Hello everyone,
My hair has been thinning over the past two years . . . but it's been getting really bad the past few months. It breaks easily, which makes it look frizzy. There's a lot in the shower drain after I wash it, and in my brush after I brush it. I had blood work done and the doctor ruled out a Thyroid issue. I do have a Vitamin D deficiency, which I read, can cause hair to fall out, so my doctor put me on prescription Vitamin D for the next 15 weeks. I'm 46 years old and wonder if it could be a pre-menopausal symptom also . . . I've had a few people tell me to try taking Biotin to help with the hair loss/breakage . . . but in addition to the positive effects of Biotin, I've also read about the negative ones. Have any of you had positive results with taking Biotin for breaking or thining hair? Also my general practitioner isn't much help. I can never get him on the phone, his nurse is always the go between . . . so what kind of doctor should I see for this problem, if the Vitamins don't help? A dermatologist? Endocrinologist? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help. :)
Hi everyone . . . thanks for your suggestions and advice. For those of you who asked about the bloodwork. I just had the routine bloodwork done through my GP. I'm planning on going to an Endocrinologist for further testing. For those of you who mentioned diet. Mine definitely stinks. I'm trying to change my junk food habits . . . but it hasn't been easy. I'm also Vitamin D deficient . . . so I've started taking a supplement. I guess I'll just have to keep on these doctors to do whatever testing is necessary to at least confirm or rule out Thyroid . . . and then go from there. Thanks again for your responses. I really appreciate it.
Hair loss (female) runs in my mom's family. My aunt was in wigs by her 20s. What hair I have (I'm 48) is mostly due to Rogaine.
Also, I tested "normal" for thyroid function for years, but in fact had a diseased thyroid that eventually needed removed. Some people's ideal body chemistry is outside that "normal" range, but it's VERY DIFFICULT to get doctors to recognize that or be OK with it.
Did your GP rule out thyroid problems? If so get a second opinion. My GP said thyroid was normal, I went to an endocrynologist and she did an expanded blood test - diagnosis was hypothyroid. There is more to thyroid diagnosis than just what they test for in the standard blood test.
I'm wondering if you can share with us what thyroid test was done. If your TSH is "normal" but you're still having symptoms of hypothyroid, I'd insist upon having your free T3, free T4, and reverse T3 tested. If your free T3 and free T4 are in the top part of the range, and your reverse T3 is in the lower part of the range, I'll believe you don't have a thyroid problem. I had symptoms for YEARS, and my doctor kept insisting I had no thyroid issue. Finally I switched doctors, and my new doctor ran the tests listed above. Sure enough, not only am I hypothyroid, but I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I can't believe how long I suffered before I finally received this diagnosis.
Anyway, take another peek at those lab tests. If only a TSH test was performed, that's pretty much useless in diagnosing a thyroid condition. And low vitamin D is an indicator for thyroid issues, just so you know. You may also want to check the symptom list at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com for the heck of it. Good luck.
Here's the direct link to the list of symptoms: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
It could be caused by many different deficiencies. I would recommend finding a good naturopaths rather than doing Rogaine. After many attempts (dermatologist, MD,...) I am finally seeing results with my thinning hair. In my case biotin and zinc are helping. My naturopath discovered my low zinc levels with a test not covered by insurance. But there are other reasons you could be loosing your hair, e.g. anemia. Has your doctor checked your ferritin (long term iron store) levels? I know it's super frustrating and like looking for a needle in a haystack, but don't give up yet!
Since I have my thyroid issue under control I D. not have any hair loss anymore!
In fact my hair grew all back.
My girl friend has thinning hair. She had a scalp biopsy that showed she has "male" patterned baldness.
As we mature it does start happening. What does your mom and grand mothers (on both sides of the family) look like? On my mothers side they all have thinning hair after they turn about 45. SO it is hereditary.
I have learned you cannot regrow lost hair, but you can try to keep what you have. Different products are on the market. They are not cheap, but they work/ I use the Aveda products because for me it really works. I wish it had been around when this first started happening.
You may also want to check in with your doctor, just to make sure it is nothing more serious.
Getting old, I mean maturing in age.. it takes a strong person.
I don't know your issues so I can't answer if something may or may not work for you. I can tell you what works for me and I am older than you.
I've never had issues with hair loss. I do have issues with my blood and absorption and I am one who will only take an RX if it is extremely necessary.
That said, last year I had some bone issues in my ankle and tried a new procedure that stimulated stem cells to make the bone grow back. It is called Platelet Rich Plasma and as of right now, it has worked well. It is not FDA or insurance approved but many pro athletes do this with success.
For YEARS, I have taken a sublingual B-12 3000mg daily ( I used to get B-12 injections), along with sublingual D 5000mg, Biotin 5000 mg and vitamin C 2000 mg per day. I have not heard negative things about Biotin but I do not get online and google health issues because there is so much hype out there you don't know what to believe and then you start thinking you have whatever bad ailment the computer is telling you about... I stay away from that.
At my last visit about 3 weeks ago, I started 1800mg of Curcumin daily. Also called Tumeric. The Curcumin is a natural anti inflammatory and pretty new for me, but so far I have no pain in my ankle joint and my Dr. believe it is helping me keep gout at bay. It replaces a new RX Zipzor I was on that was a very mild dose in order to aid with ankle.
I see my bone Dr and an endocrinologist and have blood work done routinely to make sure all is in order. Sometimes they ramp up my Vitamin D to 10,000mg a day for a couple of weeks or so. Many years ago, they were sure I had leukemia and I ended up with complete hysterectomy which was the best thing I ever did for myself and my blood cleared up after that with exception of absorption.
Find a Dr who will listen to you and work with you to find the best solutions. I've heard about shampoos that help reduce hair loss but I think once you start them, you have to stay on them. Nioxin is one I have heard about.
Best wishes to you.
Hi T., wow that has got to be no fun. I am not sure if you have looked at your diet or not. I would suggest you look at it in depth. I know when I changed my diet all things got better in my physical world. I slept better, I lost weight, my hair and nails grew longer ans stronger and my dietary challenges went away.
I too tried the doctor route and I had no luck. Thank goodness a dear friend of mine introduced me to a better way.
I will send you a PM with a link to what helped me.
