*Click here to read my hair loss story was just posted at the Women’s Hair Loss Project blog*
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.
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October 15th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Jeni,
Hair loss is devastating. I think I read in one of your earlier posts that it may be hereditary. Is that the case? When my hormones started acting up, I had an over production of androgens which was causing my hair to fall out in clumps and in the beginning by handfuls. I cried and cried every day and got into the awful habit of guess-timating how much hair I had lost-which made me get even more depressed. I reached my lowest point when the hair at my temples was gone. It took months before baby fine hair started growing back in and it’s still very thin now. To help stem off additional hair loss my doctor prescribed Spironolactone. It’s an anti-androgen and it did help but it takes a really long time to work.
Just recently I read a scientific study that shows RETIN-A ( I believe) can be used to stimulate new hair growth. I will look for it and either post the link here or email it to you.
October 15th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Yeah hair loss is the worst! As bad as acne is, hair loss is a million times worse I think. I don’t know if my hair loss is hereditary, but it wouldn’t be surprising since my dad is pretty bald, and my mom has thinning hair. I’ve had various blood tests and hormone tests, but nothing conclusive has come out. What test did you do to discover you have an overproduction of androgens? From the 10 or so doctors I’ve been to, they all seem to think I don’t have Androgenetic Alopecia (genetic hair loss), but I still have no idea. I do have thinning hair around my temples too! Rogaine didn’t work for me at all.
I’m on Yasmin bcp, which has the same ingredients as Spiro. If I wasn’t on the pill (to help my acne) I would be taking Spiro instead. I have read that retin-a can help make the use of Rogaine more effective, but I haven’t heard of it working by itself.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I think nowadays the cause of hair loss for some women are the chemicals that were used in the salons. Different hair dyes, hair straighteners and a lot more. Women were very conscious now than before. I think we should lessen the used of chemical that will really affect out health and stick into basics.
January 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I will watch for any updates on your research. I used to have long thick hair but now its long and thin. After a 6 week stint on the medifast diet, my hair started falling out by the handfuls due to the low calorie plan they make you follow (750-900 calories a day!) I have noticeable spots at the temples and the beginning of my part is very sparse. I use rosemary oil to stimulate new growth and also take biotin. I have about 3 inches of new growth that has taken 6 months to get so far but its better than nothing. I will never again do another fad diet!
Still, I cringe every time I brush my hair and my drains are always clogging. I wish it would stop. I’m not a vain woman but my hair is very important to me and its not something you can hide so i worry a lot about getting a bald spot at some point in the future. My mom has spots where her scalp shows through and her hair is very short and very fine. My oldest sister also has thin hair and her scalp shows through (she is 47). I dont use gels, mousse, hair spray or anything that might weaken the structure…but still..it continues to fall out. Very frustrating!
January 14th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Have you tried Nioxon shampoo & scalp therapy? It is recommended by hair stylists and I have used it myslf with success.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Claudia,
Yeah I’ve used Nioxin but it didn’t do anything for me. I’m glad it’s worked for you! I’ve also used Nizoral, which is recommended by Dermatologists, but it made my hair fall out like crazy every time I washed it!
I’ve had the best luck with Neutrogena T/Gel. It’s an anti-inflammatory shampoo, and it doesn’t cause my hair to shed like crazy like Nioxin and Nizoral. It hasn’t cured me, but it hasn’t made the problem worse.
January 28th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I’ve been having the same problems. I’m also on Yasmin for acne. It’s definitely helped my acne but my hair falls out by the chunks. I’m getting really frustrated. I’ve tried nioxin but i think it’s too harsh for my scalp so I switched to Burt’s Bees and I thought it was working pretty well for me (it’s all natural and doesn’t contain SLS) but this past week my hair started falling out by the chunks again and I’m not sure why. It might be the harsh winter and indoor heat. I can feel my scalp is really dry. So, I bought Aveda’s beautifying composition (main ingredient is jojoba oil) to rub on my scalp and the itching has gone away and I’m waiting to see if it will decrease the hair loss. Please keep posting on this topic. I hope someone will find a solution before i go bald!
January 31st, 2008 at 3:24 am
karmen,
Hair loss is the worst! Ugh! I have been using Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo a few times a week. It doesn’t make my hair shed in the shower as much as Nioxin or Nizoral, and it has zinc, so it’s possibly calming to the scalp. I am still working on the answer to hair loss. Personally I’ve been taking a lot of vitamins lately, because I think I’m low in iron especially.
Also check out http://www.womenshairlossproject.com because there are a lot of women there that are going through the same thing, and there are a lot of different ideas there about what could be causing hair loss.
February 4th, 2008 at 7:39 am
have any of you tried the amazinglasercomb? I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews but it’s so expensive I don’t want to buy it and not have results.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Karmen,
I haven’t tried that, or the other laser comb. I’d want to try it, but I haven’t found enough positive reviews yet to risk the money, and the time/committment it would take. A lot of women are nervous it will cause more hair to fall out initially, but I’d be willing to risk that if I could try the comb for free.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
My hair loss began when I was in my early 30s but was never really bad. What helped me the most was understanding that it is mostly a hormonal issue. Books by Geoffrey Redmond and Elizabeth Vliet were total god sends. Dr. Redmond actually helped develop Ortho and Ortho Tri Cyclen, the former of which has been my pill of choice for the last 4 years and more or less saved my life. Redmond and Vliet disagree on one key thing and that is soy, and I can’t stress it enough: soy does cause and reinforce hair loss, and is a seriously dangerous food. I went off it in 2004 and added it back last fall because I thought I had been “too strict” and started having Balance Bars every day for breakfast. My employment ID which was shot in Feb of this year is so scary, my part widened to what looks like a half inch and I look like death warmed over. Even though I’d been on the pill continuously for months. I think it’s really all about estrogen and keeping as much of it in my system as I can on a daily basis. I went off the soy in Feb and my hair has mostly grown back in. Redmond says that some women need spironolactone to block androgens. He has an office in NY and does have a practice that focuses on hair loss, if you wanted to talk to someone. Vliet is closer by in Tucson. I hope you are feeling OK.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Countless numbers of women are secretly suffering from improper removal of hair extensions, braids, braiding hair extensions, add-on hair, fusion, bonding hair glue, weaves and dreadlocks.
It is affecting the self esteem and self worth of several growing girls as well. Add-on hair should be worn for enhancing beauty-not because of self inflicted balding and hair damage.
Many of these women are so embarrassed; they are even hiding their baldness from their husbands.
Salons and retailers that sell wigs, hair glue, hair attachments, braids, extensions and add-on hair or retailers that are considering expanding into this industry segment; must understand that application and removal go hand-n-hand. Retailers are doing their customers an injustice by not providing a product for safe removal if they sell wigs, hair attachments, braiding hair, extensions and add-on hair.
Salon professionals or home users don’t have the time or patience to remove braids, bonding glue, hot-fusion, dreadlocks, weaves or hair extensions the right way. Home users are suffering from thinning and balding when they snatch the bonding glue out of their hair. Or when they rush by ripping braids out of their hair without combing through the knots and tangles at the root of the hair. Many stylists are experiencing the same problems with their clients.
If you want to satisfy your customers provide them with quality wigs, braids, hair extensions and add-on hair, then please go a step further to offer them the best products to maintain and remove these styles.
TAKE DOWN®, a name brand in the hair care industry trusted by salon professionals and home users both domestically and internationally is the only option for safe removal of braids, hair glue, extensions, weaves, dreadlocks, and add-on hair.
TAKE DOWN® products offers seminars to educate on how to add hair attachments to natural hair- maintain and then remove the hair attachments-leaving healthy hair. The company also offers a complete line of products to suit each individual’s hair type and texture.
Our mission is to maintain and preserve your God given beauty
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August 10th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Why do I always read conflicting information? I read somewhere on the web that soy is good for hair loss. But now I hear that it’s not. I honestly don’t think that it is. After I read that a class of soy milk is good for hair loss I started drinking it and it seemed my hair shedding went on over drive. Then I switched back to organic milk and it seems to be a little better but still shedding. My hair is thinner then ever. I’m very depressed a crying all the time. It’s so hard to hold it back when I’m at work too. People probably think I’m crazy or bipolar. I started taking hair essentials that has Saw Palmetto in it. I’ve been taking saw palmetto for about a month and the shedding seems to have slowed a tiny bit. I know it hasn’t been long enough but we will see. I’ve also been taking biotin for about a month too and changed my diet completely. Trying to eat healthy but definitely not trying to loss weight. I’m just eating more organic food and less processed food. It’s only been a month so we will see if it works.
If anyone has any more suggestions please let me know.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hey, do you have a filter in your shower? Since I came to the US ive noticed that ive been losing more hair than normal, im convinced its something to do with the water. I think shower filters are definetly worth investing in, I havent used one yet but ive heard alot of good things about them. The reviews say that people notice a big difference in their skin and hair in the first week. So this may be good news for acne too ( I hope!)
July 12th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Louise,
It wasn’t until I moved to another city that my hair loss really got bad, so I too thought it was the water. I did buy a chlorine shower filter and used it for about a year, but I didn’t notice any difference in my hair or skin at all. And the water here in Vegas is really hard, so that was sort of surprising. I stopped using the showerhead because the water pressure from it was really low. I will probably buy another filter soon, though, to see if I have better luck this time around. I know the tap water where I live is really bad for your skin and hair, so even if I don’t notice a difference, it’s still better than showering with tap water.
July 13th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Jeni
It may be worth trying a different brand next time Aquasauna and Sprite are aparently the most popular choices. I really wish you the best of luck!
July 21st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I feel like looking at my bottle of shampoo and screaming “you lying *%$#&, what, what…I gave you my money, you lousy *&^$$)#!” Well, for someone that suffers from a marital separation this year from a smokaholic, not to mention a really bad hair dying episode over the gray matter – my hair needs a therapist. Serious therapy…on the lighter side of the spectrum, reading about all of the options can bring a spinning buzz – so glad to have checked this out – some of the not so popular suggestions found here just so happened to be my hairstylists picks…maybe she needs therapy too.
August 14th, 2010 at 8:42 am
My hair has been falling out ever since I took out my braids last year oct in 2009. I use to use a lot of hair spray and gel I stop using it for 7months already. My hair was thick and very long, now its long and thin. I do stress when I think a lot about my hair falling out. I do have split ends. Also my eyebrow hair fall out but not a lot and so does my eyelash I don’t know if its because my allergies but it is worrying me to death and I don’t use makeup nothing like that I don’t use nothing I don’t feel Ill at all I’m only 18. My anxiety is so bad and it makes me panic so much it just making me so depressed I need help so bad… =(
August 15th, 2010 at 7:48 am
Angie, I think you should see a doctor maybe they could help you with your anxiety. I have a friend who suffers from bad anxiety and her hair got really fine. Or you could try a good cardio routine to relieve stress and also meditating or yoga to calm your anxiety, this should help alot and its much better than taking pills from the doctor. You will feel a little better if you cut off your split ends too they will only get worse if you leave them on. Plus ive heard that 25g of protein in the morning then again at lunch will maybe help too. I really hope I helped you in some way, hair loss is the worst.
Good Luck
August 19th, 2010 at 4:01 am
Jeni, you mentioned low-thyroid–have you had your iodine levels tested? Iodine deficiency can, supposedly, cause low-thyroid functioning which manifests itself by several symptoms, one of which is hair loss. I know dry skin, being cold, and lethargy are other symptoms.
August 19th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Shelly,
Testing iodine levels is on my list of about 50 things to test! The doctor I saw the other day wouldn’t let me test anything except my iron, but I was just going to check off a bunch of stuff on the sheet to test anyway. However, I don’t think iodine, copper, or a few other things were even on the sheet. So I’m not sure how to get those checked, since most doctors are unwilling to humor me and order tests I want – just for my peace of mind.