Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 My 18-year-old daughter has always had thin hair and it appears to be getting even thinner and is very concerning to her. hey doctor's visit with blood work showed no problems so I'm looking for some sort of shampoo or treatment that might help. I've always had crazy thick hair so I have no experience in this area. Do any of the shampoos or other topical treatments out there really help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 (edited) How is her stress level? Stress affects hair too. I have two bald patch after chemo and leave in conditioner helps. These are the two I use: https://www.amazon.com/Shea-Moisture-Strengthen-Restore-Conditioner/dp/B00MXD6GBY (I find this useful for styling my messy hair with my fingers)https://www.amazon.com/Weleda-Rosemary-Conditioning-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B00DCUVYWS ETA: I bought mine from Whole Foods, Target, Safeway and they last a long time. Edited September 19, 2020 by Arcadia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Stress is a huge contributing factor. See if she can learn to meditate or begin a yoga practice. Even regular walking outside would be a great way to relieve stress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 While I don't want to downplay stress, this is also a sign of both PCOS and autoimmune issues. Are her periods regular? Does she get a malar rash from going in the sun? Does she have a history of recurrent pneumonia, pleurisy, kidney or heart issues? I'd want autoimmune and female hormone lab tests run, along with thyroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 36 minutes ago, Katy said: While I don't want to downplay stress, this is also a sign of both PCOS and autoimmune issues. Are her periods regular? Does she get a malar rash from going in the sun? Does she have a history of recurrent pneumonia, pleurisy, kidney or heart issues? I'd want autoimmune and female hormone lab tests run, along with thyroid. Normal menstrual cycle, no rash, no history of any sort of illness at all. She hasn't gotten a cold in 5 years. The last time she was actually sick she was 13 and got tonsillitis. Always feels fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 1 hour ago, Arcadia said: How is her stress level? Stress affects hair too. I have two bald patch after chemo and leave in conditioner helps. These are the two I use: https://www.amazon.com/Shea-Moisture-Strengthen-Restore-Conditioner/dp/B00MXD6GBY (I find this useful for styling my messy hair with my fingers)https://www.amazon.com/Weleda-Rosemary-Conditioning-Fluid-Ounce/dp/B00DCUVYWS ETA: I bought mine from Whole Foods, Target, Safeway and they last a long time. Thanks! I'll order these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 1 hour ago, lmrich said: Stress is a huge contributing factor. See if she can learn to meditate or begin a yoga practice. Even regular walking outside would be a great way to relieve stress. She has normal college student stress. Walks the dog about 2 miles a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 My friends with thinning hair rave about Monat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 3 minutes ago, sassenach said: My friends with thinning hair rave about Monat. Probably because it's an MLM and they want you to buy from them? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 I’ve always had thin hair, but it has gotten worse in the last few years. I tried one of the keratin shampoos and it did nothing. On a whim, and because it was on sale, I tried the Aussie mega volume shampoo. I noticed a difference the first time I used it. Dd17 used some on a trip and couldn’t believe how much thicker her hair felt. She’s not much of a girlie-girl, so I knew it was a significant difference. It’s the only kind we use now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Beware of Monat. Many people have had it cause their hair to fall out. 1 hour ago, Amy in NH said: Probably because it's an MLM and they want you to buy from them? ^^ that. Stay away!! My sister is a hair stylist and she has recommended Nioxin for years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Nioxin worked wonders for me. If you have a wad of money to spend on shampoo, Zenagen is a higher quality shampoo with the same results, but leaves a nicer texture on the hair. Be forewarned that these shampoos won't work for about 1/3 of the people who try them, but the change was dramatic for me; it took 2-3 months to see notable progress. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WendyLady Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 10 minutes ago, Reefgazer said: Nioxin worked wonders for me. If you have a wad of money to spend on shampoo, Zenagen is a higher quality shampoo with the same results, but leaves a nicer texture on the hair. Be forewarned that these shampoos won't work for about 1/3 of the people who try them, but the change was dramatic for me; it took 2-3 months to see notable progress. I came in to mention that Nioxin has worked for me, too, but it took some time. I ordered from Amazon. I haven't heard of Zenagen but I am now going to try it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Dd used Nioxin. She had several stressful events and the hairloss came several months later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Is she eating well? Not getting enough protein can cause it, as well as low iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Did she have actual thyroid work done? Free T3 and Free T4 - with them optimum (NOT "in range") a 24 hr cortisol saliva test. it can affect hair density. My started thinning after menopause - then started treated thyroid and adrenals . . Now, it's getting as thick as when I was younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Nioxin seems to work pretty well for me, though honestly I think my periods of hair loss are strongly correlated with diet and/or hormonal changes. Has she had weight loss or done any sort of stringent diet in the last few months? I typically experience the thinning about 2-4 months post-change in eating habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Reefgazer said: Nioxin worked wonders for me. If you have a wad of money to spend on shampoo, Zenagen is a higher quality shampoo with the same results, but leaves a nicer texture on the hair. Be forewarned that these shampoos won't work for about 1/3 of the people who try them, but the change was dramatic for me; it took 2-3 months to see notable progress. She is halfway through a bottle of this, so maybe we should keep it up for a bit longer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 1 hour ago, GoodGrief1 said: Nioxin seems to work pretty well for me, though honestly I think my periods of hair loss are strongly correlated with diet and/or hormonal changes. Has she had weight loss or done any sort of stringent diet in the last few months? I typically experience the thinning about 2-4 months post-change in eating habits. No major diet changes. She turned 18 this summer, so maybe hormones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 19, 2020 Author Share Posted September 19, 2020 1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said: Did she have actual thyroid work done? Free T3 and Free T4 - with them optimum (NOT "in range") a 24 hr cortisol saliva test. it can affect hair density. My started thinning after menopause - then started treated thyroid and adrenals . . Now, it's getting as thick as when I was younger. No, just the regular test Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 38 minutes ago, Shellydon said: No, just the regular test The "regular" test is TSH. It's made by the pituitary. It doesn't give good information of what the thyroid is doing. Free T3 and Free T4 give much more accurate information on thyroid function. Same for the saliva test for coritsol. It's a 24 hr spit test so you can see what the levels do during the day - the blood test is one and done and doesn't tell you what it's doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 19 minutes ago, kand said: Ditto in the thyroid stuff and did she have ferritin tested? The rest of my daughter’s iron tests looked normal, but her ferritin was very low. Getting that up with a really good supplement made a huge difference. yes - she needs a full iron panel, not just a CBC, and she needs a full thyroid panel, not just a TSH. An autoimmune panel would also be wise. Birth control pills can cause hair issues, depending on the type, from what I've read, as can other hormonal issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 18 hours ago, Amy in NH said: Probably because it's an MLM and they want you to buy from them? I don’t have thinning hair and they don’t sell it, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.