Hair Loss - When it's falling out :(

[Tierney]

Aw thank you so much! I hope it stops aswell... It's still going but not as bad as it was before but still too much to be normal. My mom is still convinced it is because of a mixture of stress/lack of protein & iron... I'm taking vitamins for it so maybe that will help? I'm nervous that it just may be alopecia... we tried calling dermatologists that were on our plan but they all say they dont deal with it... and I'm nervous because I know that if you don't deal with it fast your well... screwed in the nicest terms haha. I may pick up some rogaine this weekend. I feel like such an old lady... or more like an old man! hehe.

Have you found out anything about what's going on with you? Hopefully everything is getting better!!

 

[Jr.Fashion]

In the past 3-4 months I'm convinced that I've lost half of my hair. My entire life I've had a lot of hair, very thick and shiny. My hair is one of the things I love the most about myself. But now when I comb it, or wash and unusual large amount will come out. I'm very concerned, and if this continues I will go see a docter. I'm scared, I hope it isn't alopecia or lupus or something serious like that!!

 

[DandyWarhol]

The Hair Cemetary

okay..so everone's got some dead hair. it could be the fried tips you get from blowdrying or straightening too much, it could be the weather, not enough condition, whatever.
i havent been brushing my hair recently because its not been needing it, but ive noticed that now that my hair doesnt get brushed, a lot more falls out. seriously, when i wash my hair, i run my hands through my hair and lots of pieces come out.
apparently this is normal if you stop brushing your hair, but its so annoying i might pick up the comb again.
so, here is for all your dead hair woes.

 

[Mr-Dale]

It makes sense...when you brush your hair, the comb or brush takes out all the dead hair. When you don't brush, the dead hair will stay on your head untill you run your fingers through it or wash it or whatever. Don't worry

 

[katebug]

Hair Loss

Hi, wondering if anyone could help.

I have long, dark brown hair and it falls out all the time. I'm not talking about big clumps, but individual strands are constantly coming out. I know that we all lose hairs every day, but I'm sure that mine is a bit excessive. It drives my family mad as there are hairs all over the floor and whatever task I'm doing, they'll always be hair all over the desk or worktop. Whenever I get undressed there are always tons of hairs down my top, and I'm sure it is the cause of the spots I get on my back.
Now, I've always got a healthy head of hair...I'm definitely not going bald and hairdressers always comment on how much hair I actually have. I've tried different shampoos and different washing routines.
Nothing seems to work. Does anyone have any ideas about how I could reduce this problem?

 

[RobinLondon]

You might want to try a course of [SIZE=-1]Rogaine Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women which will strengthen existing hair and make it thicker. You might also want to consider sleeping on silk or very high thread count cotton pillowcases. Also, don't over brush or heat-treat your hair too much. [/SIZE]

 

[katebug]

thanks for your advice! I will try those things.

Thing is (and I hate saying 'but..' when someone's tried to help) that I dont ever do anything to my hair except wash it and the occasional conditioner. I dont straighten it or even blow-dry it. And because it's naturally so straight I dont brush it either. It doesnt get tangled.

 

[misssakura]

I have that problem too...if I don't brush my hair gently every day

 

[RobinLondon]

thanks for your advice! I will try those things.

Thing is (and I hate saying 'but..' when someone's tried to help) that I dont ever do anything to my hair except wash it and the occasional conditioner. I dont straighten it or even blow-dry it. And because it's naturally so straight I dont brush it either. It doesnt get tangled.

OMG I am jealous!!! My hair is hella wavy and gets tangled so easily. I have to religiously use my GHD's!!! Apparently if you've got long hair, you really only need to shampoo wash it twice a week and always condition. If you desperately feel the need to wash more often, just use conditioner as conditioning the hair will have some cleansing properties.

 

[valerique]

Not brushing your hair is not a solution, katebug. I think you should do it twice a day - in the morning and before sleeping (this way at least you'll get rid of a lot of hairs at once that might otherwise bother you all day).
To start losing less hair I think cutting it more often should help. Try trimming once a month. I don't know how long your hair is, but maybe try to cut 10cm or more and see if there's any change.
I also have thick healthy hair that starts to fall off a little more if I go for too long without cutting it, but once I cut it it almost immediately recovers, so maybe that would help your hair too.
Good luck

 

[misssakura]

Hair naturally falls out. You don't brush it, it will fall out where you don't want it to. Brush your hair. That's all there is to it. (especially with thicker/longer hair)

 

[alix*]

It could be the hair products you use.
There was this conditioner I had and it just made my hair constantly fall out.

 

[tigerrouge]

First ask yourself if you're paying more attention to what is a normal 'seasonal hair shed' - which does happen to humans, not just our pets! Also, make sure your diet contains enough protein, and nutrients that help hair (such as the trace mineral silica).

If you feel something new has developed, go to the doctor, and get tested for conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which can cause spots and hair loss (and hair gain in more unfortunate areas), as well as potential thyroid problems. All of these can be managed, the first step is finding out if you have them.

And yes, I also find that if I don't brush my hair all day, more hairs come out in my hand when I do touch it later, because they've been waiting for me to dislodge them.

 

[Bluestar07]

I have the same problem and have actually been searching for a thread on this (I'm surprised there isn't one!). My hair is wavy and I don't comb/brush except my raking my fingers through. Each time I do so, hairs fall out. When I wake up there are hairs on my pillow too. Actually, there are just hairs everywhere! It's getting to be rather alarming. Initially I told myself that it just looks a lot because my hair is long (around 2 inches below the bra line) but I have come to accept it isn't so.

Tigerrouge is right about the thyroid problems as a probably cause. At one point, my hair loss was drastic (!) and eventually I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and told that hair loss was a symptom.

Last week, I was recommended the Davines Vitamin Activist Gel 2 by my hair supplies shop. I'm not sure if it works but I'll be sure to update here if it does.

http://ukhairdressers.com/store/details.asp?ID=DavinesNTechESVAGel

Okay ooops .... I think this thread should be in the Hair threads section .....

 

[iacamutwet]

i have the same problem... my hair is falling out like there's no tomorrow!! i heard that avalon organics' biotin shampoo/conditioner helps, but i can't seem to find it anywhere... has anyone tried the mill's creek biotin line? i see it in all the health food stores but have yet to try it.

 

[katebug]

Thanks for all the advice and oops, sorry for not putting it in the hair forum - I forgot it existed!

I will definitely try the things recommended. I will start trying to brush it. I've always avoided doing so because my hair is so straight and flat by nature that I do everything I can to get some volume and brushing doesnt help. But its definitely worth a try and it makes sense that I'm not getting rid of stray hairs that way so they're falling out later.

 

[carmen_kass]

ermm well I have had the same problem lately, only three or four weeks ago actually. Stress is a major component in hair loss in thick hair, and I'm always stressing about everything.

Here's a couple of things I've tried that honestly has reduced the problem.
I had very long thick hair and I had an inch cut off each strand so I had super thick hair, it was terrible, anyway since I got it layered, hair loss has been much less drastic.
Also I drink about 3 litres of water a day and that helps.

I use Pantene Pro-V Restoratives breakage defence mask, it's pretty good I use a lot of it, you're only supposed to use the mask once a week but I use a trick reconmended by Erin Wasson and that's to use the mask 3-4 times a week, it really seems to help me, but I only wash my hair twice a week, because when I wash it usually takes all moisture out of my hair and it takes a couple of days to re-couperate. Comb your hair but comb it slowly, IN SECTIONS, don't try to brush or comb all you hair because several will break off, combing is good as it increases circulation in the head, but definatly do it slowly and in small sections.

Plus every morning my grandad wakes me up at 7 a.m and we do half an hours worth of breathing exercise and yoga, I'm not going to lie when I comb my hair hairs do still break (3-4 hairs now), but these things have reduced it much more, now when I wake up there's next to no hair on my pillow and fewer breakes when I comb it, normally I never reconmend products to people because everyone is different, but this Pantene stuff seems to be very good I mean once you use it and comb your hair it feels like silk and there are ZERO breakages for at for at least that day (even with heavy combing), so for me it's like a miracle product.

 

[castingcrowns]

i have the same problem.. for everyone here: when your hairs fall out, is the root (the white thing on the end) still attached? mine is and i've always wondered if thats bad!

 

[Alejandro]

I lose a lot of hair in the summer, its damn scary

 

[Bluestar07]

^^ yes, mine's from the root When I see a fallen hair strand on my clothes, I pick it up and feel the ends so I know. Paranoia .... or maybe it's not paranoia at all! I have cause to be worried!!!