Female hair loss, anyone? :(

Zoetoes

bagginslover wrote: »

I know you said you have had hormone tests, but have you had any further testing for PCOS? this would involve an ultrasound scan of your ovaries. I have been diagnosed with PCOS, and my hormone tests came back 'normal' but my scans showed the classic signs in my ovaries. The doctor explained to me that all people are different, and so different people operate on different levels as normal, even though my hormones are in the normal range, I obviously need a different level for me to be normal.

While the PCOS has caused me to become hairier in other areas, my head hair has thinned quite dramatically. I am lucky that I have thick hair, and it's thinned evenly all over so it's not obvious to others. I can tell though and I too feel quite down about it. It might be worth going for a second opinion in case there is something your GP has missed or misread.

Seen this after I posted, my hormone tests were always fine too, for years! Had a scan recently and my right ovary is 16.8cm!!

Icey77

I have always had a thin patch right at the front, in the middle, just above my forehead. It was obvious to me and obvious enough to my sister that she used to tease me.

My only option was to have my hair cut in a side parting which hid it a little.

I'm pregnant now and all my hair has got much thicker but I do not look forward to after Elvis (our name for bump, not the name that he/se will actually get!) is born and it all falls out again and I go back to my fine hair and a very thin patch at the front.

I really feel for you as I know I how I feel about my thin patch and your hair sounds so very much worse than mine, I do hope you find a solution, hair regrowth or not, that works for you!

:beer:

spikyspiky

Hi Little Ole Me,
When I had my son at 17 my hair went thinner but not thin and didn't recover. When I had my daughter at 28 my hair started to fall out again but this time it kept on going. I saw an extrememly rude and uninterested consultant and his assistants who all had lovely thick long hair and was told it was MALE pattern baldness. Well you can imagine how totally demoralising that was, its bad enough being female and having thin hair without being told that. I think I cried for a week. Ayway I tried regaine for a year, didn't make any difference and cost a fortune. Had a lovely hairdresser at the time and had my hair cut short. You wouldn't believe how much better it looked.
Anyway fastforward 15 years to now. I have probably 30 to 40% of my hair, its thin all over no bald patches. Its also frizzy and hard to manage. I don't try and cover it up but I do wear a hat if its raining and windy, as it often is here in Plymouth. I also don't hide it in front of my husband, he sees it wet, dry, in between, and worst of all when I've just woken up and look like a mad yeti. He doesn't care. He loves me. And we've only been married 8 months so its not like he's had years to get used to it. We got together only 3 years ago so it was just as thin then. It turns out I don't have any kind of baldness I have an underactive thyroid that i've had the symptoms for since I had my son 25 years ago but has only just shown up on blood tests. My hair is not going to grow back however. And I accept that. I don't like it when people talk to my hair instead of my face, but I soon let them know lol. I don't like meeting new people because of it, but its not going to rule me or any aspect of my life. I won't let it.
Anyway after this mega ramble if you want to pm me, feel free xx

Mayflower10cat

In the year before we married, I started to notice my hair falling out, much more than usual. After washing my hair the plughole would be clogged over with great handfuls of hair. Over about six months, it got so bad that I went to see my Doctor (male) who looked bored to death, stared at the clock on the wall over my head and fiddled with his pens. When I started crying as he clearly wasn't remotely interested, all he said, after sighing loudly was, I can refer you for a few sessions with a counsellor if you want.... I left, upset and disgusted.

This was way before we had a 'pooter at home and way before 'The Internet' was there to refer to, for all manner of advice. My hair continued to thin until my parting was noticeably wider and around my hairline you could see bits of scalp. A month before the wedding I had a 'light perm' at the hairdressers (that really dates me!!!) so my tiara had something to be anchored to and also hopefully I could backcomb and fluff up my hair so the barer bits weren't so visible. As I was browsing the magazines, I started reading an article by a journalist (a vegetarian like me), who described beginning to lose her hair and desperately trying to find out how to reverse it. I nearly fell off my chair with excitement and secretly ripped the pages from the magazine. She'd consulted a dietician and a tricologist - and she was recommended the supplement L-Lysine. It's an amino acid. Well, I literally ran to the local Health Shop and bought a big bottle of L-Lysine tablets, 500mg. The dose was 1 - 2 a day so I started taking 2. I also started taking a daily B-complex tablet.

We got married, had our honeymoon and went back to work. Very slowly over another six months, I noticed tiny fluffy new hairs appearing along my hairline and then along my parting. I carried on with the L-Lysine and B complex for about a year in total. I also had a review of my diet and started including more protein by eating fish and seafood. Maybe it's worth a try for you? The tablets weren't expensive.

I've also read many times over the years that a deficiency of B12 can lead to hair loss. And that a deficiency of B12 can be difficult to diagnose. You can get B12 in an easily absorbed and utilised form as 'Methylcobalamin'. It comes as a sub-lingual, pleasant tasting tablet. I used to order it online for my diabetic cat to help his neuropathy.

Just quite recently I've started losing hair, the plughole is stuffed again... so I'll be back on the L-Lysine again. I also suspect I'm teetering the the edge of the menopause, so that won't help either. My hairdresser confided some time ago that she was menopausal and the hot flushes were horrible but she was most scared by the amount of hair she was losing. She eventually decided to try HRT (even though she hadn't planned to) and she's seen the hair loss diminish and new hair appearing. She's very relieved.

I really, really hope you can find some help with this very upsetting condition.

LameWolf

Hi there Little Ole Me; I'm another one with thinning hair - I have about a third of what I used to have. In my case, Lupus is the culprit.

I''ve finally come to the conclusion that I'm eventually going to have to get a wig (or possibly more than one:eek:); but at present, when it's looking it's rattiest, I use a bandanna to hide the worst of the damage.:o Still trying to convince myself that a wig is worth the expense, when I'm disabled and rarely leave the house.;)

Anyways - I just wanted to let you know that someone else understands how you feel. Not a vast amount of help, I know.:o

Little_Ole_Me

Holland and barretts have a buy one get one for a penny sale on at the mo! Very mse

even more confused now, they have ''vitamins for the hair'' and mega vitamins for the hair which contain b12 and all sorts of other things which may be good? argh

donquine

I once lost some hair due to a physical trauma and it never grew back. You can't see that bald spot, luckily for me it's strategically positioned, but I know it's there and if I'm honest, yes, it still bugs me from time to time even though no one can see it and I'm pretty sure my OH has forgotten it's there! I just wanted to let you know that I think you're brave for posting and not at all unreasonable to feel so down about it. My hidden bald spot upsets me as it is, I can only imagine how it must feel to have visible hair loss.

Have you looked into getting a wig? Some of my acquaintances wear them to change their look, rather than because they have hair loss and I will admit to being fooled by their new hair cut and change of hair colour before. A good wig looks like normal hair, it doesn't look all plasticky and horrible, as you might assume! I don't think you should have to hide your hair loss, but I do understand if you feel more comfortable doing so.

If cost is an issue, explain the way you are really feeling to your OH - I'm sure he'll be willing to make sacrifices with you, to save up for something that will help improve your self-confidence.

Little_Ole_Me

donquine wrote: »

I once lost some hair due to a physical trauma and it never grew back. You can't see that bald spot, luckily for me it's strategically positioned, but I know it's there and if I'm honest, yes, it still bugs me from time to time even though no one can see it and I'm pretty sure my OH has forgotten it's there! I just wanted to let you know that I think you're brave for posting and not at all unreasonable to feel so down about it. My hidden bald spot upsets me as it is, I can only imagine how it must feel to have visible hair loss.

Have you looked into getting a wig? Some of my acquaintances wear them to change their look, rather than because they have hair loss and I will admit to being fooled by their new hair cut and change of hair colour before. A good wig looks like normal hair, it doesn't look all plasticky and horrible, as you might assume! I don't think you should have to hide your hair loss, but I do understand if you feel more comfortable doing so.

If cost is an issue, explain the way you are really feeling to your OH - I'm sure he'll be willing to make sacrifices with you, to save up for something that will help improve your self-confidence.

Hi there, thank you for your post.

I will definately be getting some kind of wig at some point in the future. At the moment, while I can 'get away' with wearing bandanas and headbands and concealing with makeup (toppik stype powdery thngy) etc I will carry on doing so. (I do have a cheapy wig that I wear at home for a different look, but not really good quality enough for going out in - just got it for an experiment really a while back.) I think I have been in denial massively, and buying a wig is going to when it gets more real, admitting it to myself iyswim

You are right, my hubby will definately help me save up for one (from what I have seen, most advice seems to be go get two wigs) and would definatley want the best quality real hair that we can afford.

In some ways I think that full head wigs would be hot to wear , like wearing a hat in the winter and itchy too (I've noticed when I wear cheapy one I have, but that might be because it IS a cheapy one and might not be the case with a better quality one, i dont know) but what could be better than popping hair on your head every morning and not bother having to 'do' your hair, no more hairdryers, getting angry cause my hair just won't 'go'!

:rotfl:

On the heralopecia site, I realise that some women with hair loss like mine opt for a 'fall' I think this is an american term - but basically means half a head wig, ie sits on top of your head and blends in with rest of hair if you have still decent hair on the sides or the back - basically what I would know as a mens toupee, but for women and all sorts of different styles and colours and lengths. These seem like an 'inbetween' stage, going from concealment with bandanas etc, and before needing a full wig.

I mean who is to say that i will ever need a full wig. To be hoenst, the way my hair is going does look like typical male pattern baldness, even tho I am a female. My frontal hairline is very much diminished indeed with huge bad patches on each temple, with dire thinning on the top of my head. - it looks like it is going the same way as my dads!! So it may well be that one of these half wig jobbys might be ok for me, rather than the full wig. I really need to find a good supplier in the Midlands.

Also if anyones interested, Holland and barretts have a sale on:-
Ive just been on the holland and barretts website, and ordered a huge thingy of vit b12 hair vitimins - well it was buy one get another one for 1 penny, so ended up with two huge tubs, so will have enough to keep me going for 16 months! Very MSE
Ive never tried hair vitimins before, so definatey worth a shot

Little_Ole_Me

Zoetoes wrote: »

Mine has been thinning for a while, every time I wash it it's coming out and the thinner it gets the more it needs washing!

I have now been told I have polycystic ovaries.

I completely understand what you mean, I had really thick hair and it's bothering me a lot.

For me it's my hair and my teeth that I want to keep!

Same with me, I want my hair and teeth!

I have always noticed other peoples teeth when I talk to them - it has always been one of the things I first notice abotu a person if they have good teeth or not (weird arent I lol) - and since this hair loss thing - I always look at other peoples hair, other women in particular, to see if there are any signs of hairloss. Its like I have just wanted to know I am not alone.

Ps your hair looks awesome in your pic, I would kill for a barnett like yours

Mrs_Ryan

Oooh - thanks for the tip re vitamins etc - I get money off at H&B with my Tigers season ticket so will give it a go.

I have PCOS and my hair goes through stages - a couple of years ago a great big lump fell out of the front and even when it grew back the hair round is so thin you can see my scalp - I have very thick naturally curly hair so the difference was very noticeable. I was recommended a shampoo called Moisture Madness by Tigi and that really made a difference, it thickened the thin bits and it thickened the hair over the bald bit so I could hide it more. I did venture out without my scarf once and some woman stared so much it really upset me.. so I totally understand your sentiment in not wanting to venture out without some sort of head covering.
I really feel for you as I remember how awful I felt.. OH has male pattern baldness and he couldnt understand why I was so upset that I had lost my hair - he just kept saying he was losing his hair as well and he had to deal with it so I should as well - men! Cant really offer any constructive advice but would like to offer *hugs* and really hope you find a solution that suits.
Mrs_R x