Hairloss Support Thread

[spiraleeee]

I just came back to this forum after realizing that i have had no growth in two years, roughly shoulder length, and lots of shedding. Looking for a thread like this. I think I might have hair loss issues- need to start examining factors that might be contributing. I think of myself as having very thick hair, but I don't anymore, and I shed a lot. I think I'd like to look into the thyroid issue- thanks for bringing that up java. I have had my thyroid checked out along with lots of other things about a year ago, but I still think it may be part of the issue. Never really sure what to ask the doctor for.

[Strongnlong]

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

Aww Thank You kindly Chloe (always loved that name!) The oil blend I use contains Grapeseed as the primary carrier mixed with jojoba. The added e/o's are: lavendar, rosemary, cedarwood, & thyme.
I'm a henna head too! I can't imagine how much thinner my hair would be without regular applications!

I've also used MN & saw impressive results but MN seemed to make my migrains worse so I discontinued use.

[Javadandy]

I just came back to this forum after realizing that i have had no growth in two years, roughly shoulder length, and lots of shedding. Looking for a thread like this. I think I might have hair loss issues- need to start examining factors that might be contributing. I think of myself as having very thick hair, but I don't anymore, and I shed a lot. I think I'd like to look into the thyroid issue- thanks for bringing that up java. I have had my thyroid checked out along with lots of other things about a year ago, but I still think it may be part of the issue. Never really sure what to ask the doctor for.

Spiraleeee - I had actually been ill from low thyroid my entire life, but thyroid gets a bad rap! When I was finally sick enough to take it seriously, I still had a doctor think it was something else. I was raised (as was my husband) to think of thyroid problems as the "cheesecake eating disease" - the very large woman chomping on a big piece of cheesecake with a diet coke. Then she complains she is not losing weight because of her thyroid. It's like Leno or Letterman are telling this BIG joke. When I told my husband, he looked at me with his big blue eyes and straight as a pin he said, "but you don't eat enough to have thyroid problems". I know that sounds like a joke, but it isn't.

So I researched and found the thyroid.about.com site. That's why you need to keep a log or diary and keep you test result numbers! not just whether they are "normal" or not. In my case with the autoimmune antibodies, my normal is a lot lower than other peoples. When I was diagnosed, my pulse was 55, and I had a nurse quip that I must be a good "runner". I could barely walk...but they thought I was "tolerant to exercise". I track TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. You can't be hyper if your free #'s are in the normal range and often doctors can't see past the TSH, which can be a red herring. I wish you luck getting tested, and let me know if I can offer any more help.

Marian

[ChloeDharma]

Aww Thank You kindly Chloe (always loved that name!) The oil blend I use contains Grapeseed as the primary carrier mixed with jojoba. The added e/o's are: lavendar, rosemary, cedarwood, & thyme.
I'm a henna head too! I can't imagine how much thinner my hair would be without regular applications!

I've also used MN & saw impressive results but MN seemed to make my migrains worse so I discontinued use.

You are very welcome hun xxxx.....the henna explains alot.....i was looking at the more recent pic and thinking it just looks so glossy and rich! That EO blend is a good choice, i'm sure you know it was used in a study on alopecia. Carry on like you are and that hair is going to make jaws drop!!

[Ellswyth]

I'm joining.

After the post partum shedding (and treated following thyroid problem) my hair was thick, and grew fast.

after my second son, I lost 1/3 of my volume, and even nearly two years later it has not come back, although I did have some regrowth.

somedays it's very hard. I used to love taking pictures of my hair and seeing the length, now I just notice the difference.

[Ms Monnie]

Thanks CD, for what you said about my hair. It is a little different now but I still appreciate the sentiment. At least it's still red and it's still long, I've got to keep remembering that and be thankful .

Java, I had a look at the thyroid website. A lot of the answers to the quiz leaned to being "thyroidy" but I already have M.E. and I believe lots of the symptoms can be similar. In fact I remember one studying implying M.E. had an association with thyroid problems or that is was caused by it, but there have been lots of studies and lots of glands and organs are associated with M.E.. I had a lot of blood tests when I was first being diagnosed and nothing came up (M.E. tends to be diagnosed after a process of eliminating other possibilities) however I'm seeing a new specialist when I turn 18 and she took some blood when I met with her. She said that although she knows I have be drained to within an inch of my life(!) already, that most blood tests check for only one thing in particular and this would be very detailed and extensive and so I'm sure will check my thyroid.

I've heard that the most common deficiency that causes hair loss is iron deficiany. Iron in supplement form can be hard to absorb though, in particular it needs vitamin C alongside with it. This is the iron formula that I take, and apparently it's the best. The only problem I have is remembering to take it every day because I have to keep it in the fridge and not beside all the pills I have to take every day.

Tigerdawn, he's probably more experienced with male pattern balding which doesn't tend to grow back. I think that it's entirely possible, in fact the whole of my head is covered with a halo of varying lengths of beautiful new growth so I know it's possible.

ETA: My current order of vitamins is still in the post, either due to an Easter rush or (god-forbid) lost. So I have been without one of my "key ingredients" for a couple of weeks. I'm trying to be very zen and not worry about the effect it might have.

[Javadandy]

Ms Monnie, I believe you are quite correct about iron. You can't use the stress or thyroid hormones properly in your blood without the iron. Actually what you want to monitor is the level of ferritin. I was still feeling pretty hypo but the tests were "good" and my doctor did not put 2 + 2 together. I asked for a ferritin test at my routine throid boards and viola! I had a level of 30. You should have 100 to 130 for best cellular function. It took me about 6 months on easy-iron (ferrous bis-glycinate - easy on the digestion) and I would felt less fatigued every day. There is no talk in the plains states about M.E. - I had to read up on it, but it sounds auto-immunesque. I hope they can keep a handle on it for you. I keep a journal of all my tests, because (IMO) doctors are fashionistas - what is the rage today (vitamin D deficiency) will be out of style tomorrow (iron deficiency). Doctors are people too, but the way they treat thyroid is like the way they treat hair on "What Not to Wear" Hang in there! The more you know, the better outcome and results you will get!

[KateMcC]

Thank you for setting up this thread. In the past two years, I have suffered/survived strokes, heart procedures, auto-immune disease, a clotting and a bleeding disorder (yes, one body can have both simultaneously!), and now my doctors are looking at Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism and perhaps metabolic syndrome. ARGH!! I just got out of the hospital three days ago, and I have more questions than answers. Good news --I have to keep finding the silver lining-- is that my doctors are all really amazing specialists/researchers and are determined to work together and figure this out. I have hope.

Bad news is the hair. I've been trying to ignore the thinning and drying, telling myself it is just vanity, but when you don't feel good AND don't look good, it's like a double punishment. I lost some hair to a CT/MRI oops, to general body stress, to medication, to radiation, etc. etc. I don't think there is any one cause for my hair thinning, but the end result is that I have lost over 1/3 of my volume (as per my original hair journal when I joined LHC). My DH trims my hair for me, and we are just trying to keep in somewhere between BL and Waist with a neat hemline and some sort of illusion to health. I wear it in a variety of buns, but now my top is also getting thin, so I'm afraid to put anymore stress there.

Thank you for sharing your stories. I love this site, but stayed away for awhile as it seemed to remind me of what I'm losing, rather than what I'm gaining.

[ChloeDharma]

I love this site, but stayed away for awhile as it seemed to remind me of what I'm losing, rather than what I'm gaining.

I can completely relate to that and at times have done exactly the same thing for the same reason. So many times i've nearly given up growing to long lengths thinking i'm flogging a dead horse.

[girlcat36]

Grrrrr....I am having a huge shed for last 2 weeks, and I had been doing so well!!
It's weird, there is a lot of shorter hairs coming out that have never been cut. They just can't be terminal at 5-6 inches!!