Totally Freaking OUT

[AC]

I know Its Normal to Loose a little hair in the shower or whilst brushing you hair, But this just takes the cake. I'm loosing handfulls at a time. after I wash my hair, and wring the water out to apply conditioner I pull away fistfulls of hair. and I'm constantly pulling hair off my shirts. My hair is pretty short nowdays and layered to boot. I use Good quality Salon Products (matrix) so i don't think its the shampoo. Just running my fingers through my hair results in a handfull. I'm not taking any medications so I don't know whats up but I'm scared. My hair is pretty thick but wont be for long... Does this happen to anyone else?

~AC

[itchychick]

This happened to me in the spring, AC.  I had noticed in the shower, but it wasn't until my hairdresser commented on this that I had it checked out.  For me, it was caused by stress.  Apparently, a very stressful incident/period can trigger hair loss six months later.  Count backwards, and see if you can identify a stressful event, crisis, etc six months ago, and that may be your culprit.  Alternatively, some medications can cause hair loss.  In any case, you should definately get it checked out by a doctor, just in case it is something more involved....

By the way - mine is now growing back - I've got all these short hairs sticking straight up on the top of my head!

[itchychick]

PS.  My condition is/was called "telogen effluvium".  You could do a search and see if it sounds like what you are experiencing.

[wildflower77]

I had this happen...no joke...thing was I know mine was both stress related and chemical related...*too much hair dye!!* 
Having said that I lost almost 2/3 of my thickness..and I was so afraid.I never did get a medical opinion....but....after having my hair like completely chopped....I mean chopped  It has grown back GREAT again..all smiles again here captain.Im sure that you will find that yours would be simmilar.It sounds it...I used to dread washing my hair..or brushing it for that matter...cause of how much I would loose.I dont mean it this way girls(Itchy and AC) but it is good to know others that have experienced the same....
Then I was blessed with CURLS..from straight to curly-locks!I think its more of a hinderence then a blessing thou!!

[itchychick]

Your hair grew in CURLY?  The only time I heard of that happening before was with Terry Fox (don't know if you know him - he tried to run across Canada to raise money for cancer about 25 years ago.  He ran a full marathon every day for over four months, and then his cancer came back... a real hero, in my opinion...)  But I digress.   After Terry Fox lost his hair during chemotherapy, it grew back curly.

[Bamawing]

I've heard of hair growing back curly after chemo.

Hope you get it sorted soon, AC. I had a buddy call me up a couple of weeks ago with a similar story. She was almost in tears... turns out that with her it was a side effect of some medicine she was taking. As soon as she stopped taking it, her hair began to grow back. And I'm saying "as soon as" becuase like I said, this was two, maybe three weeks ago!

So I don't know what's wrong, but I do know you're not the only one, and there is hope.

[Radhika]

Hi AC,
How about trying this....really helped me a lot...I stopped having hair loss.
Coconut oil, egg whites, an opened B-complex capsule, an opened iron capsule, gooseberries(crushed) and castor oil...
Take about 4 oz of coconut oil, 2 eggs, 2 capsules each of B-complex and Iron, 4-5 crushed gooseberries and 20 ml castor oil...Mix together and let it stay for about 3 days. Apply this mixture to your scalp and hair both......Let it stay for about 3 hours...Wash with an olive oil based shampoo and condition as usual. Don't comb hair when its still wet..I dont know if u use a dryer, but its bteer not to. Let me know if this works.
Good luck to you!
Radhika

[Gobe]

I agree with Itchychick, Angel.  I think you should discuss this with your doc just to put your mind at peace if nothing else.

After I had major surgery many years ago I also lost a lot of hair but it did grow back again.  Then there was that disastrous perm I had, when I was a student, that chemically burnt my hair  and I had to have it  cut off to about chin length from waist length. 

[AC]

Thanks for the suggestions you all   I've been pretty worried about this the last few days and have really wondered if it was stress causing it. So I bought some saint Johns Wart, and some estroven to try to calm me a little. and am making an apt come Monday to see my doc, I think I need some anxiety meds. the last few months I have been the biggest *itch Ever and its so not like me.
 
The last four months have been really stressful, with the move and some marital differences, but I'm moved( Thank GOD  ) and hubby and I are really happy again . I always thought women were supposed to be stressed, Its our Job

Gobe, I have had 3 exploratory and 3 major surgeries in the last 3 years, I'm allergic to regular anesthesia so I have to use a soy based one. (found out the hard way) But my last exploratory was almost 5 months ago, is it possible to still be having the effects of  anaesthesia
now, If so I could be double whammed lol)

~AC

[endilwen_09]

Hiya Candy Cane,

I too have HS and I go through weird stages of loosing my hair. One week it'll be strong as nails and I'll brush through it after washing it with a couple of loose hairs, just the normal amount. The next week my scalp will be completely flakey and my hair will be falling out by the handful. It seems to sort itself out though, but yes, stress definately doesnt help

Happy Holidays xxx

[gentleman]

This is what my barber taught me:

Do not apply shampoo or conditioner directly on your hair.
Mix the shampoo with water in a small container.
This shampoo + water mixture is the one you put on your hair.
Commercial shampoo is too "strong."

It worked for me.

[mnm mom]

 
I am sorry to hear about you hair. I have a friend who when he is stressed he looses his hair, and then when the stress is gone his hair grows back.
I hope this makes you laugh, he wheres his hair very very short so when he does loose it it leaves a spot. we all joke in good fun about it, it makes him laugh too.
 
mnm

[Wolfspirit]

I also suffer from HS and hairloss but I've been told the hairloss is alopecia areata due to my systemic lupus but it makes you wonder if their is an HS conection after reading these threads.My hairloss is in patches about the size of 1 and 1/2 inches diameter and it is always worse when I'm having a bad time with my lupus or in stress.

[Caly]

AC, your problem sounds just like mine.  So, I searched and searched to find a dermatologist who specializes in hair loss in my area.  But I sure was disappointed. He ran no tests, just looked at my hair and told me that since my father is bald, I have female pattern hair loss and that it will get very thin.  He then handed me some Rogaine.   During my visit I also mentioned the rash on my hands (I had it a long time but assumed it was dish det. or something) and he said he was much more concerned about my hands than my hair (not me, lol).  Turned out I have PPP too.   

Anyway, I'm going to find an endocrinologist because I read on other forums that an endo is the best doc to see for hair loss.  I don't know, but I'll give it a shot.  Anything!!!  I don't want to someday be one of those little old ladies with only a couple tufts of hair sticking up (my nightmare!). 

But I've been having some success with upping my vitamins and using a leave-in conditioner called Aussie Hair Insurance.  It has tea tree oil in it.  I've noticed a lot less hair in the drain and on my hands since I did this.  And I mean a LOT less.  I'm still losing but just not by the handfulls like I was. 

First, tho, you should see a doctor to make sure you don't have an imbalance or disease that's causing your hair loss.  Thyroid problems commonly cause it, as do deficienceis in some vitamins, and other diseases. 

Good luck.  Being in the same boat, I really sympathize with you. 

[Alohamora]

But I've been having some success with upping my vitamins ...

Be sure you get enough protein in your diet too!

I think that's why my hair was starting to thin out, now that I'm eating lots of protein I think it's slowly coming back in.

[Caly]

But I've been having some success with upping my vitamins ...

Be sure you get enough protein in your diet too!

I think that's why my hair was starting to thin out, now that I'm eating lots of protein I think it's slowly coming back in.

Thanks!  I sure will.  I have been dieting and did up my protein intake.  Protein keeps me full, but I need to also keep it low-fat 'cause I have heart disease.   I'm pretty much doing South Beach, which is higher in protein but limits bad carbs and fats.  So far so good! 

[trueskin]

alohamora,

anything else good for thinning hair???  I am ok now due to pregnancy and hair doesnt fall out as much during that time, but prior to this I had thinning hair and know that after the baby is born it will thin again.   Help???

[marfris]

hi-I was just reading the forum(I usually only read to learn,it's my 19yr. old daughter w/severe psoriasis)anyway,about things that could cause hairloss.You guys are right when you talked about protien.You see,3mos. ago I had gastric bypass surgery.They make you take nutrition classes beforehand,and during these classes,we saw pix of people who were protien deficient-they lost hair by the handfuls!Protien is also necessary for skin integrity.