I think I have been shedding more hair since peri. I have fairly thick hair, so if I remember correctly I've always lost some hair each day. But this is getting silly.

I take a shower in the morning. When I shampoo and condition, lots of hair gets stuck in my fingers. Sometimes it seems like small clumps of hair coming out all at once. I had to finally get one of those plastic covers for the drain to catch the hair. When I'm done showering, I have to wipe up the hair that has collected around the drain cover and throw it away.

I dry off. I feel single hairs falling down my arm or back.

I blowdry my hair. I put the hairs that stick to my fingers on the counter. It piles up and when I'm done I throw all the hair in the garbage can.

During the day, if I touch my hair or scratch my head, a hair or two will come out. If I wear my hair in a ponytail, that seems to solve the problem.

At night, when I brush my hair, I have to clean out my brush and throw away the hairs.

I have a Roomba robot vacuum, and when I clean it out the brush is just full of hairs wound around it.

I used to have shorter hair, so perhaps it's because my hair is now longer that I'm noticing it more? Or is this normal for peri? Do any of you also feel that hair is taking over your life?

Hi rsgreen. There are many reasons for thinning hair, hormones being one of them. There is a great article on this right here at PS under "Hair Loss and Thinning at Menopause". I have noticed this also and it did begin around the time I started peri. It seems to have slowed down now. My sister also experienced this during peri and both of our doctors also suggested thyroid testing. Hope this helps.

rsgreen,

I noticed my hair thinning about two years ago. I can relate to each scenario you described in your post. I got into the habit of combing and brushing my hair outside because I was losing so much. I would also run my fingers through my hair, stimulating my scalp, trying to free all those loose hairs, watch them fly away in the breeze, before I would go back inside. I really got obsessive about all the loose hair. Each hair that would fall on my shoulder or catch on my shirt, I would deliver it carefully to the wastebasket. It was really driving me crazy!

Then all of a sudden, it stopped. I still lose a few hairs, but it's probably a fourth as much as I was losing before. I now find myself brushing my hair in the bathroom, not obsessing about the carpet getting strewn with loose hair. I haven't done anything different, haven't changed my diet, etc. Hmmm.... I just realized something though, just as I'm writing this... my anxiety decreased about the same time my hair loss diminished. Perhaps?

RedFox

Hi,

I too had a period of hair loss. Think back about three months, was there a stressful time in your life? Hair will fall out with stressful times but it takes about three months for it to show (per my hairdresser and she was right).

My hairdresser started me on Nioxin shampoo and treatment which worked for awhile but changed me to Alfaparf shampoo and treatment. Call your hairdresser for details since its only sold in shops, it worked for me but I have used it for months (twice a week down to once).

Pat

Thanks ladies! Glad to know I'm not the only one shedding, and that it will stop someday. It does drive me crazy.

I don't have a hairdresser right now, but need to find one if I can manage to get myself out of the house and to a salon. I did have a time of stress, about 5 years ago. So I'm thinking it's peri.

My hair has thinned too and I am only 39. I really noticed it in December about 2 months after I had my gallbladder removed. It was just like you decribed. I didn't know what to do. I contacted my hairdresser and she recommended either Nioxin or Arbonne. Nioxin comes in a little kit or you can purchase the Arbonne shampoo/conditioner and Thermal Fusion Scalp Revitalizer. I opted for the Arbonne and it has helped a great deal. I have used Nioxin as well and both seem to be about the same. My hairdresser even told me a couple weeks later when I was in for a trim that she could tell over the 8 years that she had done my hair that it had thinned. She also noticed how much it was falling out at that time. I also had a friend once who's internist told her to try taking Biotin (a B vitamin). It is frustrating and I kept having thoughts of wearing a wig someday or getting hair extensions. Good luck.

Stephanie

PS I was told by a friend in the medical field that some people do experience hair loss after major surgery under general anesthesia.

I have long hair, and my hair has been falling out bad most of my adult life! I sometimes wonder why I haven't gone bald yet - my hair is everywhere. I am worse than a cat, wherever I have been, is covered in my hair.

I can't say it's gotten any worse as I have gotten older, so for me, I don't think it is because of peri-menopause.

10mg of biotin daily completely fixed my hair shedding after 3 months. This is a well tested remedy, just make sure you take 10mg not mcg.
HTH

My scalp molted like that about nine months before the periods quit for good. To remedy the problem of the mess I cut my hair short. The shedding wasn't so noticeable. Then after a few months the hair came back in finer and softer with more active follicules. It looks real pretty cropped short. I traded my medium texture hair with a rather thin top for fine hair with a very dense top. I had PCOS. Apparently in my case my scalp recovered when the bad hormones from the PCOS quit with menopause.

I have been taking B vitamins and folate through Peri and Post.

I did notice as I entered peri, my top and crown getting thicker. It had always been rather skimpy. My father used to comment on the bald spot on the top of my head.

Sometimes the scalp does recover some when you enter post menopause. Your hair does change when you menopause. I ended up with a full head of soft baby hair instead of my PCOS scalp.

Taking that much biotin might not be the best idea:


There is one report of a 76-year-old woman who developed a life-threatening condition (eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion) while taking 10 mg of biotin ...

I have been taking 10mg of biotin for more than 2 years, and many ppl do this without any side effects except hair growth and strong nails. Only one case have been reported , and a 76 yo can have lots of helath issues without taking any supplements. Also, biotin is water soluble, so it does not accumulates in a body. It also is great for energy and sugar metabolism,

I'm having a ridiculous amount of hair shed right now; I can see it thinning on the sides. I was ill with viral labrinthitis a few weeks ago and the big shed began that week. I have been obsessing about it because when I put my hair back, I can see the scalp!!! And I usually always wear my hair in a french twist. I'm trying to leave it down more, right now. My thyroid checked out ok. So, I'm taking a B complex, a hair, skin and nails formula with MSM and biotin and trying hard not to worry about it. I'm also looking into essential oils for scalp massage. Lots of women report success with oils.

It's normal to lose 50-100 hairs per day, but a major illness, hormone imbalance, heavy metal poisoning or period of stress will cause loss. Hopefully, this will stop for all of us.

I can donate all the hair that falls out to the Hair Club for Men. I swear! I dunno where it all comes from. But there's still plenty left. I guess I am finally appreciative of my thick hair.

So sorry to hear about the hair loss. I go through periods of intense shedding myself. I could make a wigs and sell them on EBay. Peri is definitely the culprit, but also any type of stress on the body will cause fallout. I just had minor surgery last week, so I'm waiting for the shedding to begin again in a month or two.