Is anyone else experiencing hair loss or major hair shedding? I used the have thick, horse's mane type hair..it was the one thing about myself I loved. God did not give me a chest..but he gave me great hair?!

But for the past year and half I have lost half my hair volume, no kidding. It just started and kept going. I actually count the hairs after I shower..I lose about 30 plus hairs just from washing and blow drying and that is not counting when I try to put my fingers through my hair and I get several strands coming out or what I find just laying around all over the place...

I have had all the blood work, no thyroid or anyhing medical going on according the doctor's. I have tried supplements, different shampoos, not coloring my hair, not brushing my hair and only using a wide tooth comb..I think everything!

I am worried on top of all these internal shakes, twitching and jerking I am experiencing that now I am going to be doing the comb over in the next year?!!

Is anyone else experiencing this? Are there any suggestions on if anything works?

I wonder if this will stop as their is no baldness in my family, just the opposite and I am only 41!

I find myself looking at other women and being jealous of their hair and wanting to tell them they not to take your hair for granted, like I did.

Take Care

Sunny~

Dear Sunny,

I once had exactly the same problem you are decribing. Every time I shampooed, I would lose clumps of hair equal to the size of two large walnuts. I was hysterical.

For me, the answer lay in an underactive thyroid. As soon as I started to take Synthroid, the hair loss stopped. Now I lose hair at what is considered a normal rate. The dermatologist told me that it is normal to brush hair and lose 20+ hairs.

My overall thyroid numbers were technically within normal limits, but the TSH and T3 and T4 were at odds. As I understand it, although my thyroid was actually producing enough thyroid hormone, my pituitary kept telling my thyroid to produce more and more. Once there was more thyroid hormone in my system, the pituitary stopped sending erroneous signals, and both it and the thyroid were in harmony. What I suffered falls within what is called a subclinical hypothyroid state, All physicians in the idiotic hospital I was in missed it. Finally I found a great psychiatrist who sent me to a great internist.

I hope this helps. I wish you speedy relief.

Warm regards,
Marcy

Hi Sunny,
Yes, I too have experienced quite a bit of hair loss. My hair is not the same as it was years ago...less of it and the texture has changed. This really scared me. I had bloodwork and my thyroid came back normal or at least my dr. says so. This has been going on for years and seems to get better than start again. When mine gets really bad, I actually count all of the hairs lost...at one point my daily loss was 150-200 hairs...yikes! Again, this only heightened my already bad state of anxiety. Fortunately, my mother is a hair stylist and she advised that I first needed to calm down and quit dwelling on it and also I needed to take Biotin and B's to help my hair and nails. I went to a natural market and they gave me Biotin plus B6, B12, magnesium and zinc I believe, these vitamins/minerals help with hair and regrowth. Within months, it stopped the horrible shedding and I had regrowth. My mother says that it is normal to shed up to 100 hairs a day and be fine...my dr. agreed. This shedding peaked again this year (I had cut back on the vitamins because I tend to be constipated) so I started back on the vitamin routine and it lessened again.

One more thing to add...my mom has been a stylist for 30 years and she said that she can always tell when someone is having a thyroid problem due to their hair...hair loss, hair won't hold a curl, lack of growth, etc. She has often recommended for clients to be tested when she feels there is a need. Maybe check with your stylist and dr and definitely have a thyroid test.

Try not to dwell on it, it will get better!

Take care,
Tracey

Tracey,

Can you tell me what your vitamin regimen is? I too am noticing some hair loss and would be interested.

Thanks, Donna

Hi Sunny,
I am currently expereiencing the exact same symptoms as you. I too was the girl with the mane of hair, it was my crowning glory. when i was pregnant with my 2 girls i lost hair at the front of my head and it mildly thinned out all over this was (2003 and 2005) however it did grow back but not to the same density as before. Probably just over the last 12 months i have noticed my hair becoming thinner and thinner, losing just about as much as you in the sink and around the house. i'm constantly patting my head to confirm that i still have some hair on my head. it is so thin. (for me anyway) i also have 2 patches at the front of my head on either side just on either side of my fringe and back a bit so making my side of my head on both sides alot thinner than the back. luckily i can cover it (like you - i think i'll have to do my dads comb over soon). i think my hair is growing. and then falling out. then growing back and then falling out, and my hairline is not very strong at the front, looks a mess to be honest. doesnt really have enough time to grow before the next cycle. thank god for the fringe. obviously hormone related and exacerbated each cycle. I read magnesium was good, i took that but am impatient and have stopped. Its hard not to be obsessive with yr hair when it has changed so dramatically hey? I'm going to see the GP next week to see if she can refer me to someone who can help. hopefully i wont be put on a merry go round. if you find the answer let me know. The Biotin B Plus option mentioned by Tracey sounds good, essentially it worked for her?

Keep in touch!

Linda

Hello everyone~

I am new to the sight and this topic - hair loss was the first place I stopped.
I read through your experiences. I too, over the last year have experienced
dramatic hair thinning/loss. I used to have too much hair. And now, I'm stressed
because the top of my head has thinned out dramatically. I've always lost clumps of hair when
I showered, but it didn't seem to make a difference in the fullness.

I also have an itchy scalp. And I've tried treating it with medicated shampoo. I take
lots of herbal vitamins and eat well etc.

I've also battled endometriosis (20 years - x4 surgeries) / infertility /stress / 2 IVF treatments 2 years ago

I'm not sure what direction to go - whether it's hormonal related or a vitamin problem.

I'm 39, and my OB doctor tells me that if my periods are regualar that my hormones are just fine. I'm sceptical.

Any suggestions?

I washed my hair this morning and there was a lot of hair coming out! Maybe I'm noticing it more because my hair is kinda long now, but I suspect I really am losing more hair. My hairline is receding at the front corners, just like what seems to happen to a lot of men. Yikes! The girl who does my hair says a lot of the older ladies who come to her salon wear hairpieces.

Rudysgirl, welcome! Your doc is wrong. You can definitely be in peri and still have regular periods. It doesn't all change at once, it is a gradual process. You might notice some small changes in your cycles, like shorter or longer cycles or shorter or longer periods. Then they might start to get more irregular, and eventually you will skip periods for a month or two or more.

Count me in for this club, and it is the pits. My endocrinologist told me to look at my family history...what was the hair like for my older family members....I am doomed. My nana had a small bald spot she used to be able to hide, it was on the back of her head...my mom had very thin hair as a middle-aged woman, after having GORGEOUS