo-yo dieter, sometimes not eating, and severely restricting calories. I definitely was not getting enough protein. I was loosing hair by the clump-fuls. I changed up my diet, dropped the carbs and upped my protein to roughly 100g a day and started taking collagen powder in my coffee daily. I'm amazed at the difference it's made in just a few months! Within the first 2 weeks I could tell the hair loss had stopped and now my hair is sooo much thicker. I will never go back to the way I was before

SummerLlouise thank you, i just wondered if the shampoos had a brand name,i will look for them now

WineGetsmeThroughIt I have stopped shedding hair now, so hopefully it will improve,i eat more meat than i am supposed to because i have too much iron already ,[Haemochromatosis]but i am not cutting down ,as i don't want to lose more hair
I will persevere with the Regaine and hope it eventually makes a difference

Beware of Keto though, I lost a lot of hair and I was only on it for about a month before holiday ( and I wasn't even that strict) and I lost tons of hair
I thought protein rich would be amazing but I subsequently read tons of posts saying this was a common side affect
I find MSM makes your hair grow super fast and fenugreek water for growth along with tea rinsing is amazing for growth and conditioning