Hair Loss

loodles

For the past number of months my hair has been falling out, I have been to my doctor twice and after blood tests she told me there is no medical reason for this and has offered no support. Everything I go to her for is put down to stress and she tells me to relax.
It seems to be getting worse and as its at my hairline at my forhead it cannot be hid. I don't know what to do! The more that falls out the more stressed I get about it- its a vicious circle.
Anyone any advice?

Fanny Cradock

Your age, sex and circumstances have a great deal to do with it I'd imagine, but you haven't provided any details. I'd advise getting a second opinion and also taking your current doctors advice. Why not treat yourself to a little holiday or some activity to help you relax a little?

Saruman

If you are a man under 25 then you might worry a little Or a woman of any age i would worry.
If you are a man over 25 then im sorry but this happens to men. So do not worry about it.

Again yas previous person said.. you cant just post stuff like this without any info and expect any sort of good advice.

loodles

I'm a 25 & female. My job has a lot of responsibility however, I never have to work late or weekends. It started a year ago but has gotten a lot worse in the past couple of months! I can feel it tingling!
I try relax as much as possible, take lots of baths etc. I have been tested for Thyroid etc but all came back clear. I have seen a lot of over the counter remedies in the chemist but I am a bit sceptical and haven't tried any.

Saruman

OK in that case its not the most normal thing in the world. Make an appointmen with a dermatologist and not a GP. That is your best bet. It might be stress but it could be anything.. even a hair product you use.

Fanny Cradock

If you job is high stress then a few baths every now and then wont really do you much good. Assuming this is stress related (and no one here can say that for certain), you may need to take more positive, inventive and definite steps to detaching yourself from the pressures of work come the end of the day.

Some examples would be:
Take up Yoga,
Join a hill walking club,
Go for a run when you get home,
Take up painting or some such,
Go on a LONG holiday,
Change your job!

If your not happy with your doc, go see another one.

LegacyUser

'I had the same problem last summer , very alarming and damaging to the confidence. I used Nourikin shampoo and conditioner and took brewers yeast also and omega - 3 fish oils Hair back to Normal within 3 months. Also took lots of relaxing baths to alleviate the stress levels /'

sweet-rasmus

i have heard that hair loss is basically down to stress levels. it also just happens to some people for no apparent reason. ask yourself; do you have any other stress other than your job? do you enjoy your job alot, or would you consider working elsewhere, or in the same company but with less responsibility? finally, perhaps if you try asking people in the alternative remedies area. erm, no clue what type in particular, but it's worth looking into if you gp has no answers for you. massage? hmmm, perhaps someone in your local heath food shop has an answer; they sometimes do. don't sign it off as stress anyhow, because that may not be the case. keep asking around and hopefully someone will have good information for you.

OMcGovern

I had temporary problem a few years ago with thinning hair in a patch on the side of my head. The barber thought I tried cutting it off myself !

He suggested it was alopecia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alopecia_areata

At the time I was run down from work and restoring an old house on my own.
The hair problem resolved itself after I got rid of the house which was genuinely running me down badly.

If your current job has such a bad impact on your state of mind, consider changing it. Other possibilities include joining a gym, to work out some of the stress. Also, in a recent episode of "the truth about food", they cited "Omega 3" as being particularly helpful in reducing stress chemicals and increased anti-stress chemicals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/best/omega3.shtml

regards,
Owen

loodles

Thanks guys for all you responses.My current job is relocating to another country at the end of the year , I am not worried about getting a new job at all but maybe its getting to me more than I think as there is extra work. And I suppose at home I do let things worry me that I shouldn't. Am gonna try those shampoos, omega and maybe something like yoga and see how that goes. Its good to know that its happened to others and has grown back!

Faith

Yes, it sounds like alopecia alright. It's basically an auto-immune disease, where your immune system turns on itself and attacks your hair follicles, thinking that they're foreign bodies.

There's no cause been discovered for it yet, nor a cure. Gail Porter famously suffers from it. It does seem to be a result of stress, so try to reduce the stress in your life as much as you can.

A member of my family has been affected by this and I know how upsetting it is. She was unfortunate and developed alopecia universalis, where all the hair on her body fell out. All the doctors that she has been to have recommended trying to reduce stress, and she did develop it at a very stressful point in her life.

Best of luck OP, and I hope it stops falling out soon . Feel free to PM me if you want to.

Filan

Have been suffering from alopecia for over a year myself. Patchy baldness which is I believe probably stress related. My stress levels are still high but I'm working on them. Nourkrin has at least prevented further hair loss...and existing hair has thickened...just a little regrowth though...the patch is contains a sparse and fine hair covering...noticeably different to the rest....however at least the rot has stopped....and it is in an area that can be hidden with just a little length. I'm hopeful of further regrowth over time....but I know that long term stress needs to be reduced. I wish you well,Alan

LegacyUser

'i got worried about this about a year ago too. my hair was getting thin along my parting and top of my head. i couldn't afford a doctor at the time and researched a lot online instead. i came to a number of conclusions as to what casued it - i'd been chemically dying my hair for about 9 years (i'm 24), i'd recently come off contraceptive pill which i'd been on long term, i had some stress issues, and apparently your hair/hormones go through 7 year cycles or something.

one site that helped a lot was the forums at this place: http://www.longhaircommunity.com/index.php
theres a lot of women with experience with thin and thinning hair there, and a lot of ideas for natural ways to help it thicken. i started taking a multi vitamin, iron, cod liver oil (omega 3), MSM, boitin, and silica (some of them only a few times a week and not everyday, as its a lot of suppliments). and i stopped using harsh hairdyes and shampooing so much.

since i did so much in a relatively short space of time (about 6-8 months), its hard to know whats caused the regrowth - building back up vitamins and minerals i might have been lacking, cutting down on chemicals on my scalp, or just my hormones getting back to normal - but its getting thicker again.

research it but don't worry too much..'

loodles

Thanks, I got some omega 3 lastnight and have ordered Nourikin.
I can feel this part of my head tingling - dont know why (maybe its just paranoia!)
I can see whisps of blond hair on this patch but the scalp is more visiable than the rest of the area. its not completely bald yet. hopefully this will minimise it.
Thanks again for all your posts.

akw_old

apparently a supplement called "saw palmetto" is good for thinning hair, according to men's health.

http://www.menshealth.com/supplements/

you could probably get it in a health store.

LegacyUser

'Loodles I have been in the same boat as you...I would go to another GP/or go back to my GP and DEMAND a referral to a dermatologist. After years of worry about my own (female) hair loss and trying out many over the counter and internet bought remedies I eventually asked my GP to refer me to dermatologist. It was such a relief to speak to an expert - the dermatologist was fantastic and, as a woman ,was completely understanding and kind. It can't do you any harm to try it. It might set your mind at rest. Plus the derm. may well be able to improve your condition.

You are right to be sceptical about hair loss remedies - very very few have even been clinically proven to work and have been approved for medical use. Most of them are snake oils made by people preying on the insecurities of others. If there was a miracle cure for either male or female hair loss I think the world would know all about it by now!'

Magic Eight Ball

Saruman wrote:

If you are a man under 25 then you might worry a little Or a woman of any age i would worry.
If you are a man over 25 then im sorry but this happens to men. So do not worry about it.

Again yas previous person said.. you cant just post stuff like this without any info and expect any sort of good advice.

A man of any age isn't safe from MPB!

I

LegacyUser

'Hey OP,

sorry to hear that you are going through such a rough time. As a medic, I am also sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the treatment you have received so far. Although your GP may indeed be correct (i.e. that blood tests have ruled out any hormonal condition and that stress is the major precipitant), I understand that you feel this could have been communicated in a much better way.

I am not going to offer medical advice here (as per charter; mods I hope I don't cross the line!), frontal loss of hair though, as you will find on any website is most commonly known as androgenetic alopecia—an inherited sensitivity to the effects of androgens (male hormones) on scalp hair follicles.

Having previously worked in Dermatology, I can say that I saw plenty of women with hair loss. You are not alone. Hair loss is not necessarily progressive by any means. The work-up we would routinely do in clinic included blood tests that it sounds like your GP has already done: iron, thyroid, hormone tests etc.

Of course though you are entitled, as suggested above, to get keyed in with a Derm service. A specialist evaluation might be just right since you are unhappy with your care so far and it might give you a better idea re management options.

Agree wholeheartedly the great advice offered above re stress management.

All the best, have my fingers crossed for you.'

LegacyUser

'Hi OP, sorry to hear about your hair loss, I know exactly how you feel. I'm in my teens and about 2 years ago, to put it very simply, I got a very bad scalp infection and now I've got an aprox 4X2 inch bald patch on the very top of my head. It's the only reason I have long hair and I never leave the house without a cap. The only advice I can give you is that you should definitely go and see a good dermatologist to find out exactly what it is, be it alopecia or whatever. They're the only ones that can give you proper advice on what to expect and what treatments you can use.

Best of luck and I hope all goes well for you.'

Money Shot

akw wrote:

apparently a supplement called "saw palmetto" is good for thinning hair, according to men's health.

http://www.menshealth.com/supplements/

you could probably get it in a health store.

I'm no expert, but I think it is used for enlarge prostate problems in men, so wouldn't be a great idea for women to take, and definitely avoided if you are pregnant or considering getting pregnant.

As I say, I'm no expert, just might be worth doing research before you start taking this.

Fanny Cradock

This thread is 3 months old.

dudara

This thread is 3 months old

Yes it is, but that isn't really a concern. If people still have valid points to add, then they can. Otherwise it will sink to the bottom again.

Dundrumdublin1

Loodles

I am in the same position as yourself with my alopecia.I was recommended Dutaseride as a really good drug for hair loss with alopecia and trictillomania.It is expensive i have not bought it yet..

I am not interestested in anything radical like hair transplants...I have had a look at hair replacement but it is about €1000,,beyond my budget at the moment

Dundrumdublin1

i hear dutaseride is good.it was degined for for enlarged prostates but is the new drug for hair loss,,i believe it is better than propecia.

loodles wrote:

For the past number of months my hair has been falling out, I have been to my doctor twice and after blood tests she told me there is no medical reason for this and has offered no support. Everything I go to her for is put down to stress and she tells me to relax.
It seems to be getting worse and as its at my hairline at my forhead it cannot be hid. I don't know what to do! The more that falls out the more stressed I get about it- its a vicious circle.
Anyone any advice?

DublinWriter

akw wrote:

apparently a supplement called "saw palmetto" is good for thinning hair, according to men's health.[/url]

Saw Palmetto would be useless to the OP unless she has a set of testicles.

I wouldn't even try Saw Palmetto myself as they can make you develop man breasts.

the_syco

Check your families history, as there's a chance its in the genes.

Also, you said you're not worried that you'll fave being jobless when your company goes: are you saying that to make yourself feel better (denial), or is that how your feel (acceptance). I ask, cos if its the former, stress may build up. Go for one of those "de-stress" weekends (no idea where, usually they're on some farm enviroment, and you do lots of yoga, etc: people I've talked to have done them).

Dundrumdublin1

I tried saw palmetto for six months, didnt see a difference,

Have any of you guys seen the video for hair replacement

It is two blokes that have hair loss on this video getting hair replacement,,

http://www.hairreplacement.ie/hairlossmen.html