Didn't know where to post this...need help

WarmDontBurn
WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I know no one can give me medical advise and that isn't exactly what I am after. I figured there are all kinds of people on here from all over and maybe someone has experienced what is happening to me and can offer suggestions.

I am 33 years old and now within a healthy weight range. I eat better then I have in years and exercise regularly. I have naturally thin hair and have my whole life. It gets a little thicker when I was pregnant but afterwards I shed it all away. My youngest is now 2 years old so I cannot figure out why my hair is falling out.

It has been going on now for a few months. I normally have hair loss/breakage in the shower so I wasn't alarmed at first. When I shower though I get handfuls to the point I clog the drain before my shower is over. I have just past my should length hair and with it being so thin I need a lot to clog a drain. So at first it wasn't a big deal but then it just never seemed to stop and now I have all these short pieces and my hair is missing in spots. It looks aweful.

My first stop was the doctor to have blood work done. I have graves disease and have been in remission for about 6 years so I immediately though thyroid. My second stop was the hair salon to find out if there was some product causing it or something to help it. She said it was something in my body because my hair appeared healthy. My blood test all came back within normal.

I have resorted to wearing extensions and it is getting old fast! I am a wash and wear kind of girl and the extra time it takes to get ready sucks! I also want to know what the heck is going on. I have another appointment after Easter to maybe see a dermatologist or someone but in the meantime I am just sad over this. I know it seems silly to worry so much about hair but I can't help it. I look aweful and since losing weight I want to feel 100% awesome.

So long story not even close to short...sorry.

I am wondering if anyone has any other ideas of what could be causing hair loss and breakage.

TIA:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
    Go to see your doctor and ask him to run a Thyroid Panel on you!! That is a main cause of hair loss in women!
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
    What specifically did they run blood work on? Did they tell you?
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
    There is also "stress induced alopecea" to look into. I had a rough bout with that for years. It still comes and goes from time to time.
  • charityateet
    charityateet Posts: 574 Member
    Since you said all your tests came back normal, I would assume it's a vitamin defeciency. I don't believe they test for low vitamin count unless you specifically ask them?
  • anniestaebler
    anniestaebler Posts: 1 Member
    The only thing that has ever made my hair fall out like that is stress. For what it's worth, my hair has started growing back, but I had patches like you too. I'd just stay in communication with your doctor(s) because there is obviously something going on. Good luck to you!!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    First thing switch to natural hair products (Burt's Bees works great). And stop dying your hair if you do. I know what you're going through. My grandmother started wearing a wig in her 40s. Of course start seeing the doctor about it and VISIT forums online on the subject so you can get help and support from others going through the same thing. My hair is much thinner now than it was in my 20s but I have also found washing every other day and using a wide tooth comb instead of a brush (when wet) helps a ton! I have not used a brush in years (I also have really curly hair)
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
    I actually had this problem a few years back and saw a dermotologist who's speciality was hair loss. He took a biopsy from my scalp and it came back with a condition called Telogen Effluvim:
    That said he felt it was brought on by stress. He also put me on some supplements. I would seek out a dermotologist not a family practitioner. Also, I had the problem for over a year and it just went away, it is 3 years later now I still go for the check ups but no problems. My hair is as thick as ever.

    Telogen Effluvium
    Telogen effluvium (TE) is probably the second most common form of hair loss dermatologists see. It is a poorly defined condition; very little research has been done to understand TE. In essence though, TE happens when there is a change in the number of hair follicles growing hair. If the number of hair follicles producing hair drops significantly for any reason during the resting, or telogen phase, there will be a significant increase in dormant, telogen stage hair follicles. The result is shedding, or TE hair loss.

    TE appears as a diffuse thinning of hair on the scalp, which may not be even all over. It can be a bit more severe in some areas of the scalp than others. Most often, the hair on top of the scalp thins more than it does at the sides and back of the scalp. There is usually no hair line recession, except in a few rare chronic cases.

    The shed hairs are typically telogen hairs, which can be recognized by a small bulb of keratin on the root end. Whether the keratinized lump is pigmented or unpigmented makes no difference; the hair fibers are still typical telogen hairs.

    People with TE never completely lose all their scalp hair, but the hair can be noticeably thin in severe cases. While TE is often limited to the scalp, in more serious cases TE can affect other areas.

    Whatever form of hair loss TE takes, it is fully reversible. The hair follicles are not permanently or irreversibly affected; there are just more hair follicles in a resting state than there should normally be.
  • HelensReady
    HelensReady Posts: 28
    Hi Sooo sorry your almost at goal and this has happened...our hair is very important to our image ...so dont apologise for feeling this way.

    Keep going back to your GP as this should be refered to a specialist, and look at your diet, you maybe lacking in some vitamins or minerals?....i have very fine hair, but lots of it and i am always blocking my shower up! but as i have plenty of hair this is not noticable.

    Take care keep seeking help and advice...best of luck Helen :)
  • ShakenWithJoy
    ShakenWithJoy Posts: 24
    specifically have them check your Vitamin D level

    hair loss (alopecia) is most common after a strong emotional stressor. It can be months after the event before you really notice.
  • nicolina823
    nicolina823 Posts: 450 Member
    I'm a licensed cosmetologist. It could just be genetics. A lot of women at a certain age start thinning in spots or lose hair. It's fairly common. There isn’t a reason for it. Your hair also goes through changes every 7-11 years. This could be your change. It grows in 4 stages so depending on your cycle you could just be shedding to make room for your new hair.

    As for extensions I'd suggest getting NEO/Hair Treats. They are a looped in system. There isn’t any bonding. A lot of your falling out could be because they are being bonded into the hair and your hair isn’t strong enough for them. With the ones I suggest they are adjustable. Every 6-9 weeks you go for an adjustment and you’re good to go. They come in 2 types, straight or wavy as well as two thicknesses. They're also a get up and go type. Just deep condition once a week and you'll be smooth.

    As for the product you should use to stop what is happening from going further and save all of the good follicles....BOSLEY. You might see it on TV and hear it on the radio. My company works directly with the makers of this and it’s even helped me. I don’t use the entire system because I don’t need it all over. I just have thinning on my side that I sleep on and tend to brush my hair tighter on. It’s been passed down from my grandmother who has a gigantic receding hair line. I plan to stop mine.

    Bosley will bring to life what you have, strengthen, and maintain constant hair growth. They have treatments that you can do also at home. If you're really feeling bad about it you can go to a Bosley center but I don’t usually send clients there. The shampoo, conditioner and weekly home treatment after a month of use will already start your hair growing and staying on your head people usually stay with just that. If you see scalp in a lot of areas then seeing a rep might be the way to go. It’s also pretty inexpensive for what it really does.


    If you have any questions on any of the things I mentioned feel free and I can find places near you that carry them.

    But, I would still continue to see doctors to see if there is a medical reason. Weightloss does effect your hair more than you think. You hear a lot of it with weight loss surgery cases and what not.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    I am not sure when you lost your weight, but, I lost a ton of hair after losing 45 lbs a few years ago - hair loss is normal after a large amount of weight loss especially if you lose it quickly. I was afraid if it didn't stop soon, I wouldn't have any hair left! It did stop, and my hair was thinner by probably 1/3 or so - then, it all grew back in over the following year. Hope this helps.
  • starkiss100
    starkiss100 Posts: 235 Member
    I have the same problem as well. I noticed it last year that my ponytail was getting smaller around. I too have always had fine hair. At my visit last Aug to the OB/GYN, I asked her about it. They ran a blood test on me to check. She thought it might be a thyroid problem but the blood test came back saying I had practically no Estrogen in my body. She said my body was metabolizing all of my estrogen. She switched my birth control pills. It seems I have some hair growth coming back, but my ponytail is still not as thick as it once was. I can tell in the fron of my head though, like on the sides, there is new growth. When I go back again this summer I am gonan have her run the test again and see what it says. I also work at a medical center and was thinking about having them run a blodo test sooner than that, just for some peace of mind.
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 854 Member
    This is what I know. I have had 3 friends who all had bypass surgery, and one who lost quite a bit of weight the normal way. All of them experienced the hair loss. The Dr.s that deal with the bypass surgery said it's a two fold thing. The extreme weight loss which would be the stress, and not getting enough protien. The women who had bypass surgery were supposed to make sure they
    had 60 grams of protien every day. They said it was the hardest thing, because they can't eat much, and that's a lot. That was where I learned about Zone bars. I like them, and they are high in protien. Once their weight stabalized for a while, the hair
    loss problem got better.
    So..how much protien do you eat now? Maybe that's something that will help....
    Just my 2 cents from what I have learned from my friends. Good luck!!
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    Ok wow..I did not expect so many responses so fast.

    I am on my way out the door but just quickly before I run out

    Thyroid tests are done and all good they ran FT4, FT3 and TSH
    They did B12, Iron ..I can't narrow it down in a bit once I get my papers
    My extensions are not bonded they are the ones with the little barrette clips
    I lost the bulk of my weight aug/sept 2010
    I need to see my GP first as he will be the one to refer me and he is gone until after Easter. When I get to him though a dermatologist is what I want right.? My GP is awesome and will refer me wherever I ask.

    I will answer/update more in a bit but for now gotta run.

    Thank you all so much!
    Another reason I :heart: MFP and ALL it has to offer.
  • Thriftyone
    Thriftyone Posts: 12 Member
    My hair was falling out terribly. I started taking fish oil capsules. In about a month I could see an improvement. Now I see even more improvement. I have no idea if it will help you, but it may be worth a try.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    What kind of birth control do you use? I was on Depo and my hair started falling out. I have switched to the pill and stopped right away.
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
    I remember a girl in high school that lost too much weight too fast and her hair started falling out really bad. Wasn't just a little either.

    I have longer darker hair so it shows more when I lose it. I've always bought store shampoo and have been fine with it. I was noticing tons of hair in my brush and would take it out all the time (a lot). I switched to a salon shampoo (Biolage) and I wasn't having that problem anymore. I now use Nexxus and it's good with that brand too. The difference was like night and day though. One in a great while I have to take it out of my brush now. Before it seems like it was every day or a least every other.

    Another thing would be thyroid, but you've already checked that. :)

    Like someone else said, maybe it's a vitamin of some sort that you're lacking.
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    Ok so again thank you for all the help. I am googling everyone's suggestions, printing them out and taking them with me to my doctors on Tuesday.

    A few questions/answers to other posts:

    Someone said vitamin deficiency....any idea what vitmains I should be looking at or asking about? My iron was good and so was B12..those are the only 2 I remember .. I forgot to bring the lab report with me today so going off my memory.

    Also STRESS... I have that in abundance but how the heck can I treat that?

    Dying my hair....I highlighted it last august but since then nothing at all. My hairstylist says my hair looks healthy and not dry and brittle as she would have expected.

    I will look into Bosley as well...thank you!

    There seems to be a lot of people commenting on weight loss. I don't think I lost too much too quick really. I started to want to lose weight March 2010 after I finished breastfeeding. I had a few pounds loss here and there and to date have lost 34lbs.

    Birth control..I am not on any. I have fertility issues as well so chances of us getting pregnant are pretty slim to none and hey if it happens then I am ok with that too.

    I don't really track protein but going back the last few entries I can see that I am given 60 and I am usually around 40-50 BUT I do have some food that I entered that I didn't fill that info in so it could be more.

    So if there are any more suggestions keep them coming as I will print everything out and take it with me. My doctor always laughs at how I love to google and my wealth of knowledge..he will be surely impressed now.

    Thank you once again. I now know that I can turn to you all not only for weight loss help and support but with my day to day life too.

    :heart: MFP friends :heart:
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