Hair Loss

MrsStepford

We are all individuals and we all handle hair loss, in different ways. There isn't a right or wrong way to do it. The more info on this thread, the better. There will be people out there who aren't comfortable talking about their hair loss, even behind an anonymous username.

I decided when I discovered how bad my hair loss had got, that I didn't want to be limited by what I could get away with ie straight combover, or by a wig because I felt that was a lot of pfaff. It might not be now, so again, more info is great.

Although I am using hair treatments and hoping, I'm covering up with scarves, caps and hats.

1. Scarves

My first scarf is a lightweight viscose scarf reduced from £15 to £7 in the sale at Help for Heroes.
https://shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/collections/sale/products/hearts-tri-colour-scarf?variant=38014122695 It's a long rectangle shape. Does cover my head, without a lot of excess material. As it is lightweight chiffon. it seemed prudent to wear something underneath it.

2. Hijab caps and tubes, volumising scrunchies and shapers.

There are three types of hijab cap. The first has ties at the back, to pull it tighter. Don't like these, because then there's the problem of what to do with the ties. Personally, don't want anything down my top.

Second type is a tube, which has a hemmed front and loose back. Hijabis often seem to pin the flappy bits together with pins if YouTube is accurate.

The third type, which I think are the best, are made up of shaped pieces and can just be bunged on. I've got two of these and both are different. One has a little cross over ar the front and a slightly ruched back. The other has like a stretchy headband front and a small elaticated hem at the nape.

If you have quite a bit of hair at the moment, I would suggest that the tie cap and tube cap styles are more accommodating of that. For those with less hair, the more shaped hijab caps seem better. There is room in these for some hair and they can be stuffed with something ie socks, teatowels wadding, an old tshirt - anything that you can smooth evenly to add some volume. Some women then add a scrunchie, to make a bun, before adding a scarf or ready-made hijab. Most caps seem to be at least 95% cotton jersey.

3. Tichels and shapers

Not all Jewish women cover their hair, but Orthodox women do, when they get married. They used to wear wigs but now, they often wear a scarf called a tichel or michpachat. Some will wear a shaper underneath which has a space which they fill with wadding, to give more volume. Sinar tichels seem to be lightweight scarves from Israel, with a lurex thread through them.


4. Moneysaving ideas..

Headwrap using a tshirt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJoppWTLZJY

Headwrap using leggings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8jZEIdwwAc

5. Chemo turbans or caps

These are usually lined, and made from cotton jersey. Much more close-fitting than hijab caps or shapers, in a hat style or wrapped turban style.. To my eye they do look like headwear for cancer patients, however.

MrsStepford

Shampoo I found at Simply Islam

Minevital Covered Hair Oil Balancing Shampoo
http://https://www.simplyislam.com/minevital-covered-hair-oil-balancing-shampoo-300ml-with-lemon-and-salicylic-acid-islamic-essentials-beauty-65113.html

MrsStepford

Companies used so far..

Harmony Headwraps in transit
http://https://harmonyheadwraps.co.uk/index.php

Modanisa - up to 80% off at the moment and free shipping
http://https://www.modanisa.com/en/

House of Bath - reduced from 17.95 to 8.95 in sale in transit
https://www.houseofbath.co.uk/shop/viscose-jamavar-scarf/xw604/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=7172#colour:,size:

Ben Harad
https://www.benharad.co.uk/product-category/hijab/

Freemans - Lizzie Lea leaf print scarf £19 in transit
https://www.freemans.com/products/lizzie-lee-leaf-print-amp-lace-trim-scarf/_/A-38S315_BEI?searchResults=true&PFM_rsn=search&PFM_ref=false&PFM_psp=own&PFM_pge=1&PFM_lpn=29&PFM_trm=scarf

Help for Heroes - reduced in sale from £15 to £7
https://shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/collections/sale/products/hearts-tri-colour-scarf?variant=38014122695

Anna Bandana
http://www.annabandana.co.uk/

Kufiya - Palestinian kuffiyehs but shipped from Germany.in transit
https://www.kufiya.org

MrsStepford

European By Choice - had a discount code for 50% off by email as I donated to the crowdfund
https://europeanbychoice.com/collections/european-flag-fashion-for-men/products/stars-cap

I have one other cap bought earlier this year anyway, from Royal and Awesome but it's out of stock at Amazon and own website so no link.

Just had parcel, forgot that I had also picked up a velvet scrunchie, an olive bandana print headwrap, camo print headwrap and black headwrap from Claire's Accessories, in the sale

tangerine17

Hi, I have had thinning hair for several years now, so basd that my scalp is showing through in patches, I have had numerous tests but no cause has been indentified.
I have tried going down the wig route but found them to be uncomfortable and I was worrying all the time that the wig would fly off.


For the past 8 years I have had hairweaves, they are fantastic, my hairdresser is very good, the weave looks natural and moves with me as if its my own hair, well it is my own because I bought it haha.

My hairdresser sews the hair onto a weave cap, she plaits my hair around the edges and attaches the weave cap to that, then styles it, it lasts me 3 to 4 months. For me it is the ideal solution. and actually I like the freedom of being able to change my hair to whatever I want it to be long, short, medium,, blonde, dark, red, curly, straight, wavy, etc and it is easy to look after.
I hope your hair thickens up again, but if not you could do worse than consider a weave, I live in London and have found a fantastic hairdresser, her prices are excellent too, £80 all in.
All the best



Conny x

MrsStepford

Personally, I think my hair is too patchy and short for a weave, but the more info the better for other people suffering from hair loss so thank you. If your experience is with weaves, wigs, Toppix, hats, caps, scarves - whatever - then please post !

Got this set of 3 scarf hangers in the sale at House of Bath, reduced from 15.95 to 4.79. They are fabric-covered so there's nothing for the scarves to snag on and when the scarves are hung up it looks really pretty. Keeps them tidy, which is the main idea.
https://www.houseofbath.co.uk/shop/flower-scarf-organiser-3/uw926/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=8696#colour:,size:

Also fron House of Bath, reduced from 17.96 to 8.95 was this Jamavar viscose fringed scarf from the Punjab area of Pakistan. Looks really nice.
https://www.houseofbath.co.uk/shop/viscose-jamavar-scarf/xw604/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=7172#colour:,size:

If you haven't shopped with House of Bath before, a banner ad offering an extra 20% off with a code, should be visible. https://www.houseofbath.co.uk

Scarves are probably the cheapest option of all and many people will have several hanging about. They don't need to be the size of small tablecloths ! Also, you can pick up scarves in sales and at charity shops. I would suggest buying scarves that can be machine or hand washed rather than dry clean only, purely on cost.

YouTube will have tutorial videos. Keywords can be headscarves, scarves, headwraps tichels and turbans.

From personal experience so far, I would recommend wearing something under the scarf if it's chiffon (or anything else sheer) or shiny as these tend to slide off. It's trial and error but my experience is that the best quality and some of the cheapest bones which I've bought have come from Modanisa and are 95% cotton jersey. https://www.modanisa.com/en/and there's an up to 80% off clearance sale on at the moment.

New Look does these bones too, callnig them headwraps. However, not only are they polyester (could mean your head gets sweaty) they can be more expensive. On the plus side, you'll see more colourful prints eg a leopard print for 5.99 http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/accessories/hair-accessories/brown-leopard-print-headband/p/596794729?comp=Browse

You can buy sashes or make them yourself from fabric. If like me you aren't handy with a needle, you could try folding the edge over hemming tape and ironing. Then just tie around your cap or scarf as extra decoration.

Some hair clips can be used to keep a scarf in place, either attached to your hair or cap. Likewise, brooches, badges, buttons. pins, magnetic pins and safety pins can be used, as well as the simple hair grip or bobby pin. Many of these are dirt cheap in sales eg Claire's Accessories, Topshop, New Look, Primark.

Stretch headbands are good to hide receding hairlines a the front and anchor a scarf. If you want to just sling on a bone and jazz it up a bit, headbands can be placed one above the other and you could also add brooches or tie a sash or bow.

Alice bands of the padded more rigid type could look weird, unless you can tuck the ends in a scarf somehow. Hijab and tichel tutorial videos can be helpful in showing how to pin, tuck, pleat, wrap and use sashes.

EmmyLou30

Taking Metformin can stop your body absorbing B12 for some people (myself included). No amount of 'the right diet' will help as your body just won't take it in. You need high dose tablets from your GP or a 3 monthly injection as your body will only absorb a small portion of what you put in. I take the tablets and have my B12 levels sorted now.


There are no trichologists on the NHS, the NHS thinks hair is just vanity and therefore isn't worthy of any attention or money. They'll happily treat the resulting depression though, go figure!


I also have an underactive thyroid and PCOS both of which cause baldness (but usually the male pattern receding hairline sort). I also have Alopecia which is actually the cause of my complete baldness - the other conditions are just a red herring in so far as the hair is concerned.


For 10 years I moved my parting about to cover up the latest patch while another grew back and no-one ever knew despite me thinking it was super obvious. Even when I thought I was super bald and really noticeable I then admitted defeat and got a wig matching my own hair colour and style....people at work thought I'd had a haircut, seriously!? A magic hair cut that multiplied my hair?! What I'm getting at is that you'll be more aware of it than anyone else.


Like you I had super fine glossy gorgeously soft hair I never dyed or used heat on. I treated it perfectly. It still fell out once a stressful event triggered full blown alopecia totalis. No eyebrows, patchy eyelashes and completely bald head. Unfortunately still have all my body hair!! 2 years of wearing a wig I can't say I'm loving it, I hate it. I mourn my hair every single day, wigs are hot, expensive, stop me from doing loads of things but they are easy to care for which is some comfort.


All I can really say is try not to worry too much, others probably haven't even noticed (except your critical Mum - is she related to mine!?) and try and style your hair differently to work with what you have before admitting defeat.

madmittens

I lost almost all my hair suddenly within about 3 weeks last year. I was devastated at the time.

I never considered myself vain about my appearance, until I lost my shoulder-blade length hair.

All of a sudden I couldn't leave the house/get food shopping, let alone go to work (luckily they were very understanding).

Thanks to the internet I found that there is a small army of people out there who, having suffered hair loss for numerous reasons,
are making headwear (wigs, hats, covers, scarves) for the rest of us, which got me through the early days.

Some of my hair has grown back, but my solution so far is a very short clip and a variety of different styled hats and scarves, in a multitude of colours and patterns - a different hat for every occasion. Some I like more than others - it's definitely trial and error. I've tried wigs but couldn't get on with them.

Some people have made the initial assumption that they are Chemo covers; if someone asks (such as work colleagues in the early days) I'll explain, if they don't then their opinion doesn't really matter to me.

It's still hard though, having a very patchy scalp. Love seeing the likes of Andi Oliver and Gail Porter revelling in their baldness, and wishing I could be that brave! A close shave doesn't have the same effect.

downshifter

MrsStepford wrote: »

I have to say that it just never occurred to me to cover my head to avoid burning my scalp. I am always very particular about sunglasses in daylight March - September and wearing sunscreen on exposed skin. But looking back, I spent a lot of my childhood on ponies with a riding hat on and being a tomboy, often wore a baseball cap.

More later..

Can I repeat really strongly that those of us with naturally thin hair, for whatever reason, must cover up outdoors. We remember sunscreen, glasses etc and hats when on the beach, but when your hair is thin it offers no protection at all, and can burn even in overcast weather. I've now been told I'll lose a 2" x 1" strip on top of my head with a skin graft from elsewhere. All due to sun damage which has caused skin cancer. Devastated isn't the word!!

I'm wondering if they can take a graft from an area where I have hair, like the back of my head, and graft that instead - would the hair 'take'? Not sure how it would work.

Seems ridiculous to worry more about my hair being lost rather than the cancer, but they seem to think they can sort the cancer, but I'll always have the bald strip.

So please, I can't say this enough. Cover up esp if you have thin hair!

DS

Red-Squirrel_2

MrsStepford wrote: »

I have nagged my GP about my thinning hair and asked him to refer me to a trichologist and he refused. he also refused tp prescribe me minoxidil.

You can buy it in a mousse/foam form that doesn't need a prescription.