wanted to know if anything's changed. My hair started thinning three months after I started my weight loss. Even during this pregnancy it's still falling out. I fear what it will look like after I have the baby and the hormonal low hits where you lose that pregnancy hair. Since I don't have much now...heck I would think I'd need a wig when that takes place.
I'm taking Biotin and Vit E, along with Super B-complex and magnesium. My midwife took me off the prenatal early in my pregnancy. I was losing hair prior to the prenatal and while on it so it didn't do much for me.
I will take a picture tomorrow, I am too tired atm but for myself, I really do not notice a difference and I have been taking Biotin, Folic Acid and Omega 3 daily.
I don't know how old you are, but I am facing a hair thinning issue probably due to age (premenopausal with associated symptoms). Your issue may be hormonal due to weight loss if not age. There doesn't seem to be a good solution, but here is what I am doing.
First of all, I switched to Nizoral shampoo 3x/week (normal shampoo other days). It's a little pricier than my usual Suave (or whatever is on sale). It isn't intended to treat hair loss, but for dandruff. However, the active ingredient is also a mild anti-androgen (negates the effect of testosterone/DHT which is what causes hormonal hair loss).
I have also read that research has determined that caffeine topically applied promotes hair growth and there is at least one pricey shampoo that contains it. Rather than pop for another pricey shampoo, some folks on the net suggest buying caffeine powder (which is pretty cheap) and mixing it with your own shampoo.
Rather than go that route, I just leave a little of my morning coffee sometimes and pour it into a bottle. I mix in a tiny bit of the Nizoral and apply the coffee mix to my scalp using a long dropper. Yes, I do smell a little like coffee, but that doesn't bother me. I mix in the Nizoral to prevent the coffee from going moldy since I sometimes use the same batch for days and I'm just guessing that it might make it a little more effective. Again, I'm just telling you what I do -- this isn't an accepted medical treatment.
I hear that they are experimenting in Europe with topical estrogen. If it works well, I expect to see product here too. In the mean time, there's the possibility of using soy extracts which have phyto-estrogens. Some folks have suggested applying the contents of soy extract gel caps to the scalp. I haven't tried that for a few reasons. I tend to avoid soy mainly bc one of the other side effects is that it seems to literally shrink your brain.
You might also consider topical minoxidil and Retin-A. I think these both stimulate hair growth by increasing blood flow to the follicles which helps compensate for the effect of DHT.
Like you, I also take supplements. I take the folic acid and fish oil since they are so good for health as well as hair. I take biotin too but not regularly. I don't take saw palmetto, but I've seen it suggested as a supplement for the anti-androgen property (which is why men take it to help reduce the odds of getting prostate cancer). I think I'd rather stick with more localized topical solutions rather than trying to get to my scalp through my digestive system.
I've really only been doing this for several weeks (except the supplements). I'm not really good with reliability either. I do think there is some improvement, but I would not be able to claim a thick head of hair has resulted.
Unfortunately I no longer have the first picture I took for this thread, somewhere along the way, I deleted it, it seems but here is one I took a few minutes ago
You are such a huge inspiration to me. Before I get to my response regarding thinning hair, I just want to say thank you for sharing your journey here on 3FC!
My hair has been quite thin for the last 10 years, and I completely empathize with how it can affect one's self-esteem and how very self-conscious it can make a person feel. There have certainly been occasions when I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry (and did), or not leave the house. I am so sorry you, or anybody, has to deal with this!
I have tried so many topical tonics and shampoos, as well as curling my hair and using a messy, colored hair powder, to no avail and much expense.
Well, at the beginning of the year I had my naturally brown hair (very similar to yours) lightened in order to dramatically lessen the color contrast between my pale scalp and dark hair. People were skeptical, but it is one of the BEST decisions I have ever made!
Lightening my hair made a tremendous difference in how thin it appears, and I have received a ton of compliments on both the color and, from those close to me, the difference in *apparent* thickness. (Even my stylist was wowed!)
For a while, it was a very dark strawberry blonde/rust orange color, and now it is light golden blonde. I have loved them both.
As a brunette, I could really let my fast-growing roots grow out for well over a month with the dark strawberry blonde/light redhead color, so it was the easier and cheaper of the two colors. And though I had it done in a salon, I would be confident to have used a box do-it-yourself dye with this color. (And I have to say I loved how really retro and sexy, especially with brown eyebrows filled in with eyebrow powder, and cat-eye style top lid liquid eyeliner, this color looked.)
The light golden blonde is extra-great at masking the thinness, is so much fun, and everyone tells me I look summery and so much younger, but it requires a lot more upkeep and money, and I wouldn't recommend trying to do it oneself. But if you can swing it, I would say go for it!
If you do lighten your hair, I really recommend John Frieda's Sheer Blonde Color Renew shampoo and especially the conditioner. I have used so many shampoos and conditioners, many of them very expensive, out of desperation (if my thin hair grows beyond my ears, which it has, it get tangled and rips out very easily), and the aforementioned is so much better; instantly detangles and smooths my hair, as well as decreases brassiness, and it is relatively inexpensive to boot. Also, John Frieda's clear glaze is great for increasing shine. The "nice" thing about not having a lot of hair, as you must know, is that at least you don't go through hair products really quickly.
Lastly, you probably already have first hand experience of this, but now that my hair has grown past my chin, I find wearing it in updos look best (thin hair doesn't hang that well, but curls tend to look nice).
Once again, thanks for the inspiration and good luck with your hair situation! I am hoping myself that a nutritional solution will help, so I look forward to hearing what is found to work.
I also have been losing hair over the years. It started around 2002, the year before I went to Hawaii on vacation. I remember this because if I was out in the sun it seemed that I had more hair loss. I remember that I could actually feel the hair follicles popping out (this drove me batty). I remember that my scalp felt warm all the time too. I took prenatal vitamins, Omega 3, and used Nioxin for a couple of years. When it first started, I would count the hairs that came out after washing my hair. I went to the dermatologist and all he could recommend was Rogain, which I bought but did not use. I wanted hair on my head, not on my face. I was just too afraid too use it for that reason. I read every forum that I could find. I cried and cried. I looked at wigs online. I didn't buy one, but would have.
I read on one forum that someone used Neurogena T-Gel shampoo with coal tar and it helped soothe their scalp. I started using it a few years ago and I have noticed that while I still have some hair loss, it's not quite as bad as it was. I have noticed that I have not had any scalp problems at all. The shampoo doesn't smell so great, but I don't care. I also use a small dime sized amount of John Freida's conditioner, the one for straight hair, just because it makes it easier to take a pick through my hair.
I know that I still lose more hair during the summer and during the winter it gets thicker. I have also started coloring my hair a lighter color. Well, I don't but my beautician does. The lighter color is for my gray not the hair loss.
I am of the mind, that if any of these products that we use or are on the market really did regrow hair, that they couldn't keep them on the shelves. So, I don't put much faith in anything regrowing my hair. I am happy that my scalp feels better and that I am not bald yet. If I go bald, I'll buy some really nice wigs and start wearing them.
You are such a huge inspiration to me. Before I get to my response regarding thinning hair, I just want to say thank you for sharing your journey here on 3FC!
My hair has been quite thin for the last 10 years, and I completely empathize with how it can affect one's self-esteem and how very self-conscious it can make a person feel. There have certainly been occasions when I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry (and did), or not leave the house. I am so sorry you, or anybody, has to deal with this!
I have tried so many topical tonics and shampoos, as well as curling my hair and using a messy, colored hair powder, to no avail and much expense.
Well, at the beginning of the year I had my naturally brown hair (very similar to yours) lightened in order to dramatically lessen the color contrast between my pale scalp and dark hair. People were skeptical, but it is one of the BEST decisions I have ever made!
Lightening my hair made a tremendous difference in how thin it appears, and I have received a ton of compliments on both the color and, from those close to me, the difference in *apparent* thickness. (Even my stylist was wowed!)
For a while, it was a very dark strawberry blonde/rust orange color, and now it is light golden blonde. I have loved them both.
As a brunette, I could really let my fast-growing roots grow out for well over a month with the dark strawberry blonde/light redhead color, so it was the easier and cheaper of the two colors. And though I had it done in a salon, I would be confident to have used a box do-it-yourself dye with this color. (And I have to say I loved how really retro and sexy, especially with brown eyebrows filled in with eyebrow powder, and cat-eye style top lid liquid eyeliner, this color looked.)
The light golden blonde is extra-great at masking the thinness, is so much fun, and everyone tells me I look summery and so much younger, but it requires a lot more upkeep and money, and I wouldn't recommend trying to do it oneself. But if you can swing it, I would say go for it!
If you do lighten your hair, I really recommend John Frieda's Sheer Blonde Color Renew shampoo and especially the conditioner. I have used so many shampoos and conditioners, many of them very expensive, out of desperation (if my thin hair grows beyond my ears, which it has, it get tangled and rips out very easily), and the aforementioned is so much better; instantly detangles and smooths my hair, as well as decreases brassiness, and it is relatively inexpensive to boot. Also, John Frieda's clear glaze is great for increasing shine. The "nice" thing about not having a lot of hair, as you must know, is that at least you don't go through hair products really quickly.
Lastly, you probably already have first hand experience of this, but now that my hair has grown past my chin, I find wearing it in updos look best (thin hair doesn't hang that well, but curls tend to look nice).
Once again, thanks for the inspiration and good luck with your hair situation! I am hoping myself that a nutritional solution will help, so I look forward to hearing what is found to work.
Hi All ...I too have been experiencing thinning hair since I was about 28 ( am now 36 ) ...It is no coincedence with me ( or my endocronologist ) that I started having the thinning hair as soon as I gained about 60 pds ...the heavier I have gotten the worse the thinning has become...my testosterone was off the charts when I first went to the endo a few years back...I do take spiro for that now and even though it is still a little high it is so much better than it was...my endo keeps telling me that I probably wont see any hair regrowth unless I lose alot of my weight...and even though I cry over the hairloss it hasnt motivated me to lose any ...until now...I have recently lost 17 pds and am trying to make it work this time and just do it ... I also have insulin problems as well so need to get the extra weight off anyway for health reasons...
I started noticing that alot of the women I see with thinning hair are quite overweight and I asked my endo if there was a connection and she said yes, more fat cells cause more testosterone when you have insulin problems...so I am hopeful, but I guess I will have to see what the future brings. I have always heard that if the hairloss was hormonal like mine seems to be that it is reversable, but like I said - I will wait and see ...
I also take 5000mgs of Biotin daily and am going to start taking a good vitamin...I have heard good results about women and Rogaine but like others have said I am afraid of the side effects of the hair other places ( face, chin ).
I wish all of you luck ( and myself ) with your thinning hair, I know from experience that it is one of the most devastating things we can go through with our looks.
I posted this in another thread, but thought it would fit here too
I've had problems with hair loss too and am currently being treated by an endocrinologist for hormonal imbalance and nutritional deficiencies. I haven't regrown all that I've lost, but I've regrown enough that I feel confident and was able to ditch my wigs (yes, it was that bad).
Your first step would be to determine what is causing the hair loss. Iron deficiency is the leading cause of hairloss in women, so I would definitely get your iron levels checked, especially the feritin level--this is a measurement of a protein in the blood that stores iron. Many women may have "normal" blood iron levels, but their feritin levels are depleted, so the body robs what would normally be used for hair growth and uses it for more essential bodily functions.
Another nutrient deficiency that is common with hair loss is Vitamin D deficiency, especially for those (like me) who live in northern states. Vitamin D is essential for many body functions, including hair growth AND metabolic function.
Sadly, weightloss can contribute to hairloss, so making sure that your diet is being properly supplemented is very important (and not all vitamins are the same--some brands are more effective than others).
Other common causes are hormonal imbalances (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, use of hormonal contraceptives, etc).
The biggest thing is that the vast majority of hairloss is caused by internal reasons, not external (misuse by overstyling may cause breakage, but if your hair is shedding excessively and not growing back, then it's an internal problem), so I would definitely advise seeking a doctor's assistance in determining the cause of your hairloss.
Sorry for the long reply--it's obviously something that's been a sensitive issue for me and something I feel strongly about spreading the word on!!
Good luck and keep us posted.
Wow, I don't remember this thread. It is going to take me a long time to read it all. I take biotin and I think that has helped. I had never heard the things that Satine said and always thought if you had a lot of testosterone you would also have a high sex drive which I don't have. I am 61.
Your hair difficulties sound a lot like mine--I was diagnosed with PCOS 3 years ago and am taking 200 mg of spiro for the elevated testosterone. I have IR too, and that makes it challenging.
I would definitely ask your endo to check your iron (feritin) and Vitamin D levels...I'm not sure if you're a PCOSer or not, but a lot of women who are seem to have inadequate iron and Vitamin D stores and that can contribute greatly to hair loss. And even if you're not a PCOSer, it's still a good thing to check.
As for hormonal hair loss being reversible..it depends on how early you start treatment for it. With hair loss caused by elevated testosterone, eventually the hair follicles simply crap out and won't start reproducing hair under any circumstances. But the good news is that many forms of hair loss (even hormone related) is treatable and you can experience regrowth. I have had great success with a combination of Spiro, exercise, Vitamin D3, and iron supplementation. When I was first diagnosed, I was wearing a wig...I've grown enough back that the wig is no longer necessary My hair isn't as thick as it was when I was 16, but at least it covers my head now So there is hope...and even if your hair doesn't grow back, there are a ton of cosmetic options that can help and will definitely make you feel better. Good luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satine
Hi All ...I too have been experiencing thinning hair since I was about 28 ( am now 36 ) ...It is no coincedence with me ( or my endocronologist ) that I started having the thinning hair as soon as I gained about 60 pds ...the heavier I have gotten the worse the thinning has become...my testosterone was off the charts when I first went to the endo a few years back...I do take spiro for that now and even though it is still a little high it is so much better than it was...my endo keeps telling me that I probably wont see any hair regrowth unless I lose alot of my weight...and even though I cry over the hairloss it hasnt motivated me to lose any ...until now...I have recently lost 17 pds and am trying to make it work this time and just do it ... I also have insulin problems as well so need to get the extra weight off anyway for health reasons...
I started noticing that alot of the women I see with thinning hair are quite overweight and I asked my endo if there was a connection and she said yes, more fat cells cause more testosterone when you have insulin problems...so I am hopeful, but I guess I will have to see what the future brings. I have always heard that if the hairloss was hormonal like mine seems to be that it is reversable, but like I said - I will wait and see ...
I also take 5000mgs of Biotin daily and am going to start taking a good vitamin...I have heard good results about women and Rogaine but like others have said I am afraid of the side effects of the hair other places ( face, chin ).
I wish all of you luck ( and myself ) with your thinning hair, I know from experience that it is one of the most devastating things we can go through with our looks.
I too have had thinning hair, most likely due to PCOS, but possibly from hormonal birth control or weight loss. I've been maintaining my weight loss for almost 2 years now and have been off birth control for about the same. The hair loss has definitely slowed, in fact I believe it has stopped altogether.
It was definitely heartbreaking to have to deal with hair loss while losing weight. I remember going shopping and being excited to try on new clothes, only to end up feeling terrible seeing the lights in the dressing room reflect off areas of my scalp
I can't say I've necessarily noticed regrowth, but I've found a cosmetic solution that works quite well - a product called DermMatch. It goes on the scalp and helps color the skin that shows through, and coats the thinning hairs to help them appear thicker. I've been using this for over a year, and I love it. Instead of feeling self-conscious about my hair, I pretty much don't give it a thought at all.
Dermmatch is a great cosmetic solution to hair loss--I used it in combination with Toppik when my hair was at its worst and they did wonders for my self esteem.
One other note for ladies dealing with thinning hair--if you live in an area that has hair salons specializing in hair loss and hair replacement, I would definitely recommend going there for your hair cuts. We have a salon here in Seattle that makes custom-made hair systems (wigs, toppers, etc that look amazingly realistic) and they also do hair styling for clients with thinning hair who weren't ready to use a hair piece. Since they work with these issues on a daily basis, they know all the tricks on cutting hair to give it optimal fullness and help mask the thin areas. Plus, it really helped me not feel so self-conscious since I knew that it was normal for them to see bald spots and thinning areas on their clients' heads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RJS
Lots of great advice in this thread.
I too have had thinning hair, most likely due to PCOS, but possibly from hormonal birth control or weight loss. I've been maintaining my weight loss for almost 2 years now and have been off birth control for about the same. The hair loss has definitely slowed, in fact I believe it has stopped altogether.
It was definitely heartbreaking to have to deal with hair loss while losing weight. I remember going shopping and being excited to try on new clothes, only to end up feeling terrible seeing the lights in the dressing room reflect off areas of my scalp
I can't say I've necessarily noticed regrowth, but I've found a cosmetic solution that works quite well - a product called DermMatch. It goes on the scalp and helps color the skin that shows through, and coats the thinning hairs to help them appear thicker. I've been using this for over a year, and I love it. Instead of feeling self-conscious about my hair, I pretty much don't give it a thought at all.
