Hairloss Support Thread

[ChloeDharma]

I know quite a few members have experienced this or are experiencing this so i figured i'd start a thread for us. I thought maybe we could share causes/woes any methods we have tried or are trying or maybe are thinking of trying to rectify it and especially things we have found that help.

I got hairloss from badly controlled diabetes and then it turned much more dramatic when i had to be hospitalised with ketoacidosis (basically its where blood turns acidic). That brought on Telogen Effluvium.

I lost a huge amount of thickness going from mid-range ii to being in the i range. It also seems to have shortened my terminal length of many hairs. My hairline has thinned and looks scalpy and also it has gone from quite a defined line with the exception of a cowlick, to being a bit jaggedy. And where it used to grow easily to my collarbone now i'm lucky if it reaches my eyes. lots of other hairs seem like this too. I used to be able to have a reasonably thick (as in not dramatically tapered) hem at the bottom of my ribs but now it visibly thins about or before bra-strap length.

Action wise.....scalp brushing and massage seems to have dramatically reduced shedding so i'm hopeful that will help bring back my hairs former thickness. I'm also oiling my scalp alot. The main one i'm using for that is the hesh bhringraj oil which is in a base of coconut oil and has lots of other herbs in it too.

I've recently been noticing a remedy on sites about indian hairloss remedies recommending massaging with coconut oil at night then washing off with methi seed (fenugreek) in the morning. The articles claim hair loss will stop if you do this for a month. I use that sometimes but am not sure it would remove oil that well so i'm thinking of trying this but adding a little bit of shikakai to help remove oil, and i'm also thinking of including cayenne pepper in the mix to stimulate circulation to the scalp.
I've never actually been a daily hair washer that i can remember, i usually leave it a week or more between washes so i might end up doing it every other day instead.

I'm also trying to include methi seed in my diet where i can. Partially because it's reported to improve hair growth and reverse hair loss, but more really because it has been shown to improve control of diabetes. A man in the Indian grocers that i last brought some from said to take a teaspoon of it a day in hot water (he spontaneously brought up it's use for diabetes funnily enough) i can't bring myself to do that but am adding it to food where i can.
There are other plottings i have in mind but i don't want to ramble on too much.

Anyway i'd love to hear from anybody else dealing with this sort of thing and hopefully share ideas and success stories.

[Ms Monnie]

I'm stunned no-one else has replied to this yet.

I'm still not quite sure how I got to this place. I'm fairly certain that it was partly because of taking the anti-depressant Sertraline (Zoloft in the US, I believe) which has various hair related side effects and well, the stress and depression that led me to take them. I didn't really notice what was happening at the time, I was a little more involved with the whole mental health situation . However, once I began to come off the drug and I was feeling better I was looking at old pictures and realised that my hair hadn't grown at all in a year. Then I noticed that my fairy tale ends, which I was quite fond of, had transformed into a bare, see through length which I had been ignoring and wrapping in a bun each day.

I'm not losing nearly as much hair, probably about a pinchful whenever it's manipulated, but I think it looks the worst it ever has now that it's finally recovering due to the stark difference from top to bottom. I have a nice handful of new hair coming in at my nape, at my shoulders and around boob length. I like to think of it as a natural mullet . Although I'm not shedding scary amounts, the hairs I am shedding are the longer ones where my new hair haven't reached yet. So I look wonky. But I'm just waiting and slowly trimming very small amounts to make up the difference.

I've been taking an approximate version of Bargello's vitamin regimen, which I think it really helping. I've also been making smoothies a lot, I've been trying to do it daily but... yunno doesn't always happen. I'm experimenting with miconazole and I occasionally use an essential oil preparation (I don't think the thread with the recipes and studies of them has been revived since the down time) with sulphur. I actually sometimes do that nail rubbing thing that there was a thread about aaages ago. The basic idea was that the nail beds were acupressure points for the scalp and by encouraging the circulation there by rubbing them together you'd also be stimulating your scalp. It's so easy to do when you're watching TV. There's so many more things that I'd like to try that I couldn't possibly list them all!

So roll up people, share your stories and your hair care methods and let's all have a group hug!

[ChloeDharma]

Thanks for replying hun....

I remember that nail rubbing thing and wondered if anybody was still doing it....i lasted maybe 2 days lol.

The essential oil blend you are talking about i presume is the cedarwood atlas, lavender, rosemary and thyme in a base of grapeseed and jojoba tested by the dermatology dept at the university of aberdeen? I posted a link to that one in the essential oils thread but it's not seemed to attract much attention yet so maybe a new thread for it is an idea?
How do you find that stuff?

I haven't seen your hair now of course, but if its any consolation your hair at the meet last year looked stunning!

[Javadandy]

I believe that there are a lot of impacts from the effect of undiagnosed thyroid problems and I hope that you kind folks won't get tired of hearing me mention it.
In hindsight, I am lucky to have found out the problem so I could start the healing process.

After my son Daniel was born in 1999, my hair fell out in great hand fulls as it usually will do for most postpartum moms. I was so tired, very bloated and I ached. I couldn't lost weight and joined a gym. I would exercise and exercise and then go home and take a monster 2 hour nap. The hair continued to leave little "stringers" all over the place, and it was so fine, dry and thin. I was reading about post-partum issues and came across the forum...thyroid.about.com, I took the online quiz and I fit the description of a person severely hypo-thyroid. I took the quiz to my doctor and was promptly told that I was stressed and depressed and that I should wean my son and go on anti-depressants. I didn't feel depressed...just really, really REALLY tired! I went for a second opinion and was diagnosed by symptoms. Turned out I had auto-immune thyroid (Hashimotos) and my tests were not as accurate in diagnosis alone because I was chock full of anti-thyroid antibodies. Whoo hoo.

I was on the right track, but those stinking antibodies would continue to taint my test results for years. But my hair! My hair tells me that my meds are adjusted properly. If I have the right amout of medicine, I will hardly shed at all. My shower used to be plugged with hair, not anymore. I could always get the doctors attention by starting off with, "My hair is falling out". It worked until one day it didn't fall out anymore, and that's where I am now. My hair got thicker in texture and volume. It is thicker than is has been at any time in my life.

Now my hair is growing nicely, and it has been to about my hips one time. Until this diagnosis, it had never been past BSL. Now I believe if I take careful care I might make it to classic length, or beyond... as long as I stay away from careless beauticians

[ChloeDharma]

I believe that there are a lot of impacts from the effect of undiagnosed thyroid problems and I hope that you kind folks won't get tired of hearing me mention it.

Not at all.....thanks for telling that story. I'm really glad you got it sorted out and are back on track now

[Strongnlong]

My hair loss happened slowly over a period of about 10 yrs during those yrs when I noticed first thinning and then bald spots I continued to use relaxers. I was so ignorant about hair care and proper hair practices!

Shortly after I began my hair journey last April I discovered what I call "The Hay" formulae. A combination of carrier and essential oils that gave me these results:


after 9 months of regular use & scalp massage.

[Redheaded Raven]

I am glad that this thread is starting. My hair loss was due to stress and undiagnosed celiac disease. I am trying to find what works best for me and trying to protect what I have left. I do have lots of new growth. I have to remember that amount of halo that I have. I know that for me gluten created antibodies that caused hair loss. I know that if I get around any gluten I still get more of a shed. What I have to watch for is wheat or oat proteins in hair products and such, so I am going natural all the way.

My mom keeps telling me to focus on the positive and not the loss. That does help.
She also experienced the loss of hair but as hers was thicker to start it is not as noticeable to me... But she is as affected by it emotionally. You get really attached to hair. lol Well I am going to go do something positive for me and my hair, I am going to go and start some henna.

Good thoughts to all!

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Hi!

I have been losing hair since I was 30, but recently started using DHT Blocker. It is a vitamin supplement which blocks the body's production of DHT, a hormone which is testosterone-based. I am already noticing some postive results after 3 weeks. Maybe this would help you???

Robbi

[ChloeDharma]

It's great to read some positivity here

Strongnlong....those pics are really impressive, that's great regrowth you have there....what base/EO blend have you been using?

Redheaded Raven it's good that you discovered what was causing your hairloss, i can recommend the henna, i find it definately helps thicken whats there a bit. But your hair does look gorgious.

Robbi, what DHT blocker are you taking? Is it Saw Palmetto or something? 3 weeks is so fast for seeing results

[Robbi Dehlinger]

Hi!

I think it may have saw palmetto in it? The company that markets it is called NuHair, I buy the stuff at Walgreen's Drugs. Maybe I am lucky to get such quick results? But I can see some whispy new hairs in area where it is thin and some new "fuzz" in the "barren areas.

I also use Garnier "Length 'n Strength" formula shampoo

Robbi