- Reaction score
- 7
I have been waiting for this day, and in fact I didn't think it would ever come when I was in the midst of my hair loss. I promised myself if ever I had some good news for people going through this that I would make sure I shared it - because I had searched for success stories when I was going through it and they were hard to come by. I don't think that was because success stories aren't out there - it's probably because people move on with their life.
A few years ago I had my first shed which lasted a good few months. I wasn't too concerned as it was my first shed and I put it down to possibly the change in seasons. Fast forward six months then came my second shed which lasted around 6 months and I lost about 50 percent of my hair. I knew then it was T.E and it consumed my life. Hair was everywhere every day, my pony tail became so thin and if I gently pulled at my hair, strands and strands would fall out. That was definitely my worst shed, it felt like it never ended and I was surprised that I had any hair left. I had a break from T.E then it started again a few months later, not for as long as the previous shed however again it consumed my life. Then again another break and another few months of shedding occurred. The density of my hair was half of what it was and I'm sure everyone can understand how distressing that is (especially when I didn't have a thick mane to begin with). I became obsessed with thinking about what I was going to do and if I was going to shave it off. When I put it in a pony tail not only was it thin but you could see parts of my scalp at the side where the hair was thinning so badly.
During those years I did so much research on what was happening. I went for tests at my GP however my thyroid, ferritin and iron levels were all great. I tried biotin however that bloated me out which made me feel worse. I meditated on my hair loss and I tried going shampoo free. I thought maybe it was stress however I couldn't pin point how my life was any more stressful than usual. Then one day I couldn't believe that I had missed a key event which I now understand is why I lost all of my hair. The month before I had my first shed, I came off the pill which I had been taking non stop for 15 years. I then found online many people who shared this story of coming off the pill and hair loss. Quite shockingly I also read that GP's had told people to go back on it to stop the hair loss (so continue taking the drug that caused this in the first place). I read that this actually made it worse for some. As I had taken the pill for so long, it took me a year to start having normal periods again. My hormones were all over the place and for the first time I was experiencing PMT as the pill had blocked this all out for so long. It has taken a few years for my hormones to settle down.
I have now had no hair loss for exactly 1 year and 1 month and my hormones have balanced out (it was about 3 years I had Telogen Effluvium for). My hair is not as thick as it was just yet as its not been long enough however it is definitely getting there for sure. I can particularly see that the sides of my hair are growing back which is where I experienced the main loss. I ended up having some highlights because they made my hair feel thicker also which helped me a little with my confidence. I have avoided the obvious like cheap shampoos such as treseme which I read can cause hair loss. I try to use paraben free shampoo as much as possible which you can buy from the natural health shops. In fact my boyfriend's hair is thicker because he has now been using it too. However the bottom line is that my Telogen Effluvium was due to my hormones and the impact of coming off the pill. I know this will not be the same for everyone however I did want to offer people going through this some hope that things can change and that a recovery is possible. Fingers crossed mine continues!
A few years ago I had my first shed which lasted a good few months. I wasn't too concerned as it was my first shed and I put it down to possibly the change in seasons. Fast forward six months then came my second shed which lasted around 6 months and I lost about 50 percent of my hair. I knew then it was T.E and it consumed my life. Hair was everywhere every day, my pony tail became so thin and if I gently pulled at my hair, strands and strands would fall out. That was definitely my worst shed, it felt like it never ended and I was surprised that I had any hair left. I had a break from T.E then it started again a few months later, not for as long as the previous shed however again it consumed my life. Then again another break and another few months of shedding occurred. The density of my hair was half of what it was and I'm sure everyone can understand how distressing that is (especially when I didn't have a thick mane to begin with). I became obsessed with thinking about what I was going to do and if I was going to shave it off. When I put it in a pony tail not only was it thin but you could see parts of my scalp at the side where the hair was thinning so badly.
During those years I did so much research on what was happening. I went for tests at my GP however my thyroid, ferritin and iron levels were all great. I tried biotin however that bloated me out which made me feel worse. I meditated on my hair loss and I tried going shampoo free. I thought maybe it was stress however I couldn't pin point how my life was any more stressful than usual. Then one day I couldn't believe that I had missed a key event which I now understand is why I lost all of my hair. The month before I had my first shed, I came off the pill which I had been taking non stop for 15 years. I then found online many people who shared this story of coming off the pill and hair loss. Quite shockingly I also read that GP's had told people to go back on it to stop the hair loss (so continue taking the drug that caused this in the first place). I read that this actually made it worse for some. As I had taken the pill for so long, it took me a year to start having normal periods again. My hormones were all over the place and for the first time I was experiencing PMT as the pill had blocked this all out for so long. It has taken a few years for my hormones to settle down.
I have now had no hair loss for exactly 1 year and 1 month and my hormones have balanced out (it was about 3 years I had Telogen Effluvium for). My hair is not as thick as it was just yet as its not been long enough however it is definitely getting there for sure. I can particularly see that the sides of my hair are growing back which is where I experienced the main loss. I ended up having some highlights because they made my hair feel thicker also which helped me a little with my confidence. I have avoided the obvious like cheap shampoos such as treseme which I read can cause hair loss. I try to use paraben free shampoo as much as possible which you can buy from the natural health shops. In fact my boyfriend's hair is thicker because he has now been using it too. However the bottom line is that my Telogen Effluvium was due to my hormones and the impact of coming off the pill. I know this will not be the same for everyone however I did want to offer people going through this some hope that things can change and that a recovery is possible. Fingers crossed mine continues!
