Still losing my hair..... Need hat advice

[Jackie in NE]

I've had my thyroid checked, and all is "normal". The Dr. suspects that this might be related to stress, and we're treating with anti-depressants. In the meantime, however, my hair is still falling out, and I have a noticeable bald spot at the back of my head.

 

I'm not ready for a wig, which is what my dm suggests :001_huh:. But hats, I can do... So do women even wear hats these days? I never see them. I need ideas on hats that I can wear indoors and out, that won't draw too much attention. I usually dress in jeans, sweaters, and clogs....

 

Oh, and if you could also tell me where I can find the hats you suggest, that would be great!

 

Please help me out here ladies..... I'm counting on you.

 

Oh, and please don't suggest cowboy hats.... I can't stand them!

 

Cheers,

[The Girls' Mom]

Knit hats are very popular right now. Like this hat and this hat.

[dancer67]

I agree about the knit hats. Seems to be the "in" thing.

 

Did you get your full iron levels checked including, ferritin levels B12 and Folic Acid?

 

My hair was falling out to, and I have Iron Deficiency Anemia.

 

If not, I would get this tested. I am also on anti-depressents for anxiety, but that was not the cause of it.

[Jackie in NE]

Those are cute! But my 16-yr.-old dd says the newsboy style is "too young" for me. Ouch!

But I could certainly see myself in the knit hat..... and it would probably stretch to fit on my oversized head! :)

Thanks for the links.

[Jackie in NE]

I know that he checked me for anemia, but I don't know exactly which tests he ran. I plan to get the results from the doctor this week, so that I can be more fully informed. Did you take supplements to correct your deficiency? Did it work?

My Dr.'s theory on the anti-depressants is that my hormones are likely "out of whack", and since hormones are closely related to the chemicals related to depression, he thinks that treating any chemical imbalance may have a positive effect on a possible hormone imbalance. I also have several symptoms consistent with depression, and have been on anti-depressants before. It's been a hard year, but I'm trying to see the good in it. Thanks for your help.

[Liz CA]

The range of normal in thyroid testing is quite broad.

Even if you are a low normal, you may benefit from some thyroid support.

 

If you can, I would get a second test done with a holistic/naturopathic doc unless this doc was one of those. They seem to look at "low normals" and "high normals" as well.

Have you tried B-complex by New Chapter Organics (supplement) and perhaps a Biotin and Vitamin A product?

 

There is also something called "Hair Essentials" by Natural Wellbeing. I think it comes up at the top when you google it.

 

Scarves are nice too if you can wrap them around your hair as in the 60's & 70's way. Some look very classy.

[jplain]

My thyroid, iron, and B12 are also normal, but going "no poo" helped my shedding a lot. Even one washing with regular shampoo and it starts shedding again like crazy. I guess my scalp and/or hair don't like something in shampoo. My guess is that SLS is the culprit.

 

I started out using a baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine, but now I usually just wash with hot water every other day, thoroughly rubbing my scalp with my fingers, and I use conditioner on everything but my scalp. It does take longer for my hair to dry, as the roots aren't stripped of oil, but my hair doesn't look oily. And if I lived in a really dry place, I'm sure I'd have to fuss with my hair routine. For Thanksgiving we visited relatives in a really dry climate, and my hair was like a static machine there. :)

[momzilla333]

Have you asked your dr about an MSM supplement? Some folks say it helped. (And I second a sulfate free shampoo.)

[Hillary in KS]

There was a woman who posted on this board (Was it Patty Joanna?) who struggled with hair loss for YEARS, it seemed.

 

She went through many, many tests, and stumped her doctors as well. I think it ultimately was determined to be something triggered by allergies, and when they treated for them, her hair began to grow back.

 

This was several years ago (before the creation of these new boards), but I'm certain other old-timers here will remember who it was. :confused:

[momchiroto2]

Besides thyroid issues , the most common other cause of hair loss in women can be elevated testosterone. You could request a serum testosterone check. Ideally you would also want to know your free testosterone levels as well. One reason testosterone gets affected is because of blood sugar dysregulation ( hypoglycemia or insulin resistance).

I second the anemia check as well.

Hope this helps.

Shahnaz

[sarawatsonim]

I love wearing hats. I second the newsboy cap. I wear them all the time. Don't let your son tell you that they are too young, I see ages ranging from infants to the elderly wearing these. I have one and my 6 year old has one. Putting an age limit on a hat that originated in the 19th and early 20th century is silly to me.

[Smithie]

I own about fifteen hijab caps: http://www.middleeasternmall.com/-c-36.html

 

I shove them way back so that my front hair shows, and they are like a fancy, stays-on-better bandana.

[AndyJoy]

I love wearing hats. I second the newsboy cap. I wear them all the time. Don't let your son tell you that they are too young, I see ages ranging from infants to the elderly wearing these. I have one and my 6 year old has one. Putting an age limit on a hat that originated in the 19th and early 20th century is silly to me.

 

I own 6 newsboy caps in various colors and fabrics (blue jean, rust corduroy, maroon suede, khaki canvas, black leather, gray wool) and wear them all the time! Much nicer than throwing on a baseball cap when I haven't had time to do my hair. Plus, they force me to wear nicer shoes because they look funny with tennis shoes.

 

Kmart has a bunch of them for $6-10 and they are often 40% off.

[dancer67]

I know that he checked me for anemia, but I don't know exactly which tests he ran. I plan to get the results from the doctor this week, so that I can be more fully informed. Did you take supplements to correct your deficiency? Did it work?

My Dr.'s theory on the anti-depressants is that my hormones are likely "out of whack", and since hormones are closely related to the chemicals related to depression, he thinks that treating any chemical imbalance may have a positive effect on a possible hormone imbalance. I also have several symptoms consistent with depression, and have been on anti-depressants before. It's been a hard year, but I'm trying to see the good in it. Thanks for your help.

 

Well, I had to get two IV Iron infusions because my ferritin level(iron storage) was very low.

 

I just started taking Vitron-C, Floradix(a natural iron supplement) and 2 tbsp of Blackstrap molasses a day. I started this in September. I go for bloodwork in a few weeks so that will tell whether or not my levels are climbing with just the iron supplements.

 

I hope you feel better soon. I struggle with depression and anxiety myself.

:grouphug:

[Jenny in GA]

I don't know much about hats, but I did want to chime in on wigs.

 

I lost ... maybe about 60% of my hair a few years ago, and when I finally got a wig it worked wonders! I felt SO much better about myself! My only regret was that I wish I'd gotten it sooner. But I kept thinking, "Well, I'm afraid a wig would look ridiculous ... anyway, it'll grow back soon ... I'll just wear a hat til it does ..." and so on.

 

Well, in my case it took well over a year for it to start growing back. And, unless it grows back in a 2-3 weeks, feeling like you have to wear a hat to cover the bald spots gets old pretty fast. (Unless, I guess, you have a variety of stylish hats that you really love.)

 

So ... just something to consider. PM me if you wanna talk about it.

 

Jenny

[Quiver0f10]

I agree about the knit hats. Seems to be the "in" thing.

 

Did you get your full iron levels checked including, ferritin levels B12 and Folic Acid?

 

My hair was falling out to, and I have Iron Deficiency Anemia.

 

If not, I would get this tested. I am also on anti-depressents for anxiety, but that was not the cause of it.

 

 

Yes, get those checked as well as Vit D.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

There was a woman who posted on this board (Was it Patty Joanna?) who struggled with hair loss for YEARS, it seemed.

 

She went through many, many tests, and stumped her doctors as well. I think it ultimately was determined to be something triggered by allergies, and when they treated for them, her hair began to grow back.

 

This was several years ago (before the creation of these new boards), but I'm certain other old-timers here will remember who it was. :confused:

 

 

Yes, it was Patty Joanna. We used to talk back and forth a lot when I was going through my own hair loss issues. Hers has grown back, and she has been hatless for a couple years.

 

OP, have you looked at "telogen effluvium"? Google it, and see if it fits your circumstances. It is caused by stress, which causes an inordinate number of hair follicles to "shut down" growth (aka: enter the telogen phase), but they don't fall out right away. Then, when the new hair grows in (the anogen phase), it pushes the old hairs out. Normally, about 10% of our hair follicles are in the telogen phase, but stress causes many more to go telogen all at once.

 

Interestingly, because of the physiology involved, this type of hair loss occurs several months after a traumatic or stressful event or time. Because of this, it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the cause -- "Well, I'm not under stress right now. . ." The good news is that with telogen effluvium, the hair loss is actually caused by new hair growth. So, even though it seems like all your hair is falling out, you are actually growing new hair at the same time.

 

 

I hope this is all you're facing (that's what it was for me). My hair grew back. :) It's wavy now, instead of straight like it used to be. And, my scalp is sensitive to certain chemicals now (sodium laureth sulfate). But, I haven't had any other problems.

 

In the meantime, as far as hats are concerned, have you considered scarves? There are so many beautiful colors and textures, and so many interesting and beautiful ways to tie them!

[NanceXToo]

Also if you're using artificial sweeteners- Splenda, Aspartame etc- stop using them! They can have a lot of bad effects on the body, including hair thinning and hair loss!