Saw dermatologist today!

[Spagirl]

They had a cancelation and called me.

The dermatologist wants me to have my iron levels tested to rule out low Iron as a cause for my now entering 2 seasons of shedding hair. So if anyone has shedding for months and months and months you might need to have your iron levels checked as a precautionary measure. HTH!

 

[luvhair]

OMG!! I have been experiencing nearly 12 months of shedding and I was geting worried-- the doctor was telling me that I have low iron because i have sickle cell trait but i never took it seriously because she said it wasnt enough to be anemic-- maybe thats the problem!! But I was diagnosed nearly 3 years ago so would my hair start shedding 2 years later?

 

[MissJ]

Gosh, I've been shedding so much lately. I was planning on going to the dermatologist for skin problems anyway, but I'll be sure to mention the shedding thing. I think my iro may be low, too.

 

[Nonie]

I'm a little confused. Are you guys talking about excessive shedding that leads the thinning and baldness ...ie not just the normal shedding that's to be expected each day of our lives?

I keep reading about people panicking because their hair is shedding, but from my understanding, shedding up to 100 hairs a day is very normal, and something that happens by design.

By all means, see a doctor if you're worried, but it is probably not a bad idea to find out beforehand - so you can share with your doctor - about how many hairs you're losing per day.

 

[Guest]

I constantly shed and my doctor told me that it's not an issue unless your hair thins. She gave me the test anyway because I insisted and all my levels were fine.

 

[MissJ]

Well, I don't think my shedding is normal, because it usually doesn't come out so much.

 

[luvhair]

my hair has definitely thinned so i know its a serious problem

 

[Spagirl]

[ QUOTE ]
nonie said:
I'm a little confused. Are you guys talking about excessive shedding that leads the thinning and baldness ...ie not just the normal shedding that's to be expected each day of our lives?

I keep reading about people panicking because their hair is shedding, but from my understanding, shedding up to 100 hairs a day is very normal, and something that happens by design.

By all means, see a doctor if you're worried, but it is probably not a bad idea to find out beforehand - so you can share with your doctor - about how many hairs you're losing per day.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent sites and advise Nonie!

From site mention by Nonie:

A Simple Hair Loss Test: One of the easiest ways to determine if you are losing hair at an abnormal rate is to count your own shed hairs. At the beginning of each day collect hairs from your pillow and bed linens. Collect hair from your shower drain, and from your hair brush or comb. Collect hair from your clothing.

Count the Hairs: Count the hairs and put them into an envelope, and mark the day and the quantity on the envelope. Use a new envelope for the next day. Do this for a few weeks. A dermatologist can help evaluate the quantity of lost hairs, and after examination of the hairs themselves, can help determine whether the hairs are being shed, pulled out, or are breaking along the hair shaft. If an abnormal amount of shedding is evident, a treatment plan can be recommended.

I didn't do the above test but I would think I might be lossing more than 100 hairs a day maybe not everyday over the course of my present shedding episode. My hair went from growing 1 inch a month to 1/2 inch a month
as well as the resulting length over 2 months was about the same even though I had growth. Hair loss wasn't limited to my head either (okay, more than I wanted to share). I went for peace of mind and as a precautionary measure.

The excessive shedding site gave wonderful insight:

Anagen Effluvium is a premature loss of hairs in their Anagen phase. The onset may be rapid (e.g. Within 2-4 weeks of the cause). Major hair loss may result in extreme cases. Hair regrows spontaneously.

Causes:

• Chemotherapy drugs (antimitotic agents)
• Radiotherapy
• Malnutrition
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis and other localised dermatoses .
• Oral contraceptives
• Vitamin A poisoning
• Iron deficiency
• Chronic infections
• Some Drugs

My dermatologist is working on my skin as well I don't know if I have "Seborrhoeic dermatitis and other localised dermatoses" but she is running other test (including hormonal) for my skin. I'll ask her when I talk with her again.

Thanks again for the info Nonie. Next time I see my dermatologist I will be well informed and loading with more questions. I've always been a take charge of my own health type person and I try to makes sure I get through care/assesments from my doctors when a need arises.

 

[Nonie]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, I don't think my shedding is normal, because it usually doesn't come out so much.

[/ QUOTE ]
If I understand you correctly, you're not losing 100 hairs a day but are losing less? Well, if that's the case then your shedding is very normal. The 100 hairs is the top end of the hair you should expect to lose; not the rule. (Some people even say that 150 is no cause for alarm.) So if you're losing some...but not too many...then you're alright. (Remember, if you're not combing your hair (call it manipulating) then you may not see how much hair you're shedding coz the shed hair may be caught in the hair not shedding.)

 

[DeQuendre]

Thanks for the tip. I am beginning to get a bit more panicky too. I was looking at my renewed driver's license last night, the picture was taken in Feb. My daughter was just a couple months old and I was nursing, but still experiencing that postpartum hair loss. I thought I was scared then, but that picture is of a woman with very thick, medium length(past the shoulder hair but in need of a touchup). Now my hair has almost the same length, but nowhere near the thickness, plus problems now with breakage and thinning edges. I feel like I got things under control when I found you guys and UBH, and turned things around really fast. Then bam, this awful shedding and now breakage and thinning.

I am also slightly anemic and have known since I was teen that I need more iron in my diet. I don't eat a drop of red meat, so it's supplementation for me, but goodness I take enough pills in a day. I hate it. Oh well, back to my Slow FE (and maybe nioxin?)

deq

 

[Nonie]

Deq, are you still anemic? Have you been checked to see why? The other thing that came to mind is perhaps your iron pills are not being properly assimilated by your body. Do you take enzymes?

Unlike you, I love meat in any form -- just haven't tried snails yet -- and liver (a great source of iron) believe it or not, is a favorite - has to be fried with onions and cilantro.

Sorry, didn't mean to make you sick those of you who hate red meat.

Deq, dark green leaf vegetables are a good source of iron. In fact, here's a Chart/Table that tells you which foods are high in iron. Maybe you could focus on those. Also you mention you take a lot of vitamins. Make sure your Vitamin A isn't too high coz although Vitamin A is needed for good hair growth, very high amounts lead to hair loss. People with seborrhic dermatitis may need as much as 50,000 IU of Vitamin A, but usually even just 10,000 IU - 25,000 IU is enough. I think you have to be taking close to 100,000 IU to experience hairloss, but you never know. Like everything else, that could depend on the person. Usually reducing the amount of A fixes the problem if toxicity was the issue.

 

[DeQuendre]

Hi Nonie, Thanks for all that info. I don't take enzymes. My doc told me this and every time I do a physical/blood work, etc, I hear the same thing. Hate to say it like this, but it is really not something that interferes with my life so I don't worry about it. I used to have energy problems, but I've taken care of that with a little B12 (in the past) and exercise. Perhaps my two close pregnancies and lengthy nursing also exacerbated the problem? I took my vitamins, though.

I had an inkling about the veggies. I do rival Popeye when it comes to Spinach. I love it. Broccoli and Asparagus and Collard Greens and Lima beans (do they count?) But I didn't know about Vitamin A. I get 5000-10000 IU depending on whether I take all the vitamins.

Thanks for looking out!

deq

PS--Would you believe escargot ain't half bad? Of all the things I eliminated from my diet, I go eating snails. My logic. Liver will never touch my lips though.

 

[Isis]

As I mentioned in another post, I stopped taking my iron for no reason many years ago (I am anemic) and my hair started breaking off and shedding. I had a good length going and it became noticeably shorter in a brief period of time.

I was so shocked and didn't associate lack of iron with my hair situation at first (if I did, I could have stopped the breakage in its tracks). I also learned all iron isn't absorbed by the body. All iron is not alike. Iron from eating food is absorbed and that's where the digestive enzymes come in if there is a problem, you want to be able to absorb the iron you eat as well as all of the other minerals and vitamins.

My regular doctor tested my iron levels, and yes it was dangerously low. He said all iron was the same and told me to just increase the amount I was taking. But I've learned that is not true.

I desperately called a nutritionist to find a good iron that my body would absorb and the iron suggested to me is called Ferrofood by Standard Process. It started working for me right away and I could tell because my hair stopped breaking off and shedding abnormally almost immediately. Plus, I had so much more energy almost immediately, like the first day. Besides eating foods high in iron, I now know I need to always take iron supplements also.

 

[Spagirl]

I finally completed all the blood work and as suspected my Iron level was lower than the normal range, my hemoglobin was normal but in the lower end of the normal range. My dermatologist is placing me on an antibiotic (to cancel out any possibilities of something being in my stomach hindering the Iron absorption) followed by 10,000 units of Vitamin A, Vita C,Iron (can't remember all the #'s paper in my car) as well as reading me the riot act concerning a balanced diet. In a few more months I'm hoping to be back at a hair growth rate of 1 inch per month and hopefully the shedding will be only a few hairs a day as it was in the past.

 

[debyjay]

I was shedding 300 hairs per wash for years, used Nutrine garlic poo and shedded 30 hairs the first wash. I'm now down to a few -- this after 3 washes. I think everyone should give this shampoo a try. There is also a conditioner. There is scented and unscented. Please please try it.

 

[Spagirl]

Thanks for sharing. Garlic has good healing properties. I'll keep an eye out for it when I go shopping today. Even though my present siduation requires more I can manage doing both. Thanks again!

 

[Spagirl]

Here is the complete listing of the vitamins I'm supposed to take due to my hair loss:

Vita A 10,000 IU
B-50 Caps
Vita C buffered 500mg
Iron Caps 18 MG

The 1st two, 1 each at breakfast.
The last 2, 1 each with lunch.