Hair loss - gutted :(

Mrs_Ryan

Sorry people for unloading onto you but at this time of night theres no-one else and I'm about in tears here

As some of you may know, I lost most of my then thick, past shoulder length highlighted blonde hair end of 2011 due to anemia caused by endometrial cancer. The hair has grown back - I was a natural redhead and its grown back very dark - almost brown and thick but it wont grow even to my shoulders which I was gutted about. I usually have it cropped short and wear a scarf or wig to cover it as I really really hate it, I feel desperately unfeminine without my long hair

I've been out this evening wearing my wig, and when I came home and took it off I brushed my hair out to discover a stonking great bald patch at the front of my head and the hair in front of it has gone really thin again I'm absolutely gutted and almost in tears. I am in surgical menopause of one year and I know this can cause hair loss but I didn't expect this. What do I do???

Tiddlywinks

This is a really great site with loads of advice and support:

http://www.heralopecia.com/

It has discussions on disguises, coping mechanisms and general chit chat.

My dermatologist told me to:

- eat lots of protein... apparently cottage cheese is a great source (mix it into curries, pasta etc)

- Take essential vitamins: iron, L-Lycine, B12 (after getting OK from GP)

- keep stress to a minimum.

Unfortunately there is no quick or easy fix and it makes you feel really crappy... go to the website... people there will understand.

Take care.

Tiddly

Mrs_Ryan

thanks Tiddly. Will check that site out.

Interesting what you say about stress - I'm extremely stressed with work at the minute. I think maybe I'm going to have a chat to my manager. x

bluenoseam

I can't really say much beyond having a partial understanding of what it's like to wake up with your hair falling out - but as a guy, it wasn't a traumatic event for me really. But speak to the medical staff dealing with you and they should be able to put you through to someone who can help, I don't mean to sound crass, but maybe someone who can help with the mental aspect as much as the physical.

I'd love to be able to give you more, but I can't - like I said, I didn't have that to worry about as no one looks twice at a male with little/no hair.

*max*

Some medication can cause hair loss too. My friend got a bald patch from taking Ranitidine (indigestion tablets). I feel for you. x

Tiddlywinks

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

Interesting what you say about stress - I'm extremely stressed with work at the minute. I think maybe I'm going to have a chat to my manager. x

It was the consultant dermatologist that gave me those tips... apparently stress can alter hormones which can cause the body to have a sort of shock reaction.

I think it would be worth asking for a referral to a dermatologist and an endocrinologist as there may be hormonal reasons for the new hair loss... the site I mentioned earlier gives lots of advice and the forum has lots of chat from people that will give you more tips... it was a Godsend for me when I was having problems 5 years ago (and I still have shedding now).

The forum is full to bursting of ladies that understand - until it's happened to you, you never understand how devastating it really can be. Hair is part of your identity as a woman... part of your femininity... over there, they understand.

Chin up!

Mrs_Ryan

thanks so much everyone. Calmed down a little now - thanks for all the advice x

Ruby_woo

Dear Mrs Ryan

I rarely comment on threads due to not knowing any answers! However, hair loss is one thing i do know about sadly.

In 2006 I took my 11 yr old son to the hairdressers and when she had finished, there was a small bald patch on the back of his head. Approx a 2p coin in size. We as a family had never ever had this before so I googled it and knew instantly it was alopecia.

I didnt know what to do so left it for a while, and that was my first mistake....it grew.....my poor son was starting secondary school and it was dreadful for him as he was so worried that the other children would poke fun. Anyway, he started the term and I had had a chat with SEN about it explaining our concerns. After a the first week he came out of school looking worried and said the following "two of my friends in my class have got cancer and they have lost their hair too, oh and another boy has a heart condition so im not worried about my hair really as I'm not ill am i?" There are then we decided that although he wasnt ill, it looked dreadful so we had a think of what to do.

I had already taken him to the dr and they had given him steroids which just made him bloated around the face as you had to put the lotion on his hair. I had spent hundreds on special vitamins etc and aloe vera juice. So we tried reiki.

He had his first of four session and by this point the patch was the size of a large grapefruit on the back of his head and it was just bald. Anyway, he went to bed the first night of his reiki session and the next morning woke up with fine downy hair all over the bald bit. By the time he had 4 sessions his hair was regrowing so well and within months it was back to normal. So maybe try reiki.

Update on the other children at his school. One is in remission and doing very well. The other boy George sadly, sadly died and the boy with the heart problems has had 3 or 4 heart attacks this year alone:( So the moral of our story was it was nothing serious but serious enough to need to do something.

xxxxx

fabforty

I have no real advice to add (sorry), but just wanted to say that I know how you feel. I suffered from alopecia when I was 10 years old. My mum noticed a bald patch on top of my head at the beginning of the summer holidays. By the time we returned to school five weeks later I was completely bald. As a girl, it was an absolute nightmare and I was devastated. This was 1976 so things were very different then - there was no real help or advice available. The treatment was just wait and it will grow back (hopefully) eventually. I had no real help from my parents either - I wasn't allowed to cover my head up (one theory was that I needed to let the air get to my head to help the hair to grow!), so spent a year being stared at by everyone, laughed at and teased. After twelve months it started to grow again and six months later I had a full head of hair - not long but at least my scalp was covered. I feel for you but there is help and support available x

Tiffany_Aching

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

This is a really great site with loads of advice and support:

http://www.heralopecia.com/

It has discussions on disguises, coping mechanisms and general chit chat.

My dermatologist told me to:

- eat lots of protein... apparently cottage cheese is a great source (mix it into curries, pasta etc)

- Take essential vitamins: iron, L-Lycine, B12 (after getting OK from GP)

- keep stress to a minimum.

Unfortunately there is no quick or easy fix and it makes you feel really crappy... go to the website... people there will understand.

Take care.

Tiddly

This is fantastic advice.

My alopecia also started 5 years ago. When my hair started to fall out in clumps it was devastating. The ladies over on heralopecia.com calmed me, advised me, sympathised with me, got me to get a referral to a dermatologist - they were brilliant and helped me so much.

Medication, diet, illness, stress....all this and more can affect your hair and it sounds like you have had more than your fair share of these. Ask your GP to refer you to a dermatologist and at the same time ask them if you can have a full blood test done, checking your hormone levels as well.

The ladies on the heralopecia forum are just brilliant and will understand all you are feeling. It really is worth paying the site a visit.

Anoneemoose

Just wanted to share my experience. I had bald patches about 10 years ago.

I had 3 that were about the size of golf balls (smooth as a baby's bottom too)! I was quite lucky that my hair was styled so they could remain mainly covered. I couldn't tie my hair back or anything though. Mine was definitely caused by stress. I had just found out that my dad had cancer and i was going through an abusive period with my ex.

I would definitely speak to your manager if you know you are stressed at work. Even small changes and support could have a positive impact for you (and hopefully improve your hair).

Good luck.xx