I finally decided that I would go see Dr. Roberts, a dermatologist in Portland, Or. She specializes in hair loss for women. I Just wanted to make sure that there were no real issues. I was hoping that it was all in my head. You see, I have always had extra thick curly hair. Stylists would tell me how lucky I was to have such thick curly hair. I would always say, “I wish I had straight hair”. Anyway- I decided that the shedding was not normal and the thinning didn’t seem normal. So, I decided I would go get checked out. I got checked once before and that was/is a bad memory and did not want to go through that again. I was 9 months pregnant and a Kaiser dermatologist said “You have Male Pattern Baldness disorder and it is hereditary”. He just looked at me and not anything else, no special scope was used or hair strand tested. I was in his office for 10 min. I went home and cried. I told my OBGYN at my next appointment and she said it was from the hormones and since I was about to have a baby that this sometimes happens and I should expect my old hair back. I did accepted it and then my hair was fine again (my hair did go straight while I was pregnant). Well that was in 2001. Now it is happening again and I had my last and final son in 2003.
So, 2 years ago I noticed my hair starting to shed again or thin a bit. I was kinda glad that my extra thick hair decided to become a little less thick and much more manageble. Then it kept thinning and I thought. ” Hmmm- what if this doesn’t stop?” Then I thought that everything would be fine and not to think about it. Then this past summer it started to shed and just thin and my scalp itched. I didn’t want to think about it. Except for I did think about it, every time I had to try to style my hair or get ready to go meet a client or go meet with consultants.
Oh no- it was now much harder and harder to style my hair like I usually do. Oh S–t! What am I going to do if this does not stop? I thought, I am not my hair. I am not my hair …I am more.
Except I kept feeling strange inside every time it got harder to style my hair in my regular way.
How am I supposed to feel confident meeting with my clients with this hair? I had felt comfortable with my looks - well except I always wanted straight hair and always had curly thick hair that just was different then everyone else’s.
I finally decided in late summer to go see a Dermatologist. After a 4 month wait I made it in late November of 2007. I brought my test results from my reg doc that said my blood work is fine but hoping she would find a normal issue or low iron and fix me right up.
She took two biopsy’s -Ow! 2 weeks later I went back with my husband and got the news. She said, well ” Looks like you have, Female Pattern Baldness - she explained that it is diffuse thinning across your whole head”. (What I was thinking- meaning this is not going to get any better ever but it could get much worse and now my worst fear is coming true). I bawled - right then and there. I didn’t want to bawl like a 2 year old that just was told no, but I did. I am talking red in the face and chest and not being able to breathe very well. Talk about being embarrassed. Here I am a mother of two, 33, and a professional consultant that interfaces with CEO’S bawling like a 2 year old. I could not even hear what she was telling me. Something about taking Men’s Rogaine 4% and how that can help keep the hair I have. She also told me that Nioxin doesn’t hurt and gave me a blood pressure medicine. I am trying this now. This just happened in Dec. I am taking the Rogaine and this blood pressure med and will start Yesmin next month. I am seeing a hair specialist in Portland to see if I can get other suggestions for what I can do here.
Coping, Releasing and learning now of what to do when this happens.
I have been reading so many postings over the past few weeks and it really had helped me mentally. Thank you all for your support.
Shanlaree
Network Profile: http://community.womenshairlossproject.com/shanlaree/
******************************
Hey Shanlaree,
I wanted to thank you for your wonderful support of The Women’s Hair Loss Project. On the blog and in the network you really extend yourself welcoming the ladies and offering caring words. I really love having you here, although I must admit (and I know I’ve said this before) I wish we were meeting on the “I have too much hair” blog 
Thanks for being here.
~Y
Technorati Tags: female pattern hair loss, hair loss, womens hair loss
February 20th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Hi ShanLaree,
I have yet to join the WML Network but I have seen your profile and read some of your postings and I wanted to say thank you for being so active on the site. I don’t comment all that much, but I do come back here every few days to see what’s new and it is always great hearing your input. After reading your story I had a few questions. Are you experiencing diffuse thinning like the doctor said or is it more pronounced on your crown? Similar to you, my hair loss started after the cessation of the birth control pill. It was definately hormonal. I was also a vegetarian for 10 years so I am thinking iron might have something to do with it but my hair is thinning everywhere (not just one spot. I am starting to wonder if just people with underlying androgenic alopecia suffer from TE postpardum or after ending the pill, but many websites I have been to don’t really say anything about that. Do you have Female Pattern Baldness in your family? It seems as if I don’t in my family but I was curious as to your situation. Also, you stated that your scalp itched. Mine was itching for a few months and now has pretty much stopped. I didn’t notice a higher volume of shedding but did you notice anything that coincided with the itching? And did the derm tell you what itching might mean?
I feel like I should get a scalp biopsy but half of me is scared and the other part of me is in denial just thinking to myself that I’m paranoid… Right now I feel like I’m trying to figure it out based on other people’s experiences. Thanks for all your help and the continuing support you give all the women here.
Angela
February 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Thank you Y~ for posting my story.
I am just truly amazed by this online community that you created. It truly is amazing how much it helps to have this here for all of us that are going through this. This isn’t easy and some days are better than others. At first my ego was so crushed that i didn’t want to move forward.
Now I have the strength to move through this thanks to all of you!!
February 20th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Thank you Angela for your reply here.
I am sorry that you are going through this too. I suppose we could change our outlook and think that we are the lucky ones that get to be challenged in this way. Perhaps it will make us grow inside and full fill our souls mission. Perhaps we will stumble upon a cure, anything can happen. I would love to stay positive and hold belief that something can be done. If I have unbending intent then I should be able to find a solution or will need to deal with it and live the most I can for myself and my children. My coping techniques- hats, exercise, am yoga, ocean breath, books (of many flavors) connecting on this network, talking with my twin and at th moment living and researching. I am extremely grateful that I do not have to work while I figure this process out. the kids, the house and helping my husband with his business keep me busy enough.
My hair was so thick that at first it was a relief that it was thinning. At a certain point I wanted it to stay and not thin any more. I really liked it how it was, but every three months or every season it just seemed less dense. My hair would be here and there. I felt that I noticed more from the temples and then front and now the top of my head. The back does see to be less dense but not a huge issue. So it seems my front, sides and top are now thinner and it doesn’t seem to be letting down much. I can still pull my hair here and there to cover thinner spots but not sure how much longer I can pull this off.
You mentioned that you were a vegetarian for 10 years and may have had low Iron from this. My twin is a vegetarian and she has lower iron then me- so some truth there. It did seem to be more noticeable on me before here but she is catching up. So sad, I would rather not have her to go through this. At least now she knows that it is not all in my head and we can plan together how to hid our thinner areas with hats or clips etc.
Interesting that you have no female pattern baldness in your family either. Everyone has hair except my half brother who does have hair loss and my moms dad had male pattern baldness, other than that no one that I know of had this issue. I felt that when my hair itched that meant hair was about to shed- not sure if I noticed more shedding but I just figured that was the next area that was going to shed. My derm didn’t really explain the itchy scalp part that I can remember- I was so busy crying my heart out . So, she could of mentioned something here but not that I know of.
Angela, thanks again your reply. I think it is great that you are checking into this. It really can be a different issue for everyone. I really think that derms/ doc’s gives the same answer when it can be soooo different. I learned from an hair loss project friend- Tracy/TRose that an idea could be iron- ferritin levels. She gave some great info here I will add it to the next post- this one is rather long.
Keep searching, don’t give up and if you want get a biopsy just to see what they say- go for it. You- never know you could actually find someone that says something besides Spiro,Yasmin and Rogaine.
Many blessings to you on your search!
February 20th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Angela-
This is some info that Tracy/TRose sent me- thought I would share.
My Ferritin level is 25.9. I have started taking more iron with Vitamin C and A. I am also checking into some whole real food vitamin that Mannatech sells.
The ferritin test measures the level of a protein in the blood that stores iron for later use by the body. Apparently in order for current hair to grow well your
ferritin level needs to be at least 40. For new hair to grow it needs to be at least 70. A doctor brought this up to me. Checking on the web seemed to confirm this. Although some doctors think this does not hold too much weight.
She said that even though mine was is in the normal range, it is not optimal. This could be a really good thing in terms of something I could change that might aid in new regrowth! Her ferritin was 26 in November. It took a regular doctor, not a dermatologist to tell her about ferritin. And she is reading consistently
that it needs to get to 70 to promote new hair growth.
Be interesting to see if people checked with their doctors about this and what they said.
BTW- love the new additional network community those who have not checked it out-really should! Many blessings to all of you- hang in there!
CANI- Constantly And Never Ending Improvement!
February 21st, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hi all Just wanted to comment on the ferritin thing, my doctor told me that mine was low… and put me on a array of health food store vitamins etc, I have noticed a dramatic reduction in my hair shedding for 2-3 months. I want to see what the deal is in 6 months and will share then. Give it a try….. copper, iron, shen min (chinese vitamin) and folic acid. Hope it works for some of you! Love Robin
February 21st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I too have been dealing with female pattern baldness..since I puberty and for me, that was 12. I first noticed my hair was thinner (felt thinner) around 14. Needless to say, it has progressed over the years. I am now 36 and nothing I use to mask the baldness is enough any more. I’ve been using a product called Dermatch since I was 24, had 1 hair transplant surgery at that age too. The transplant did nothing as you’d need several to make a difference in my case. The Dermatch worked great at masking it for the first few years but now it’s not enough. I have no deficiency or medical reason why this is happening other than genetics. My mom started noticing her hair thinning at about 53. I could only wish that it weren’t noticeable for me until then. I struggle with it everyday of my life now. It was on my mind at points in the day before but the last 6 years or so, it’s been hard to deal with most of the time. I’m looking into hair pieces at this point. Yet another extremely difficult thing to come to terms with “wearing hair”. I’m so tired of hating it and feeling uncomfortable regardless of who I’m around or where I am. It’s what’s motivating me to getting a hair piece of some sort. I’m just tired of the affect on my life, my emotions. It’s always made me feel lessor, sometimes like I wasn’t a women. Since it started at such a young age for me, it has played a part in shaping who I am, when I do or don’t do things, what I do and my overall sense of self. I hate that it has this affect on me..no doubt partly because I’d like to look good or at least get a fair chance to. I’m sure this sounds like self pity…I try and put it in perspective. I remind myself that I’m healthy, very very fortunate in many other ways and should be able to move beyond this. This happens to be one of the days and times it really gets to me. Funny….overhead lighting is my worst enemy. Most people don’t seem to know what that means. I wonder if any of you do. I’ve been hoping to hear and speak to people who are going through the same thing especially someone who was also affected at a very early age.
February 22nd, 2008 at 5:07 am
May I suggest an eyeshadow similar in color to blend into the scalp , matt finish. It conceals the see through scalp and adds depth to give the illusion of more hair. Dollar store products you dont need to spend alot at all. Pick a variety pack of browns and blacks, for blondes naturally colors similar to yours and etc etc and so on. It helps the dreaded see through scalp and over head lighting. Hope it works for you!
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Thanks ShanraLee for answering every question:) Both you and Y are such dedicated members of this community. That is interesting that you do not have Female Pattern Baldness in you family but both you and your twin are suffering from this… My grandfather was balding so maybe I have the gene from him. But really, it just seems so unlikely to me that both you and I could be having this because of MALES in the family genetics with baldness.I swear, over half the men I see everyday have some sort of balding and it doesn’t seem to affect their female offspring or else we would see more women with FPB walking around. Although, since losing my hair, I do check out every woman’s hair I see and suprisingly not many people have thick hair at all. So maybe it is something in the water (I think Y made a joke about that awhile back). I don’t know…
It’s good that you have found ways to cope. I usually am either in denial, cracking jokes about going wig shopping (in an effort to prepare myself), or getting really upset and crying (usually to the bf) who has been really supportive. I feel like if its not this cross to bear, it is something else… that is life, huh? I used to have really bad acne for 5 years and it has recently almost vanished, but now I am dealing with hairloss and it’s like one thing after another. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Thanks to everyone for all their support, information, and advice. You all are my rock.
Angela
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 am
Hi Angela,
I hear you and feel your emotions. I too feel happy and sad but try to overcome that with changing my perspective. Not always easy. Have you looked at having your Iron checked? Check out this link about Ferritin. I hear you about FPB- seems like there is way more - is it something in our processed food or in the plastic bottle we drink from - perhaps one day we will know.
Shanlaree
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Opps - here is the link that someone else had sent me to look at: Decreased Serum Ferritin is Associated With Alopecia in Women
Subject Categories: Appendages
/Journal of Investigative Dermatology/ (2003) *121*, 985–988; doi:10.1046/j.1523-1747.2003.12540.x
I would ask your doc or naturopathic or derm about which Iron is best for you and if you should take it with Vit B,C or A to be better absorbed in the body. I do think too much is not good for you but ask and confirm with someone who specializes here. Better safe than sorry and their are a lot of junk vitamins out there. I am still searching the best whole food vitamins and not one that comes from rocks.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
Did that come through?
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 am
Wanted to share In case there is interest here.
Iron results 71 ref range 42-135
TIBC results 273 ref range 218-385
%saturation% 26 ref range 20-50%
ESR 3 ref range <20
Ferritin 25.9 Ref Range Female < 40 11-120
Not sure what all this means but it was on my lab report. Tracy sent this info to me that I thought it was extremely important to share with others.
There are several blood tests that are done to see how much iron is in your body. The ferritin test measures the level of a protein in the blood that stores iron for later use by the body. Apparently in order for current hair to grow well your ferritin level needs to be at least 40. For new hair to grow it needs to be at least 70. Tracy said there is a website for an iron supplement in the UK called florisene (www.florisene.com). It has some interesting info on the whole iron thing and hair loss.
*/look at this site.
ttp://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v121/n5/full/5602007a.html
article:
Original Article
Subject Categories: Appendages
/Journal of Investigative Dermatology/ (2003) *121*, 985–988; doi:10.1046/j.1523-1747.2003.12540.x
Decreased Serum Ferritin is Associated With Alopecia in Women
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:30 pm
I went to see Dr. Janet Roberts about 15 years ago and was told I had AGA. She prescribed minoxidol at the time since you could only obtain it through a RX. I have been using it since then. My hair is still thinning and after 15 years I have started looking into alternative treatments. Shanlaree, can you tell me the Rx for blood pressure she has you taking. Is it aldactone or spiro and how much everyday? Is Yesmin a birth control pill. I started losing my hair after the birth of my third child. I was about 35 when I first started seeing a lot of hair in my brush, shower and on my back. It has been a real struggle all these years. I have been researching the best methods of hair replacement for the future. The worst part of the morning for me is struggling to cover up the thinning areas. I live in the Pacific Northwest and would like to find a stylist who can help me. I read horror stories about the Hair Club on the net, in regards to the monthly cost of maintenance and the low quality of their product. Hair transplants are not successful for this type of loss because of the diffuse nature and the number of available good donor hairs. I agree our hair is not who we are. Now my daughter’s hair is starting to thin and I ache for her because I know the pain it has caused me. My son’s ex girlfriend was losing her at the age of 18 and she was much thinner than mine is now. I used to be obsessed about it, worrying what people would think of me and how they judged me because of my appearance. Then I would see a person with no legs or a young child with a deformity and it would put it all in perspective for me. I hope someday there will be a cure for hairloss but in the meantime I wish that all the women and men who suffer from it will feel good about the person they are and the blessing they are in other people’s lives.
February 23rd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Hi Juile,
Are you in Portland or in Oregon? Feel free to look me up on the community network and then you can ping me anytime. I would be interested in learning more about you and your story/history.
I had a biopsy and was told I had female Pattern Hairloss (sometimes I call it baldness when I want to be extreme and angry. Anyways she said to take Spironolactone 50 MG 2 times a day. Well that made me feel strange so I am taking 1/2 of what she recommended 2 x a day, good or bad- who knows but I want to be gentle on my body and am trying to research other ideas as well. My Ferritin levels are 25.9 so my goal is to take Iron with Vit C to boost it and see if I can get an improvement here. She referred me to Yasmin but I still have not taken it -a little wary of this birth control. Let’s see, she also told me to take Rogaine 5%. So, last month I noticed shedding but now it seems to not be but this is how it has been the last 2 years. Have you seen a hair specialist about ideas? There is a lady by the name Of Brenda K and she is 2nd street. She can help fit hair pieces and or wigs. She said I need to wait before one fits well. I did purchase several hats from her that I like to wear on bad or rude hair days.
Many Blessings!
Shanlaree
February 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Julie,
I so agree with you about putting things in perspective. I mean we could have something much more serious or life threating. Thank goodness we can choose how we can move through our life and thank goodness for supportive people like you and this community.
It really helped me to heal inside to have this opportunity to vent and release and reach out to others. Man- it is not fun for anyone. I do appreciate having a family and for the opportunity to be a mother and to make a choice how I live and move through my life journey. I think meditation, yoga, helps me here also reading tons of books about other people’s life journeys.
Chat soon!
February 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Shanlaree, Thanks for your information. I live in the Puget Sound Area of Washington. I heard about Janet Roberts through the alpoecia areata foundation when I went to see her. I am going to a derm closer to home now but have to fight him for any treatment. They seem hesitant to treat women more than men. I have been on spiro for 15 years now but on a lower dose until recently I started 100 mg a day and my shedding has slowed down a bit. I do use the Nioxin shampoo and treatment. Costco has the best prices also for the minoxidil. About 3 months ago my shedding increased dramatically and my hair is noticeably thinner. I think alot of it was caused from stress. My sister was fighting breast cancer for the last 6 years and she died in September. Her daughter lived in Portland till this summer and is in Virginia now. So I am better able to put it in perspective after watching my sister have no hair because of treatments for the cancer.
I am in my mid 50’s now. My mom’s hair and all of her sister were full, but my mom died of cancer at the age of 54 so I do not know how it would have been later in life. I can only judge from her siblings who had a full head of hair. My father’s mother had thin hair but she was in her 70’s when I first noticed it. And his sister had thinning hair but even in her 80’s she still had enough to look decent. Another one of my sisters’ hair has thinned dramatically. She had several problems with her ovaries and was never able to have children. She has her hair streaked and it makes it less noticeable. I started going through menopause at the age of 38 and have been on estrogen since then. I can still relate to the pain you are all going through because I felt each and everyone of the emotions here expressed over the years. I am constantly researching what would be the best solution to help hide my problem. I have a professional job where I have to meet with the public so it is very hard on me when people stare at my head. I want to find something that could gradually add fullness to my hair so one day I don’t show up with a mass of hair. In the meantime, I keep researching but most of what I have seen are costly, high maintenance and low quality. Again, I feel for my daughter more than myself now. She is only 28 and her hair is much thinner than mine now. I don’t know if it is the birth control she is on. I think she uses depro provera and maybe that has caused her hair to thin early. Does anyone have experience with that type of birth control? I hope I have answered your questions. Even though the hair falls out some if it comes back but the strands are much thinner then they use to be. It has taken 15 years to where I feel it is getting too noticeable. So I want to encourage everyone to be gentle on yourselves, find something that helps you to relax and remember that each and everyone of you are very special to your loved ones. Would I think any less of my friends or family because they have this problem. No, but I would want to help them carry their burden too.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Shanralee, just wanted to tell you that I have been using the Nioxin cleanser for about 3 months now and I have noticed that my hair is not falling out as quickly as it did (I count the strands in the sink strainer). It was recommended to me by an OB/GYN who was also losing her hair. It must be used every day or at least every other day in order to see the difference. Nioxin also makes a lot of other products like follicle boosters, etc. But these haven’t seemed to make any difference to me….so I would recommend skipping them because they are very expensive (about $50). The cleanser is only about $15 and it alone reduces the “fallout”. But sorry to say I don’t believe any of it will ever regrow the hair that was already lost. If someone ever came up with the solution they would be a billionaire already!
February 24th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Thanks karen and Julie for the info about Nioxin. I tried it awhile back but may try it again.
Thank you Julie for info on your background. Kinda nice to know other people’s history etc. Julie you may want to see Brenda Kay, she is great with helping people find solutions, she is in downtown Portland. You can find her info if you do a quick search on her name and hair loss. You your daughter may be able to seek assistance from her,if hair thins more she may be able to get a solution from her. She may offer some kind of integration or wig support. I am sorry that your sister passed on recently from cancer, so hard. My mom died from cancer too a few years back. So, I know how stressful and how bad it hurts when someone you love so much has to suffer this way. Many blessings!
Shanlaree
February 25th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Thank you for the information on Brenda Kay. Portland is alot close than many of the other websites I visited for hair replacement. In google alerts, I have it set up so that any information on female hair loss, female hair replacement is emailed to my site. I have come across many interesting articles.
February 26th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Julie,
Brenda Kay does mostly integrations and wigs but she seems to know what she is talking about. I hope you find her info, if not let me know.
Blessings
March 9th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Hi,
I am a 45 year old women who started to notice hair loss about 14 years ago. It started very gradual, but has increased over the years. At the age of 39, I had a partial hysterectomy and then at 41, my ovaries were removed. Six weeks after the first surgery,I was in the bathroom combing my hair and started screaming and crying because it was all in the sink. My GYN assured me that was common after a major surgery such as the one that I had.
I became confident, certain that it would regrow; it didn’t. The thinning and the shedding increased over time. My stylist noticed and said it was a result of the HRT I was taking, so I stopped but the hair loss continued. Suffice to say several co-pays and multiple physician visits later, I am still dealing with this confidence shattering nightmare.
I have seen several dermatologists, had a few scalp biopsies and even injections to the scalp(this was sheer torture) and had also been placed on steroids. Thank God I did not balloon to porportions of enormity.
My children have been real supportive, but my relationships have suffered because I had lost my confidence and self-esteem as a result. When a boyfriend would touch my hair (a wig), I would shrink back and scowl. My secret was mine alone and I didn’t want them exploring through an intimate touch.
The hair loss continues to spread and at this point, I don’t know what to do. I am not on any medications, I have tried a lot of things including Women’s Rogaine, but I am african-american and that did not work for me everyday because of the time it took to apply and then style my hair.
Wigs are okay, but they itch and become hot after a while. Today, I washed my hair and had palms full from the comb. I look like “Homey the clown” and I am not laughing. My hairline is still in tact, but barely.
Thinning hair is genetic for me. My great-grandmother, my grandmother and my aunts suffered with it, but not my mom or my sister. The females on my father’s side are all bald. Even my paternal grandmother suffered. My dad and my half-sister are also dealing with hair loss and thinning. Funny thing though, my mom and my sister have beautiful hair. Another funny thing, all the dermatologists I have seen have said it is not genetics. I wish I knew for sure, maybe I could cope better and not keep asking “Why”?
March 10th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
kathy,
I read your post and send you out a warm heartful hug. I am sorry you are going through. The one thing I have learned so far from this hairloss journey. Is that going through this horrible ordeal can help mold us into different people. More understanding of others pain and how to hold hope for other people suffering, no matter what they suffer from.
I had an issue with a rude women the other day and even though she was way out of line and rude I said to myself ” She must be going through something and I am her outlet” Poor thing. I believe in order to grow we receive these gifts from GOD or the Universe and even though it is a bother and truly painful we can get through this. We are here for our sisters. Women can be so judemental to one another and hurtful.
Let’s change that around today and start smiling more and love our inner selves. It is almost like a death when hairloss happens and then we are reborn with a new ego with a sharpen spirit. best of luck to you on your journey!
Blessings,
ShanLaree