Hi Everybody –
I just want to share my story with all of the women who experienced stress related hair loss. I started noticing that I was loosing my hair when I moved to a different state to pursue a completely new career. I was so stressed with my job, my new home, my family life that I ignored that problem. Until I went home (I’m originally from Poland) and my friend asked me what’s up with my hair and how come I don’t have as much hair as I used to have. I realized that I did have much less hair to play with and every time I combed/ washed or styled my do I was loosing tons of it.
I noticed hair everywhere. My car seat, my coat, everywhere. I panicked when I noticed bald spots on the side of my head. I started taking vitamins for hair, using the best available shampoos and conditioners but that didn’t help a bit. I was loosing more and more hair. I couldn’t wear my hair down, I had to wear ponytail styled carefully so the bald spots wouldn’t show. I went to a doctor (dermatologist) four times and she couldn’t help me. I mean she completely ignored my problem and told me to use Rogaine!! I was furious with her, because I already did my research I knew that my hair problem was stress related. It wasn’t genetic so Rogaine was a completely wrong solution. I tried couple other doctors, but they were as ignorant as the first one. All they could think of was Rogaine and maybe a hair transplant.
My hair problem lasted 3 years. Sometimes I would be loosing less sometimes more, but the fact was that I had less and less hair on my head. I went back home (Poland) and I went to a dermatologist there. She ran lots of tests on me (yes, we have universal health care, It didn’t cost me anything) and suggested that I should try aminexil treatment. I did. I’m on my fourth week of the treament and it works!!! My hair stopped falling out. I loose maybe 5 (!!) hair when I wash it. Before I would loose tons, sometimes a chunk the size of the golf ball (200-300 hair probably). And I can feel new hair growing everywhere. I will spare you all the medical details of the aminexil solution, you can google it. It is not being distributed in the US but you can still get it online (it’s non prescitption). Kerastesse and Vichy have it in their european product line, (vichy’s product is called dercos aminexil sp94, and that’s the one that worked for me).
And one more thing, I’m also taking dietary supplement that contains taurine. I’m not sure if you can get it in US because I get it from europe. But taurine was used by vets on cats to prevent shedding for the last 50 years, so I’m hoping it is working for me too 🙂 Best to all of you and good luck with your treatments. I’m sure you will find one that works for you. As I found mine 🙂
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Dear Anna –
It is so good to hear that you are having success battling your hair loss and that you are noticing quite a substantial visible improvement. Your story definitely gives other women hope, and it also lets us know that sometimes hair loss can be stress related. I am not familiar with aminexil, your story is actually the first time I’ve heard about it. How does it medically treat hair loss? After hearing your story I am incredibly interested in hearing the science behind it. I did some searching online but didn’t find a whole lot of information on any studies and things so I’d love to know what your doctor told you about the product and how the treatment works. Thank you for sharing and congratulations on your hair loss recovery success!
~Y
{ 54 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi anna,
I am experiencing similar hair loss due to stress. I looked up your aminexil treatment and am making sure i am finding the right product. Is it a kerastase product? Its quite expensive! Thank you for sharing your story and giving hope!
Blessings
Amanda
Hi Amanda, I don’t know much about the aminexil, but I do know that it is indeed a keratase product. I wish I had more info on it, but really Anna’s story was the first I had heard of it. Googling it was how I found out that it was a keratase product.
Hi Anna,
I found the product Dermos Aminexil S94 to order but I wanted to know if you are using the men’s strength or the women’s strength. Also, when you need to reorder the dietary supplement with the turimine where do you order it from? I have looked for it at various locations and I am in need of knowing where to obtain this. My story is almost an exact replica of yours and I will try anything so please respond to my two questons as soon as possible. Thanks so much for sharing and best of luck.
Hey girls..
After reading all of your stories I figured I might as well write mine too and help some of you out as well as to get the anxiety off my chest.
My first hair loss started when I was 12 and I was suffering from severe Anorexia. At the time I had a full head of fine hair..I had alot, alot of hair. Over the course of a year I shed so much that I had a pretty big receding hair line. My hair was brittle and weak. Luckily my mother put me into treatment and I got better. Two years later I had recovered my full head of hair without taking any supplements, just by eating again. I became Anorexic again at 15..this time it was juts as bad as the first time and I was shedding so much hair that I cut it really short, like a pixie cut..thinking that would help but it didnt stop the shedding one bit..even worse, I looked like a little boy. I was so depressed that I didnt even care at that point. I was put into treatment once again but with a whole nutritionist and psychological team this time. I regained the pounds and was back to being a healthy weight once again and started growing back my hair.My nutritionist reccomended that I t!
ake these Chinese Herbal pills by the name of Shu Wu Pian plus a Multi Vitamin. By the time that I was 18 I had a decent amount of hair but obviuosly less than what I had when I was 11.
At 18 I met whom I thought was the love of my life and I was head over heels for him. That relationship lasted 6 months because he broke up with me. My hair started falling out in clumps. It fell out for 6 months..I had many bald spots all over my head and a HUGEEE receding hair line. I always dreaded washing my hair and would go for 4 days sometimes without washing it to avoid the anxiety that it implied. I always put it in a bun and put hair thickening gels in it. Every dermatologist that I saw told me that they didnt know what it was and that I should look into Rogaine..but I was only 18. I went to doctors and there was nothing wrong with my hormones, etc. Finally, I resorted to going back to therapy and I was put on antidepressants/anti anxiety pills by the name of Celexa. After about 2 weeks I started seeing an improvement in the shedding..it was miraculous. The therapist attributed the shedding to anxiety and stress. I also started taking Shu Wu Pian again. A year l!
ater I had my hair back and better than ever. I had a few years of peace untill I turned 22 and my hair started shedding again out of nowhere! I felt suicidal and miserable. I thought that I had already undergone my fair share of hair loss over the past few years and I thought why me again???? I too looked at othre girls, envious of them being able to wear their hair down and straightened without ever having to worry about them losing their hair. My hair started falling out around the time that I was working full time in this retail store and attending summer school because I wanted to graduate from college already and I was working to buy myself a plane ticket to go see my bf in another country. I wore head scarfs and ponytails for those whole 2 months. Again I started on Celexa and It gradually stopped. Even though my hair seemed healthir and stronger, it didnt all grow back. It stopped and started AGAIN in January of 2007 and continued up untill June because I was also very s!
tressed since I had moved to another country and left all
my friends behind. I took up Celexa again but this time it wasnt helping at all. I freaked out and didnt know what to do. I cut my hair really short again but Ihad bald spots and had to wear headbands, etc. I put all kinds of weird herbal concoctions on my scalp at night and went to bed. Id wake up with herbds all over my pillow case and face and then Id have to rinse it all out. It was useless and I was hopeless and suicidal yet again. I consulted a homeopathic Dr. and he gave me some drops that did nothing. I took it uypon my self to double my Celexa dosage and it slowed the shedding down but didnt stop it. After 6 months it finally stopped. I was fine from June 2007 up untill January of this year (2008). I was left with very fine and little hair..but it was still somewhat normal..I just looked like someone with little hair but not someone that was balding. My hair started falling out again 2 weeks ago and Im severely depressed. I keep telling myeslf that It will pass just like !
it has all of the other times but its still just as traumatic as ever. Ive started using the Aminexil yesterday and started taking the double dosage of Celexa (cuz i had been taking half the amount for the past year)..Im also going to start taking a multi vitamin and the Shu Wu Pian again. Ive been keeping my hair in ponytails but Im starting to show bald spots around my temples and the top of my head near the part. This started after I had a bad fight with my bf for leaving the country for 2 weeks with his friend when we werent in a good economic situation. Im guessing its also stress related but I dont know. Hopefully itll stop soon and Ill be able to regain my peace and self esteem. I hope this has shown some of you that you´re not alone and that getting better is possible even if it means relapsing and going through it in cycles.
Wow Lee, that is quite an ordeal. The worst part must be the uncertainty. I think its the worst part for all of us. I am not sure what the cause of my hair loss is, I only look at pictures of myself a year about and wonder what happened and how on earth it could happen.
My loss started about two months after I’d had an abortion and a month in to LAw School. I noticed my hairline on one side of my scalp was receding a tiny bit. I have always been obsessed with my hair, it was thick and curly and out of control for soooo many years. I wished for thinner tamer hair. Now I as I am able to tuck the ends of my bangs behind my ears like I always anted to be able to do w.o straightening my hair, I curse the days I wanted thinner hair and hated my ULTRA SUPER THICK HAIR ( as in every hairdresser I always had remarked “girl! You got a lotta hair!!).
I ignored this problem somewhat for the year or so its been going on. I sporadically take Rogaine bc that is what my HMO Derm NP told me to do. I was supposed to go back in 3 months, but I lost coverage and thought it was just due to the stress of law school. This is the most stressed out I’ve ever been in my whole life. However, I am pretty sure I caused this hair loss by picking on my scalp while studying ( I had really bad dandruff/psoris that plaques up and makes a perfect brainless activity to do while studying). By the time I forced myself to really really stop, ( about 1-2 months ago) I’d already destroyed the whole left side of my head–I can feel the pattern of my usual “picking” spots now as thin patches running along side the whole left side of my head.
I don’t know what to do–any suggestions would be welcomed. I am going to the school’s dermatologist on thursday to talk to her…I’m not very optomistic about her (She’s mean), but for some reason I just feel like g-d will give me back all or most of my hair. I can’t stop thinking this will just go away. But in order for that to happen I gotta do my part and go to the dr. and get checked out for the obvious stuff…..
I was feeling low but then realized how fortunate I am to have curly hair. If I had straight hair the loss would be SO obvious. As it is now, it’s only obvious to me. Some people still can’t tell and remark how “cute” my “new short hair cut” is. I want to cry bc I have always hated having short hair. This is the shortest its ever been and I am so scared. I can’t style it bc it will come out, it seems like every “trick” I come up with to make my hair look better, only makes it worse.
But today my hair actually looked nice 🙂 It was so thin it scared me, but it *looked* nice. I am thinking, you can’t ask for more than that.
Ariel:
How long have you been losing your hair? I started losing mine about 2 to 3 months after an abortion too. Did yours come out in clumps or was it just increased shedding(more than normal). I too always had alot of hair and was used to shedding but not this much. After a few months I noticed how thin it got and freaked.
Did you ever get a diagnosis? Mine was TE but I NEED to be 100% sure so I am getting a biopsy done on Monday.
Please let me know.
Thansk,
Lisa
Thank you for the post on Aminexil. I’ve usually been up for the 100% percent natural route, but this product really seems to work. Did a bit of research and ordered some online, I got the Kerastase version, b/c they were the first to come up with the product. Will let you know how it works.
Hello Ladies,
I admire and respect so many of you for sharing your stories. What a tragedy it is to be losing your hair! I used to post with another website 4 years ago, prior to getting burned out. I have been searching for a cure for my hairloss since March of 2004. I’ve been browsing through some of the comments and have not come up with anything similar to mine. Please let me know if any of you have similar circumstances!
In May of 04′ I decided to have a breast augmentation after my 3 children left me looking like the cover girl for National Geographic! Anyway, within 3to 4 weeks my hair began to fall out. My doctor thought it might have been from the anestesia and would stop after 6 months. Well, one year after surgery it hadn’t stopped. My plastic surgeon thought I may have been allergic to the implants and did a removal of the implants (he’s awesome!) for me in March of 05. Fast forward 3 years, pages of blood tests, 6 different doctors (general, internist, endocrinologist, OBGYN, Naturopath, and even an irridologist) and countless supplements! Nothing seems to have helped. At one point the endo put me on Spironolocatone and birth control and within 3 months my hair slowly began to recover…until that 4th month when it all began to fall again for no reason. We could not figure out why it began to stop and then start again. Eventually she put me on Finesteride (5mg of Propecia!)but not even that could stop the loss. That’s when I decided to go the natural approach and still I sit today with no cure! My 1st year I did a hair count with the derm and within 5 days I lost 1,587 hairs!! We also did a biopsy which determined I had TE. The derm decided that she could do no more and that I wait out the course. Well, I’m still waiting!! I used to feel as though my life was over. Crying each and every time I had to wash my hair (its like the Swamp Thing!), blow dry, comb, etc. After 2 years it became too consuming and depressing and I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided it wasn’t going to beat me. I did my research and found a wonderful website on wigs (if it gets that far!) and decided I would take action on it when my husband and dear friends told me that it was getting too noticable. Until then, I wouldn’t talk about it, stress over it, and just thank God for each day that I still have even a little hair on my head! Every once in a while I allow myself to do some research on it to make sure I’m not missing out on some great cure for TE. That’s when I came across this fabulous site. So many of you have shared your successes as well as your breakdowns and for that I commend you! I would love it if any of you have had a similar situation after surgery as I did and wouldn’t mind sharing your experiences with me! Still searching and waiting for something to help!!
Thaks for taking the time to read this!!
Marie
hi.. i am very confused myself… i am not sure if it’s just my hair because it’s always been thin.. (so that makes it harder to tell at least for me) i am very young.. (turned 20 in march) i went out with a past bf and it lasted for awhile.. after we broke up it was just a really bad ending.. involing plane rides and thinking i’d come back…anyways i came back to my hometown in 2006. i went through a period of time basically 6 months all i was doing is sitting down at the computer, barely eating, sleeping, and drinking lots of coffee and smoking a lot… just very torn in that time through the break up.. i was actually lifeless. one day i was so wired up by coffee and it was in the morning and it was getting light out..i was feeling very strung out on coffee.. i had this weird crazy image that i was gonna go bald or something just weird. (my hair was fine as of what knew, wasn’t really checking at the time for my problem) i can’t remember if this was during when i was going out when a new bf 6 months after the whole break up. obviously i went into a relationship without thinking.. but it has turned out well..(still dating since dec 06.. so it’s gonna be 2 years in dec.) eventually my feelings for my ex have worn off but still thought about him like.. a lot. now it’s to the point where i could care less about him (even though he’s a good guy, that’s why i was so stressed to lose him.. i ruined it) anyways.. just giving you some info telling you i barely have stress in my life now. but i am going to start off where i had that image… well i had that image then every night i went to sleep that image has bothered me for awhile. monthsss after i felt and noticed i had A LOT of dandruff.. i barely used hairspray and i washed my hair a good amount. it was odd so i was thinking maybe the cold weather. i touched my scalp and it felt like a lot of hair was trying to grow in but then i figured out no.. it’s the dandruff. (scraped off) around my hairline inched a lot.. i tried so hard to not itch it because of that weird image i had. months after that the dandruff is gone but now my hair seems thin. i’ve always had a naturally bigger forhead. (i wear sweep bangs) so it’s also hard to tell if it’s receding. my mom thinks it wont reced anymore.. but i have noticed the hairline should be just a tiny bit more lower. i started noticed my hair was very thin and i could see my scalp in my hair near the hairline.. i could have never noticed this before but obviously i am thinking hair fell out because i did notice it. months later it seemed to be thickening more up on the top but now this is wear the sides sort of receded.. then i am thinking once again maybe it was always that way but never noticed.. (i wear sweep bangs whenever i go out) then at work since i am working during this time.. last week this guy ask, after i totally forgot about my hair and thought it was just nothing and getting better. “are you balding? i said.. “no… i am not” then asked “are you just shedding?” then i said “i don’t know” when i got home i took a hand mirror and put it above my head so i could see in the other mirror.. and my part had big gashes in it.. and my part is always messing up now.. it’s almost like my hair trys to part on its own in the back sort of near the top but it goes down to far!! what’s very weird is i never really shed in the shower but if i sort of touch my hair and pull softly through my hair with my fingers.. only about 3 at the most come out.. so i do a lot of my shedding when my hair is dry or doing my hair. i honestly don’t know if this is stress related.. maybe i am unaware of my stress because i have gotten used to it.. i am a pertty calm person but i am sensitive and anger easily. i am a natural blonde.. and blondes are supposed to have the most hair i guess.. i don’t know if i should just forget about it till it becomes noticeable or just do something now.. or maybe it’s just paranoia.. but when i waved that mirror over my head.. which i’ve never done before.. my bang part was sort of… yeah really fine. i have no clue if this is from the past and that that’s what has caused it and i still continue to shed after it. i’m not really sure… sorry if i made any typos and am not typing how i usually do. (This is how I’d usually talk.) i’m just so lazy and tired right now.
Hi,
I am 44 with chronic TE from more than a year and I have lost more than 80% of my tick hair. Tried everything on the market with exception of Minoxidil. 10 days ago I started Aminexil – my hair loss increased and my scalp is very irritated as well. I am not sure if this is normal reaction or I am just allergic to it. If someone experienced the same symptoms after use of Aminexil,would you please,let me know if I should continue?
Hi Everyone,
I’m 25 and have been losing some of my hair for the past 6 months. At first it was a little bit but lately I’ve been experiencing it a lot more when I wash my hair. It feels like its just shedding.
It wasnt until I went to a hairdresser late last year for a haircut and he mentioned it saying I must be under a lot of stress because when he was brushing my hair it was coming out a fair bit.
I was at the start of a long, stressful break up with my now ex fiance (which only ended 2 months ago) as well as studying 2 subjects at once in uni while working full time. Also earlier this year I was diagnosed with Endometriosis and had a laroscopy two months ago.
On top of this I have been diagnosed with mild general anxiety and panic in the last year or so and have also got problems with clenching and grinding my teeth in my sleep which causes my jaw to ach like I have wisdom teeth even though I dont have them. These issues I have had for a number of years.
I have just done a google search for hair loss in women and have found this site.
http://www.healthology.com/hair-loss/hair-loss-information/article3501.htm
It details how when a person undergoes extreme stress, taking some types of medication, diabetes, thyroid disorders, surgery and even pregnancy, about three months later as much as 70% of their can be lost as the stress at that point in time causes the hair to stop growing and eventually fall out.
It says that the hair will usually start growing within 6 months as long as the stress can be reduced..
For me I think this may be the case because of the extreme stresses of the breakup, studying, pressures at work as well as the impending operation compounded together in a short period of time, the worst being towards the start of this year. It makes sense that now the worst of my hair loss is happening about 2-3 months after all this happened.
My life is now starting to get on track and my stress is reducing so I’m hoping if I can keep it up the hair loss wont happen so much again. I guess I will know in a few months.
I hope that this helps people and makes them realise how much stress can affect your body and create a perpetual cycle. I also hope that it helps people relax 🙂 Stress and anxiety isnt a good thing and can do so much damage.
I wanted to warn you all about Aminixil SP94
Yes it works, it takes time though, as when you apply it you stress your hair and so it will fall more in the beginning
Then towards the 3 week it slows down and almost stops,
There is a big side effect though, I just discovered (after asking doctors online and doctors in Italy, where i come from) that there is no difference between Minoxidil and Aminexils 94, the only difference is there is better absorption due to some glucose vehicle.
SO, when you stop it, you will shed even more hair then before, as the healthy hair get addicted to this formula
That is what I am experiencing, i just stopped use for only one day, I experienced a massive shed, more than before, again, even if my hair loss had stopped
So please, be aware of this
The experts are saying that both for Minoxidil and Aminixil, is important not to stop abruptly, but very gradually, reducing slowly the dose, instead then every day, to 6 or 5 times a day, then 4 then 3 until u reach zero
that is what I am doing now, hope the shed will decrease
Lenah
Hello, I remember reading some of the comments (don’t recall in which section) were the name “Retrieve” was mentioned as something good for our problem. A google search didn’t come up with anything.
Would someone kindly let me know if this is a product, where to find it, and why it could be helpful? Thanks so much!
hi everybody thats experiencing hair loss. i’ve been loosing hair since i was 16 years of age. i’ve dye my hair alot! 2 years later i lost alot of my hair. i remember my mom telling me not to dye my hair because i was going to experience hair loss but i did not listen to her. i had alot of hair,really thick hair and beautiful. i have 6 kids now, and in every pregnacy i lost alot of hair but i tried not to stress. i started drinking alot of fluids with vitamins and couple of months later my hair stop falling. i used a cheap shampoo,rain and it helped alot. for all you girls dont stess alot! keep your hair.
Hay Girls!!
Im glad im not the only one going through this. Im only 21 and I have extremely thin hair. You can touch my scalp. When I was younger I had trichotillamania (compulsive pulling of the hair) my parents didnt take me to go see anyone they thought it was just a phase I pulled my hair from 4th grade to 10th grade continuously. I had bald spots all over my head it was ridiculous i remember crying every night because of it. Well eventually most of my hair grew back..by the end of the 12th grade year which I was 17 years old. Then my hair started to fall out in tremendous amounts I went to a dermatologist to see what was going on he put me on minoxidil, then minoxidil for men, and that wasnt even working so then he wrote me a compound for progesterone and minoxidil combined that still didnt work and it was pricey. I even took biotin, hair skin and nails, mulitvitamin. But i didnt think that was working either. I continued to look online and i found hairclub.com about an 1 hour from my hometown. I tried them they were really nice my friends said they noticed but i couldnt tell i guess because i see myself everyday. I still have really thin hair at the top and on the sides. Its stressfull I can only do my hair certain ways and I hate getting out of the shower to see bald spots all over my head. I heard that jason shampoo thin to thick works. One of my classmates told me that she said it works for her, you can find that at vitaminshoppe.com soo i think imma try that shampoo and conditioner and use minoxidil after i get out of the shower and a vitamin daily. Wish me luck!!
HI everyone. Has anyone of you considered checking your thyroid. It’s one of the main reasons why women loose hair. It’s also very tricky. All my levels were normal(TSH,T3,T4) but my endo prescribed a small dose of Cytomel(T3). Within a week my hair loss almost subsided 100%. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful endocrinologis who did not follow the rigid rules of what the books say is normal. Instead she treated my symptoms. Good luck to you all.
this email is to Annie above. Annie, I noticed Aminexil increased my shedding as well and it irritates my scalp a bit too. Since you wrote this more than a year ago. I would like to know what fianlly happenend as I’m trying to decide whether to stop it or not.
I am in my late 50s, so straight away – I expect to be losing hair at my time of life! Plus my hair has always been very fine. But over the past 18mts I have been undergoing severe constant stress (for reasons that I won’t go into here) and for some time my hair has been falling out copiously on a daily basis. There are no clear bald spots, though it is receding across the middle parting, particularly at the forehead. My hairdresser tells me not to worry, so….! What I’d like to know is this (and forgive me if the question seems a little obtuse!) I can hopefully see a light at the end of the tunnel of problems coming up very soon. When I am free from these many months of stress, and can live more calmly, will my hair loss eventually slow down or even stop? Thanks 🙂
Ladies:
I guess I feel better now knowing I am not alone in this fight! I read your stories and found myself saying…OMG that’s me OR so I am not the only one?! I’ve noticed it goes away then it’s back, goes away then comes back….just when you think you beat it….PEEKABO….everytime it seems like around 1yr I think am I working with the symptoms and not the problem….is there something medical being missed? Since….Life = Stress what do we do? I miss the days of feeling the wind blow through my hair or having my mom put in a French Braid. The emotional scars are the worst for me……I am a fighter and this has been going on for 20yrs….I have tried so many of the options you all presented. Therapy, dermatologist, meds, lazer treatments, vitamins but no resolution so far…..so it has to be something outside my control….RIGHT? I have been very close to buying a wig because watching the hair fall out a little at a time each time I touch my head kills me inside and stops me from going and doing the things I enjoy. Don’t we tell the guys bald is beautiful…from what I see they are listening? Is it possible to get a group of us together and start a new trend?
Hopeful for a peaceful end to the emotional distress…..
Thank you ladies for sharing your stories. I feel empowered not to give up on finding a hair loss solution. I’m 41 & noticed my hair loss after a major surgery (hysterectomy). I believe the are many factors to hair loss: surgies, stress, hormone imbalance… we just need the right doctors or team to help find the solution. I will pray for all of you – perhaps that is our best solution – PRAYER! Take Care,
Barb
Thank you! I’ve always shed a certain amount of hair, but lately I’m shedding so much it’s making me really worried. I can actually see my scalp through my hair in spots and that is shocking because it’s been so fast. Dramatically fast. I’m in physio school in a problem based program (very stressful way to learn) and this unit is SO over the top with group work, readings, assignments, and studying, all of us students are completely exhausted. We’re a herd of zombies. It’s brutal. And that’s what triggered my hair loss: stress and exhaustion. Just as Helen said, my hope, now that I’ve heard your stories and understand the reason why, is that once the stress is gone my hair will stop falling out.
I really have no coping mechanism in place for this because I never ever considered that I might lose all my hair for a non-radiation/chemo reason. It’s just really shocking.
I have been losing my hair off and on for years. This year it has gotten worse. I am taking Topomax for my migraines. I know this can cause hair loss so I stopped taking it for about 2 weeks and my hair still fell out. I have been to the dermo and he finally put me on Spironolactone 50 mg per day, but the hair loss continues. I have been on it for about 2 weeks now. When I took my shower today losts of hair had fallen out I started to cry! I am not sure if I should keep taking this medicine. I do get new hair growth, it will grow back slowly at the top of my hair as there will be new sprouts and pieces sticking up everywhere. Also my hair is dry and brittle. I only wash my hair 2x a week and condition it everyday. I am taking a vitamin for hair and skin and some flax seed oil. Any advice would be great. I have also had my thyroid tested and it came back normal. Also I do not take any birth control pills.
Thank you. I am really upset about it.
Topomax destroyed my hair. It was fine before I started taking it, & within 2 weeks a noticeable amount of hair had fallen out, & what was left was frizzy & dry (never happened before in my life).
If you can possibly find another medication instead of Topomax, it will help. Just Google “Topomax hair loss” & you’ll see it’s a common issue.
Have you tried addressing your migraines though diet rather than medicine? I cut out several foods that I realized were bringing them on, & it helped a lot.
If you love your hair, Topomax just isn’t worth it.
Best of luck sorting this out; I know it’s very hard to deal with.
back in 2009 I had a thyroid removal due to Graves Desease, a month after I noticed a patch behind my ear growing even more….but hey I have always had alopecia areata on anf off throughout my life ..so didn’t think of it much. I have extremely thin and frizzy/curly hair…In May in may 2010 I went ahead and did a Keratin Treatment (per my stylist advice..she said it’s 100% natural and should be good fo my hair) so did it, back in august I went head and did another keratin treatment cause I just LOVED IT. In November my hair stated falling in clumps in the shower, 300 to 600 hair a day. Frightening …sleepless nights, crying spells ..I have also been diagnosed with severe deression since 2009 ..Now Feb 2011 I am almos bald..last week my the remainder of my hait just started pouring outttt..unbelievable!!
_ the probem with me is my hair grows fully in those balding spots to a certain length and falls right back out. I have used every treatment possible out there…changed to natural Armour, using vitamins ], suplements… etccc
I only pray GOD this is a temporary situation, I hope i find a good doctor who could help me find out what wrong with my hormones…I also noticed my hair falling the week or two prior to my period. could this have to do wth the removal of my thyroid? hormonal? can someone help me here?
hey all,
im experiencing the same hair loss, everytime i run my hands thro my hair i get a handful of hair, when i brush it, the brush is tht full, after a bath it comes out so much more. my hair was sooooooooo thick (more thn normal ppls) and i have lost over half my hair thickness, i did lose hair after i had my daughter 7yrs ago n was prescribed a strong dose of iron tablets which stopped it, i have been back to the doctors and he wouldnt give me any iron tablets he wants to do tests!!! its making m sooo depressed and i dont know if it is stress as i feel i havent been anymore stressed than usually, any advice/help would be very appreciated, its horrible thank u, Kim xxx
Kim, are you taking antidepressants? They can cause hair loss and perhaps it is your iron that is low. Take the ferro sequel slow release iron tablets, this is what my dr recommended. But I do not blame your dr for wanting to test. Too much iron can be bad. And back to the antidepressants….my dr said one of the worse offenders they’ve seen is lexapro, but I just think that is because it is most commonly prescribed. How long has it been coming out? Have you been through something extremely stressful?
I am having hair loss that I think is related from doing my second keratin treatment in mid December. My hair loss started around late Feb and has seemed to reduce a little, but is still coming out way more than I ever had in my life. I have never experienced hair loss ever and started out with so much hair. I have been to a Drs, Derms. My blood tests are fine, I eat very healthy, only thing I take is estradiol, but have been taking estrogen for years and only switched to a new form of it recently, but the hair started falling out before the switch, so I don’t think it’s the estrogen. I am on propecia, taking supplements and switching to all natural shampoos and products to reduce the inflamtion to my scalp. My Derm gave me a shot of steriods and told me to massage my scalp with olive oil and egg yolks to stimulate the follicles to grow. I’m praying that my hair loss will stop and I make a full recovery. I’m trying to remain optimistic. Hope everyone is too. Please post success stories on dealing with TE. When should I expect my hair to make a full recovery?
<3 Nikki
My story sounds so much like some of yours. My hair shedding started on Nov. 6 2010. I got out of the shower and was putting on the anti frizzy hair cream I always used and both hands were full of hair. Then I noticed lots of hair in the shower and in the sink when I tried to style it , oh and especially when I lightly blow dry my hair it is all over the floor. I am now starting to to get very thin on top of my head. I have always had dark ,thick, natuarl curly hair, but no more. I just thank God everyday of what I have left. I take biotin and a multivitamin a day and so far that is it. Everytime I read someones story on something that has worked for them, and think I most def. will try that, a few post later I read how it made someone elses hair loss worse and they wish they never tried it. I am so confused! I found a derm. who specializes in hair loss but my appt. is in DEC. a 5 mo. wait! Ugh…..I have no idea if I can even wait that long but guess I will have to. I have had all the blood tests also they all come back normal, and my gp thinks its stress. I do have anxiety attacks and was under extreme stress (family situation) on going for a while, a year before the shedding started. He wants me on paxil but I refuse to take it because I heard anit depressants may cause hair loss. So what to do about the stress? Also I developed severe dandruff the very and I mean very same time as the hair started shedding, never had it before. My scalp itches profusely, I try not to scratch it but that is really hard sometimes. Also here lately I have been getting goosebumps on my scalp and no where else and them out of nowhere It feels like butterflies are fluttering in my hair. I have no idea what this is. Has anyone else experienced this? Was wondering if that was normal with hairloss or was that the dandruff or mayber just my nerves. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Candi:
Hello. I’m so sorry you are experiencing hair loss and confusion. I think it helps to talk to a doctor about your options and listen to a good one or get a few opinions. I would not try to self-diagnose and sit back and do nothing while waiting for this one dr. who can see you in five months. If you do nothing now, at the early stages, you may miss your chance to keep the hair you do have on your head. Get an appointment with a couple of dermatologists and make sure they are compassionate and will really sit down and talk to you. They should at least be able to help you get rid of the dandruff. That may be sebborheic dermatitis which is very uncomfortable, unsitely and also can make hair loss worse. I would focus on solving that problem first. If your scalp isn’t healthly, your hair will not be healthy. You should see a derm. for a perscription treatment. I would guess the bumps may be part of the same scalp condition. Whatever you do, DO NOT sit around for five months doing nothing. That would be a big mistake.
It is very tempting to read everything on this board and others and try to piece together a treatment plan…I myself have been there. BUT in the end, I am listening to what my doctor has advised, getting additional tests that I think may be helpful (lab work done- blood tests) and reading this website for support and the connections it provides. You must be your own health care advocate. GOOD LUCK!
I’ve always been a perfectionist and have been stressed out since an early age. Last time I had a head full of hair was when I was 12. When I entered middle school, I started internalizing stress and that is when I started having back pains when I got stressed. I started to notice that my hair was thinning by the time I was in high school. Besides hair loss, I’ve started having lots of other problems (excessive facial hair, extreme lethargy, burning up during sleep, anxiety, depression). I suggest that you got go to a holistic doctor or a naturapath who will look into the hormal imbalance which is causing your hair loss and possibly other symptoms.
Stress wreaks havoc on your body. By saliva testing your doctor can pinpoint the issue. I’ve been reading books and am looking for a holistic doctor in DC area who is familiar with adrenal exhaustion and other hormonal imbalance issues.
Hi, I’m 37 years old and I’ve had hair loss for around 7 years now. Argh! I’m pretty certain it began due to massive stress. Long story short, I have PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and one of my symptoms is hair loss. Other symptoms of mine are oily skin (which had progressively gotten worse) and increased hair on my face that was very fine and got longer over time (after a few years of hair loss) dry skin and extra hair where woman shouldn’t have extra hair (face, toes and arms). I also noticed I smell a bit differently (a bit manly). Anyway, I was put on Androcur and Marvelon which helped immediately but quit working after the first month. I was then put on Aldactone and Diane 35 which was great for about 4 months then slowly my hair began falling out again. I decided to go off of all medications and have tests done with an endocrinologist. All hormone tests came back normal with the exception of my insulin resistance (slightly elevated) . I have gone on insulin meds, Actos for IR, and Proscar for my hair loss (DHT is the primary contributing factor in male pattern baldness. However, female hair loss is more complex, and DHT is a possible cause. Women with increased levels of DHT may develop certain androgynous male secondary sex characteristics, including hair loss, deepened voice and facial hair). They are helping with my hair loss. Dramatically actually. I need to find something to reduce my oily skin though. It’s the only thing I’m dealing with now and I notice it’s slowly getting worse. I’ve only been on the new meds for a month now and find so far, hair loss is extremely minimal. I would very much like to deal with my oily skin, it’s internal and not something I can just wash my face to deal with though, so back to the endocrinologist for that.
An internal ultra-sound will identify cysts in the ovary’s even if hormone tests come back normal and although a large portion of woman with PCOS are overweight, it isn’t a necessarily an indicator as I’m not overweight. At any rate, I hope my story helps someone who hasn’t thought of PCOS or testosterone issues as a cause for their hair loss. Good luck everyone!
Christine:
I have been taking Proscar for 2 months now. I had an increased shed (about 4 x what I normally lose) for about 3 weeks. It seems to be tapering off now. Did you experience anything like that? I do not have PCOS.
Good luck on getting the oily skin issue resolved. Did you try accutane?
Hi Ann, I am now on the network. Did you get your code? I am under kip when you do get on. I’m glad to hear the shed has slowed down!
Candi-
I wanted to ask you how you were doing? I have had similar weird scalp sensations with my hairloss. I actually read that creeoy crawling feeling can come from low magnesium, which is also important to hairloss. Stress wreaks havoc on your system and causes minerals, hormones, etc to come out of balance. I believe that a balance of everything is necessary to have a healthy body and healthy hair and unfortunately, when one thing is off it causes a spiraling effect of other imbalances. it is all confusing and overwhelming, but i am trying to because i have no other hope:(
has anything helped you?
This is a good news story…Im 35 years old and have had thin hair since I was around 17. Ive tried hairclub (dont do it). Ive worn wigs, but I found they stop me from life and I cant enjoy myself because of the restrictions. I wiened myself off of them mostly, unless i just want to look hot. I wear hats often, but I find its hard to be feminine and work a hat into an outfit unless im excersising. I can only wear my hair in ponytails, which potentally continue to damage. I had tried equate generic walmart rogain about 10 years ago, but i was not diligent enough to put ito on 2x a day and found it left my hair oily. Ok but the good news is….. In December of 2011 i started using it again. This time im older and more diligent. I put the drops on at least once a day but suposed to be 2 times daily. I do it twice if i remember. Guess what, I can see a difference. i dont have to manipulate my ponytail to hide bald streaks, the front line is starting to fill in. I was trying to google results of other women who have stuck with it to see the end results. so it says you wont notice results for aprox up to 4 months and its been 4 months and i can see a difference. not a huge difference, but its enough to make me less self concious. i hope it continues. i took a before pic and i will post soon my before and now results. i never expected it to work – ever! and to my surprise with much patience and diligence im seeing some results. the texture is some what changing to wavey and ive noticed an increase in greys, but who cares, its hair grey or not. lol i will continue to use this product and have not had any of the side effects that potentially it causes. also the studies show that it actually works better in women then men. who knew 🙂 good luck ladies, i know how you feel and i hope you find a solution tat works for you. To God be the glory, put your faith in Him and he can do all things.
Hi everyone,
Read all of your stories and I always think I m the only women in this world sufering from hair loss.But, i completely changed my mind now after visiting this site.
Well, I’ve been suffing from hair loss since the age 19 . That’s the time all teenaged girls like me get a chance to set their hair in various fashions. All my friends had their hair done beautifully, but me, I could just sit and watch them and feeling really envy of their hair.wish i could get my hair done as well.
I went for a number of treatment, but it really costs me fortune. Then, i had to stop the treatment half way because it was too expensive as i was still a student. So, i opted for self made home treatment.I googled and tried various oil and even got all kind of hair loss products. And all just FAILED at the end of the day!!
Now, i just dont know what to do? I am 27 and still single. The guys that i go out with normally comment on my hair as it’s so visible although i try my best to hide it. And, most of the guys just stop contacting me after the first date! Now, i am just scared to go out for dates or even meet my friends. everyone comments on my hair and it’s so humilating. My colleagues sometimes make fun of me and even call me an old lady. Two days back i went to the saloon after about 5 monts to trim my hair. and my hairstylist told me off at my face! that he is so afraid to do anything to my hairand it seems so fragile. he afraid more hair falls off and told me to try some new products. at that time i just told him to trim my hair and not to suggest any more money making products. Of course i told him nicely.
After going through all this, sometimes I just feel that it’s not worth for me to live. I am in a biggest dilemma ever. I just don’t know how to get my hair back. I lost hope! Now, i just stay at home all time because of my hair condition. I don’t know where to go and what to do. Everyday, before going to work, I spend nearly an hour in front of the mirror just to set my hair so that the bald isnt obvious.
Why is life is so hard? i just want to overcome this problem.Any solutions??
hi everyone
it was great reading d posts.it feels good to know that i m not d only victim.i started experiencing hair loss 8 years ago when i changed city n got admitted in a new school.and over time i have visited 5 dermatologists.but nothing helped me.three of d doctors said its due to stress.and sometimes my hairfall reduces on its own but then it falls back again.god knows how many times i have felt suicidal because of this.and d worst part is nobody seems to understand my anguish.not even my boyfriend,i have tried minoxidil,home based therapy,but nothing has helped me.i am thinking of trying aminexil.please pray for me.hope it works out.wil keep u people posted over what happens…..tc
Hi Ladies,
I was online researching holistic supplements and ran across this blog. I have adrenal exhaustion and thyroid disordered as a result. My hairloss is about half of what i used to have and my eyebrows are nearly bald on the outer halves.. even though the inner half are still ok.
From my research, it appears L-taurine, Vit D3, and collagen type 1 and 3 are the best solution to trigger the body to stop the loss and start the growth again. I have ordered the L-taurine, just started the vit D3 today, and started the collagen a few days ago… will repost when I see changes.
Just a bit of background info.. I have been treating holistically with adrenal fatigue about 5 months now which consists mostly of vit C, different types, glutathione, and pantethine as well as chicken broth and juicing. It seems that I am just finding some stability but the hairloss continues.. I hope the collagen, taurine, and vit d3 help.
Anyway, wanted to share with you all what I find.. will update more soon.
All my best,
Stacie
I tried to join this group, but find the procedure too involved.
I have recently lost my husband suddenly & tragically (feb 2012). This has triggered a lot of hair loss with me. The timing right for stress related Telogen effluvium-4months after, its coming out embarrassingly so. Its still coming out after 8 months since he died. When does it stop? Do I have to wait for it to stop, for it to start coming back & will it grow back the same as when it left me?
It so gets me down, especially at a time I could do with a lift, instead every time I look in the mirror its a constant reminder of loss!!
I started noticing my hair shedding two months ago and panicked. I’ve always been stressing but my hair never fell out like this, or maybe I just didn’t think about it before. I’ve been stressing over many things lately: breakup, job loss, bad living location, friends and family… Went to Dermatologists and my family doctor and got lots of blood work done. Everything was normal except my Vitamin D was kind of low. My derms quickly dismissed my case and even tho I have no family history of baldness they told me sorry, it’s female pattern baldness, we can’t help you, use rogaine. I was like are you serious… My doctor then told me it could be stress, and suggested I eat healthier as in more fish oils, and exercise more to keep my body healthy. He gave me some Vitamin D, and I am also taking Biotin because I researched online and it helps promote healthier hair and nails. My nails and hair grows really long really fast now but I dunno about hair regrowth, maybe too early to tell? I am seriously depressed about my hair loss and that’s not helping the stress… For everyone who posted or is reading, you are not alone. Keep posting your success stories and what treatments you’re taking, it gives us all hope for the future. Also, what have you been doing to destress? I’m just trying to sleep earlier, eat a bit healthier, and try to keep myself around positive pple. Any success from me I will update yous. Good Luck everybody!!!
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your stories, my hair started falling out 2 years ago and everyone in my life told me I was crazy that it wasn’t and I have tons of hair. Yes I had tons of hair but everytime I brush it or wash it hundreds fall out. I also has tingling in my scalp and dandruff too. There isn’t a history of hairloss in my family and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve tried to get a positive attitude and have tried to reduce the stress in my life but when your hair is falling out how can you stay calm? I’m scared, and sad because this has changed my life and I’m not sure how to deal with it.
Hey guys,
I would like to share my story. Last year I did a 6-month isotretinoin treatment for my acne, which basically getting too much vitamin A that dries up the body (skin, hair, nose etc). Around February 2012 (5 months in the treatment) I noticed that I was losing a lot of hair. I didn’t really pay attention to it because I always had big bushy curly hair, which in the previous months had looke rather healthy and had grown quite a bit. In March, I started getting a bit concerned with the amount of hair that was falling out, because I would vacuum my room and balls of hair would come out from the carpet, thick long hairs that had just fallen out. I started getting very stressed about it but stupidly did not tell anyone excpet my housemates who kept insisting that it was all in my head. But I could see the marked difference in the density and quantity of my hair, I knew something was wrong. After some time I asked my dermatologist about it, and she mentioned that hair loss might be a side effect of the isotretinoin treatment, and told me to use some Minoxidil to improve my situation, but she was very casual about it. Around April, things had not improved one bit, I kept getting more and more stressed about it and all the other things I always stress about (I am a uni student in the UK).One day, I got in the shower to wash my hair, and chunks kept falling out, and at one point it all became tangled in the back of my head, and I got a panic attack that half my hair had fallen out, started crying and screaming but no one was in the house, so then I called my parents and cried on the phone for about an hour. They were shocked. The next day I flew back to my home country (Greece) and visited my dermatologist, who again very casually told me, oh yeah, your hair really is falling out, as she gently pulled it and a bunch of hair fell, and casually diagnosed TE. I was very disappointed in her, and went to an endocrinologist, who prescribed some tests, and diagnosed iron and calcium deficiencies, as well as excessive stress. I am pretty sure it is a combination of the two because this year I had had to cope with a lot of uni work and bad heart break, plus the stress of the hair loss. Anyway, I was on supplements for about 3 months, and then summer came, I went back to Greece for the vacations and generally relaxed and had a good time. Over the summer the condition of my hair improved a lot, and I was so happy that the worst was over. Alas, I came back to England about a month ago, and again noticed that unusually a lot of hair is falling out. In the beginning I thought it was seasonal, but now I know it is again connected with low iron and high stress levels. So, I am now starting again on iron supplements and I am thinking of taking serious action to cope with my stress problems – meditation, yoga, anything. So many people here have said that stress wrecks havoc on the body and it is SO TRUE. To think that it is me who is actually doing this to my body and myself! The things I have hated most about this experience? How no one believed me in the beginning when I was telling them that my hair is falling out. How I look around at my shoulder-length hair, and see some ends with the white bulb, and think that it is hair that has gone freefalling, and pull it out. How there is hair EVERYWHERE around me so I am constantly reminded that it is falling from my head. How I am 20 years old, and instead of being at my prime, one of the best times of my life, I feel like my body is being worn out, and I feel unattractive. Enough with the pity party, though. I keep telling myself that there are much worse things in life than hair loss, that it is not obvious to someone who didn’t know how beautiful my hair was about a year ago, and how, in the end, after all is said and done, the best thing I can do in my condition is try NOT to stress about it cause that only makes things worse!
On a more practical note, I have not tried any other treatments except minoxidil (that didn’t produce much in the way of results in my case) and iron and calcium supplements. My hair loss has been diffuse, from all over my scalp, and, earlier in the year, it was mostly long hair that was falling out, especially from the lower part of my scalp. Now, it seems to be the same but I am not sure. Has anyone had a similar experience?
This is my first time posting anything like this on the internet, and it makes me feel much better, thank you everyone for the support and I am wishing you all the best in this fight!
Hey I too just started losing a ton of hair and I think for me it was stress induced. I had a huge hair loss many years ago shortly after my son was born and lost just about half of my hair at that time but it passed and my hair all grew back. After that my hair loss remained on sort of a cycle in that I would lose very little hair most of the time and then every two years or so I would suddenly shed a lot but the hair loss would stop before it became noticiable and it would grow back.
Well in August of this year my exfiance was diagnosed with cancer. When he told me we had only recently seperated and he had moved to another city. I have anxiety disorder and being away from home can trigger panic attacks, however when I learned that my ex was dying I felt compelled to go be with him even though it meant going to a strange city and staying being surrounded by unfamiliar places and people. Not only that but I was watching the love of my life die. The stress and trauma I felt was enormous. I only managed to sleep a couple of hours a night and pretty much quit eating altogether. I would just grab a smoothie or shake here and there but no solid food. After he passed away I came home and I was sick with the flu which quickly progressed to pnuemonia and at the same time I was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow at the loss of my loved my one. All the while I still wasn’t eating, now due to illness, and lost a bunch of weight. Took about a month to recover from the illness which was at the end of September. Starting late October, early November, which was about 2 months after going through the loss of my loved one my hair started falling out. At first I noticed more hairs in the shower and more coming out in my brush, but now it’s just falling like crazy. My hair is everwhere. When I vacuum all the hair that has fallen get tangled around the vacuum brushes in a big hairy knotted mess and I have to use scissors to cut it off the brushes so the vacuum will work properly. I’ll collect about a hundred hairs just by running my hands through my hair for a couple of minutes. When I don’t see anymore hair coming out then I stop, but just a few hours later I can do it again and just as many hairs come out. I’m easily losing 300-400 hairs a day! Nobody is taking me seriously when I complain about it because I had tons of hair to begin so it still looks pretty normal to most people and I can still make it look okay with styling products and the blow dryer but when I shower and brush I can definitely see that my hair has thinned out quite a bit.
So in researching this online I see that stressfull and traumatic events can trigger the hair folicles to go into a state of rest. Seeing my loved one pass away in a strange city far from home was definitely traumatic and given the time line of that event and when my hair started to fall I think there is a correlation. I haven’t talked to a doctor about it yet because I think I still have too much hair for anyone to take my concerns seriously. Also it’s only been happening for about 2-3 months. After my son was born I recall that I went through extreme hair loss for about 6 months. Feel like the only think I can do at this point is patiently wait and see if it stops on its own in a few months. Even if it does, my hair is really long and it’s going to take forever to grow it back.
Hi,
This is the second time I have gone through this after extreme stress. Was not even going to mention it to my Dr as I know they don’t really go the health route. Obviously they want to do tests etc but the last six months of last year were hell and I actually pretty much expected it. I am going to supplement like last time, biotin and all the hair amino acid choline and inostol and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Excercise helps a lot. Last time I had two patches the size of golf balls. Almost as bad now. Soap free shampoo and no styling. Lots of scalp massage. I can feel regrowth starting. Am going to get Taurine tomorrow. Thanks for that. Good luck guys. With six months last time I had plenty of regrowth on the patches. If you are feeling stressed still walk and talk.
Hello Everyone,
I am also facing the same hair loss problem from last 4-5 years. Right now i am 25 years old and got married before 4 months. I consulted minimum 5 dermatologist who suggested me multivitamin tablets. My problem i s my hairs grows but it dont grow and before it starts growing it falls. I was not so much satisfed with all dermatologists opinion. They told me hair fall’s major problem is stress. Everybody has some stress in life less or more but stress is there.
i wass using aminexil. I used almost 18 bottles means i used it countinious for 18 days and my hair fall decreased by almost 80% !! than i thought i am using a product by some cosmetic company better i should consult a doctor than doctor told me to different kinds of test ferritin test, thyroid test so many. Everything was normal just my iron level was little less but i have start taking it.
Now i am again starting aminexil. Aminexil is really good product worth spending. Better you pay high fees of a doctor you must use aminexil once.
Hi ladies,
I just turned 23 and graduated from an unfortunately stress-filled 5 years at college. Rather 3 years – the first 2 were great! When I look back at pictures during the first two years, I had generous, thick, shiny, wavy hair that I love. And now….it seems like I have half a head of hair, its annoyingly wispy and shine-less and the color is a lot less rich. Compared to other women around me, I feel horrible. I never feel beautiful and there is rarely anyone that tells me that. I don’t know if its because of my hair but a simple compliment every now and again would be a huge savior.
My hair was normal – but has been different for the past 4 years or so. I hate it. I already checked with an endochronologist and my hormones/thyroid etc. are all fine. Those periods in my life where I was really happy (studying abroad, a lunch post-graduation ceremony etc.) it did seem to magically look normal.
Most of the men in my family are bald but not the women (though thyroid is definitely a family thing). Is there any way that it could grow back? My dermatologist suggested Biotin, but I don’t really see much of a difference.
Any hope? Any suggestions? Am I too late ya think?
Hi there. I see that this is still a frequently visited thread. I feel I must post. Three weeks ago my boyfriend noticed a bald patch on the back of the right side of my head. It was roughly the same size as when you make an ‘o’ with your index finger and thumb. I was totally and utterly shocked and devastated. I cried for many days afterwards. I had not noticed any hair loss at all, although I did feel my hair was limp and in poor condition. But after discovering the patch of baldness, I suddenly realised how much hair I was losing on a daily basis, especially after sleeping and washing my hair. Hair is just falling out when I run my hands through it, and the roots show tell tale signs of Alopecia Areata, IE a tapered end. I immediately started taking Biotin, Skin Hair Nails formula, Omega 3, Immune boosters and drinking lots of water. I also started using Alpecin Caffeine shampoo which was recommended to me. However, the more and more research I do the more I feel natural products are the way forward and I intend to start washing with baking soda and vinegar rinse. Last night I discovered a new bald area on the other side of my head behind my left ear. The bald areas have become itchy, with soreness. I also had blood tests and my thyroid and hormones are normal. The docs here in the UK are pretty useless. I was prescribed Dermavate steroid cream, a side effect of which is increased hair growth, but the cream only made my skin worse and caused pimples. I stopped after a few days. I continue to take the supplements and started eating a lot of foods recommended for healthy hair, carrots, avocado, sweet potatoes, walnuts, fish etc. It is really fun to cook with and delicious too.
I started to look into the causes of my hair loss and although my symptoms seem to indicate Alopecia Areata, I suspect I am in fact suffering from Telogen Effluvium which is caused by extreme emotional or physical stress. I also have been forced to confront the bigger picture of my general health and to do in depth research about everything I am putting into or onto my body. For sure I desperately need to cut out sugar from my diet. About 7 months ago I went for a colonic irrigation session, at which the practitioner told me I had a bad case of Candida. She advised cutting out refined sugars as this was fuelling the internal yeast infection, but like an arrogant fool I continued to consume far too much fizzy drinks on a daily basis. I simply was unable to fully mentally engage in a conscious effort to improve my health. The yeast infection causes sugar cravings and if out of control can lead to hair loss. After my horrifying discovery 3 weeks ago, I have been forced to accept that my diet and attitude to my body is terrible. I am slowly weaning myself off sugar and starting to listen to and overcome my cravings, rather than giving in. I know I am a lot stronger than I give myself credit for, and losing my hair has made me realise how flippant I was towards my body and wellbeing.
If you want to hear about what caused my stress, read on. Sorry for the length of it…I was under a lot of pressure.
I think my life has been abnormally stressful since 2009, and I have certainly dealt with a lot of trauma both physical and emotional. In ’09 I underwent major ear surgery and again in 2011. I suffer with severe hearing loss and constant infections in my right ear. This can make life stressful and upsetting especially as a musician. I went through a relationship breakdown in 2010 and had to leave my whole life behind and move 250 miles back home to my mother. Then a year later in 2011 I met a man who totally took over my life and turned me into a gibbering wreck with no self esteem. He had no other people in his life, not even any friends and I became the centre of his life. Our situation escalated and I was desperately miserable. I was also constantly struggling for money and was unemployed. I had a car crash on the way to see him after he threatened to kill himself. I was living like a zombie. My stress levels were through the roof. When I was working it was 9 hours a day all week, and my exhaustion levels were skyrocketing. I wanted out of the relationship. Around Christmas last year, I was fired as my ear problems were making work difficult. The day before this I had broken up with him but after getting fired, I felt too weak to be apart from him as despite making me miserable, he offered familiarity and comfort. However, after the new year I made the decision to end it. Our break up was long, drawn out and painful and ended with a visit to hospital after he punched a wall. I sat in the car screaming at him literally wanting to either die or kill him. Nobody should ever have to feel this bad, and I am fairly confident my body is now trying to tell me the impact that prolonged stress had on it. After this incident, I think he was able to see I needed to be free and deserved better. A short while after I started a new job and unexpectedly met the man of my dreams and the love of my life. I had an absolutely wonderful Summer this year full of love and enjoyment and happiness. I felt my mood was completely different. However I was also making plans to move away and finally pursue my music career so I knew that I had a stressful move ahead of me, which is now only a week away. These are plans I started to make last December before I met my soulmate so now I have to leave him behind until he can find work and move down to be near me. Making plans to move is stressful enough, but after discovering my hair loss I thought I was going to completely crumble. I have had to do a lot of thinking about this and have come to the conclusion that I am a survivor with that imperative life skill, endurance. I have fought through a hell of a lot and if I have to lose my hair, then I am ready to face whatever the Divine has to show me. I am open and willing to experience my life and refuse to live in fear any longer. I am committed to my future and feel certain that once I move and am settled into my new way of life, creating music and enjoying myself more, my body will reflect the changes I make both mental and physical. I also did a yoga session last week and really feel that my body was extremely grateful for the loving attention I gave it. I have always been quite overweight and not physically active at all. I also need to get back into the habit of daily meditation and deep breathing as this in an invaluable source of relaxation.
I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to have a loving, supportive partner. When I first saw the baldness, I broke down crying, but he offered me unconditional love and support. He is a strong, reliable rock and I know he will not let me fall apart. My last boyfriend would begrudge my sadness and always make me feel worse. He left me with no self esteem. Seriously, you can be happier alone rather than with someone who is not emotionally connected to you and freaks out when you’re upset.
My advice I guess would be to become fully conscious and aware of how sensitive our bodies are to our external environment and our internal emotions. Also to open your eyes to the bigger picture of your life and not to let the hair loss cause you to become more distressed. I can see this will only cause a self perpetuating cycle of hair loss and misery. You are capable of experiencing true, unconditional joy and confidence. I realise of course that a woman’s hair is a massive symbol of her sensuality and femininity, but it is from within that she derives her strength, endurance and power. Once you confront what is happening and put in into perspective, you can rise above the fear and embrace your reality. It is only the artificial mainstream celebrity world of vanity and so called perfection that makes us cower in fear at losing our hair. They never tell us how strong and beautiful we are inside. We need to tell ourselves this every day, hair or no hair. Sorry I ranted on, but hope this has helped. I will update you, when hopefully my hair starts to grow back. Thanks for reading .xxxx
Ok I know this is really late since this post was made so long ago, but I’m desperate. I am currently 18 and in the last month of high school. I’ve always been in AP classes so I didn’t think I was stressed, I’ve had worse years with more classes and more finals than this year. But a few days ago I noticed a bald spot on my head. My hair hasn’t been shedding or thinning, it’s just almost bald in this small quarter sized space on my head. There is some hair in it but it’s very thin. I don’t know what to do, my family is just telling me it’s stress but I don’t feel stressed out. It could be subconscious but from what I read in the above comments everyone’s hair started shedding and then they say bald spots. I just have a bald spot! My doctor isn’t helping, he just says it’s stress. I don’t know what to do. I need help. Graduation is 30 days away. Prom is 18 days away. I don’t know what to do
Hey ladies,
Do not stress!!!!! Your hair will grow back in due time….If this is our calling so be it. It could be so much worse….when I feel bad for myself, I remember that I am not paraplygic, i’m not blind nor deaf….it’s hard on the ego but I think that part of the lesson here is to learn to love and accept yourself even with your imperfections, embrace them. You are no less valuable as a human being because you don’t have a head full of locks. You are still beautiful. I found meditation really helped me with my hair growth….I feel like it may be starting to fall out a little again but i know it will be back again. And in the meantime I just have to accept what is….no use worrying about it….
Stay positivite ladies, good luck!!!
I started losing my hair after my bilateral mastectomy due to breast cancer. It is very thin and wispy but no bald spots. I miss my thick hair, but I try not to despair (there are worse things than thinning hair). I am thinking about getting hair extensions (the kind you clip in) or even a wig. My hair is so difficult to style now that I have honestly considered cutting it short and just wearing an attractive wig. My young niece wears extensions in her hair (she gets them online very cheap) and they look very realistic and fantastic. Try not to despair girls. As a breast cancer patient, I can honestly say that there are worse things than thinning hair. Be careful about all of the supplements and products; eat a well-rounded, healthy diet; keep your weight stable; and exercise. It is my understanding that hair does not fall out due to emotional stress, but rather it falls out due to physiological stress (when heartbreak leads to weight loss, for example — it is the weight loss that causes the hair loss not the emotional stress). So, get some cute hair pieces, take a deep breath and count your many, many blessings.
I started using Vichys dercos aminexil a week ago and I have terrible headaches after that. I am not sure whether the reason is aminexil usage. Have any of you guys faced similar issue? Please comment. It will be of great help. Thanks in advance..
Figured I’d share my story as well…
I’m 20 years old, and have had type 1 diabetes since I was 11, have struggled with depression, eating disorders, anxiety, not to mention the many stressful factors going on while I am just trying to simply fit in amongst people my age.
I have struggled with thinning hair in the past when I was 16 due to hormonal imbalances from diabetes. It recovered fully after 3 years, growing long and healthy as ever. 1 year later, my hair is back to being thin, lifeless, and I’m honestly considering just shaving my head and getting a wig. (anyone else do that yet? there’s confidence in numbers right lol.) I talked to a hair-care specialist to discuss different “tricks” that may to make it look like I had long, gorgeous hair again that felt like my own. She recommended extensions, I asked how long they would last for was SO happy when the answer was 3-4 months. hundreds and hundreds of dollars later, I had beautiful hair again. I felt pretty for the first time in a while… so many people gave me comments on it, even my boyfriend of 2 years couldn’t take his eyes off me. I felt like I was ready to go out, kick butt, and take names again. 3 weeks later, only around 30% of the extensions remained in my hair. It was like I was loosing my hair all over again, I got fed up and ended taking them all out, taking strand upon strand of my lifeless hair with it. This further screwed with the way I look at myself in the mirror. My mother had breast cancer for many years while I was growing up, and I constantly saw her insecurities about what chemotherapy had done to her hair, and how she so desperately longed to feel beautiful again. But in my eyes, she had always been beautiful. with OR without hair.
I am trying SO hard to stay positive, remember that stressing out about my hair will just make matters worse, and just be patient. it really sucks… but should we let our insecurities about our physical appearance destroy what makes everything else about us beautiful too? No.
so, to everyone out there who are going through tough times, be confident in who you are, hair doesn’t determine us. Personality does.
Stay Strong Yall <3
Ho Ana
Good to hear your success story .I have also been through some extremely stress full period in the last 3years and was put on aldactone 50 mg for sic months for cystic acne I developed due to stress .I quit and after 2 months my hair started falling in.handfulls and I was again put on aldactone 100 mg this time and hair vitamins and some anastim and then peptide lotion as topical. I have lost 60 percent of my hair and it is causing me unbearable stress .my hair texture has also changed from silky thick long to dry brittle flyway. Pl advice aa fhe doc only advices minoxidil bcp and finstraide . I am very scared of putting more hormones to my body .pl advice dear .I am extremely grieved and devasted with my hair loss and thinning .
Hi Everyone,
I have been reading your precious stories, and my heart goes out to all of you who suffer from hair loss. I, too, have been trying to get a handle on my own hair loss. Always had lots of blonde hair– not thick, just fine and plenty of fit. I always felt it was my best asset, haha. About 7 years ago, I noticed a little “widow’s peak,” and thought it was age-related. It concerned me, but since it wasn’t too obvious, shrugged it off. This went on for years. Last year I begain to shed a lot of hair. It was everywhere! I wore ponytails and baseball caps and thought that was the cause. But last fall I was hit head on by someone who lost control of their vehicle. Totaled our csr and had broken bones. While in ER, blood count was extremely low. They thought I had internal bleeding and did two CT scans. Diagnosis: anemic due to colon cancer. Huh. From a hard auto accident to colon cancer within 6 hours. So I asked for two months to recover from the accident before doing the cancer surgery. Tumor removed in January. More hair loss. I refused chemo and radiation. Taking supplements and changed my diet. It has been three months since cancer surgery and I am doing well except for hair shedding. I think my hair-shedding that began 7 years ago was related to the cancer growing in my colon. So I assume it will take some time before this turns around. I had anesthesia two days after the accident when they performed a colonoscooy to biopsy the tumor, and I had anesthesia two months after that to remove the tumor. Anyway, just wanted to share that sometimes there may be an underlying cancer that has not been diagnosed. Our bodies do not lie. Hair follicles can go dormant when the body is under attack.