sahm99 Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I have been losing hair for about three months. A lot. It is not a question of perception, but a very real thing. I would think I must have lost about (almost) half - no patches, just thinning out all over... The stats: 41, definately not in menopause AT ALL (all women in the family EXTREMELY late in menopause - think late 50s), but irregular cycles for the last months, due to important weight loss, caused by stress...which puts me in the inderweight catagory now. I am working towards getting a hold on the stressors...and the weight... I have been as careful as possible in the process, about getting the necessary vitamins & minerals, but must be missing something... What could be causing this kind of hair loss? I have the impression it has stopped over the last couple of weeks, and the hairdresser told me, she sees new "sprouts". I am worried she (and I) might be wrong, and I'll actually be bold in the near future...🙠I had periods of hairloss before (after each pregnancy, for example), but no-where that severe... Please share your stories - above all those, that "ended well", instead of bald...! Any tips? Thank you so much! ...I am starting to freak out a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerenityNow Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I was losing a ton of hair... like a handful whenever I brushed! For me the main problem seemed to be wearing my hair pulled back. In my 40s my hair just wasn't strong enough to take that constant stress. I also read that sulfate-containing shampoos can cause hair loss for some people. (Here's a link about that: http://www.hairlossinwomen.org/hair-loss-causes/sodium-lauryl-sulfate-cause-hair-loss/) I ended up getting my hair cut short, handling it very gently, and switched to a sulfate-free shampoo. It's been about 6 months, and my hair is much stronger and I'm only losing what I would consider a normal (small) amount. Good luck finding what works for you! I know it's very stressful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Hugs sahm99! I,ve lost hair by the handful twice in my life (other than associated with childbirth). Once was associated with stress. The other was when I was trying soy pills to try to mitigate migraines. Both times, it grew back. Perhaps not all the way to the original thickness, but much better than it was. I have a long braid. For a long time, you could see a spot where the braid went from thinner lower down to suddenly much thicker higher up, so I am dead positive about this. You aren,t taking any soy suppliments, are you? I hope the stress resolves itself soon. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Have you had your thyroid checked? I was losing a ton of hair and some other symptoms. Got blood work done and turned out my thyroid was out of whack. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 For me, there are three things: Stress (which shows up in other ways, too) Low iron Low vitamin D Last round of hair loss was fixed by a high dose 6 week regimen of vitamin D. If you haven't recently had bloodwork done, you might consider scheduling a checkup and request a general screening. As someone said above, wearing ponytails a hundred days in a row eventually catches up with me. I spend some time with it banded lower (not tight) or completely down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyacinth Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Get your thyroid checked. The fact that it also happened after pregnancy indicates a possible hormonal issue. Be warned that you might need to research for a good specialist for answers if it is a thyroid thing. PCPs and even many endocrinologists are notoriously ineffective. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Like above posters Low Iron,Low D3, were the culprits for me and my DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 has your thyroid been tested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Stress combined with weight loss (especially if it's rather quick, and if it involved a marked reduction in fat intake) can take a huge toll on hair. So that's probably the most obvious cause. But I agree that it would be a good idea to get your thyroid, iron and Vitamin D levels checked just in case. With my thyroid issues I had minimal loss of hair on my head (thank goodness!) but I did lose the outer third of each eyebrow and needed to shave my legs and pits much less often than usual. Also brain fog, marked fatigue, super dry skin (even on the inside of my ears). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Yup. First thing to check is thyroid. And you may have to battle your doctor to get a complete thyroid panel rather than just TSH. In addition to TSH, you'll want Free T3 and Free T4, plust ferritin, iron saturation, sex and adrenal panel (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol). If you are successful in getting your doctor to run even Free T3 and Free T4, do NOT let him tell you that your results are "normal" and that he sees no reason for your hair loss. Require him to give you a print-out of the results. Then come back here and check with me. :-) 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Definitely get the medical stuff check. After a big weight loss due to GI problems, I lost a ton of hair. It did come back, but it was very scary while I was losing it. I've heard of other people going through that, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 The stress alone, if it was significant enough to cause weight loss, could be the primary cause of your hair loss. I was losing a lot of hair and that was the first thing the doctor asked about. I wasn't under any unusual stress at the time, however. For me, it's a thyroid, vit D, and iron issue that I finally have been able to treat. Treating the iron and Vit D w/out thyroid was not helpful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I have been losing hair for about three months. A lot. I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this. Many do. Have you seen my thread here? Maybe, hopefully, some of the tips will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 If you're underweight (especially if you've been losing weight rapidly due to stress-related undereating) that can do a real number on your hair. As I recall hair tends to depend on what your nutrition was 3 months ago -- so if you've only recently gotten a handle on the undereating, it may take a couple of months to resolve. The new sprouts that your hairdresser is seeing are a very good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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