Hair shedding, help!

GingerLs

I've noticed over the last month or two that I am losing a lot of hair when I wash it, far much more than what I used to and I'm getting really upset and worried thinking about what my hair will look like if this goes on for too long. I dread washing my hair because it's coming out in massive clumps 😔

I believe it is stress induced and I'm really trying to work on it. 

Has anyone experienced this? Any advice on what I could do to lessen the hair loss? I'm going to ask my doctor for blood work but thought there's no harm asking on here too.

Spoonie_Turtle

Stress can definitely cause a shed; it usually happens 2 or 3 months after the stressful event or period, and tends to last for 2 or 3 months. Stress can be emotional and/or physical (e.g. an illness).

There's also seasonal shedding, which many people experience in any season (i.e. some people will shed in summer, some in autumn, some in winter, and some in spring - if someone has seasonal sheds they will usually have it during the same season each time). 

One thing you can do if your hair is long enough, is measure your ponytail circumference. Hold it tightly together or tie it tightly (not tight on your scalp, but so that the hair is all compressed together) and measure the circumference of your hair, either with a tape measure next to the hairtie or using a non-stretchy ribbon or something. If you measure your ponytail circumference again in a month or two, you'll be able to see if you've lost thickness because of the shedding. If you lose, say, a quarter or half of an inch it's probably not too bad.

The good news is, if it's a stress shed and you're working on being less stressed, it will stop. If it's seasonal, it will stop. If it's a deficiency, once that's corrected it will stop. And once the shedding stops, the hair you lost will start to grow back

Sharon87

How old are you? As you age your hair also gets thinner naturally. Doesn't matter if you're in your 20's or 60's it can happy any time.
If you've had any surgery, given birth or any other stressful event can cause hair loss for months after the event.
In winter hair tends to grow a lot less than usual as well so thinning can look worse.

Do you brush your hair when it's wet? If so try to reduce that and use a wide tooth wet hair comb instead of any brush.

I've had issues with thinning hair in my early 20s and I think partly it was down to diet and too much booze at uni! Hair loss can be a sign of other illness as well. You can ask your GP for a blood test to see if anything's wrong if you're worried. I had those issues and also badly sun burnt my scalp and my scalp was intensely itchy until I found the correct shampoo to use (ginger one from the body shop). My hair is still very thin but thicker than it was during the worse time.

It's a very stressful time right now, some people are drinking more, having less exposure to sunlight and eating worse. Any of these issues can contribute towards hair thinning

Emmia

Hormonal changes can also be a factor (other than pregnancy as suggested) have you changed contraceptive pill, or experienced any menopausal symptoms - mood swings, palpitations, irregular periods,  changes in your skin (drier / spots) recently?

If any of that's the case you'll need a trip to the GP.

Do you have a good diet (not recently vegetarian/vegan) do you take a multivitamin?

Daniel_1

If it's shedding too much, I suggest you consult a dermatologist as it may be signs of some disease that causes increase hair fall. Stress is the main factor. Try to keep a cool mind. You can also try doing some home remedies, if you find it difficult to consult a doctor. 

ChrisJJ

Definitely get blood tests done, as it could be that you're deficient in something - iron, for example. 

Competsoph

Based on what you’ve said it sounds like, or could be, TE. A common hair loss relating to stress. There’s a wonderful group on Facebook.
Your GP should be able to do routine bloods but there is no treatment needed and over time it should improve. Good luck and try not to focus on it, it will only add to your stress. You are not alone in going through this. xx