Hair loss

[Snowdrop13]

I’m in my mid 50’s, well past menopause now. My hair is very fine and completely straight so I have always kept it fairly short in a bobbed style. Just lately I have noticed a lot more hair on my brush and comb, and also on my clothes. It’s really upsetting somehow, I don’t want to be a bald old lady! Does anyone have any advice or a miracle cure that worked for them? Does HRT help?

 

[missy]

First of all I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. It’s not uncommon and it is also a pretty complicated issue. i suggest getting blood work done. To start I would check ferritin, serum iron, iron saturation and TIBC. Check estradiol, estrone, testosterone and free testosterone. Check your progesterone. Check free t3, free t4 Reverse T3 and TPO and TgAB.


Yes HRT can help but it depends why you are losing your hair. You need to know the cause before you treat. Most likely it is a treatable issue so don’t despair. Thyroid, iron and s*x hormones are where I’d start. Sending you best wishes.

 

[missy]

Also get a CBC, CMP, Hga1C and lipid profile just to get an overall sense of how you are plus Vit D (which is a hormone) 25OH (storage D) and 1.25D (active D). And B12. Copper, zinc. Also after you do these tests depending on the findings the physician might want to explore further (auto immune issues) but one thing at a time and most likely it’s a hormone or iron/ferritin issue.

 

[SparklieBug]

@Snowdrop13 I always had super thick, curly hair. It gradually thinned as I got older, then I noticed quite a bit dropping in the shower, maybe three years ago. It looked like a small woodland creature was in the drain catcher.

An acquaintance of happened to mention that her hair had also been dropping a lot. Like me, she lives where there's cold and snow in the winter. That year, she visited her parents in Corpus Christi, in February, and the weather was great. She was hanging out at a beach and taking in sunshine. Within three days, she noticed her hair stopped dropping out.

She figured out she was really low in Vitamin D. I decided to experiment and upped my dosage of Vitamin D. I take gel caps of a oil-based, highly bioavailable type. I increased to 7000 IU, and within two or three days, my hair had also stopped dropping so heavily. It was back to what would be normal for me.

I take less in summer but definitely increase in the autumn as soon as the temperatures drop so that I'm not in shorts anymore. This makes a huge difference for my hair.

I hope you find a solution that works for you!

 

[Bron357]

My hair too is fine and straight and with being post menopause AND having thyroid issues my hair has really thinned. Unfortunately HRT isn’t a choice for me as we have breast cancer in the family.
I wear my hair as a short Bob and have it dyed purple, well I have streaks put in and a purple semi over the top. Having streaks thickens the hair shaft and I also use hair thickening products to add some ”boof”. Dry shampoo is also a good source of extra “boof” between shampoos. I only do my hair wash weekly now, and I make a point of not dwelling on the hair in the grate or in my hair brush.
Getting older isn’t so much fun but at least I’m getting to do it!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Thank you @missy, I had hoped to age gracefully but now I’m not so sure! I appear to be more vain than I thought…. I’ve had thyroid and iron checked for other reasons and they’re ok, but I can visit my GP to suggest the other tests. Would be nice to know if there was something easily remedied!

@SparklieBug that is a really good thought! It’s cold and dark where I live, too, and actually I took Vit D all through last winter. I can’t believe I forgot to buy more. Off to order some!

@Bron357 yes, the alternative is definitely worse! I like the idea of hair with boof. What thickening products do you use?

 

[missy]

Just an fyi you want iron and thyroid to be optimal. Not just OK or normal.

Free T3 should be in the upper fourth of the "normal" range and iron should be at 110 with ferritin at least 70 for hair growth.

Good luck.

 

[Made in London]

I am post menopausal too & I also have hair thinning issues, lots of hair in the brush everyday & in the shower plug hole. It makes me very sad, but on the plus side it is still growing back, little short, stubby hairs coming back at the roots.

 

[seaurchin]

I didn't even consider getting any levels checked by a doctor because I just thought it was expected with age. Good point.

I use minoxidil (generic Rogaine, a topical treatment). It used to be prescription only but is now over the counter. I notice a definite difference and hair fall the couple of times I stopped using it for a period of time. It won't bring your hair back like it was in high school but for me anyway, it's better.

 

[Ally T]

I feel for you & send big hugs.

I have had a long & documented battle with hair loss (I've made threads about it in the past) & it always follows the same pattern : heavy shed, occasionally until scalp is visible, then recovery. It has happened many times since my late 20's & has never been as thick since these sheds have happened, but it has recovered. I have mild endometriosis & PCOS. During both my pregnancies it was unbelievably thick & long (it's curly) but now, at 47 & in a well established perimenopause, it won't grow longer than my neck. At that length, it drops out & you can see through it around my neck line - it's whispey & pretty pathetic.

I have used the Nioxin system for around 10 years, but a month ago I changed to Watermans Grow Me as I was going through another heavy shed & was fed up of the Nioxin cost versus result. Over the last week, my hair shed has finally slowed down to about a quarter of what it was, which is a huge relief.

I have had masses of blood work over the years & there's always something. After one bout over autumn it was found my Vit D was non existent & on the heavy supplement I was prescribed, my hair stopped shedding within a week & recovered over the next few months with the medication. Consequently I have since taken a strong Vit D ever since.

Other occasions it's been found my ferritin was very low, but I suffer from a bleeding disorder & this is completely normal for me & is to be expected until I am in menopause & my periods stop. Again heavy prescribed supplementation helped recovery.

Hair loss is a minefield & sometimes there really isn't anything that can be done. I am not suitable for HRT & so at some point i am resigned to having very thin hair & an expensive wig, but one thing I have learned is that worrying over it & stress only makes it worse.

Please go to see your GP & then if anything shows up, you can nip it in the bud before it becomes severe. Us ladies really get put through the mill with hormonal changes & fluctuations too, so it could be just a blip that will right itself.

 

[Snowdrop13]

@Ally T I do remember you writing about your hair and I’m so glad you are going through a good time with it now! It’s interesting that Vit D has come up with you too, I’m definitely going to restart that. And I had never heard of the shampoo- I’ve just ordered some from Boots, along with the vitamins! Thank you so much for the recommendation.

 

[Snowdrop13]

I thought I’d come back here and update. I used the Waterman‘s shampoo regularly (biotin and caffeine containing) plus I took oral Vit D supplements daily. I also got a good chop from the hairdresser and was more careful to use plenty of conditioner. I’m happy to say that the hair loss has definitely slowed to a more normal level- I’m not cleaning handfuls from my comb and brush any more! Thank you again, everyone for your support and great suggestions!

 

[missy]

I thought I’d come back here and update. I used the Waterman‘s shampoo regularly (biotin and caffeine containing) plus I took oral Vit D supplements daily. I also got a good chop from the hairdresser and was more careful to use plenty of conditioner. I’m happy to say that the hair loss has definitely slowed to a more normal level- I’m not cleaning handfuls from my comb and brush any more! Thank you again, everyone for your support and great suggestions!

Yay! Amazing update! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Ally T]

I thought I’d come back here and update. I used the Waterman‘s shampoo regularly (biotin and caffeine containing) plus I took oral Vit D supplements daily. I also got a good chop from the hairdresser and was more careful to use plenty of conditioner. I’m happy to say that the hair loss has definitely slowed to a more normal level- I’m not cleaning handfuls from my comb and brush any more! Thank you again, everyone for your support and great suggestions!

This is the best news today! I am so glad you are seeing some changes!

I am a few months in the Watermans system now & the first thing my hairdresser said last Saturday, having not seen her since Dec, was "Wow! Your roots feel so thick!" So now we are aiming to slowly grow the layers out that I've had for years to add springy volume to my curls & see if we can get some length

 

[SparklieBug]

I thought I’d come back here and update. I used the Waterman‘s shampoo regularly (biotin and caffeine containing) plus I took oral Vit D supplements daily. I also got a good chop from the hairdresser and was more careful to use plenty of conditioner. I’m happy to say that the hair loss has definitely slowed to a more normal level- I’m not cleaning handfuls from my comb and brush any more! Thank you again, everyone for your support and great suggestions!

@Snowdrop13 Great news for you!

On the topic of Vitamin D, this winter I found that my Vit. D intake needed to increase even more, to slow down the hair loss. Weird. So I did a bit more research and found that to best absorb D, one also needs zinc, magnesium, and Vitamin K. I had enough zinc in the multivitamins I take, and added extra K, and additional magnesium. Voila! Nearly instant stop of the hair drop!

I also experimented with shampoo/conditioner and leave-in treatment by Augustinus Bader, and noticed my hair felt better, again. It's a spendy product line, although to be fair, it's also very concentrate—I use very little shampoo/conditioner/treatment each time.

Between changing up my supplements and the AB products, my hair is decidedly thicker feeling, has a lot more body, and stays on my head. I'm happy with this!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Thank you @missy!

@Ally T I’m so glad to hear that you have seen an improvement too! I love the Waterman‘s shampoo and its spearminty smell.

@SparklieBug I’m very pleased that you have had success with the extra supplements. I like the look of the AB products, might try the hair oil for a bit of a treat!

 

[Demon]

My hair wasn't really getting thin, but I noticed a little while back that I was losing some very fine hairs, and it seemed to be a lot of them. So, I started looking at what could be done, if anything. I came across info that said some hair loss can be due to DHT (some quick info here: https://www.healthline.com/health/dht#testosterone) and figured I'd look into DHT blockers. Biotin, Saw Palmetto, Tea Tree oil, peppermint oil, lavender and Pumpkinseed oil are some things that are said to block DHT. I've been using Paul Mitchell Tea Tree special shampoo, and OGX's tea tree and mint shampoos. I bought some peppermint, tea tree & lavender (supposed to help regrow hair) essential oils to add to other shampoos. Now I really say that I'm re-growing hair yet (I've only been doing this for a short period), but I've been taking a little extra Biotin, Pumpkinseed oil & using these shampoos, and I can definitely say I'm losing far less hair than I was previously.

 

[jeweln]

My hair wasn't really getting thin, but I noticed a little while back that I was losing some very fine hairs, and it seemed to be a lot of them. So, I started looking at what could be done, if anything. I came across info that said some hair loss can be due to DHT (some quick info here: https://www.healthline.com/health/dht#testosterone) and figured I'd look into DHT blockers. Biotin, Saw Palmetto, Tea Tree oil, peppermint oil, lavender and Pumpkinseed oil are some things that are said to block DHT. I've been using Paul Mitchell Tea Tree special shampoo, and OGX's tea tree and mint shampoos. I bought some peppermint, tea tree & lavender (supposed to help regrow hair) essential oils to add to other shampoos. Now I really say that I'm re-growing hair yet (I've only been doing this for a short period), but I've been taking a little extra Biotin, Pumpkinseed oil & using these shampoos, and I can definitely say I'm losing far less hair than I was previ

 

[jeweln]

My hair is also getting thinner . I have started using essential oils . Once or twice a week I mix organic coconut oil with a few drops of essential oils of : Rosemary , Lavender , Sage , castor oil . I massage my scalp then wash my hair after an hour . I think my hair seems fuller & healthier since I started doing this .

 

[Demon]

My hair is also getting thinner . I have started using essential oils . Once or twice a week I mix organic coconut oil with a few drops of essential oils of : Rosemary , Lavender , Sage , castor oil . I massage my scalp then wash my hair after an hour . I think my hair seems fuller & healthier since I started doing this .

Looks like we're all finding things that help, and that's nice.

And of course this, in my post "Now I really say that I'm re-growing hair yet" should have said "Now I can't really say".