Link between hair loss and periods?!

[Shadow1986]

I’ve been suffering quite a lot with my periods recently - they seem to last ages. About 9/10 days. That’s 2 or 3 days heavy flow where at its worst I leak after about 2 hours. Then there’s medium flow around 1 day before and 1 days after that and then the rest is light flow either side. My moods are terrible at this time - I definitely have some kind of premenstrual disorder going on I believe as my anger is quite extreme.

But the reason for my post is because for the last few days I’ve noticed my hair is literally just falling out. I can run my hands through my hair and it just comes away. And it has the roots still attached so it’s not snapping.

I have ongoing issues with my hair where it’s all different lengths, doesn’t grow, seems to shed a lot, I have lots of new hair growth around my face all the time. It’s just suddenly occurred to me, as I’m finishing my period - is my hair falling out because of the period I’ve just had?!

Does anyone have any experience?

I’m not on any birth control just because I don’t like it altering my moods but if there’s something someone can advise to take please do.

Anyone?

Go to the doctors. I have hair loss due to a vitamin d deficiency and had no idea it wasn't normal. Nobody can diagnose you on mumsnet so its best to get a doctors appointment.

I have been to the doctors previously and was told I was slightly anaemic.
My question for mumsnet was to ask if anyone notices hair loss at some point during their period and whether anyone knows if it’s a cause. I will be planning on going to docs again this was just out of interest in the meantime.

Did they get your hair loss sorted?

I had hair loss because I was anemic, it sorted once my iron levels were back to normal. Also had breathlessness, and palpitations, weak nails that split. My periods were very heavy which caused the anemia. I didn't link these things to the anemia originally, but when I looked up symptoms it was quite clear!

See I took the iron tablets but it didn’t make much difference and when I called to ask what the levels were, they weren’t THAT low anyway. You know how you retain more hair when you’re pregnant because of the estrogen, I wondered if there was a link to do with estrogen levels and hair loss during a period as this is the first time I’ve noticed this much shedding of hair and it’s just following another heavy period. It could be iron levels again so I’ll get them checked too.

I am convinced there is a link between female hormones and hair. My hair was curly but grew out straight after I had my first dc. When my youngest was 2 my hair all started falling out and then grew back curly again. Weird.

When all of mine was falling out and I was seeing a GP she said the most common reason is iron deficiency. If you have exceptionally heavy periods then you're probably seeing a dip in your iron levels which could be linked to further hair loss.

I'd take the iron, i'd also take a multi vitamin (I take the Perfectil Hair ones but they're expensive and probably unnecessary, i feel sort of wedded to them thoughas my hair started growing back around the same time.i started taking them).

I'd also ask my GP for a blood test to check my hormone levels and investigate my periods cause yours definitely sound unreasonably heavy.

Make sure the GP checks your thyroid function.