Comments on: Unsure – Maria’s Hair Loss Story

By: Naomi

Naomi — Sat, 04 Nov 2017 23:55:44 +0000

Hi, Maria,
I started losing my hair at age 26 after giving birth. My doctor first said it was telegen effluvia, normal after pregnancy. However, it never really stopped falling out and then was just diagnosed as alopecia. I was able to stop my adult son’s hair loss progression with Propecia. I realize doctors won’t prescribe this for a young woman who could have children with birth defects, but I think a lot of hair loss is hormonal as well as hereditary. I think stress is overrated as a cause. In my case saw palmetto seemed to help a bit and didn’t seem to have any side effects. Maybe the new stem cell approaches will help you too. I’m convinced hair loss is best reversed when you’re still young. Glad you still are!
Fondly,
Naomi

By: Naomi

Naomi — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 17:22:45 +0000

Dear Maria,
I’m 64 and have had thinning hair all of my adult life and really should wear a wig now. Dermatologists have never been helpful for me. Thyroid in low but normal range, etc. Lots of hair loss is hormonal. I wish I’d gotten help from an endocrinologist instead. See what this type of Doctor can do for you. Hang in there. I promise you, you will find a way to cope with this that works for you. Lately I’ve been using Toppik to fill in scalp spots and it makes hair feel thicker. It lasts until your next shampoo and it makes me feel less self conscious and so I don’t feel quite so anxious.
Naomi

By: Claire

Claire — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:22:34 +0000

Hello everyone,
It is such an INTENSE , PAINFUL and SCARY process to lose hair. I am also 24, took Ortho-Tri-Cyclen for two years in high school and lost 50% of my hair. I knew without a doubt that the pill was the cause.
Multiple gynecologists told me that the hairloss was genetic etc, and then when I finally went to a dermatologist, he told me the pill was most likely the cause.
Here’s what I must relay to you, Maria, wherever you are–it takes time, but I would recommend going off of the pill. Our endocrine system is so precise, that it makes sense for even a slight alteration to mess up our hair and bodies. Trust your body–if you go back to the natural state, pill-free, it will adjust. It takes a while, but your hair will grow back! When you go off of the pill, there will be naturally a shock to your system, maybe no period for months, which you will have to induce with a progestin pill for a few days (not a big deal.) At that point, you just have to let go of the hair. Let go of counting it. Let go of worrying that hair loss will continue to be a problem. It won’t. Ditch the pill. Check your thyroid just in case. It’s so easy to become obsessed by fear!! Once you have dropped the pill in the trash, you can rest in the knowledge that everything will balance out. Patience–it will take a while. Much love! Know that our HAIR does not DEFINE US. It does not DEFINE our beauty. Your spirit, humor, intelligence LIGHT, WISDOM, JOY…these things matter. Love the balding head. laugh at it. I drew a picture of myself on a beach, with three hairs on my head, blowing in the wind. Seems sad…but it’s funny. We must laugh at it! It’s all unimportant in the grand scheme. Why waste life worrying about it? Go back to nature. Your body will balance out!!! TRUST. LOVE!!

By: Lia

Lia — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:12:28 +0000

I have experienced similar hair loss. I am 35 years old and started losing my hair at 28. For 5 years it was very bad, always shedding leaving hairs al over the place and each time I washed my hair it was agony. I would like to share with you a few things that helped me.
I must say I do not have the very full hair I used to, but nobody knows the problem and nobody notices. Here are the tips.
1. I went to an accupunturist, he told my that my hair loss could be related to my inability to take nutrients from the foods I was eating.
2. I changed my diet and discovered that I was lactose intolerant, this completely change my routines in terms of going to the loo. I was constantly constipated, once I solved my constipation by adding more fibre to my diet mi hair improved greatly.
3. I started using sulfate free shampoo and only from organic sources. You can investigate this and find a brand that suits you, but this really helps. Sodium is also bad.
4. I started to accept that I may end up being one of those bald ladies, but I am sure it will not be before menopause. I will enjoy my hair for this next 10 years!!!
5. Don’t worry about loosing your hair when having children. I now know that I will never have biological children, and I will happily exchange my hair for the joy of biological children.
6. And partners should stay with you no matter what, otherwise they wre not right for you.

In all I have accepted that losing hair comes with age and for some women this can be more pronounced. I count my hairs only after I wash my hair and try not to think about it in other circumstances.
After doing this life style changes my hairs at each wash are between 60-100. When is more than that I try to search if I have eaten something or done something out of character. Overall is under control but I know I will never have the hair I used to have in my twenties.

By: Megan

Megan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:49:41 +0000

Girl I completely understand what you are going through. I have been watching my hair thin on the top of my head since I graduated college. I’m 24. I mean, 24. I am 24 and I am losing my hair.
It is a very secret, personal, painful thing. Usually when I wake up, it is the first thing I think about. I cut myself bangs that go about halfway back on my head, 6 months ago. I was so happy not to be able to see my scalp, even when my hair got greasy. I figured I’d just have that haircut forever. Now it already looks signifigantly thinner and I can see my scalp again. I’ve started parting it way on the side. But it still looks thin.
My family always tells me I look fine, and they don’t notice. But I do. I am not on birthcontrol. But when this all started I had been on Orthotricylin forever, and then I was on Desogen around senior yr when it started getting thin. Which doenst make any sense, Desogen is supposed to be helpful for preventing the effects of DHT. My mom has wicked thin hair (but not nearly as thin as mine, already) and my dad is totally bald. I am pretty sure this is genetic. I am freaking out.
I used Minoxidil for 3 months, didnt notice anything and hated the way it made my hair be all greasy-alcoholish.
I am very young and not rich. But I would put everything I had into a product or whatever it was if I thought it would save my hair. It is hard not to be vunerable in that way. We have to be skeptical of these products. I totally plan on getting hair replacement surgery or whatever I need to do as I get older and this problem progresses, which it shows every sign of continuing to do so.