I’m tossing the idea back and forth of taking a snapshot of my shower so you can see my crazy shampoo collection. All hair thickening / volumizing of course. Here is my list:
- Neutrogena Clean Volume
- Nexus Diametress Luscious Hair Thickening Shampoo
- Herbal Essence Body Envy
- Phyto Organic Syntress Volumizing Lift Shampoo
- Aussie Aussome Volume
And that doesn’t even include the conditioner, which can be even more instrumental in either aiding or wrecking the way your existing hair is going to look. Do you have your favorite thickening shampoo? I’m still on my quest for the perfect shampoo that is going to perform magic on my hair and turn into one of the gorgeous manes you see all over television shampoo commercials. The hunt continues… 🙂
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I have tried everything, I have my own version of the comb- over. I also have lightned whats left of my hair because light hair and balding work better. Bald spots glare in dark hair.
Dev
As for thickening shampoos, they do little than the claims on the bottle want you to believe. I picked up a great book…it’s so great you’ll literally call up your friends and mail them a copy. Its called “Don’t go shopping for hair products without me” by Paula Begoun. She’s amazing and took the time to research several companies and all the products they advertise to consumers for various reasons…color stay, hold, volume…she’ll break down all the chemicals and tell you what’s hot and what’s not. Believe it or not, Suave shampoo is actually a great store bought shampoo, if you don’t believe it, she’ll tell you why!
She has also written several editions and covered cosmetics as well…we can’t only focus on our hair. Her cosmetics tips help to protect our beautiful skin as well. She does NOT work for any of these companies, its not written to promote anyone, she just offers her unbiased opinion. Check it out!
Dev – I’m a wizard with a comb and a blow dryer. I totally know what you mean by “my own version of a comb over,” I do exactly the same thing.
Julie – Thanks for the tip on the book, it sounds great, I’ll have to check it out.
Dev, since you have the internet, you can google her…she has this awesome website called the Beauty Bulletin. She’ll send you emails all the time with important information…its not junk mail, but articles you will read and pass on.
a wizard 🙂 been there. I can spend hours blowdrying my few hairs in an attempt to make them look fuller
Give me a roll brush, a hair dryer, hair volumizing spray, hair volumizing mousse, stuff to take out the frizzies, a flat iron and I’ll show you magic myself.
I love reading these comments. I started loosing my hair about 3 months ago. My family doctor recommended I go see a dermatology. Dermatology told me to use Rogaine for women. I had to stop after a few weeks as I noticed i was loosing more hair. Than I had the biopsy done. Now he is telling me to use Rogaine for men! holy cow. What to do? Need your help please?
Hi Debra –
Welcome to the site! I answered your question on the main page in a new post so that it would be easier for other women to find. You can see it here: https://www.womenshairlossproject.com/hair-loss/rogaine-shedding-help/
My showers consists of Nioxin, Redken volume, and Eden Body works natural shampoo and conditioner. I have to say Nioxin helps me maintain hair. I can tell when I have not used it because there is a lot more hair in the drain. I have recently been reading about jojoba oil (which I also buy at eden body works). I have to say that I see new hair growth at the edge of my scalp. It’s not a lot -but I’m happy for any little hairs that want to grow.
I too am losing my hair, my Doctor said it was an age thing
and my male hormones are taking over !! I asked if I should
start having sex again, he said to go to church. I spoke with
a lady at the store who said, she read an article about
ammonia in shampoo?? Does anyone know about this?
She said she started reading lables and her hair is growing back…
Cora,
I would suggest seeing a specialist to find out the reason for your hair loss. It sounds like you did not see a dermatologist. I have tried Nioxin and that helped for two years but not any longer. I also plan to try Nizoral shampoo. I think you will get a good idea on other options while you read around on this site. It is such a great resource. I still can not believe that your doctor said those things to you. How old are you? How long have you experienced hair loss? Did you stop or start birth control lately?
I found some really cute hats so have been going that route since my hair texture seems to have changed from curly hair to frizzy hair with thin areas.
I hope the best for you..
Shanlaree
Shanlaree
thanks for sharing, I am 56 but had a full hysterectomy at 40 so I don’t belive it is
a hormone thing that just started last year. I haven’t had hormones in years LOL
As far as birth control unless it’s a miracle there is no need to take any. If my
hair that is down to my waist, of course only the front is falling out in hand fulls…
I think if it continues I will have something tattooed on my bald head like I meant for it to be there…
Hi girls!
I have a shampoo/conditioner recommendation – I’m not the type of girl to use salon products – I’ve always used typical brands like herbal essences or pantene, but my hair is so thin now, I decided to give it a go.
The range was recommended to me by the hairdresser and is called Bed Head (I assume they sell it in the States too?!) and it’s the TIGI shampoo and conditioner for thick, massive hair.
Well – I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s the best I’ve tried by miles! Its £8.50 for the shampoo and £10.50 for the conditioner – so, quite pricey compared to usual supermarket prices, but you really only need a tiny bit and it really lathers up. My hair looked quite poofy afterwards, but after taming it a bit, it looked quite volumous and bouncy and now, at the end of the day, it still looks quite good – not flat and lifeless like my hair usually does. Worth a shot eh?!
Hey Alice,
Thanks for the recommendation on the Massive Thick hair shampoo. I Love that name, I’m practically running out the door to pick it up ASAP. I’m so excited to try it.
Thanks Again!
~Y
Ahh you’re welcome – I really hope it works for you – I guess everyone’s hair is different but I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I just washed my hair with it actually – smells nice!
Am now in my dressing gown with my hood up! I hate passing a mirror with wet hair – but I let it dry naturally as I feel like hairdrying it makes it more brittle and weak – another of my crazy hair theories! (I have many!)
A
Hi Alice,
I went out yesterday to try and hunt down the massive hair shampoo, but didn’t have any luck. Is it a shampoo or something you put on after? I found this on amazon.com is this it? http://www.amazon.com/TIGI-Head-Superstar-Thick-Massive/
Hey guys. I am an 18 year old female who is experience massive hair loss. I went to a dermatologist and she told me to try rogaine, but I refuse because of the fact that after I stop using it it’s gonna fall out again and I don’t want to start using rogaine at such a young age. My hair is really thinning out and not growing on the sides of my head or at the top. The back is doing okay but you can tell I barely have any hair. Any suggestions for medications, shampoos, leave in conditioners, anything?
Please thank you so much for your help.
Oh and I’ve been using Biotin for for 2 months and it doesn’t really seem to have worked as much as I wanted it to.
Hey all,
I’m new to this site. I’ve been losing my hair for several years now. I’m 29 years old. Hairloss runs in my family. My mom has very, very thin hair now. I used to love my hair. I’m sure you all can relate. I’ve taken Biotin supplements, hair supplements, used rogaine off and on, different volumizing shampoos. I was just wondering what people are doing for their hair loss? Is there anything to do to stop shedding? I have a similar story from what other people have said as far as their dermatologist. I have a female dermo. She wasn’t unsupportive but she didn’t give me much hope either. Why is there nothing we can do? I feel hopeless sometimes and there is not anyone you can discuss this with. I’m 29…I’m not supposed to be losing my hair. If anyone can give me some tips on how to keep the hair I have I would appreciate it. Has anyone had success with Rogaine?
Thanks
Amanda
Has anyone here tried “Murad”? My salon gave me a small bottle of the shampoo, conditioner and syrum. It’s a little pricey but can be found at Ulta and online. I’ve only been using it for a couple of months but I have such a sweet hair dresser that swears to me her other clients that use it have seen a difference and that is why they stock it on there shelves even though they are an Aveda concept salon and spa.
My dermatologist also recommended rogain for men, but the side effects out weigh the possibilities of a 30% chance of hair regrowth, especially when even the company says it most likely won’t be the same texture of hair that you already have.
I love the bed hed shampoo as well… and my husband thinks it smells sexy
Jason pur extra volume thin to thick shampoo. It’s organic. It’s awesome! Now it does not lather much but it makes up for that with the volume you get.
Hope this helps,
Kim
Pure 🙂
I like a product called Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion. It’s a powder that you shake onto the top of your wet hair, after you have already applied whatever gel or lotion you already use. I gently “mix” it in with my fingertips, and then I blow-dry. This makes the hair on the top of my head look fuller to conceal the scalp. I know Aveda has a whole Pure Abundance line, but the hair potion is the only product I use from that line. By the way, the sales clerk said not to shake the bottle hard or too much because that can cause the powder to liquefy.
I use two other Aveda products called Curl Enhancer and Curl Control. They are both lotions. Curl Enhancer is the weaker product, Curl Control is the stronger product. I mix a dab of each together, put it in my hair, sprinkle Pure Abundance powder on top, and blow dry upside down. For me, this has worked well. It puffs up the volume of my curly hair to hide the thinning areas, and it keeps the curls defined enough and stiff enough to give me concealment all day.
i am sooo glad i stumbled across this site!
girls, you’re all legends for doing this. alice, i was scowering the net and on amazon and came across bed head. i actually thought it was ismply FOR the lucky thick haired ppl and thought it wouldnt apply to me LOL. anyways, ive ordered me the conditioner and shampoo, so here’s to hoping!
thanks to everyone here. in my desperation, ive literally read everyone’s suggestions…
im 20, and my hair, to a point, is quite frankly thinning (in my opinion, at an accelerated rate) and im worried. most of my mates think im over reacting, but ever since my mum mentioned it after i put my hair up into a ponytail, im panicking. see, my hair, when dry and down, looks normal- thininsh, but normal… its when i either have it up that you can see the awful patches of pale scalp that contrasts so heavily with my almost brown/black hair or when its wet- i dont even want to tell you guys what it’s like wet. i feel like a look like a man. a very ugly man. lol
there’s no point going to the drs for me. he’s going to say im over reacting, its stress, lifestlye etc. my mum said it had something to do with my diet, but i eat everything, and im pretty healthy (touch wood).
to a point, ive even stopped straightening my hair, which i feel is the premoninant reason for my hair falling out. anywho, i just wanted to come on here, and let you all know that i really appreciate the suggestions and as horrible as its going to sound, im glad im not suffering in this alone LOL 😉
ya’ll don’t know how relieved I am to hear that I’m not the only one who thinks and feels these things! I stare at everyone’s hair and never find anyone’s hair that is thinner than mine. I felt so alone. Thanks girls for talking about it.
Just stubble across your site in hopes of finding some help. I’m 26 years old and losing hair too. Very depresing and embarrassing. It’s been no more than a few months and I’ve lost at least half of the hair on the back of my head. No explanation, can’t seem to figure it out. The hair itself is not dry or brittle…. but just wont stay put!! Every time i wash and brush… so much comes out that I could roll it into a ball the size of a quarter. I did a lot of research on products claiming to regrow and so far, provillus is supposed to be a good product. Says it does not normally cause the initial loss of hair like rogaine and comes with a money back guarantee, I scared to give it a go though. Then I stumbled across ultra hair nurish from GNC and it has the most amazing reviews I’ve seen. It’s a supplement taken once daily, people are swearing by it. I bought some yesterday and am hopeful that in combination with changing my diet and taking it twice daily it will stop the excessive loss. Does anyone know of a really good shampoo to use? There are so many out there, I dont know where to begin. I to use Pantene and you know… it may be part of the problem, the past few months I have been using it regularly and have notice more and more hair loss. If anyone can reccomend something else Id appreciate it.
Hello My Ladies,Well Let me tell you. When my doctor told me I have “Male Pattern Badness” I just about wanted to hang myself with my shoe strings. I’m only 26! However I happen to live in a city that offers laser therapy treatments for hair loss. It’s bio-stimulation laser treatments that are very expensive, but they do a full assessment of your scalp, history, hair etc, and create a regiment of products and routines that do help. I’ve found that this in combo. w/ a little thing called Topix helps to mask the trouble spots. I’m certainly not where I want but i think its helping. Also Rogain shampoo? Fab.
I use Rene Furterer products. They are top of the line products from Paris and are quite pricey but I really think they understand that healthy hair begins with a healthy scalp. Using their shampoos, I find my scalp to be clean, not itchy, not smelly (from that oil we hair losers produce) and I notice less hair falling out in the shower. I also use the hair comb. I started losing my hair when I was 20 years old, I had really long hair, now it’s a short bob with bangs and I try to get it cut as often as possible. I can’t say it’s really improved since I started using these shampoos and the hair comb but it’s definitely stabilized. It goes through cycles, when I have more stressed it has a tendency to become more brittle. I try to use as little hair styling products as possible to let my hair breathe, but it remains a vicious circle, no hair products and my hair is limp and patches are more noticeable. I try not to wash it too often, comb it with a large toothed comb, limit blow-drying and make sure the water is not too hot when washing it. I also quit smoking recently so I hope that will have an impact on my hair. I also believe that not stressing out (even though that’s the only thing most of us can do all day) is a huge contributor. I know I’ve lingered away from the topic, but I’m just really glad I came on this website and I wanted to say to all women reading my post, you are all beautiful.
Hi!
I’ve been through the ringer too, so to speak. I have thinning hair and have tried everything to help it return or at least keep what I have. I have never bought the HairMax comb but I did use Rogaine (didn’t seem to work for me) and now I just try to keep my hair shorter, colored (for thickness), and always use special shampoos, a good conditioner, and sometimes a product called Toppik. (Someone mentioned it above. ) You spray it on and it creates a kind of covering over the areas of baldness that looks just like your own hair. It really does work! I also use only sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. It’s somewhat hard to find them but I’ve read too many negative things about shampoos with sulfates added not to know they are BAD for our scalp and hair. Also, thickening shampoos might make your hair perky, but it isn’t good for colored or dry hair and I’ll bet most of us color our hair.
I must caution everyone to BEWARE! Never go to any of the HAIR CLUB salons or any other salons like them. They will pull out all of your hair at the root if you don’t allow them to shave it off first. Then they glue a hairpiece onto the shaved area. It is not only bad for the good hair you have left, but they will clean out your bank account by insisting you must use all the various products (there are at least 8) they sell in order to keep the rest of your hair from falling out. And worst of all, you must sign a year’s contract! Stay clear! They are all about the sales and the commission – and you will be bald when you are finally able to end your contract.
I am so glad to have found you all and will be reading all the advice you have to offer.
Thanks,
Nano
I use Amplify by Matrix. It is awesome and leaves your hair full of volume. When I started losing my hair I was frantic. I always had full beautiful hair until about a year ago. Doing much research, I found a product called NuHair DHT blocker. DHT is what inhibits growth of new hair. After using it for a couple of weeks I noticed that there was less hair in my comb, less on my clothing and little or none in the bathtub. It is available at Walgreens and comes in pill form. It works for me, and I have tried everything except for Rogaine. I hear that it makes your hair fall out before it kicks in. I cannot afford to lose anymore.
Avalon labs organic Biotin complex thickening shampoo.It has saw palmetto and Biotin.I found it at whole foods(11$)…but u cud get it online for less.
Hi There!
I am new here and actually found this site while researching different shampoo’s and treatments for my thinning hair. I’m 26 years old and noticed I was loosing more hair than normal about 3 years ago… but I was in denial. I tie my hair back in a ponytail sometimes and one day i looked in the mirror and could see the lining of my scalp right where i part my hair in the middle (i don’t know if that makes much sense, but if your looking at my face, you can basically see past my hair line and see my scalp). I thought to myself, “i never really noticed that…” but quickly brushed it off and pushed it to the back of my thoughts. I couldn’t imagine the thought of actually losing my hair at 23 yrs old. I’m also asian and have always had long, thick dark hair. I did “shed” hair daily, but knew that it was normal and regular shedding was ok.
These past couple years i’ve kind of kept a mental track of the amount of hair i’ve been loosing and i’ve gotten pretty worried, but didn’t think it was going to be a serious matter, shouldn’t have thought that! This past year i’ve noticed even more hair loss and also dry, itchy scalp. My bf suggested to use “asian” shampoo (My bf also has thinning hair recently and a bald spot that he believes may be alopecia). He thinks that different ethnicities have different types of hair so we should use products that are aimed towards our ethnicity. I think thats somewhat true, but not really. But, i tried it anyway and bought a Japanese shampoo, Tsubaki. I bought the extra moisturizing shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioner, since i’ve been having a dry scalp and dandruff issues and figured maybe thats why my hair has been falling out, i’m not moisturizing my scalp. I have not seen a difference while using the shampoo for the past 6 or 7 months neither has my bf who’s used it a handful of times. The only thing is that is smells really good (not worth it).
Then, I went to a salon a few months ago to get my hair done and asked the stylist what products they recommend for thinning and dry hair. She recommended Loreal’s Pureology. Some kind that you can only get at the salons. So i’ve been using the conditioner for the past 3 months and i’ve noticed a significant amount of hair loss ever since i started using the conditioner! It makes my hair feel softer and shinier, but i am loosing 2-3 times more hair every time i shower. I can literally take the hair that falls off in each shower and roll it into a ball the size of my palm. Now that scares me. But, I think stress has something to do with it too. Also, when i used to tie my hair in a ponytail, i used to have a hard time tying it three times around, now i can tie it three times no problem and can even go four! So… i have been extra worried the past couple months and have been researching and reading and came across this wonderful site filled with women that have the same fears and worries as i do, but also the same hopes and high spirits that i do as well.
So after some research, i am tossing out all the shampoo’s and conditioners my bf and i used to use which are filled with chemicals! I’ve decided to try all natural and organic products to try and have some new hair growth and save my hair! I’ve been reading up on Jojoba Oil and that, to me, seems like the best route to take right now. Just google Jojoba Oil and see what comes up. Its like an overall wonder oil! A little bit goes a long way. I take a few drops and rub it into the area’s that i feel are most thinning in my hair. i leave it in for about an hour before i shower. I’m using AZTEC SECRET, 100% Pure, Cold-Pressed Jojoba Oil. Also, i’ve added Jojoba Oil to my shampoo and conditioner. I am trying JASON – Natural Biotin Conditioner (which i found as a suggestion through this site) and AVALON ORGANICS – Biotin B-Complex Thickening Shampoo (also found as a suggestion here). Both are Certified Organic.
Also, my grandma used to use Aloe Vera for everything! We had the plant around growing in abundance in the backyard all the time. That plant is a miracle plant! We used to cut the flesh and just rub on our faces and leave it for an hour or less, then rinse. It leaves your face feeling smooth and beautiful. Also great for sunburns, scars.. practically anything. You see aloe in products all the time, try using the actual plant though, its much better. So, i’m going to rub Aloe Vera on my scalp and work it into my hair about an hour or two before i hit the shower every other day aside from the Jojoba Oil. Hopefully this new routine i’ve conjured up will help me some. Plus changing my diet and trying not to stress over school and work as much. I’m only on the second day, so wish me luck! I hope to come back with some grand results! Thanks for listening! ;D
– K
I have color-treated hair and I needed a volumizing shampoo that would give great volume for my fine hair. I used to use this one, but I switched. I used the Shielo Volume shampoo and conditioner and it is very concentrated, so you won’t need alot of product (ie. “goes a long way”). The salon I go to sells this for almost $9 more than Shielo’s website online, so you won’t find a better deal.
I’ve tried pretty much every shampoo for volumizing and have found Rusk Thik’r to be the best. My hair stylist works for and promotes Davines hair products and recommended one (I think it’s called Exhilerate??) that is supposed to build up the hair from the inside. I haven’t tried it yet so have no comment. She did say “off the record” that she agrees that the Rusk I’m using is the best topical volumizing shampoo on the market.
EO organic lavender and Hawaiian coconut conditioner is wonderful. I combine it with the Avalon Organics biotin thickening shampoo. My hair has become rich, shiny, and thicker. That is, the hair I have left. 🙂
Also, I do take zinc and selenium supplements along with Centrum Silver. In the month after I began doing so, my eyelashes thickened! I now have thick, long eyelashes! What a side effect. My hairdresser, after 3 months, also noticed 1″ to 2″ long hairs growing in, although I am still thinning at my old part. I switched my part to the other side to hide it.
Quick question: I saw suggestions both on this website and on eHow.com about using (1) rosemary oil as an addition to conditioner and leaving it on the scalp for 10 minutes and (2) using pure coconut oil as a conditioner. We have organic coconut oil from Whole Foods and I was thinking of trying it even though the EO organic lavender and Hawaiian coconut conditioner (they also have a shampoo that pairs with it, but I haven’t tried it yet) is so good.
Has anyone tried using either rosemary oil or coconut oil as a supplement to their usual hair products?
Love to see how many others suffer from the same issue as me. I have a question for all of you, when you work out do you seem to sweat out of your head more than anywhere else. I am wondering if this correlates to the ‘hair thinning/loss issue”
iv been suffering from thinning hair for years as a result of the pill and after stopping it a year and a half ago my hair had thinkened up loads still thinning but alot thicker, stupidly i took the mornig after pill couple months ago thinking one pill would not effect me and the shedding of hair is worse than ever! not only is it thinning all over but i have bald patches just behind my ears and temples. I dont know what to do as im going travelling in a month for a year and the thought of swimming sickens me even the thought of gettin caught up in a rain storm panics me! does having a certain hair colour make ur hair look thicker? I also want to use rogain but i dont want to run the risk of it getting worse i will actually look bald 🙁 also does anyone know how long it takes for the morning after pill to leave your systom?
hi girls,
my hair has been thinning out so bad recently, i realized it was from the conditioner. all types of conditioners were not working for me, so now i wash my hair only 2-3 times a week with a mild shampoo and i’ve ditched conditioning and i use pure coconut oil, just a little bit, rub it on ur palms then through your hair. it works wonderfully and smells fresh. my hair doesnt fall out as much as it used to.
also go out in the sun!! vitamin d is good for strong hair i hear 😉
good luck ladies
I have ultra fine, thin hair. When using Shielo’s Volume products (shampoo + conditioner), my hair is quite visibly thicker. Before using Shielo, I could fit all of my hair into small hair clips designed to hold a portion of one’s hair. After using Shielo, I found that my hair no longer fit in the small hair clips! The diameter of my hair when gathered into a ponytail has more than doubled! These are quantifiable results! Also, I have very oily hair. Unlike many products I have tried, this product did not make my hair oily, sticky, etc. – just thicker. Note: I also use the Shielo Volume Hairspray to style my hair afterwards as well – its a root-lifter.
Is there any hope for me, who has lost all her hair on her body from chemo treatments? It has been 2-1/2 years since my last treatment and my hair is extremely thin (it used to be thick & beautiful) and lifeless, and I have many bald spots. I use Redken Body Full Shampoo with not very good results. I have tried a host of other products and nothing really seems to work well. Should I just give up and live with it???
Hi all.. I’m just 21 an losing so many of my hair, my hair already very thin, and I’m afraid going bald. I’m Asian, working in Philippines, anyone know where to buy natural jojoba oil in makati city Philippines ? And also Avalon biotin b thickening shampoo.. Really need help.. And is using birth control pills can cause hair loss. Because I take many of birth control pills, and I’m started losing my hair until know . I stopped it, but my hair loss 🙁 I feels so sad every time I see my hair. Looking at my old photo, healthy and shinning hair. Now my hair looks dull, and keep falling, I’ve tried so many shampoo for hair loss, but looks like none of them works. Could anyone help me .. ????
Hi everyone, I’m new.
I’ve tried Stimulair vitamins, Profollica vitamins, Kerastase densifying shampoo and arginine (topical application in glass ampoules), Aveda Invati system, biotin, silica, it’s all so exhausting trying to improve my situation of thinning hair. I’m not convinced any of those were effective. I’m asian, mid 40s, have noticed losing hair at temples for many years, but was distracted with raising my family so I didn’t really pay a whole lot of attention to it. I have now noticed considerable thinning at back of my head and crown. It’s depressing. I have always shed a lot, easily close to 100 hairs a day (which I always believed to be normal, and my hair always seemed to look alright so I wasn’t too worried). Over the last few months, I tried something new to slow the shedding: black tea rinses. You’ll find lots of info/youtube videos on how to do it. I use cheap black tea, boil 4 bags in a small pot of water for a few minutes, let cool, put into an applicator bottle, then apply to my head in the shower right after shampooing. Shower cap on for 30 min, apply your favourite conditioner, shower cap back on for 30 min, then hop back in the shower to rinse off. ( I do this twice a week). Even I must admit that, after blow drying, there is way less hair on the bathroom floor than what I was used to seeing. I was pleasantly surprised. Overall I try not to handle my hair too much on a daily basis other than a morning brush and dry shampoo since it seems that every time I manipulate it, it comes out. It is comforting to see so many other women dealing with the same problem.
Hi i m suffering from androgenitic alopecia Doctor say before marrige he cnt give me any medicne but my hairs are thinning i m much worried pls suggest any thing
I am 24 years old and started noticing hair loss after stopping hormonal birth control two years ago. The hair on top of my scalp is now much thinner and I recently buckled down and started using Toppik to cover it up. However, the hair that grows on the sides and back is still quite thick.
I have gone back and forth about whether my hair thinning is caused by poor nutrition, stress, genetics, or what. I think that genetics is the most likely culprit. My mom has very thin hair and my dad is almost bald. My mother’s sisters also lost a lot of hair and their daughters are experiencing worse hair thinning than I am (they are a few years older). However, both of my grandmothers have beautiful hair so I always held out that perhaps I was lucky and it was just stress or diet. (I’m in graduate school, after all!) I thought that my predisposition to androgenetic alopecia could definitely be one factor, but if I could control my stress and diet, then I could keep more hair on my head. Still, I got lazy and wanted a quick solution.
About 14 months ago, I saw a specialist at Phillip Kingsley Trichological Clinic in NYC. This visit changed my life. While I don’t use all of the products that PK offers (they are quite expensive), I have decided that I will never really know what is causing my hair loss. If it happens to be overproduction of androgens, then what can I do anyway? I refuse to use hormonal treatments like Propecia. The UK gov’t has warned that finasteride can cause irreversible sexual dysfunction. What is the point of having sexy hair if I can’t enjoy sex?
But this brings me back to the topic at hand: SHAMPOO. My first comment on shampoo comes from PK: Wash your hair every day. Even if it’s dry. This is because oil build-up on your scalp blocks your hair follicles, which are already dying, and this prevents the weakening follicles from growing. You will probably continue to experience hair thinning, but it will take place at a slower rate. I know it is depressing to see the shower drain turn into a hairy muppet. But you must clear build-up on the scalp, especially if you are using minoxidil. The cleaner your scalp is, the better it will absorb minoxidil.
Now when it comes to the type of shampoo to use … I’m not sure what type of shampoo is best. PK recommended a sulfate-free shampoo to me (their own) but the problem with sulfate-free shampoos is that they do not lather very well. However, I’m starting to think that sulfate-free is the way to go because sulfates cause your hair to become more brittle and to break. The last thing you want on top of dying hair follicles is to break the follicles you already have. I believe that Loreal just started make a sulfate-free shampoo that I will try. For the past year, I have been using Lush “Stimulating and reviving minty shampoo bar,” which is recommended for thinning hair. My primary care doc actually recommended this shampoo for me; apparently it helped her with hair loss. I noticed less strands were falling out per wash for a long time, but now that is no longer true. I suspect it is because the sulfates have, over time, done some damage.
The other reason for hair breakage, and even overall thinning, in my case may, however, be too much Vitamin A. This is something else that women, especially women who are using retinoids, should keep in mind.
I found out recently that Tazorac — a prescription retinoid I have been using since age 16 to treat acne — is a Category X drug. The high levels of Vitamin A can cause birth defects. I thought that there was no way for Vitamin A toxicity to happen for me, but then I realized I was using WAY TOO MUCH.
Since I was 16, I have slathered Tazorac on my face as if it were facial moisturizer. Probably about half a teaspoon of the stuff. Most people do not even reach this stage of toxicity because they experience intense peeling, redness, and sensitivity from overuse. But I have really oily (read: resilient) skin and therefore did not experience these side effects, which are really warning signs that you are using too much!
Case in point, Tazorac’s website strongly advises women to not use more than a pea-sized amount. They do not explicitly say that this will cause Vitamin A toxicity. But if most women are required to get PREGNANCY TESTS before they can even get a prescription (I was on birth control at the time so no one bothered to warn me about this), then it can be assumed that the cream can cause toxicity in women as well as a fetus.
I found this out literally a week ago and have since cut back on the cream. I use it every other night as opposed to every night and I only use a pea-sized amount. I have also switched to 5% minoxidil (Men’s Rogaine liquid brand) at night and 3% during the day (PK sells a 3% formation). And I am finally eating the right amount of protein every day. I also started taking Viviscal supplements.
I hope that all of these steps help me keep more hair on my head. I am not optimistic about growth. But that is no reason to not use the wide variety of technologies at our disposal.
Like I said, my hair loss could be due to a variety of reasons. Each hair follicle’s growth cycle is distinct from another. Moreover, some follicles on your head will never fall out and some will (it is rare for a woman to go completely bald). This means that SOME follicles on my head could be falling out due to androgenetic alopecia and OTHERS could be falling out due to telogen effluvium (poor diet, stress, undesirable grooming habits, etc.). If I can try to keep the TE ones from falling out, this might mean I can salvage more hair than if I had done nothing. Maybe I am addicted to hope, but hope is so important for women like us. Thanks so much for reading.
Just one important clarification: Vitamin A toxicity is generally associated with hair loss. So if you are using a retinoid, think about how much you are using and if cutting back will make a positive difference with respect to your hair loss.
I stumbled upon this website while searching for something to help my limp, remaining hair. I have had alopecia areata now for nearly two years, and what a miserable ride it has been. I had lost nearly 70% of my hair, and also most of my body hair including my eyebrows. Luckily my eyelashes were spared because I started using LiLash. The main reason I am writing is because I could have cut that time nearly in half if I had any clue what I was up against. I just figured the hair loss would stop since I had experienced it to a way lesser degree a few years ago. It took me nearly 9 months to find out that I needed to go to a dermatologist. I started with going to a specialist to check my thyroid. He was clueless and said to try Rogaine. That didn’t work. Then I spent nearly $2,000 at a naturalpathic doctor who did straighten out my thyroid and balanced my hormones. (Yes, I am so lucky to be going through menopause during all of this.) This helped somewhat because my testosterone levels were almost nil which probably added to the situation. When the hair loss got worse I went to a dermatologist. The first one did a scalp biopsy which confirmed that I had alopecia areata which is an auto-immune disease. Basically my over-active immune system was bored and started randomly attacking my hair folicles. She started me on scalp injections which did start hair growth in those areas. I did this for about 3 months and started seeing another dermatologist. He continued the injections and also put me on Prednisone which has helped more than anything else I’ve tried, and I’ve tried EVERYTHING!! After so many months he could not continue the shots but gave me the same stuff in a spray form. My hair started growing back for 3-4 months. It is still sparse but at least there is growth in all of the bald spots. I have recently had a setback, so it’s back to the dermatologist I go. The shampoo I have been using is called Nisim. It is out of Canada and you can buy it on their website. You can pick it up cheaper on ebay though. It is a great product, although after reading this, I think I will try the Avalon Organics and Hawaiian coconut conditioner. I hope this information helps somebody. My main point is find a good dermatologist and start there. The prenisone worked wonders but there can be some sketchy side effects like weight gain.
I started losing my hair when my thyroid gland died. After losing about half of it, it has almost stopped. Maybe it’s because I take a pill every day to replace my thyroid. I use a volumizing shampoo. Sometimes I just want to really clean my scalp and hair so I use a dandruff shampoo. I can really tell when the volumizing shampoo results is gone. My hair is so limp and thin. I use Pantene and I like it.