Help Please! Question about hair

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

For the past few weeks, when I have washed my hair or brushed my hair or taken out my hair tie, hair has been falling out. Now i have always had hair come out when I did these things but a lot of hair is coming out and not in little strands either...but huge amounts of it at once. I am constantly pulling hair out even just by running my hand through my hair. My hair has also been incredibly knotty and a mess.

Any ideas what it could be?

 

[Wagamama]

do you have curly hair? mine does that too, but my doctor said its normal. i also know its normal to lose 100 strands a day...

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Yeah I have thick curly hair...but this is a new occurance...LOTS of hair...and cleaning it up is gross!

 

[Wagamama]

i know what you mean...i think its the weather or MA water. Because mine started about 2-3 weeks ago. But I went to Chicago for a week and it stopped! then i came back here and it started up again. i know...its gross to clean it up! especially in the shower, blech!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Well I'm leaving for Indiana in August so maybe that will help.

 

[Wagamama]

i hope so!! i also do this, after i put conditioner in my hair i comb it thru and that way whatever hair (or the majority) is going to fall out happens in the shower.

 

[Margie J]

Is it breaking or actually falling out from the roots?

For breakage try a good fortifying shampoo and conditioner. The new Fructis line is nice and has helped my hair. Breakage can be from overprocessing (coloring, bleaching, etc.), dryness, hair ornaments (elastic bands, clips), etc.

If it's falling out from the roots that's another matter. Watch for changes in diet, hormone levels, genetic issues, stress levels, certain diseases and such. Some things you can change and get your hair back to a health state. The stress of your upcoming move may be causing this. Keep an eye on things over the next few months.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Could you tell me how i could tell the difference between breakage and falling out of the roots?

 

[PandyPaws]

Norah...a stylist like Buckalew could probably tell you more, but I do know from my SIL (also a stylist) that the body's changes have a great effect on hair loss. I would think at your age (18..? 19..?) you would be going through a lot of changes right now, and I would guess that this would be quite normal for you...and also, the hair tends to make a complete evolvement every 6-7 years.
For instance, my cousin, who always had completely pin-straight hair suddenly developed definate waves in her hair when she reached her 30's...and today, at 43 it actually looks like it's been permed!
Healthy heads of hair normally do shed lots of hairs a day, it's sometimes just more noticable than others.
Things that can fluctuate the loss rate are a recent illness, surgery, medications, hormonal changes and stress.

 

[Sunfleur]

I'm not sure of your age but I had this problem in my mid-teens. Tons of hair everywhere. It eventually stopped. My doctor thought it was puberty/hormone related.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I just turned 18...I thought puberty was over.
I have been dropping a lot of weight lately.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Are you taking any new medications? When my 17 year old DD was taking Accutane last year, it made her lose a lot more hair.

 

[Eileen janice]

I would have a doctor run a thyroid test. Weight loss and hair loss = something maybe up with the thyroid.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

No new medications.
Could it be stress?
I have 2 exams monday and tuesday and I am graduating from high school....

 

[Sunfleur]

Definitely could be stress, or weight loss related. If it keeps up I would recommend talking to your doctor. But yeah, stress can cause hair loss. My mother actually ended up with bald patches years ago when she was under extreme stress.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I go to the doctor in July for my college physical so i'll ask then.

 

[Patio]

First of all, I feel your pain. My daughter had lost about 23 pounds, then had major surgery, lost about 10 more pounds, then her hair began to fall out. Her surgeon said surgery couldn't be cause, her pediatrician said there was no hair loss, other than normal. ( HELP!!!).
Finally, I took her to a dermatologist, who gave my daughter a thyroid test and recommended a daily multi-vitamin. The dermatologist said her diet combined with weight loss, could result in my daughter not getting enough protein. She also took a 2nd thyroid test, because the 1st was close to borderline thyroid. The 2nd test came back showing no thyroid problems, so she took a muti-vitamin daily and her hair stopped falling out and began to start growing again. This happened last summer when she was 13 and she thought she was going bald or something. If you don't have any bald spots, it's probably your diet.
Hope this helps and your hair starts growing again!!

 

[Tinkbell]

Originally posted by PandyPaws
For instance, my cousin, who always had completely pin-straight hair suddenly developed definate waves in her hair when she reached her 30's...and today, at 43 it actually looks like it's been permed!

That's exactly what happened to me. When I turned 30, all of a sudden I had wavy hair. Glad to hear I'm not alone. I thought I was a freak of nature or something.

 

[glo]

Norah, I am no expert, but I would guess it is stress. You have had to worry about final exams, graduation, college acceptance, financil aide. Now it will not be long before you move into your dorm and start school quite a few states away. All this is pretty stressful, on top of just being a teenager. Probably another reason you are loosing weight too. I think something many kids go through. If it continues to bother you, tell your mom and get a Dr.'s appointment before you leave.
Big hugs sweetie!!!