My hair has been thinning ever since I was 18 and it's getting worse, help please!

[Hannah13]

I need some advice, I'm so desperate.
I've recently turned 24 and I've been dealing with thinning hair ever since I turned 18. I was always a healthy girl with long and strong brown hair, I never noticed anything wrong with my hair, it was gorgeous. I started struggling with anxiety and mental ilness shortly after my grandfather's death, it was a really hard time and exactly a year after his death my long term boyfriend broke up with me, that drove me to depression, I locked myself in my room for two weeks and finally my mother convinced me to get out of bed and go to a doctor, when I looked into the mirror I noticed my hair looked thin, you could see the scalp, my ponytail wasn't as thick as it was two weeks before, this was the last straw, I had a terrible panic attack, all I said was that I was going bald, my mother had to call an ambulance and I spent some time at the psychiatric ward. There they finally listened to me and a dermatologist was called to see me, she confirmed that my hair was thin, said that stress could be the cause and prescribed me a three month treatment. I only did it for one month because after being released from the hospital I moved to another country and I couldn't find the prescribed medication in this new country I was living in. I accepted it, after all it wasn't that bad, just thinner than what it used to be. My self esteem was never the same anymore and my hair never went back to what it was. 6 years have passed and no changes in my hair until about a month ago, it's so thin that it can no longer be hidden, you can see that my part is really wide, my ponytail is so so thin and I don't know what's causing this, my mother said it could be seasonal shedding since we're in the middle of spring now but I don't think seasonal shedding would make my hair this thin, there's no way to hide it anymore, no matter what I do you can see my scalp, I don't know what to do, I'm so ashamed to go out, I'm suicidal, my anxiety levels are insane...

 

[hellouser]

Your only options to regain the hairs you've lost are not yet out on the market, which includes Histogen (injections of growth factors), Follica (wounding the scalp and injecting chemicals to induce new follicle formation) and Replicel (injections of cultured stem cells of Dermal Sheath Cup cells). Histogen is stuck in Phase II trials and wont be out for us to use until it finishes Phase II, treatment then will be available in Asia. Follica apparently completed Phase II last year and should now be in Phase III, the last one until it goes commercial in USA. Replicel is not due for release until 2017 at the earliest though recent developments of Japan's deregulation may change that which means it will first be available in Asia.

Also the works from Dr. Roland Lauster and his team, Dr. Colin Jahoda and his team and Dr. Xu (assuming his dermal papilla cells do form into fully functioning follicles) MUST also be on your radar. These guys basically have or will have the holy grail that would cure baldness in both men and women. This is not up for debate, anyone who tells you otherwise is pulling the wool over your eyes.

Anti-androgens like Finasteride, RU58841, spironolactone, etc. will NOT do anything for you as those inhibit dihydrotestosterone. Minoxidil (key ingredient in Rogaine) may help you however that will likely worsen your current state initially for weeks if not months as it almost always causes a shed first until regrowth starts. Don't bother with shampoos, those do nothing. You might hear a snake oil salesman pitch you the idea of using lasers on your head... but the absolute trash results should tell you that its a scam.

Outside of that, there is basically nothing for you or the millions of other men and women suffering from this disease.

 

[JZA70]

there is basically nothing for you or the millions of other men and women suffering from this disease.

Ahh the cold hard truth summed up in one sentence.

 

[isishearmyplea]

then please use the whole sentence when you quote it.

 

[JZA70]

then please use the whole sentence when you quote it.

Did you really just say that to me ? I guess it explains why you're in the red.

 

[isishearmyplea]

why are you so uptight about it? did i say something wrong?

 

[Shewhocannotbenamed]

Your situation is not hopeless, don't despair. There are a range of things you can do.

It sounds as though your hair complaint is either the result of a hormone imbalance (there would be other symptoms besides hair loss, depression may be one of them), the other possible cause may be simply stress.

You have to wonder, why are chemical products being recommended to people whose system is already suffering from some kind of problem that shows itself as hair loss? Your body, in its own way, has already said that enough is enough. Time to listen! I therefore think it would be wiser to avoid chemical treatments as much as possible, in order that your body find its own equilibrium. Next, you have to find the natural products that will help your body recover, regardless of whether its recovering from stress or a hormone imbalance.


These are my recommendations, based on my own experience:

#1 Get rid of your hair brushes (literally throw them away or put them somewhere out of reach!) and use a wide-toothed comb, instead, if possible. You wouldn't believe the amount of damage done by normal hair brushes, especially damage to fine hair. The idea is, to at least keep what you have in as near perfect condition as possible.

#2 Use almond oil at least once a week on your hair. This means filling the palm of your hand with oil and massaging into your scalp and then covering your scalp with something, perhaps a shower cap ( yes, I know it looks funny but it works) and sleeping with it on. You then leave the oil to do its work overnight. The high vitamin D content goes straight to where it's needed and your hair ends up super-conditioned.

#3 Get a hair cut so that the ends of your hair are as blunt as possible. This helps to disguise recent hair loss and prepares your hair for the regrowth stage.

#4 Take Bee Pollen as a food supplement, for the L-Cysteine it contains. This gives your follicles the added mineral building blocks that it needs, along with a load of other nutrients.

#5 Take Biotin as a food supplement but be careful not to over-do it. This seems to augment hair growth, in my experience.

#6 Take Fish Oil capsules with added Vitamin D as a food supplement. Yes, Vitamin D again. This one also helps with depression, too.

#7 Take an iron supplement if you are anaemic. One quick way of checking whether you are anaemic is to see what colour the inside of your lower eyelid is: if it is pale pink, you are anaemic, if it is reddish, you are fine. Generally check your diet to make sure that youe are eating enough of each food group: protein, cereal, vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, dairy and so on. Protein is particularly important as it is a major building block of hair and one of the best sources is red meat.

#8 Tie your hair up daily, as often as possible, or at least use a hairband to stop any additional damage occurring, during the daytime. Try to find some pretty up-do hairstyles that you like. You need to keep what you have in as perfect condition as possible - that way, when re-growth begins, your ends may be sparse but they'll be shiny, healthy and strong. People may then think that the ends of your hair have been 'layered' or 'feathered.'

9# Use a caffeine shamppo, one that blocks DHT (DiHydroTestosterone) from attacking your hair follicles. Not all caffeine shamppos block DHT. In Europe, Alpecin and Plantur are available. I recommend both for anyone who has hormone or stress-related hair loss. Either way, it will help you hang on to what you have by slowing hair loss and then just watch the growth spurt! Caffeine shampoos are the ONLY 'chemical' product that I would recommend...but seeing as caffeine is a naturally occurring compound anyway, I'm not sure it qualifies for the 'unnatural' label.

#10 Go to a doctor and ask him or her to check your hormone levels. Hair loss can sometimes be caused by coming off the pill or by an undiagnosed syndrome, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which is a syndrome that you would want to have diagnosed early on. Also - and this is very important - ask your doctor to check for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome because this syndrome could explain why you suffer from both hair loss and depression. One really good treatment for depression is yoga - you could join a local yoga class or get a yoga dvd and do it at home. Yoga is good at getting the body to function more efficiently, as regards Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and just generally helps with stress. Yoga and other meditative practices like Qi Gong have been shown to work, using thermal imaging cameras which show how the movements performed by the person cause the body's energy to be moved around in health-improving ways which are only visible with these heat-sensitive cameras, rather than to the naked eye; because the cameras register the body's energy as heat.

#11 A short-term hormone problem caused by coming off the pill means you just have to let your body do its thing in order to get back to normal. This means that in this situation, I am advising you to not take any herbal supplement that affects your hormones. Just let your body do its thing.

#12 One supplement I can suggest for hormone-related hair loss caused by a more long-standing problem like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is Evening Primrose Oil, because it inhibits the formation of the demon DHT. Another herb that acts as a hormone normaliser is Chaste Berry but you ought to talk to a proper qualified herbalist before taking Chaste Berry or any other herb. Herbs to be avoided like the plague include Horny Goat Weed, as it raises testosterone levels in both men and Women, thus causing - you guessed it - higher levels of the dreaded DHT.


#13 If you cannot afford expensive DHT-inhibiting caffeine shampoos like Alpecin, buy gentle baby shampoo ( one with as few chemicals in as possible) and a bottle of almond oil, which lasts a long time. Last but not least, do NOT dye your hair with any permanent or semi-permanent hair colours - you do not want anything ON YOUR SCALP that might weaken your hair follicles.

There you have it: my 13 points - Lucky for some

Blessings.:wub:

 

[labellavita1985]

Your situation is not hopeless, don't despair. There are a range of things you can do.

It sounds as though your hair complaint is either the result of a hormone imbalance (there would be other symptoms besides hair loss, depression may be one of them), the other possible cause may be simply stress.

You have to wonder, why are chemical products being recommended to people whose system is already suffering from some kind of problem that shows itself as hair loss? Your body, in its own way, has already said that enough is enough. Time to listen! I therefore think it would be wiser to avoid chemical treatments as much as possible, in order that your body find its own equilibrium. Next, you have to find the natural products that will help your body recover, regardless of whether its recovering from stress or a hormone imbalance.


These are my recommendations, based on my own experience:

#1 Get rid of your hair brushes (literally throw them away or put them somewhere out of reach!) and use a wide-toothed comb, instead, if possible. You wouldn't believe the amount of damage done by normal hair brushes, especially damage to fine hair. The idea is, to at least keep what you have in as near perfect condition as possible.

#2 Use almond oil at least once a week on your hair. This means filling the palm of your hand with oil and massaging into your scalp and then covering your scalp with something, perhaps a shower cap ( yes, I know it looks funny but it works) and sleeping with it on. You then leave the oil to do its work overnight. The high vitamin D content goes straight to where it's needed and your hair ends up super-conditioned.

#3 Get a hair cut so that the ends of your hair are as blunt as possible. This helps to disguise recent hair loss and prepares your hair for the regrowth stage.

#4 Take Bee Pollen as a food supplement, for the L-Cysteine it contains. This gives your follicles the added mineral building blocks that it needs, along with a load of other nutrients.

#5 Take Biotin as a food supplement but be careful not to over-do it. This seems to augment hair growth, in my experience.

#6 Take Fish Oil capsules with added Vitamin D as a food supplement. Yes, Vitamin D again. This one also helps with depression, too.

#7 Take an iron supplement if you are anaemic. One quick way of checking whether you are anaemic is to see what colour the inside of your lower eyelid is: if it is pale pink, you are anaemic, if it is reddish, you are fine. Generally check your diet to make sure that youe are eating enough of each food group: protein, cereal, vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, dairy and so on. Protein is particularly important as it is a major building block of hair and one of the best sources is red meat.

#8 Tie your hair up daily, as often as possible, or at least use a hairband to stop any additional damage occurring, during the daytime. Try to find some pretty up-do hairstyles that you like. You need to keep what you have in as perfect condition as possible - that way, when re-growth begins, your ends may be sparse but they'll be shiny, healthy and strong. People may then think that the ends of your hair have been 'layered' or 'feathered.'

9# Use a caffeine shamppo, one that blocks DHT (DiHydroTestosterone) from attacking your hair follicles. Not all caffeine shamppos block DHT. In Europe, Alpecin and Plantur are available. I recommend both for anyone who has hormone or stress-related hair loss. Either way, it will help you hang on to what you have by slowing hair loss and then just watch the growth spurt! Caffeine shampoos are the ONLY 'chemical' product that I would recommend...but seeing as caffeine is a naturally occurring compound anyway, I'm not sure it qualifies for the 'unnatural' label.

#10 Go to a doctor and ask him or her to check your hormone levels. Hair loss can sometimes be caused by coming off the pill or by an undiagnosed syndrome, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which is a syndrome that you would want to have diagnosed early on. Also - and this is very important - ask your doctor to check for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome because this syndrome could explain why you suffer from both hair loss and depression. One really good treatment for depression is yoga - you could join a local yoga class or get a yoga dvd and do it at home. Yoga is good at getting the body to function more efficiently, as regards Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and just generally helps with stress. Yoga and other meditative practices like Qi Gong have been shown to work, using thermal imaging cameras which show how the movements performed by the person cause the body's energy to be moved around in health-improving ways which are only visible with these heat-sensitive cameras, rather than to the naked eye; because the cameras register the body's energy as heat.

#11 A short-term hormone problem caused by coming off the pill means you just have to let your body do its thing in order to get back to normal. This means that in this situation, I am advising you to not take any herbal supplement that affects your hormones. Just let your body do its thing.

#12 One supplement I can suggest for hormone-related hair loss caused by a more long-standing problem like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is Evening Primrose Oil, because it inhibits the formation of the demon DHT. Another herb that acts as a hormone normaliser is Chaste Berry but you ought to talk to a proper qualified herbalist before taking Chaste Berry or any other herb. Herbs to be avoided like the plague include Horny Goat Weed, as it raises testosterone levels in both men and Women, thus causing - you guessed it - higher levels of the dreaded DHT.


#13 If you cannot afford expensive DHT-inhibiting caffeine shampoos like Alpecin, buy gentle baby shampoo ( one with as few chemicals in as possible) and a bottle of almond oil, which lasts a long time. Last but not least, do NOT dye your hair with any permanent or semi-permanent hair colours - you do not want anything ON YOUR SCALP that might weaken your hair follicles.

There you have it: my 13 points - Lucky for some

Blessings.:wub:

I don't understand where you get the idea that she has a hormonal imbalance. She said nothing to indicate that.

And I'm sorry, how exactly does cutting hair prepare it for regrowth?

Not everybody wants to watch their hair disappear while hoping and praying that putting almond oil in it, or taking iron pills, or taking fish oil is going to magically help.

To the original post -

please have a complete blood panel done. You may need to get 2 or 3; this is what I had to do when my first one didn't reveal any imbalance/deficiency as my doctor didn't order an exhaustive panel.

Address any deficiency/imbalance that presents itself. Many pre-menopausal women are iron deficient, and iron deficiency has been linked to hair loss, although if it actually causes hair loss by itself or if it contributes to hair loss/lack of regrowth when something else triggers it is not known. The pulling your eyelid down and looking at its color is NOT conclusive in any way and is NOT a diagnosis in any way.

Also consider that any birth control you may have taken either long term or temporarily could have caused temporary hair loss.

The next step is a scalp biopsy, although if no medical condition that could be causing hair loss has presented itself, and you appear to be losing hair in an Androgenetic Alopecia pattern, and you have considerable family history of Androgenetic Alopecia, a doctor can diagnose you without one.

If you do have Androgenetic Alopecia, know that although there is effectively no cure for it yet, it is likely that there will be in the next ten years or so, and currently it is at least manageable with treatments like minoxidil (Rogaine,) Spironolactone, and Nizoral. Combining these treatments should mean for most people that you at the very least will not lose more hair, and may even experience some regrowth.

Know that nobody on these forums can give you a diagnosis, and that hair loss is incredibly complex and not even fully understood by biologists/scientists.

 

[Rockfella]

fish oils

Hey I have been having fish oil caps along with some multivitamins since an year and have noticed some hair growth. Same thing happened with my brother. Since the dosages we had were ridiculously low maybe what is why the effect was low but it is still noticeable. It's worth a try imo. Currently I'm on Carlson super omega 3 gems 2 grams a day and suprasdyne multivitamins 2/3 tabs a day. I regularly massage my head with mustard or any oil and keep my scalp clean. My father is bald and I'm 36 so I should be loosing hair. Having at least 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight is what someone told me works best overall.

 

[Hairlosshelpers]

Try laser hair therapy look at www.hairlosshelpers.com

 

[Gsus231]

Just need my 4 posts to open a thread.

2

 

[Kim889]

can you post photos?

 

[Shane89]

My hair wont grow

Hey

My hair on top of my head just wont grow as long as the hair on the side. Its pretty weird an ive been growing it for almost 16 months !

check out how I look : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At3ydmZp4AY