Just returned from the dermatologist where I was told I have hereditary hair loss! I'm pretty unhappy about it. I thought my hair was thinning b/c of a medication I take, but doc said it isn't the cause. He is going to check my hormone and iron levels, and has recommended that I take a multivitamin and eat 50 grams of protein per day. Plus, I have to start using Rogaine. Ugh.
Anyone else have experience with this? Hoping to hear some success stories. I'm only 42! I thought NOT losing hair was the one physical benefit of being a woman. So let me get this straight...I have to be the one who gets pregnant and goes through child birth AND lose my hair??
I've found Inositol from GNC to be very effective with growing hair back. It's about $12/bottle with 60 tablets (30 day supply). I saw hair growth before completing the first bottle. Actually, I never needed a second bottle because my hair was growing back so fast. My girlfriend used Inositol for 2 months this past summer. Her hair is much healthier now.
Have your Vitamin D level checked too. I started taking 10,000 units of Vitamin D after being diagnosed with severely low Vitamin D. I did the 50,000 units a week prescription and then started 10,000. Things are so much better.
Good luck. I know the pain of losing your hair. I often say that I have the head of an old man and the skin of a teenage girl. :( My body doesn't seem to know if it's 14 or 80. :)
Please post if you find anything else that helps. :)
N.
I also have hereditary hair loss. Two of my mother's sisters lost most of their hair by the time they died in their late 80's, early 90's. One has to keep using Rogaine or the loss resumes. I just can't see spending that much money. I'm glad for the genes I inherited. I'd rather live to 90 and have very little hair than die at 70 with a full head of hair. LOL
Just for fun, check out this list: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
If you have any other symptoms besides the hair loss, this could be an undiagnosed thyroid problem. I say this because I began losing an alarming amount of hair (handfuls while I washed my hair, I had to clean out my hairbrush every day, hair all over my clothes throughout the day). It wasn't until someone suggested that it might be low thyroid that I began to realize all of my other symptoms were connected to the hair loss. Anyway. The good news is, if that's what it is, it's relatively easy to treat. The website I linked to above has tons of useful information.
Good luck, and I hope you find resolution for this issue!
I'm dealing w/ a bit of the same thing, as well; I'm 44. Luckily I have super thick hair and a lot of it, so I can hide my hairline where I've noticed the most thinning. Anyway, try this, it's helped me.
http://www.drugstore.com/natures-bounty-biotin-5000mcg-su...
They also sell it at Costco, same brand, much cheaper.
My mom started losing her hair at age 40. She went to the doctor and had bloodwork done...and found that her estrogen levels were extremely low. She started using estrogen cream and her hair stopped falling out and eventually grew back in.
It's worth it to get your hormone levels drawn if you haven't already done so.
Best of luck!
♥
C. Lee
Was the hair loss postpartum? It it universal thinning, or male pattern? How is your thyroid?
I've heard of this. My college roommate had it, as did her sister. Their mom, actually, was almost totally bald--she wore such nice wigs, I never knew she didn't have any hair. Theirs was genetic and affected only the women in the family. My friend in college already had a small bald spot at the top of her head. So if you've managed to make it to age 42 before showing signs--I'd say you're doing pretty well.
Taking biotin or a supplement containing biotin and other important nutrients will also help you quite a bit. Whole Foods sells a supplement that is good for hair and nails that many people find very helpful. There might also be some other products that would be of benefit to you; the workers in the health section of Whole Foods are quite knowledgable and would be able to direct you to some good brands.
Sorry to hear you are going through this. Yes, childbirth is very hard on a woman's body. Many women find out they have genetic problems (like me) or hereditary problems or start having chronic illnesses (like me) after having children because their bodies are so depleted of critical nutrients, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids that their babies took from them during the 9 months they were growing inside their wombs. More than likely, like me, you have genetic/hereditary issues you didn't know about before getting pregnant, and your body was probably deficient in key nutrient areas as well, that after having your child, your body said "Hey! I need some critical help here!" Unfortuantely, until our bodies break down and let us know there's a problem, most of us don't do anything to fix them until there IS a problem. Me included.
My daughter will soon be 13 years old, and I have been doctoring with alternative medicine for the past 5 years, trying to nurture my body and cure the damage caused from having her. I'd have her all over again, but it sure does s*ck to have to work so hard at being healthy again. However, I do have to say that at least I know the issues now so I can take steps to ensure that my body is healthy from now on.
