Hair loss - where now?

[Likeafurchin]

My (already fine) hair is so thin. I've lost about half of it and nothing has helped. 😪I don't really know where to go from here. I know it's shallow, but everytime I look in the mirror I want to cry. I'm in my fifties and I'm not ageing well - I've never been beautiful but without hair I actually look scary. What's next? Wigs? Turbans? I'm a teacher and the thought of standing up in front of a new class next week makes me feel queasy....help!!

Thanks @botemp. Will a GP prescribe it then? I assumed not as it’s off license.
Mine isn’t hormonal as has been going on since my 20s. Sounds like the OP’s may not be either if it started before the menopause.
but I do have low blood pressure already so hmmmm….
The lotion just made my hair look so awful that I felt too depressed to continue and thought I’d better stick with making the hair I have got look OK! Definitely wouldn’t go back to it unfortunately as I know it helps lots of people.

I'm not in the UK so not sure how it is over there but I know dermatologists prescribe it off label in various countries. But if you've already got low blood pressure they might not be eager to do so, definitely don't go it alone.

I have always had thin hair but this is what improve things for me:

• HRT
• minoxidil (you have to apply it every day, I have the foam version and it is really easy to use and non-greasy)
• hair, nails and skin daily vitamins
• keep my hair short and colouring it to bulk it up a bit
• good diet.

Make sure you have looked at all potential medical issues.

Wigs are not for me (too hot and stuffy) but I do like wearing hats and scarfs now and then.

Frankly at this stage I got used to it most of the time and stopped caring if people stare at my hairline...

But it did bother me when I was younger and more concerned about how people saw me.

If your taking iron within an hour of tea/coffee/ red wine consumption the iron binds to tannins and is too big to be absorbed.

If irons being absorbed your stools turn black/dark green.

Rosemary oil works well in trials, comparable to minoxidil but cheaper. I mix it with Hemi squalene the night before a hair wash.

Glam Girl Gabi is a hair and makeup artist on you tube and she’s had a hair transplant. She had sizeable balding patches. I’m not sure if I’ve linked to the right video of hers, (she has a heap of them), but in one of them she shows her hair (scalp) before the transplant. But she’s also good at making women with very fine and thinning hair look like they’ve got a lot more hair.

My hair is also thinning rapidly. The area on top - well I can easily see my scalp. I did try a hair thickening shampoo and conditioner and it did make a bit of a difference but caused my eczema to flair up. I was surprised it helped because I expected it to be bullshit marketing but it did help. I intend to try a different brand.

I’ve just resorted to wearing hats for casual wear, and knitted berets when a bit more dressed up. I pin them down well. I’m building quite a collection. I’ve realised why old ladies used to love hats. I figure I might become a hat lady and wear them for when inside or outside.

My hair is getting shorter and shorter. It used to be quite long but now it’s just above my shoulders and my next haircut I’m getting it cut into a bob - about the length in the video image.

Its shit I know. I’m in my 60s and I’m not crying yet, but I’m not far off it.

Fine thinning hair

This is all really helpful. Thank you. And hope it's useful to you too @Likeafurchin!

A colleague with really advanced thinning hair went the wig route and it was life changing for her. Gave her so much confidence back.

I’ve been taking marine collagen since lockdown, it’s made a real difference to my hair and nails. Hair was thinning, nails were flaking, now both are in much better condition and the hair has bulked up.
It’s a long haul, 6 months to see a difference, but worth it. In the meantime gentle shampoo and conditioner, I use Faith in Nature organic shampoo.

I feel the pain. Lost at least half my hair in the past two years. Started with a patch above my left ear and then the whole hairline receded dramatically. I started rogaine in February and I thought it was helping because you see new growth with it but the hairline is looking worse than ever in recent weeks, really losing density and seems like wherever I part it, the hairs disappear there and recede. The hair above the left ear never came back, I can count only a few hairs left there and the right side is going too.
My hair is not only thin but also like one big split end at every level. So from the top there are inch long tufts, then two inch tufts and so on, with the effect of a frizz halo and extreme untidiness in any humidity or really just in daily life. I am continually trying to plaster the hair down but it literally won't hold down with hair spray, gel, pomade, serum, etc. - it's just all frizz. Tried Olaplex, tried Redken, Kerastase, probably a dozen others. Also every nutritional supplement going.
Blood tests all clear for everying. I went to a dermatologist, a rheumatalogist and an endocrinologist, the last one costing me over £1200 to run various tests. He said oral minoxidil was a possibility and he would be willing to prescribe. I decided not to then, it was before I tried the foam, but may go back. My GP said once it is prescribed they could pick it up but the initial prescription has to come privately. It costs £300 just to see the consultant.
I despair why my hair looks so unhealthy, when I have a really good diet and run and do yoga every day, so plenty of energy. My nails and skin are in much better shape from an ageing point of view.
Also depressing because my mother had similar issues, but only in the last couple of years, and in photos of her at my age her hair looks 10 times better.

@Likeafurchin may I join your thread?
I've just come from my specialist appointment and been told that the rate of loss and amount mean I am in the category where the possibility of regrowth is "not good".
I've lost about 60% and it's still coming out, started about 2 months ago.

I'm so devastated and every time I think I'm coming to terms with it I get more bad news.

How are you coping now?

Sorry to hear you're in the same boat @Thorinfling I'm trying and failing not to dwell on it but it's hard!

It is, you can't possibly imagine how it feels until it happens to you. I'm just starting out on steroid and oral minoxidil treatment.
We talked about the new treatment (JAK inhibitors) which has had some success but it costs £1800 per MONTH and there is no guarantee that when you stop the hair won't just fall out again.

I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up and it was all a nightmare.

It might be a good idea to find a decent wig shop. They are very experienced in dealing with all kinds of hair loss and are very kind. Try a variety on and see what you think. It really is uplifting to see yourself with a full head of thick hair. They are not without some drawbacks, but maybe start looking at some YT videos - there are plenty of women suffering from hair loss. I found a great shop in Bolton, but there will almost certainly be one nearish to you. Depending on where your hair loss is, you could try L'oreal Root Touch up - I find this really helpful and there are also things like Toppik which have fibres in (haven't tried this).

I know how depressing it is to have hair loss and I look at other women with glorious heads of hair with envy. It does make me feel self conscious, but I'm told no one else notices - don't know how true that is! Hope this is helpful.

The treatments are so expensive... I'm wondering if transplant is actually more cost effective and possibly lasting. A male friend just had it and is really happy.

I wanted to pitch in. I’m 43 with PCOS and I have androgenetic alopecia - this was diagnosed by a dermatologist in the UK. Prior to being referred I tried it all, minoxidil just made my hair look greasy and I started sprouting sideburns as the oil dripped sometime- I used it for a full year and as soon as I stopped I lost even more hair! I tried supplements. Low carb diet didn’t help and made me miserable. My ferritin is on the low side so I take iron anyway and that is not helping. I enquired about extensions but my natural hair is not strong enough for this. I gave in about 8 years ago and started wearing wigs and it was the best decision I made. No more fear and embarrassment when someone is stood behind me or looking down at me. No more fear in brightly lit places, no more scalp burning!! (I used to get sunburn on my scalp if I did t wear a hat) and most importantly it gave me my confidence back. I’m
not going to lie and say it was easy and I still have days when I hate my natural hair and the situation I’m in and I get envious women with beautiful hair. At home I go all natural and just wear a cute bandana and put my bio hair up in a tiny ponytail. I wear synthetic wigs as much easier to look after. This my my latest and most favourite wig

@DoodleMum12 Thanks for posting. You look great! Our experiences sound really similar. I'm a teacher and a really low moment for me was when we were teaching online/in the classroom simultaneously. The camera was set up above me and my balding scalp was really visible. 😫Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
How long does it take you to put your wig on?
Is it really hot? (I am already overheating as it is!)
Do you tell people? I'm wondering if I should tell my students so they're not wondering...and also because I don't want to have to always wear one.

@Likeafurchin not at all- ask away and if you want to PM me please do.

it takes me less than a minute to get it on and ready for the day. I wash it once a week or so - depending on how often I wear it and it dries overnight. My wig is very light though, some are very heavy with lots of hair which I don’t like!

I have wore a wig on holiday in 30+ weather and it’s a little hot but nothing major- can be a little itchy but again, nothing major. I do wear hats/sometimes headbands that cover the front of my scalp too and just don’t bother with a wig as I am comfortable with the situation. This took me a while though. Now I don’t care if people know or wonder if I’m wearing a wig.
I don’t openly tell people I’m wearing a wig but if it’s someone I know well and they comment on my hair I just say thank you- if they ask anything else like where did you get your hairdo I just tell them it’s a wig and they are usually shocked and say they would have never known! My close friends and family know I wear wigs. Prior to the wig on my pics I wore a shorter one and when I made the swap no one made any major comments just said my hair looked nice and I just say thank you and move on 😊

you might be able to get a wig that is close to your current haircut at first. I would recommend visiting a wig salon near you and just have a chat with them. All the ones I’ve been to have been wonderful and very kind.

Thank you! My current hairstyle is very short so I might try and grow a little bit first.

No problem. I know this is not an easy decision and very daunting even just thinking about it.

are you taking a high dose of prescription iron? Ferrous sulphate is a game changer for me. Also could foods be interfering with absorption? Gluten? Coffee?

Hear me out on this one, but worth trying nanogen keratin fibres. You shake them over your head and set with hairspray. Because they are electrostatically charged they follow your existing hair and thicken it. Available at boots but check out YouTube to see it being applied.

Hi @Likeafurchin
Eating seeds, almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, really helps with hair. My midwife said she only ever washes her hair once a week which helps too. Also, try applying shampoo to dry hair then wash out with water xx

Thanks for the tips!

Pubic hair and eyebrows started falling out in earnest today. I guess that's confirmation that I'm going to lose it all. Had a good cry.

Not sure how long any steroid medication might take to have any effect, has that worked for anyone? I'm 3 weeks into a new job and just in pieces.