Hi I am a female in my forties and have had 5 children. My hair is thinning pretty bad and I am starting to have quite a bit of hair loss. I don't think I have any particular medical problem that would contribute to my thinning hair and hair loss. I was wondering if anyone has had success in combating thinning hair and hair loss? If so, what type of things have worked for you?
I'm going through the same thing and I'm wondering about my adrenal and thyroid function.
I've stepped up my b-complex vitamins.
I'm probably going to go to an integrative doctor for a hormone panel.
I read recently that not getting enough iron in your diet can cause hair loss. A blood test can be done to see if you are low in iron. Here is something I found. I hope it helps.
'You can maximise your iron absorption by eating a combination of iron-rich foods such as red meat,green, leafy vegetables, shellfish, egg yolk, nuts and cereals with food or drinks that are high in vitamin C for example, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.'
The article also said that drinking tea can interfere with iron absorbtion and waiting an hour after eating before you drink tea is a good idea.
Run to you doctor and have a full Thyroid work up done. You are the poster child for undiagnosed hypothyroidism. If your thyroid comes back normal, have a full hormone panel done. Thinning hair is being caused by a metabolic imbalance some where. Fixing it sooner than later makes it much easier.
Good Luck,
Dr. Mom
I really feel for you. I have a close friend who has lost almost all of her hair in a matter of 6 months. She has seen every doctor she can think of including an accupunturist. She is still trying to find answers. She thinks it started as a hormone and thyroid inbalance and got worse when her diet got worse. She says that if she eats a bite of cake the next day more hair falls out than "normal." She also looked at it being a fungal issue. Just thought I'd reiterate what some others have said. I was looking for answers for her, too. Best of luck and keep looking for answers. :)
The first thing you should do is talk to your doctor. They can run a battery of tests to see if your hair loss could be caused by hormones or if it is a symptom of something bigger.
I know some people that use Nioxin shampoo and hair products to help them with their hair loss. Supposedly it can help promote hair growth. I don't know the specifics of how it's supposed to work, but some people swear by it.
I for one have hereditarily been given my hair loss. The women in my family have "male pattern baldness". Unfortunately, I have it worse than the other women who have it. The advice I was given was to use Rogaine. Of course, once you start using it, you can't really stop and you cannot use it if you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant. I cannot use Rogaine since I am using other medication for dermatitis of my scalp.
Good luck to you!
ASK your GYN to test your thyroid levels they may be off!
Very high quality vitamins fit for those who do endurance sports.
Get a thyroid test. Eat diet full of leafy green vegetables, fruit and whole grains. GIve up sugar. Your hair will come back.
I got a recipe for a pack made of tobacco from a gypsy woman but really the vitamins were much better. Include vitamin D and E in your regimen.
Please have your doctor do a blood workup, and not only check the iron, but check the "Ferritin" (long term stores of iron).
If the Ferritin score is low (in my case below 35 or so), I start losing hair. Please be aware that the "normal" range of Ferritin is something like "15 - 180", but if you're at the lower end, it can definitely cause hair loss. Do you also feel fatigued and tired? That could be another sign. I am battling this for quite a while now, I believe it's caused by having heavy periods due to my IUD.
Do not immediately believe doctors that want to put you on Rogaine (mine did!!) -- make sure to check out all the other factors first, like iron and thyroid.
Good luck!!
Hi D.-
I am a mother of 5 also & have struggled with hair loss. I knew that after each baby I would loose massive amounts of hair. I'm sure you noticed this too. It's from low progesterone. After each baby your progesterone drops something like 80% the day after having the baby. What can happen is you become progesterone deficient. High estrogen. Once I good this out I went on progesterone. It is fabulous! Natural anti-depressant & anti-inflammatory, helps w/ adult acne, arthritis & so much more. I affectionately call it the happy cream :). I suggest prolief. It's topical. Plus I love the Thermal Fusion from Arbonne! It a pure, safe & beneficial product that helps to create healthy & strong hair. My middle daughter had severe hair breakage & this has helped her tremendously! You can see more info at www.naturallylovely.myarbonne.com
