Women’s Hair Loss Project

I got an email from Tracy regarding a post she found on another website about a woman writing about her success with Spironolactone, so I’m posting it here for all of you. Thanks Tracy for this great find!

Hey Y,

I read the new story on the front page on the website asking a question on the effectiveness of spiro. I came across this blog entry by someone on soulcysters.com which you might want to post:

I just want to post my SUCCESS STORY here regarding PCOS and hairloss. I know this is something that is so devastating to many of us PCOS women and seems to respond slowest to treatment, so here’s my story….

On December 4, 2003 I went to get highlights and my hairdresser told me I was “thinning” on top. I had no idea. My hair was always long and thick, my pride & joy. Now thinning? Huh??? Sure enough after examining it under bright lights, the crown showed signs of diffuse thinning… I was DEVASTATED. I had the good sense acknowledge that thinning hair on a woman is not NORMAL, and thus there must be an underlying medical condition with was causing the loss. I researched and researched until my fingers were raw, and everything kept coming back to me saying “PCOS unmasked by coming off the BCP” .

I went to many doctors and none could confirm my self-diagnosis. After 4 months, I had gone from “thinning” to downright “Balding”. My self-esteem hit rock bottom, and my weight ballooned by 30 lbs. I was devastated. I was having anxiety and depression which I have NEVER experienced before in my life, and it stemmed from my hairloss. Having great hair had always been my crutch if I was feeling too fat or too zitty, oh well, at least I had this really great hair, right???? Luckily my husband and mother intervened at this point, and to make a long story short, I got into an Endocrinologist who said PCOS right away and started me on aggressive treatment. That was March 29, 2004. (more…)

Share This

One of our members in the network wrote a blog post about being proactive and wrote that she was recommended the book “The Power of Now” by Ekhart Tolle. Another member emailed me and told me the book made a huge difference in her life as well. That is enough convincing for me, I will definitely be ordering myself a copy from Amazon.com. I just looked it up and this is what is says about the book:

Ekhart Tolle’s message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, Tolle’s clear writing, supportive voice, and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who’s ever wondered what exactly “living in the now” means. Foremost, Tolle is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container–more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.

I noticed this author has a written a bunch of other books that look quite interesting as well, so I guess I’ll be doing a little shopping today :)  Thanks for the tip Tracy and Chari!

Share This

Question:

I am 40 years old and I am bald. I began losing my hair in March of 2007. It has grown a little then falls out, it falls out all over. Starts out in patches then completely goes bald (which is where I am now). I just would like to know I’m not alone. I am looking for a support group in my area.
Thanks,
Gina

Answer:

Dear Gina,

You are definitely not alone. There are unfortunately an extremely high number of women who suffer with hair loss. According to The American Hair Loss Association that number is around 40 million. That makes you very much NOT alone.

As far as support groups, currently the only ones I am aware of are being done by a non profit organization called “Bald Girls Do Lunch.”

Their next event is being held in New York City on October 7th and is called “Alopecia Areata Day of Beauty.” The fundraiser is being held to raise funds to support their lunch meetings across the country.

After that the next meetings will be held in Scottsdale, AZ on October 13 and then Philadelphia, PA on November 3rd.

More About Bald Girls Do Lunch:

Bald Girls Do Lunch, is the only non-profit dedicated specifically to helping women with the auto-immune hair loss condition Alopecia Areata. Visit the website for more information about the lunches and to read testimonials. (more…)

Share This