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I just wanted to share my story. I never had great hair! Baby fine, a fair amount of it but baby, baby hair. Only time it was full was when I was pregnant. Five years after my preganancy I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my 40's. Doctors put me into immediate menopause and by immediate I mean bam, speed elevator to the basement. Then my hair just started falling out. Not in droves but every shedding season I noticed more and more in the shower. And I noticed it just wasn't growing back. I made adjustments in my mind but as my ponytail got thinner and thinner and then ultimately like a mouse tail I started to panic. The most problematic area was my crown; my hair had thinned so drastically that the part just flopped over and exposed my scalp, there was no body or lift to my hair. Also when I put my hair up I could see my scalp on the sides, I would have to do the classic comb over to bring all the hairs together and then spray the beejeez out of it. So I decided to pursue non-medical treatments, upped my iron as best I could, bought an expensive laser comb and struggled along. I experienced some stabilization of the loss but I woud still find so much hair all over the place...my coats, the pillow, sweaters, you name it. So after about 3 or 4 years of this I decided I had to make a serious attempt to get control of the situation. I went to a dermatologist who specialized in hair. We ran a blood panel, nothing jumped out and she basically said it was typical female pattern baldness. So she suggested a low dose 1 mg finasteride (aka Propecia) once a day. That didn't sit well with me because everyone has an opinion about women and finasteride but I was desperate. I chose to take it but not every day; I take it 2x week. She also suggested Rogaine 5%. I bought the Costco Kirkland 5% mousse version. I use it once a day, at night. It was not an easy transition because it is true that your hair falls out even more in the beginning of using it as it is getting rid of the old growth to make room for new growth. It's so hard not to panic and give up. But I pushed through. It also does make you sprout extra facial hair, esp whiskery hairs on my chin. I just cut them back (do not pluck because they will grow back even blacker and stronger). Both of those issues subsided for me after 5-6 months later but the whiskers sometimes creep up but that could also be attributed to advanced menopause. It's a pain to slap the mousse on every night but it's easy to adapt if you start seeing results. One thing to note if you color your hair: you should not use it for 2 nights prior to coloring your hair and at least 1 night post color; it can react with the hair color chemicals to create a acid color reaction, as I found out the hard way . I think it's best to have it washed out of your hair before you color so there is no residue. 2-4 days off every 6 weeks in order to color should not disrupt your progress with the Minoxidil.
In additon I researched the heck out of iron supplements and based on bio-availability and ease of absorbability I chose a brand called Ferrets' Iron (it has a red, black, white label). They are small, gluten free, dye free and easy on your stomach.
Additionally I take a Tbs of Neocell Super Powder Collagen, Type 1 and 3 every morning on an empty stomach.
I don't wash my hair everyday; I feel it strips it of its natural oils. But when I do wash it I use my Laser Comb after before I style. That usually means 2-3 times a week.
Seven or eight months later my hairdresser was cutting my hair and was perplexed by choppy clumps in my crown area. She knew what I had been struggling with and I had been tellling her about what I was taking and doing. She then looked at me and said, 'you're hair is definitely growing...I would not have made those cuts into your hair".
As for shampoo/styling products I use various shampoos, Redken, Whole Foods which I don't think has much impact. But the conditioner I use does seem to create a better foundation for my styling. It is a Pureology Pure Volume Conditioner knock-off by a company called Harmon Face Values Salon Formula: Concentrated Volumizing Conditioner with Color Care. I find it at Bed Bath Beyond. For stying I really love the Living Proof "Full" line, esp the Full Mousse and the Full Dry Volume Blast. The Full Thickening Cream left my hair flat and kind of gross feeling.
So now it's been about a year and my hair has never been better. It will never be super thick and luxurious (because it never was
but it also no longer has light shining through it when I have back lit sun in it. So many people have commented how great my hair looks.
To recap:
*Tbs of Neocell Super Powder Collagen, Type 1 and 3 every morning on an empty stomach
*Minoxidil 5% Mousse every night
*1 mg Finasteride and 1 tablet of 106mg Ferretts' Iron/ twice a week
*Laser Max Comb 2-3 times a week for approx 15 minutes each session.
This system has worked for me. I'm hoping it will continue to work in the future. It's hard for me to discern which is contributing the most to my current success but if I had to speculate I would say the Minoxidil definitely has added new growth. I'm just staying the course on everything because I don't want to jinx it.
I know how painfully hard it is for women to suffer hair loss, it's so alarming and I wish everyone good health and renewed hair. I'll check back from time to time, please feel free to ask questions.
Be well.
Thanks
In additon I researched the heck out of iron supplements and based on bio-availability and ease of absorbability I chose a brand called Ferrets' Iron (it has a red, black, white label). They are small, gluten free, dye free and easy on your stomach.
Additionally I take a Tbs of Neocell Super Powder Collagen, Type 1 and 3 every morning on an empty stomach.
I don't wash my hair everyday; I feel it strips it of its natural oils. But when I do wash it I use my Laser Comb after before I style. That usually means 2-3 times a week.
Seven or eight months later my hairdresser was cutting my hair and was perplexed by choppy clumps in my crown area. She knew what I had been struggling with and I had been tellling her about what I was taking and doing. She then looked at me and said, 'you're hair is definitely growing...I would not have made those cuts into your hair".
As for shampoo/styling products I use various shampoos, Redken, Whole Foods which I don't think has much impact. But the conditioner I use does seem to create a better foundation for my styling. It is a Pureology Pure Volume Conditioner knock-off by a company called Harmon Face Values Salon Formula: Concentrated Volumizing Conditioner with Color Care. I find it at Bed Bath Beyond. For stying I really love the Living Proof "Full" line, esp the Full Mousse and the Full Dry Volume Blast. The Full Thickening Cream left my hair flat and kind of gross feeling.
So now it's been about a year and my hair has never been better. It will never be super thick and luxurious (because it never was
but it also no longer has light shining through it when I have back lit sun in it. So many people have commented how great my hair looks.To recap:
*Tbs of Neocell Super Powder Collagen, Type 1 and 3 every morning on an empty stomach
*Minoxidil 5% Mousse every night
*1 mg Finasteride and 1 tablet of 106mg Ferretts' Iron/ twice a week
*Laser Max Comb 2-3 times a week for approx 15 minutes each session.
This system has worked for me. I'm hoping it will continue to work in the future. It's hard for me to discern which is contributing the most to my current success but if I had to speculate I would say the Minoxidil definitely has added new growth. I'm just staying the course on everything because I don't want to jinx it.
I know how painfully hard it is for women to suffer hair loss, it's so alarming and I wish everyone good health and renewed hair. I'll check back from time to time, please feel free to ask questions.
Be well.
Thanks