I wanted to let you know I just started a new blog that’s all about hair loss – especially female hair loss. It’s called Hair Loss Hell! My plan is to continue updating Savvy Skin with posts about all things skin care – acne, anti-aging prevention, makeup, hair care, etc. And Hair Loss Hell will be all about preventing and treating hair loss, coping with hair loss, and hair replacement.

On Hair Loss Hell, you can sign up for its RSS feed there, or receive posts via email, just like you can do separately for Savvy Skin.

Check out HairLossHell.com, and if you don’t suffer from hair loss personally, please tell any of your friends about it who may be dealing with hair problems. Thanks! ;) Jeni

Related posts:

1. My Hair Loss Story
2. Female Hair Loss – A Never-ending Nightmare
3. Emu Oil Benefits For Hair And Skin

And where does emu oil come from, and what are the ingredients? Warning: it comes from the fat of the emu, which is an Australian animal that is similar to the ostrich. Obviously emu oil is not right for anyone that is adverse to using animal products. The only ingredient in it is emu oil, which is comprised of a few types of fatty acids.

Emu oil for hair loss
The main reason I bought emu oil is because I’m desperate for a cure to my hair loss, and I’ll try just about anything to fix it. I picked up the Longview Farms brand at my local vitamin store (it was $10-15 for 2 oz). The theory behind it is that it inhibits the DHT on your scalp, which is what contributes to genetic hair loss. You’re supposed to rub it on a few times a day to increase hair growth. Here’s the main problem, though – it’s really greasy! It makes my hair look so oily, so I have only been putting it on at night, and then washing it off in the morning.

Since I’ve been using Rogaine, which dries out my scalp like crazy, it definitely helps with the itching and flakiness. Because of the greasiness, I’ve only been using emu oil a few times a week for the last month, and it’s too soon to say if it has any benefits for hair loss. Emu oil can also be used to treat dry hair and increase moisture and shine. I haven’t coated my hair with it, but if you have really dry hair, maybe it would be a good leave-in conditioner.

* Buy Emu Oil at Amazon *

Emu oil for acne
Emu oil is also promoted as being beneficial for acne, but I would highly caution against using it if you have acne-prone skin. I used it on my face every night for a week, and I started to develop a lot of clogged pores. It was then that I realized that emu oil is very high in oleic acid, which is extremely pore clogging! I have no idea why emu oil is said to get rid of acne! My opinion – it gives you more acne!

Emu oil for wrinkles and dry facial skin
I had read emu oil works wonders on plumping up aging skin, moisturizing dry skin, and reducing the appearance of wrinkles like nothing else. Emu oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties, is supposed to penetrate into your skin better than most ingredients, and help to lock in moisture. That’s why I used it on my face – to see how well it works for wrinkles. In the week I used it, I didn’t feel like it made my skin look any better than jojoba oil, and jojoba oil has the benefit of not being an animal product, and not causing acne. So if you are looking for a natural facial moisturizer, I would suggest jojoba oil over emu oil. Neither of these products can actually get rid of wrinkles, but they can reduce the appearance of them by moisturizing your skin.

Emu oil for eczema and psoriasis
I don’t have either of these ailments, so I can’t attest to how well it works for them, but a lot of people claim it’s the only thing that has really helped with these conditions. Speak to your doctor before using emu oil on eczema or psoriasis, but it could be a good addition to your treatment plan. It’s also supposed to work well on super dry areas on your body – knees, elbows, feet, etc.

Emu oil for arthritis pain
Many people rub emu oil onto their painful arthritic joints to alleviate inflammation and pain. Does it work? It seems improbable that it would actually work, but some people claim it does! I actually have arthritis in my fingers that acts up from time to time, so the next time I encounter stiff finger joints, maybe I’ll try emu oil and see what happens.

Bottom line: Personally I haven’t found emu oil to be a miracle for any of my personal issues – hair loss, acne, and wrinkles. I will continue using it on my hair to see what happens, but I’m not holding my breath that it will help. The rave reviews online about emu oil making your skin look ten years younger, and glow like crazy are also what got me to try it, but again I’m not overly impressed. Have you tried emu oil? Has it helped?

Related posts:

1. My Hair Loss Story
2. My New Hair Loss Blog!
3. Female Hair Loss – A Never-ending Nightmare

What sucks for me is that I’ve been fixated on hair since I was like 12, and I only have one great fear in life – losing my hair. And now my biggest fear is a reality. Talk about bad luck. I have started to wonder if I’m conjuring up hair loss – where what you focus on most ends up happening - like “The Secret.”

Androgenetic Alopecia – genetic female hair loss
Yesterday I got dealt a life sentence – a diagnosis of Androgenetic Alopecia – genetic hair loss. As you can read in my hair loss story (which I haven’t updated in a few years), countless doctors have told me I have Telogen Effluvium, which is a “temporary” hair loss condition, where you hair sheds like crazy due to a temporary issue. Common causes of Telogen Effluvium include going on or off birth control pills, giving birth, having surgery, going on a crash diet, having Hypothyroid, having low iron, etc. The shedding usually starts a few months after the causal event, and it stops, in theory, once the event is over. I seriously thought I had Chronic Telogen Effluvium for the last 10 years from some yet to be diagnosed hidden problem, because my hair sheds hundreds of hairs a day, and it never ends.

The most recent hair loss diagnosis
I’m 35 now, and earlier this year the hair on my temples started receding and the hair in front started looking sparser and thinner in diameter, so I knew I was probably showing signs of Androgenetic Alopecia. My dad is pretty bald, and my mom’s hair is now thin, so it’s really no surprise – I had just hoped the past 8 doctors were all correct in their diagnosis of Telogen Effluvium that “would resolve on its own.” Anyway, yesterday I went to a Dermatologist that has studied hair loss for years, and my Endocrinologist called him “the hair guy” in Vegas. The last few weeks my hair shedding has doubled (possibly as a side effect of the Rogaine I started using a month or two ago), and it’s looking thinner every week! The doctor took one look at my head, and coupled with the fact my parents both have thin hair, he diagnosed me with Androgenetic Alopecia. My hair is becoming miniaturized in the front, which furthered his diagnosis. A scalp biopsy was unnecessary, because it was plain as day what was going on! His suggestion was to keep up with the Rogaine, and there’s nothing else to do – it’s only hair – get over it. Thanks. I had heard he wasn’t a sympathetic guy, so I was prepared. He wouldn’t write me prescriptions for anything (like Spironlactone), which I will probably try soon, if I can find yet another doctor to see that will prescribe it.

Going Crazy
As devastated as I am, I am so tired of people (namely my friends and family) telling me I’m crazy, and that my hair isn’t falling out. Giant clumps fall out everywhere everyday, and people claim I am just pulling my hair out. People tell me my hair looks fine, even though in the same sentence they claim I’ve done something to make it go from super curly to limp and straight now (that’s what happens when you hardly have any hair left). The shedding is driving me insane, and all I want to do is chop my hair off like Emma Watson, so that I won’t see hairs everywhere. Every hair that falls out makes me slightly more crazy. Then I am told that women don’t look good with short hair because it’s not attractive. My boyfriend has said on several occasions that I won’t look good with short hair, and that I will hate it (which I probably will). Finally, I’m told that my female relatives that have thinning hair look “awful.” WTF?

Society sucks
Usually I don’t care what people think about me, and if people laugh at something I’m wearing, fine. But I’m sensitive about my hair loss, because it’s something that is embarrassing to me and something that I haven’t been able to control. Even though it’s natural, like aging, female hair loss is deemed “unacceptable” in our society. That’s what really kills me. Women with shaved heads are mocked, and even wigs, extensions, and weaves are joked about, even though they can look great. I know enough not to take jabs personally, but it’s still painful to see how people are treated. I don’t know what my future hair plans will be if it gets a lot worse. I am pretty low maintenance, and that’s another reason this scares me so much – I don’t want to limit my activities if I’m wearing hair, and I am nervous to walk around bald! I already tried on one wig last week, and I’m going to visit a hair store soon to learn my options.

Future steps
Last year, I was diagnosed with possible Hypothyroid, and a year of medication (Armour) didn’t help my hair at all, and the hyper side effects from the medication made me think I didn’t really have the disease. I still have low ferritin levels, so I continue to take iron pills and monitor that. I’ve had sooo many blood tests, and will be having more. I take tons of vitamins, eat healthy(ish), do yoga, and do a lot of the things that you’re “supposed” to do to grow hair. I have lousy health insurance, so I spend thousands of dollars a year trying to manage my hair loss, and I wonder if I’m just wasting my money. If I was rich, I’d be doing even more tests, though!

Finally, since hair loss is my worst nightmare come true, and the worst thing that’s happened to me in my entire life, I am hoping it will help alleviate my overall anxiety (if it doesn’t first give me a heart attack). I guess I watch too much of the show “Obsessed” but by exposing myself to my biggest fear, I feel like all of my other fears have vanished. And I know “it’s only hair” and there are so many worse things out there, but I would guess 90% of women would be just as devastated if it happened to them too.

Please visit my new blog Hair Loss Hell.

Related posts:

1. My New Hair Loss Blog!
2. My Hair Loss Story
3. Does Rogaine Cause Wrinkles?

After running out of RevitaBrow, I bought a bottle of castor oil at my local vitamin store because of its supposed ability to regrow eyebrows. Since I’ve had thinning eyebrows for years, trying new eyebrow growth treatments (including using Rogaine to grow eyebrows) is one of my favorite hobbies. Castor oil is super cheap (about $5 for 8 oz) so I was hoping it would work!

What is castor oil?
It’s a vegetable oil and triglyceride made from the seed of the castor plant. Castor oil is also called Ricinus Communis and its main “ingredient” is the fatty acid Ricinoleic acid.

Why would it regrow eyebrows?
That’s a good question, because I haven’t actually been able to find that answer anywhere – all I’ve found are people saying it works. Castor oil has the ability to penetrate deep into the skin, it has anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s high in fatty acids. None of those reasons explain why it would help with growing hair, though.  

Castor Oil application
Nonetheless, it’s cheap, so I wanted to try it! I’ve been applying it once a day to my eyebrows with a q-tip. After I do my makeup, I just paint it on my eyebrows and rub it into the skin a little bit. What’s great is that it removes some of the extra sunscreen that globs up under the hair of my brows, so it makes them look cleaner. But it can also remove your makeup, so be careful with application! Or just apply it at night.

Does it work?
After a few weeks of not using the RevitaBrow, and using the castor oil instead, I’ve noticed my really dark eyebrows have gone back to their original color, and the hairs aren’t quite as thick as they were with the RevitaBrow. I’ve been using castor oil for two months on my eyebrows, and I can’t say I’ve seen any results. When you first apply it, it coats your eyebrows, in the same way vaseline does, so the hairs initially look a little plumper or darker, but that’s just because they’re covered in oil. As far as hair growth goes – I haven’t seen any. I still have little sparse areas, and haven’t seen any new hairs growing in. I haven’t seen any thickening or darkening of the hairs, or anything at all. A lot of people swear by castor oil for eyebrows, but I can’t say I’m one of those people. I will probably keep using it for a few more weeks, and then toss it, unless something miraculous happens.

Castor oil for eyelashes?
Caution: A lot of people use castor oil to grow eyelashes, but this is not recommended! The bottle says right on it - Warning: Avoid contact with eyes. Lots of people report having eye problems after using this on their eyelashes, so don’t try it!

Have you used castor oil on your eyebrows? Did it work for you?

Related posts:

1. Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
2. RevitaBrow Review
3. Skimpy Thinning Eyebrows

My hair loss issues and use of Rogaine
Here is my hair loss story, which I wrote a few years ago. I had tried 2% Women’s Rogaine a few years back, and used it twice a day for 8 months, but I didn’t see any improvement in my hair, so I gave up. I didn’t have any side effects from it, except for a flaky scalp. At the time I thought I was just experiencing chronic non-permanent hair loss (Telogen Effluvium) due to either a low thyroid, low iron, poor absorption of nutrients, or some other mystery reason. It’s crazy that I’ve been researching hair loss for so long and have seen countless doctors but none of them know anything.

Most recently, I’ve experienced thinning temples and I think my hairline is receding, so I’m starting to realize the fact that both of my parents have thin hair probably means I also have genetic hair loss (Androgenetic Alopecia). So last week I started on 5% Men’s Minoxidil (it should be safe for women if you are not pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are nursing, but you should talk to your doctor first). Actually what I bought was Spectral DNC, which is like Men’s Rogaine, but it also contains Aminexil, Retinol, Copper Peptides, and some other ingredients that supposedly promote hair loss, and unlike Rogaine, it doesn’t contain alcohol. The alcohol in Rogaine caused my scalp to get dry and flaky. Ugh.

Since the day I started on the Spectral DNC, I’ve had a low-grade headache. Headaches are a possible side effect of Minoxidil, probably due to the fact that it lowers blood pressure. Even though you just spray Minoxidil on your head, the ingredients can be absorbed systemically to some degree. The fact that a topical solution is giving me headaches is a pretty good indicator of that. There are some other possible rare but severe systemic side effects from Spectral DNC, as well as from Rogaine. I was looking up when/if the headache would go away on Google, and I discovered all of these people talking about Rogaine causing accelerated aging, wrinkles, enlarged pores, dark circles, and bags under the eyes. OMG! The horror! Do I want to be bald or do I want a face full of wrinkles? I know thinning hair and massive wrinkles run in my family, so I definitely can’t rely on good genes to help me out.

Does science show Rogaine causes wrinkles?
I spent hours trying to track down scientific studies that show the link between Minoxidil and aging. Apparently Minoxidil can cause a degradation of skin’s collagen, which is what would probably cause the accelerated aging. From what I’ve read, the studies used a much higher concentration of Minoxidil than you would apply daily, and I haven’t found any studies that actually test applying topical Rogaine and studying the results on people’s skin. Skin problems are not listed as any of the side effects on the packaging of Rogaine or Spectral DNC. All I know is that a bunch of random people on the internet are reporting problems. Maybe these people are obsessed with their hair, like I am, and they now also spend more time looking at their faces in the mirror, and they just didn’t notice the wrinkles that have always been there, but I doubt that’s the case most of the time.

Now what?
Now normally I wouldn’t completely trust some random people on the internet, but what if it’s true??? The problem with wrinkles is that they’re really hard to get rid of. That’s why I spend so much time talking about prevention. Maybe your skin would improve a little bit if you stopped the Rogaine, but wrinkles are usually pretty permanent. I don’t know if I’m willing to take that chance?? But I don’t want to be bald either. When I was using the 2% Rogaine, I didn’t notice that I had an increase in wrinkles, but some days I’ll look in the mirror and think I look 50, while other days I think I look 25. But overall, I don’t recall a dramatic change. A lot of people don’t report the increase in skin problems for at least a year of use, though. With Rogaine, if it works, you need to use it forever or you will lose the new hair/thicker hair that you gained, so that’s a lot of potential wrinkles, if it really does cause them.

Conclusion
At this point I’m still freaking out and don’t know what to do. A rational person would quit the Minoxidil because of the headaches. But I’m not rational - I’m desperate for hair and nice skin. Maybe I will cut back to just once a day, even though the directions say you must use it twice a day. Maybe I will just test one very small patch of my hair for the next few months – just to see if it even works on my hair. If I don’t see any results, I will quit using it again. If I see results, then I’ll be at a crossroads – risk wrinkles for thicker hair? If the headaches never go away, I will probably have to stop using it anyway, or I may quit the Spectral DNC and pick up some 5% Rogaine to see if that reduces the headaches. Finally, when applying Rogaine, make sure to let it dry before geting into bed, to prevent it from getting on your pillow and then getting onto your face. Also make sure you wipe away any extra if it drips onto your forehead, and wash your hands with soap and water after applying the solution.

I know a lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about hair loss because it’s so upsetting, but have you used Rogaine? If so, have you seen a negative impact on your skin? What are you doing to treat your hair loss?

Related posts:

1. Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
2. Prevent Wrinkles By Tinting Your Car Windows
3. My Hair Loss Story

For several years, I’ve had skimpy, sparse, thinning eyebrows that never grow in thicker. The outer third of my eyebrows is what is the most effected, and the hair there is almost completely missing. As I’ve stated before, my thinning eyebrows are either from having them waxed, which has permanently damaged the hair follicles, or the thinning is from having Hypothyroid, a very common disease, especially among women. Most of the hairs that were waxed underneath the eyebrow hairs I still have left have ceased growing in as well, which leads me to believe waxing is a major culprit in my problem. I used to get my eyebrows waxed every three months, and it’s now been two years since my last wax! So I guess I am lucky that I’m saving all that money:(

Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
Rogaine, the topical solution that can help to grow thinning hair on your head, is not FDA approved for use anywhere but your scalp, but out of desperation I used it on my eyebrows. If you are interested in trying it on your eyebrows, please consult a Dermatologist, and don’t necessarily follow what I did! A lot of women use Rogaine on their eyebrows, but again it’s not recommended for that and can be dangerous since the product is being placed near your eyes.

Nonetheless, I applied 2% Rogaine (the Women’s version) with a Q-tip to my eyebrows twice a day for over six months. I didn’t wax or tweeze my eyebrows at all during this time (except a few stray hairs underneath my eyebrows). After the six months, I saw No Results! :( I then gave up, and haven’t tried anything else for my eyebrows since then. Since some women report Rogaine does work to regrow their eyebrows, my theory is that it does work for some people, or they didn’t have a problem in the first place. I have a feeling some women will have their eyebrows waxed, tweezed, or threaded, and they will find their eyebrows have been overplucked, so they will freak out, and then try Rogaine, or another product, to try to grow them in faster. Since the hair follicles haven’t been damaged, the hair will grow back in, and the women will attribute this success to the Rogaine. That’s just my theory!

Other Eyebrow Regrowing Treatments
There are tons of different products on the market that claim they will regrow dormant eyebrow hairs, and they are perfectly safe to use on eyebrows. Since my disappointing results with Rogaine, I’ve been afraid to spend money on anything else, but I probably will in the future, especially since some stores offer money-back guarantees.

Eyebrow Serums I want to try:
Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum
Billion Dollar Brows

Finally, on a side note, I’ve been on medication for low thyroid (Hypothyroid) for the last nine months, and it also has had no effect on regrowing my missing eyebrows:(

Have you had success regrowing your eyebrows? Have you tried any products that have actually worked?

Related posts:

1. Skimpy Thinning Eyebrows
2. Castor Oil For Eyebrows
3. A New Way To Shape Eyebrows

Waxing can cause permanent hair loss
I’ve always heard about how your eyebrow hairs can stop growing in, or will grow in slower, if you get them waxed all the time. I’ve been getting my eyebrows waxed for about 8 years, and while I used to need them redone every 6 weeks, now I can go 4 months (I’ll pluck a stray hair here or there) without needing them waxed again. Maybe after all these years my hair follicles are getting permanently damaged.

Have you heard of Traction Alopecia? That’s a type of hair loss that happens when your hair is constantly being pulled on a daily basis, and after a while it starts to fall out, and it may not come back. Ballerinas (who wear their hair in tight buns) sometimes develop this problem, and women that wear their hair in tight ponytails or tight braids all the time, can also have this problem. People that have a disorder where they pull their hair out all the time (Trichotillomania) may also suffer permanent hair loss.

Apparently long term eyebrow waxing can also cause a similar effect. I never really thought this was possible, but now that my hair is taking months to come back in, I’m going to be a little more conservative about how much of my eyebrows I wax. Now that I can see my hair growth really is slowing down, I do believe waxing can cause permanent hair loss. I guess there is the possibility, though, that the hair could come back eventually if left alone. In the meantime, here’s a new way to shape eyebrows.

Thyroid disorders can cause thinning eyebrows
For several years I have suspected I have a mild case of Hypothyroid, a very common disorder than I would estimate effects 10% of women, and probably a higher percentage of older women. Even Oprah has finally discovered she’s Hypothyroid. I have been to several doctors, and have not yet taken any thyroid medication, because I am being cautious since I’m on the borderline of needing it. It turns out, though, that one symptom of Hypothyroid is having thinning eyebrows, and specifically missing the outer third of your eyebrows! If you have this issue, and are having other health problems, read up on Hypothyroid, and then consult your doctor if you think you may have a thyroid problem.

Testing for, and treating Hypothyroid is complicated, and the reason I haven’t gone on medication is because I’m afraid it will make my hair fall out. The irony is that being Hypothyroid can also cause your hair to fall out! I will probably get another round of blood work done soon, and then will consider taking Armour, which I don’t believe has hair loss as a side effect.

Related posts:

1. Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
2. A New Way To Shape Eyebrows
3. Eyebrow Waxing

As I’ve briefly mentioned before, I’ve had problems with hair loss for the last several years. I had spent months and months researching women’s hair loss, and literally spent hours a day reading up on the topic. I tried so many things, saw at least 8 different doctors, and nothing really worked that well. I continue to read up on hair loss when I have time, and my goal is to find a cure for hair loss (especially women’s hair loss). The reason I started a blog about skin care, rather than hair loss, is because I’ve actually found a lot of things that work when it comes to getting rid of acne and wrinkles, and improving your complexion.

I will continue to research hair loss, and will soon post information about it. I just get really stressed out when I think about hair loss, which is why it’s hard for me to continually focus on it. So far I’ve been lucky, and my hair loss hasn’t gotten worse in the past 5 years, and it’s actually better than it was at its worst point.

Related posts:

1. My New Hair Loss Blog!
2. Female Hair Loss – A Never-ending Nightmare
3. Emu Oil Benefits For Hair And Skin