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.