Hair thinning/loss

[sunshinesummers]

Does anyone have any recommendations for anything (shampoo, conditioner, masks, treatment etc.) for thin & fine hair which seems to have fallen out a lot in the past couple of months.

My hair is thin, fine and dead straight anyway. It's never really been a problem before & it's always been fairly easy to look after but I think it's probably fallen out more because of stress as we've had a tough year. I really want it to be healthier and encourage more growth now if that makes sense.

If it's relevant at all, when I put my hair up you can see my scalp now and you can really see how little there is of it in a ponytail which I find a bit embarrassing.

I don't think there are any shampoos or conditioners that will improve thinning hair. I've tried loads, including speciality products from my hairdresser, without seeing any effects at all.
I would concentrate on eating a good diet, and not using any heat at all on your hair.
You don't say how old you are, but hair tends to get thinner with age.

@Araminta34 Thank you, I'm 26.

I have been trying to eat really well in the past couple of weeks anyway so hopefully this will help. I normally just dry my hair before work in the morning but it doesn't take long so will avoid going forwards.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-for-hair-growth#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

This link shows which foods promote hair growth.

There is some evidence to suggest that scalp massage also helps hair grow thicker. I have a USB-charged head massager which feels lovely and I think has helped my hair grow a bit thicker/stronger. It certainly works as well as, if not better than any shampoos or hair treatments I've tried, and cost a lot less!

@Araminta34 that's helpful, thank you.

@Gastropod That's interesting, thanks for the recommendation! I hadn't really heard much about scalp massages but will look into it and give it a go.

I am going through the menopause and noticed how thin my hair had become. I was quite concerned and about a year ago 'viviscal' was recommended to me.
It is not cheap (I buy it when it is half price, so about £20 per month) but over the past year my hair has definitely thickened and I can see the new baby hairs shooting up.
They recommend for the first 3-6 months taking 1 tablet in the morning, then 1 in the evening. After this time you can go down to 1 tablet a day which works out even cheaper.
I know it's a lot of money but it has given me my confidence back.

This is the time of year that hair sheds more than usual so it could just be that. You mention wearing your hair in a ponytail, if you do this very tightly it can cause traction alopecia.

It can also be telogen effluvium, a delayed response (usually several months after) to stress, disease, extreme diets, giving birth, etc.

Since you're young and if it's an ongoing thing it's best to get blood work done. It's common for women with pcos to suffer with hair loss and some birth control pills can also cause hair issues. Cosmetics, supplements, dietary overhauls are not going to help if the underlying condition is medical.

Definitely get some bloods done. Low iron, b12, thyroid issues can cause your hair to thin.

I do head massage on myself, I try and do it at least once a day (usually before bed). I just tip my head upside down, and gently move my scalp over my skull if that makes sense. You don't want to rub your hair, but just gently manipulate the skin to encourage blood flow. I do it for 5 minutes or so.

I really like Weleda hair tonic too.

It can also be telogen effluvium, a delayed response (usually several months after) to stress, disease, extreme diets, giving birth, etc
I'm sure this has caused my hair loss. Three months of post viral fatigue triggered it. I've read that it can continue for about nine months and then hopefully the hair goes back to normal. Fingers crossed.

How long did you do the scalp massage for, before you saw a difference?@ThomasHardyPerennial

I've been using Plantur over the summer, both shampoo and tonic. I only wash my hair a couple of times a week though and am a bit erratic with the tonic. I've also been taking Floradix a few times a week as I know I tend to skew to the lower level of iron and I can see baby hair sprouting.

In my heart of hearts, I suspect it's peri/stress and low iron levels that are my issues really but I think there might be a little bit of improvement due to the Plantur. You're so young though OP I think going to your GP and getting some blood tests would absolutely be worth doing.

I'm not sure I could pinpoint how long it took, I started doing it last winter. As with most things, I think being consistent (and patient) is key. Both things I'm not very good at! I do think it has really helped with new growth though.

Thank you all so much for the advice! @TiredArse I was actually advised to get a blood test done in the next couple of weeks as I might be anaemic (caused by some recent health issues), but the hair thinning has been going on for a lot longer than that, so now I'm trying to feel better all round and hope it doesn't get any worse!

I don't have any practical advice to add, but while it's growing back I can recommend something to temporarily hide the bald patches https://uk.colorwowhair.com/products/root-cover-up?tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=20241294400&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrp7_hqyRgQMVwuLtCh0PIAl8EAAYASAAEgIWv_D_BwE

I've got balding temples as I have pcos and I will use this until I can afford to do something more drastic!

Can anyone recommend a shampoo and conditioner that makes hair thicker with zero sulphates and is gentle? I'm perimenopausal with sensitive scalp. Tried so many things. My current sulphate free just makes my already fine hair even thinner and flyaway and very soft. I've got severely thinned hair and no bloods show Amy deficiency apart from low estrogen. They think try sequential HRT Evorel sequi but read that this can make worse due to the type of progesterone

I would get a blood test for iron levels first, just to rule it out. My daughter had very thin hair when she was young that turned out to be a result of iron-deficient anaemia - something I hadn't even known children could get, especially as she had always been a good eater with a balanced diet and normal weight and height. I took her to the doctor as she was suddenly very pale and tired all the time, nothing to do with her hair. It was only after taking the iron supplements for a while that we noticed her hair had become longer and thicker. Her iron levels stabilised by themselves after puberty, she no longer needs a supplement and her hair is normal now.

If your iron levels are OK, I would highly recommend going to see a dermatologist/ trichologist for a scalp / hair analysis and diagnosis, as there are many different reasons for thinning hair, and so much time can be wasted trying things that make no difference.

My mum's hair loss was caused by her immune system suddenly deciding that her hair follicles were something that it needed to attack, and with a daily application of a steroid lotion, it has all grown back.

My thin hair was caused by overactive sebaceous glands in my scalp, leading to an overgrowth of malassezia (the fungus that causes dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis). This had damaged my scalp health and hair follicles, weakening my hair roots (a trichologist will do a 'pull' test to see how easily an individual hair can be pulled out to test this). The weak roots had left me with a short anagen (growth) phase - so my hairs were dying and shedding too early. I now use Nizoral every other day before shampooing (I use a special sebum removing shampoo called Seboradin on the alternate days) and this keeps both the oil production and the malassezia under control, so I now have a healthy scalp.

I also take 2.5mg oral minoxidil daily, which strengthens the hair root and keeps hair in the anagen phase for ages so it doesn't shed - I hardly ever see anything but the odd single hair in the shower or hairbrush now. In two years my hair is literally double the thickness and it's very noticeable. My roots are now strong as they get more blood flow and nutrients, as they're growing from healthy follicles. At 55, my hair is longer, healthier and shinier than its every been, and it's very hard to pull an individual hair out!