Update on my hair...

[lenshanem]

Hi guys. Just wanted to update about my hair loss. I've now been to the family doctor, GYN and dermatologist. The family doctor checked my thyroid and it was fine. The GYN couldn't do anything more for me at this point cause like an idiot I took myself off the pill thinking that might be it. Now I have to wait a month before I could get bloodwork, but she acted like she didn't think it was necessary. Then the dermatologist was a complete moron. Totally unhelpful and uncaring.

Basically, I don't know what is causing my hair to fall out. It has now been a little over six weeks. I have lost half my bangs and my bob has really thinned out. I have started to pin my bangs back, I'm just going to grow them out into my bob. I think that is my best bet. At least a bob is a little like a comb over!

Anyway, nobody knows if it is due to Atkins, vitamins or the pill. Dermatologist told me to take Rograine and come back in nine months. I told him I'd be bald by then and he laughed at me. What a jerk. I dunno, guess if it looks bad enough I'll just shave it off.

On a related note, despite many probably not knowing it since my hair was so thick to begin with I still have really dropped on the self confidence thing. I keep cheating and can't get a grip. I start off the day fine and by lunch I cave in. I've now gained back seven pounds. Definitely in a rut. I am still walking, though just eating alot of carbs come mid day.

Maybe when school starts back next week I can gain some control back at lunch and not cave in and eat the sandwiches, etc. they are eating.

 

[clarabelle]

lenshanem,
I am sorry this has been such a horrible experience.
Both of my sisters and my mom have hair loss. They have had to be very aggresive about treatment. I think many doctors don't know what to do.

My Sister went to an endocrinologist that put her on a medication that helped some. That may be something to consider. There was no real cure. I think it is just hereditary in my family.
I bet you still look great and it is much more noticible for you than it is to other people.

 

[wilderness01]

Hey Shan,

Did you start taking the Hair Vitamins yet? I buy the ones from Puritan Pride.com called Vitamins for the Hair. My hairdresser swears by them. My husband/family have been taking them for years and they TOTALLY make a difference. I have been experiencing the hair loss thing the last 5 weeks or so. Not as bad as you because I am in no way balding, but some hair is coming out by the root. You can totally tell when I am blowdrying my hair as strands are flying out of my head! Good thing I have alot of hair, although it is thin and always has been. Anyway my hairdresser said this happened to another client of hers that stopping eating carbs/starting losing weight/only drinking water, etc. She said it happens a few months after you start losing weight. I think I pm's you this but it bears repeating. She said unless you start taking the hair vitamins you can literally lose so much hair you can look like someone who has alopecia. She also said that you can not sunburn your head because you can also get a bald spot from that. My husband stopped taking the hair vitamins for a few weeks and you could totally tell the difference. It is not like rogaine in that you don't regrow your hair, it just swells the hair shaft and makes what hair you have healthier. I trust in this because I have seen it. Good luck. I need to be better about taking the vitamins myself as I don't want to lose my hair. Also do you go in chlorine? Can your hair tolerate it? Mine cannot and breaks off like cotton candy. I will pm you the products I have been using that have totally saved my hair from when it was so damaged from the chlorine/salt water from a cruise I took.

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks clarabelle and wilderness01. You had told me about the vitamins, but I don't think the name. I'll go check it out now. Ugh..........

 

[yasuern]

Hi Shan,


I am sorry you are still experiencing the hair loss I just want you to know that I looked at your pics and honestly to me your hair looks good!

Take care and keep us updated

Sue

 

[lenshanem]

Thanks Sue. I actually told wilderness01 yesterday that that pic is a pretty good one of my hair. I had other pics I got back where you can see my scalp up front!

I had REALLY thick hair before and thick short bangs that were cut across, think 20s bob. I have lost half if not more of my bangs just in six weeks with no let up so far. In the pic it looks like I have fringe type bangs, they were not like that before!

Oh, well. Could be worse things. It just dampens my self confidence and my self control. I'm now up seven pounds from that pic and ate pancakes this morning!!!

I really need to go back low carb, it really helps with my sugar addiction, but then I worry that might have been what set my hair loss off to begin with.

 

[nativetxn]

My hair is very fine but I haven't experienced any hair loss from my low carb regimen. I hope the vitamins help you with this.

Katholyn

 

[Princess Michelle]

I'm sorry that you are experiencing this. It must be so hard, especially when you don't know what's causing it. My prayers are with you, I hope you can get some answers and a solution very soon.

 

[FreshTressa]

I am going through the exact same thing!!! It started about 3 months into the low carb thing..I noticed it around May, and it is STILL falling out. My hair is very very thin now, you can see my scalp from any angle. I have stopped dieting, hoping to stop it but I have hair all over my clothes all the time.

The Dr's have no advice. I am getting some biotin in the mail, I hope it helps.

I'm about ready to by a hair piece or something. I swear I have lost over half of my hair.

 

[lenshanem]

I've lost half my hair, too. I'm starting back strict low carb today, though. I'm still not sure that is it, I haven't really been totally low carb since our June WDW really. I've been cheating alot since then and since our July WDW trip I've been totally off it. Yet, my hair still falls out in the handfuls. I was worried about starting back, but I'm gaining at such a fast rate and my hair is still falling out that I think do I want to be bald and fat?!? My self esteem is down so much that I've been eating like a piggie.
It would seem if I haven't been strict low carb since June that my hair would have stopped falling out by now, or no?
I have been to my family doctor, GYN and dermatologist (JERK!) with no help. A couple of suggestions that others have given me recently are from wilderness01 (see earlier post) and kathleena mentioned to me another person who started taking iron.
My hubby thought he saw some new hairs coming in, so fingers crossed this is only temporary. It has now been seven or eight weeks of large amounts coming out everyday.
Good luck Tressa!

 

[FreshTressa]

Actually, thanks for that!

It has inspired me to go back on.....At least I'll be a thin healthy bald lady, instead of a bald pudgy one.

I do have a few new hairs coming in and I am pretty sure I have that telugin effluvia or however you spell it, so I am realllly hoping it is temporary. But, when is it going to stop??? I too have been to lots of docs, I take iron, use nioxin etc. Nothing seems to help. Just get covered in hair every day.

How are your nails? Mine are really peely.

 

[plutosmyfav]

Waaaayyy back when I did phen/fen (yes I was one of the dopes) my hair started falling out. The diet dr said that weightloss causes hair to fall out. Mine was short lived and not an ongoing problem (neither was the weightloss )

My sister, on the other hand, had allot of hair loss when she lost weight (sensibly, moderation style). She was really worried and no one took her seriously. Her hair seems to have stopped falling out, but it is really thin. I can remember her being very upset and NO one took it seriously. I hope yours stays where it is and doesn't continue. It must be scarey and frustrating to not get any decent answers.

Sundie

 

[lenshanem]

What is telugin effluvia?

 

[FreshTressa]

Whoops, sorry, I butchered the spelling!

It is described here...

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/telogen_effluvium.html

It says it can last 6-8 months!!!

 

[FreshTressa]

I wasn't necessarily 'crash' dieting, but I did lose weight quite rapidly and was working out excessively.

 

[lenshanem]

Tressa, thanks. That sounds like me! The article also mentions taking iron.

 

[FreshTressa]

Me too...especially the all over the head part instead of patches. I am reallly hoping this is it so it is not permanent.

 

[FreshTressa]

Taking Biotin the last two days, and it looks like I have some baby hairs coming in. It is still falling out though, as fast as ever.

 

[wilderness01]

Biotin is supposed to be great for the hair. I also am going to start taking 250 of B6. My hairdresser says that once you start having significant hair loss it can take up to a year to go back to normal. It goes in 4 3 month cycles. She says her hair is so fragile as is her system that if she stops taking her hair vitamins for even 2 days she can tell a difference in her hair. She is also allergic to caffeine. When she drinks caffeine her hair starts falling out. She went up to the mayo clinic about this and another health problem and the doctor said it is possible to have an allergy and lose your hair. Also if your hair is dry it is an outside problem (product, sun, etc) but if your hair is falling out by the root it is an inside problem working its way out. It can be as little as changing your diet and your hair is reacting. This is all via my hairdresser whom I was drilling this am about this. She said my hair loss is losing down and to keep taking my hair vitamins. Good luck you two.

 

[lenshanem]

What is biotin?

Interesting wilderness01. I started drinking two cups of coffee every morning about four months ago when I started walking real early in the morning. Now I wake up in the morning with a headache and need the coffee.

Also, I've been taking numerous vitamins -
Potassium, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium & zinc, plus a centrium.

The iron says it is 18 mg for the centrium. Is that enough? Should I be taking more?

I saw an ad for a new centrium for low carb diets. I think I might buy that and quit taking this hodge podge mix of vitamins and just do the new centrium. Does anyone think I'm taking too many?

wilderness01, I've yet to order those hair vitamins. Are they like iron tablets, too?

Yesterday was a particularly bad day. Hair really came out in the shower, but I'm now back on day three of Atkins. I had gained back seven pounds in a little over two weeks! And to think that was even with me walking two miles seven days a week! I'm always either fat or thin. If I'm not eating like a bird, I'm gonna be fat again real soon....