Another hair loss thread - how much hair do you lose?

[Hairlosswoes]

Hi,

So I know this is a really common problem, but I'm not sure if I'm over worrying.

I know I've lost quite a bit of thickness over the past 10 years. Probably lost a third to half of it actually, but that was likely due to undiagnosed, so untreated anaemia and then untreated low ferritin.

I take iron tablets every 2 or 3 days, what GPs now advise with absorption, I also take Floradix, Florisense tablets, vit d and have upped my vit c and iron in my diet.

I can't really see any regrowth. Maybe a few baby hairs, but I'm still losing loads. Well, I think it's loads anyway. When I run my fingers through my hair, I get anything between 5 and 20 hair come out, but when I wash it, it just doesn't seem to stop. From brushing, to washing, to styling. It's a constant stream or hairs.

I know up to 100 hairs a day can be a normal amount to lose, but if I'm not getting those hairs replenished, then it's only going to continue in one direction isn't it?

I have been taking iron for years and the other tablets and change in diets for several months.

Ferritin still under 30, which is probably the issue, but don't know what else I can do!

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

MTIA

I believe the coconut oil causes a build up of protein and can block moisture. Hair usually needs either protein or moisture, so overdoing it with one, especially if it's not what you need anyway is not great. I tend to alternate protein treatments and moisturising treatments as I think my hair needs both.

Of course this could all be bollocks - I'm sure a few years ago coconut oil was thought to be really good for moisturising!

Minoxidil Is what my dermatologist recommended

Hairlosswoes I never even thought of that but it hasn't stained my hair. Maybe test it first? I just spray it on my scalp, rub in, leave for 20 mins then pour the rest over it and wash as normal with shampoo.

My hair started falling out at uni and never really stopped. It seems to go in cycles, currently is falling out in the handfuls you describe and I shut my eyes to brush it so I can’t see! While it is noticeably thinner than the lustrous locks I had as a teen I still am not bald. This has been going on for 20+ years now so hopefully in some way reassuring?

It is awful though, really distressing. You are not alone.

The only thing I’ve tried that I thought might make some small difference is Viviscal-think it’s high dose biotin. Seemed to reduce shedding. I haven’t taken it for years as was pregnant/breast feeding the whole time but will probably give it another go in the future.

Do you have dry skin?
My scalp was so dry with peri menopause that the hairs were coming out as they skin where the follicles were was flaking off.

I got prescription scalp ointment called cocoises or something. It’s great. Also there are prescription shampoos. A while raft of different ones. So your gp should be able to prescribe something that will help.

I put the hair I lost for a week in a bag and took it to him so he could see the full extent.

I also cut my hair shorter to lesson the weight in the follicles.

I have lost lots and feel fobbed off by GP. Worse in the last month, since I started HRT. I think I might politely 'demand' a blood test. Or consider drug referring to a trichologist.

This came from my hairbrush every 2 days.

@workshy44, do you use full caff? How often do you use it now? I heard it's more a as and when you need it. I.e, when the shedding slows, it won't straight away go back to normal if you don't use it all the time. Castor oil on the other hand Apparently it's a thing you need to keep going. I saw one woman on YouTube who put it on from root to tip, EVERY day for FOUR HOURS!

Actually I did try the castor/coconut oil on the roots technique last time I washed my hair. Left it on for an hour and actually I've had hardly any shedding the past two days. May be a coincidence 🤷‍♀️

The green tea is coming in the next shop 👍

I was really good to start with. That recipe twice a week, green tea everytime I washed and the grow me serum too. My hair is so so much better now so I have got lazy this summer but I will start again soon as my hair is always much worse in winter
I heard a lack of Vit D is a major cause of hairloss so make sure you don't forget that supplement

It’s so distressing isn’t it.
How about approaching it from trying to reduce the amount you bleed each month as a way of boosting your ferritin? You could ask for a gynae referral?
Look into DIM supplement in meantime as a way of trying to reduce blood loss - works well if caused by fibroids or PCOS or perimenopause all increased bleeding.
Could also try biotin supplement and there’s electrical caps that you can buy now I think that can help to reduce hair loss - not sure how well they work but worth a google.
Also consider mite infections on scalp as a cause of hair loss - something a trichologost could test for and give you a shampoo to reduce if that’s a problem - some mites are linked to follicle destruction.
Good luck - I’ve been there, know how awful it is.

JMAngel1 i haven't heard about the mites thing before,how do you know if it is that that is the cause of hairloss
As i have said in many posts about hairloss,i have tried everything i can, and was told only Minoxidil will work, after 9 months and lots of money spent,it doesn't seem to be having any effect
The instructions does say some more hair will fall out before any new grows, but lost more,and not seen any new growth
Having seen a dermatologist ,and had a scalp biopsy though i think he wiould know if mites were the problem,

I was told I had low iron at blood donation , I had no idea. Apparently it’s better to avoid tea and coffee too close to mealtimes as they stop iron absorption - I think its the caffeine, tho I dont know if decaffeinated would solve the problem. Vitamin C increases absorption so a glass of fresh orange with or after a meal that has high iron containing foods.

I suffered from hairloss when younger, it can be really distressing.

One thing I realised was that because I was being so timid and gentle with my hair between washes, the NORMAL amount of hair wasn't shedding, so when I washed it the amount shedding seemed enormous. I used to literally count the hairs to see if it exceeded 100.

I saw a trichologist who was very reassuring and showed me all the baby hairs along my parting with a magnifying mirror. The shedding gradually stopped of its own accord but not before I had bought a very expensive, unnecessary wig (!) and battled with depression.

Pyllis321 what was the reason for your hairloss, did the trichologist tell you, and what advice did he give ,and what brought it back to normal eventually?

There was no ‘reason’ but I now strongly suspect that as a flaky vegetarian student, I was seriously deficient in iron and probably other minerals too.

I'm really struggling with hair loss at the moment - it's so thin. I don't brush unless conditioning as I have curly hair, and I always seem to shed at this time of year. But it's been so much worse the last couple of years. Getting horribly thin now and I put off washing it as it's so distressing. Must get back on the vitamins. I'm sorry you're all suffering too - selfishly feeling glad I'm not alone.

Mine is .
I am very careful brushing/combing
I haven't dyed my hair for at least a couple of years now
Length is about 3" past my shoulders which (IMO) is pulling at the roots . Sometimes my scalp is painful.
I need to book in to have at least 2" cut off , partly to reduce weight and partly its the raggy ends that have residue of the old dye .

I think mine is menopusal though

I am 54 and on HRT. What I have found actually does dramatically reduce shedding is that plantur (sp?) tonic .

BigButtons has your hair shedding started since startinh hrt,or just got worse with hrt, asking because my daughters seems to have got worse since taking hrt

@princessTiasmum

BigButtons has your hair shedding started since startinh hrt,or just got worse with hrt, asking because my daughters seems to have got worse since taking hrt

It was thinning long before I started her. I noticed shedding in my 40s. Hey has made it no worse though, perhaps even slightly better. I know it does make it worse for some women though. The thing that is making the difference is the caffeine tonic stuff.

I've started using Nioxin recently and rogaine, it's still only early days but I think i do see improvement. All my blood tests came back normal so I have no cause for my hair loss but I lost loads of hair, I'd say over 50% in some places

This might sound mad, but after experimenting with every product on the market, I am now trying not shampooing/conditioning it at all. Just rinsing in plain water. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks. It became very greasy after the first few days but it now seems to be balancing itself out and improving, and I don't seem to be losing as much hair as I was. I will see how long I can keep it up and whether it does fully 'balance' (as I believe it's supposed to do) eventually.

I did try the plantyur 39 shampoo, but never used the tonic
To see my hair from the front it looks quite thick, it is just patches at the back, not even on the crown really, but from the crown down

Hairlosswoes my Dr said eat more meat rather than take tablets if you need more iron and more protein in general, if your ferritin is low,try eating more red meat

ArblemarchTFruitbat if you are doing this make sure you get a scalp cleanser like P50 to clean the scalp or else the follicles will get blocked and no new hair will be able to get through
Generally the advise on poor hair growth seems to be to wash your hair every day, or every other day. Certainly not , not at all