Shedding and Depressed - All My Hard Work Down Drain

[Hairsnob]

I just need to vent!! My hair was shedding like crazy and I can notice the thinning so that alarms me. It's definitely shedding because each hair has an obvious bulb on the end. I feel like I keep gaining length/fullness and then losing it. It makes me wonder if it's worth all the trouble. Funny thing is the same thing happened in the exact month as last year so I'm thinking it's reallly cyclic.

I cut back on my MSM because of my acne and that's when I noticed it. Last year I wasn't taking the MSM when I saw the sheddiing. But since I started MSM at least 9-10 months now I had practically NO shedding up until now.

I took a pretty good bit of Aleve to try to combat the hormonal acne around this time also. I think Aleve can cause hair loss because it's an androgen blocker . Last year I took Aleve also but didn't attribute the shedding to that because I had just finished a 90 day round of antibiotics for the acne (Doryx) when I saw the hair loss about a month later. I remember taking Aleve during that time also so I don't know.

I did just relax over a week ago and that's when I noticed it so I thought it was just from that but I washed again and my hair is even thinner. erplexed

I started my MSM back again and started taking my garlic pills so I hope that helps. I'm just depressed because it seems like I just can't win. The garlic pills seemed to have stopped the shedding already (thank God) but it seems the damage is done.

I'm so mad right now!! I was all ready to flaunt my Spring hair and I'm back in the same boat as last year. This sucks!

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[ms.blue]

((((HUGS)))) maybe your hair will improve by the summer especially generally there is a growth spurt during that time.

 

[LilMissSunshine5]

Hang in there hon! I don't have any advice, but I understand getting frustrated with uncooperative hair...I come here to vent, get advice, and most importantly, keep hope alive Each time you have a setback, you are actively seeking to learn from it, so I honestly believe a time will come when it won't happen Whenever you get discouraged, just look at the threads of these ladies who have completely turned their hair around! I promise you it will lift your spirits Your time is coming! HHG

 

[tmkersha]

I am so sorry to hear that. Taking any drugs that inhibit androgen production will decrease hair growth. I'm not sure If the hair will actually fall out though. Growth hormone, androgens, and thyroid hormone are all necessary for hair growth. So you could be experiencing a hormonal imbalance. Or it could seasonal shedding considering the fact that this happened the same time last year. You should consider seeing a dermatologist about this issue. I hope that you are able to figure out what the problem is.

 

[mystery29]

Sorry that this is happening to you I had the same winter setback. Since you were taking MSM but your afraid of the acne that it caused have you tried cutting the MG maybe its too high. But I know first hand that MSM stopped my shedding in its tracks too. And whats this about Aleve? Are you talking about aleve the pain killer?

 

[Hairsnob]

Sorry that this is happening to you I had the same winter setback. Since you were taking MSM but your afraid of the acne that it caused have you tried cutting the MG maybe its too high. But I know first hand that MSM stopped my shedding in its tracks too. And whats this about Aleve? Are you talking about aleve the pain killer?

Yes, Aleve the painkiller. It's supposed to help with hormonal acne because it acts as an andogen blocker.

 

[Rossy2010]

Im so sorry girly i can imagine your frustrations. Hope all gets better soon (((HUGS)))).

 

[FutureMD]

Um, who told you that Aleve is a hormone blocker? It's an NSAID and that's not how they function. So a painkiller blocks the action of substances that cause pain, but it's not about your hormones. When you are buying medications, a pharmacist can explain this to you, even if it's an over the counter medication.
And overdoing it on NSAIDS can cause other problems and you can overdose on them.
If you are having trouble with acne and hair loss, check with a doctor.
And hair loss can be caused by having higher levels of circulating androgens, not lower. That's why women with PCOS experience hair loss, and it's the mechanism that leads to hair loss in men as well.

 

[*CherryPie*]

Maybe you should stop taking the MSM and that other stuff and see if it gets better. Some of y'all are really doing too much, hoping for extra hair. Your hair will grow without that stuff.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

@Hairsnob strong coffee/tea rinses help any?

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

You know you don't need to be taking medication for acne...just look at your diet. Is it high in dairy products? If so stop eating them completely. Even things like chocolate that contain milk. I've been doing this for months.

As far as shedding, I'm in the same boat at the moment. I am just going to try and up my b vitamin intake. I've been eating lots of garlic too. I just read that saw palmetto and Green tea help with hairloss, as well as emu oil. May have to start drinking Green tea

 

[Flawlis1]

I feel your pain!! My hair was shedding like a cheap mop for about 7 months, I had long strands coming out from the roots!! I read that you hair goes through phases, a resting phase, shedding and growing phase. I was really nervous because I have never had this kind of fall out EVER!! I heard that MSM stops the shedding so I ordered some Hairfinity vitamins, and it did stop..... that was 3 months ago..... I'm now taking a different vitamin with MSM and I have minimal fall out now, like about 30 hairs instead of 200!!

 

[Lita]

So sorry to hear that...I do understand your frustration/You said it happened last year at this time..I THINK ITS YOUR SHED SEASON...*Make sure you get a complete blood work-up/Just to see if everything is Ok! Continue taking your Garlic caps & baby your hair/from root to ends & watch your hair return thicker & healthier..

*My shed season starts at this time too! I started incorporating Nioxin #8 con to my scalp only & add my cond rinse on the length/it really helps at preventing shedding...

*Take your vitamins...

*Increase your water intake as well....

*I drink kefir Coconut milk/or you can increase your protein intake/can eat more fish or take omega 3,6,9 supplements...

*This may seem hard but,try not to think about it....

Happy Hair Growing!

 

[Hairsnob]

Thanks so much for all the well wishes ladies! It really does make a difference to see others willing to listen, understand and help.

The shedding seems to have stopped because I see nothing at all in the comb now. I lost a lot of hair already though. But I'd say it was about a 2 wk period where the comb was fuller than normal. Luckily I knew to start the garlic tablets when I noticed it. I still have my Nioxin products so if I see it again I will start. I see someone mentioned tea rinses also, so that sounds like something I would try too. And since it just might be my shedding month I will know next year to be aware.

I didn't take much of the Aleve, definitely not even more than the recommended dosage. I just took it during my cycle instead of my normal Excedrin thinking I might as well combat the acne while I reduce my cramps and that might have been twice a day for 4-5 days. A poster above explained the androgen blocking thing and I want to say thanks for that and I'm glad you cleared that up.

Funny thing is, my acne seems to have subsided (for now). It was always hormonal so I can't say it's gone until the next cycle change. But I started the MSM back to my normal dosage and there has been no cystic acne since then so I will continue to take it. It's funny that the hormonal acne got worse and the shedding started when I STOPPED the MSM. That's what made me think it wasn't the problem.

As far as my diet, I started a thread earlier about that and took the tips from you ladies (thanks all) and cut out the daily yogurt that I was eating and I'm thinking that might have been the thing. I don't drink milk anyway and occasionally eat cheese so the yogurt probably was the culprit. I'll know soon though.

I also upped my water intake even though I was already drinking a good amount (about 4-5 bottles a day) and now I drink about 6-7 bottles a day plus green tea.

Thanks again ladies!! I'm in better spirits now since I didn't see anything in the comb and I'll focus on keeping what I have.

 

[simplycee]

When I hear shedding I automatically think iron levels. You might want to ge that checked. I am boderline anemic and that was the root of my shedding. Once I added iron to my vitamin regimen the shedding significantly decreased.

I do have a suggestion that works to curb my shedding and th amount of hair I lose during the wash process. On wash day before you add your conditioner and right after shampooing do a black tea rinse. Add a couple of black tea bags to a pot of hot water and let it steep for about 5-7 mins. Add honey for added moisture if you want. Stir and let cool to room temperature. Once room temp (must be room temp to avoid burns) pour over your hair making sure to get the tea from scalp to ends. Leave the tea in, do not rinse. Using a towel gently blot hair so that it is not dripping. Add conditioner as ususal, using heat is ok. Rinse with cool water and continue styling as needed. You should see minimal hair in the comb out. If you use the rinse before you condition your hair is less likely to tangle.

It is a cheap alternative to as a box of regular black tea bags is usually under $4. HTH

 

[Hairsnob]

When I hear shedding I automatically think iron levels. You might want to ge that checked. I am boderline anemic and that was the root of my shedding. Once I added iron to my vitamin regimen the shedding significantly decreased.

I do have a suggestion that works to curb my shedding and th amount of hair I lose during the wash process. On wash day before you add your conditioner and right after shampooing do a black tea rinse. Add a couple of black tea bags to a pot of hot water and let it steep for about 5-7 mins. Add honey for added moisture if you want. Stir and let cool to room temperature. Once room temp (must be room temp to avoid burns) pour over your hair making sure to get the tea from scalp to ends. Leave the tea in, do not rinse. Using a towel gently blot hair so that it is not dripping. Add conditioner as ususal, using heat is ok. Rinse with cool water and continue styling as needed. You should see minimal hair in the comb out. If you use the rinse before you condition your hair is less likely to tangle.

It is a cheap alternative to as a box of regular black tea bags is usually under $4. HTH

Thank you for these tips. Luckily the shedding has stopped but I will keep this in mind if it happens again. This should be realy helpful info for others as well. I heard about tea rinses before but it's good you included the steps because I had no idea at what step of the wash process to actually do the rinse.

And I just so happened to have my iron checked yesterday when I gave blood so luckily they're fine even though I have been anemic before.


Thanks again!

 

[Mariela73]

I'm sorry you're going through this but I understand because I'm going through it too. Like others have said go to your doctor and find out what the problem is starting with your blood hormone levels. My shedding was caused by the wrong birth control pill (high androgen index) and stress. MSM did stop my shedding but it caused weight gain. It did cause acne at first but then it cleared it. Keep in mind that it makes your acne worse each time you restart it so if you drink plenty of water and eat a clean diet it will clear eventually.
The doctors suggested another birth control pill for me but I'm not willing to do anything artificial anymore so I've started nioxin recharge vitamins, a saw palmetto extract supplement (androgen blockers) and I alternate between tea and coffee rinses. After about a week, the shedding has slowed down but I can't say yet if the shed hair will grow back. The first step though is finding what the problem is or you drive yourself crazy trying things that may not work and having the problem reoccur over and over again. You increase your stress level which makes the problem worse. HTH

 

[dede1129]

I feel your pain!! My hair was shedding like a cheap mop for about 7 months, I had long strands coming out from the roots!! I read that you hair goes through phases, a resting phase, shedding and growing phase. I was really nervous because I have never had this kind of fall out EVER!! I heard that MSM stops the shedding so I ordered some Hairfinity vitamins, and it did stop..... that was 3 months ago..... I'm now taking a different vitamin with MSM and I have minimal fall out now, like about 30 hairs instead of 200!!

My hair is doing this exact same thing now! Full hairs of shedding and nothing I have done has helped. I am definitely getting lots of growth and thickness so i know that some nature of health is there. I am hoping it is a phase like yours. It has been 2 months now.

 

[Vashti]

Perhaps you should go to your doctor and get your thyroid checked? Maybe it's a thyroid issue?

 

[1rarejewel]

Here's another hairsister feeling your pain. I'm glad yours appears to be doing better now. I personally am a very heavy shedder...I mean like my dog shedding his winter coat all year round shedding. I got senegalese twists on 12/28/10 and took them out on 2/18/11 and I literally had a plate full (picture a plate piled high with spaghetti) of shed hair, and yes I loaded it with conditioner before detangling. Since then I've done a henna tx (soon after removing), DC, dry twists, took those out, another henna tx, DC and they are now in box braids. I still had two hands full of shed hair after taking out the twists...box braids are still in, but will be coming out tomorrow because I need to do a S&D.

Funny thing is, my afros look full and nice but my twists and box braids look anorexic. I think I am shedding in the male pattern baldness areas because I have a mini receding hairline and I am very scalpy in the crown. I'm self dxing a probable hormone issue because of where I seem to shed most, the acne, and lack of periods. There is absolutely no way I could count the amount of hairs I lose during a detangling/styling session but I do see the white bulbs. Honestly, I haven't really fretted over any of it as traumatizing as it looks because my bulbs are barely bigger than the width of the strand itself, which means that that was the end of those hairs' growth cycle I believe. I really thought some of them were broken hairs because I had to look at both ends and compare them to see the bulb. Granted some bulbs were bigger, but I think about 80% of the bulbs were pretty tiny.

I didn't notice until I took pictures of my box braids that I have quite a bit of quarter to half inch hairs poking up in my parts, so these are either new growing hairs, or what remains of broken hairs...I'm hoping the former because I am pretty gentle with my hair.

About two weeks ago I started drinking a green smoothie for breakfast, increased my intake of fruits and veggies (therefore consuming less fat in my case), and started drinking more water (which for me was THE hardest thing to improve). This past Monday I started taking a garlic and saw palmetto complex supplement on top of my others and began doing TurboFire daily.

I'm hoping that eventually I will notice positive changes with my hair, as I am already noticing great changes with my body, energy, and mood...(it could also be because the sun is peaking its lovely head out to greet me more often now too...lol) I believe I have SAD, but am not bothering to go see a doc about it...just moving somewhere with more sun...sorry, that's a whole other topic.

Anyway, I hope that your shedding will continue to stay at bay...and hope that my shedding will follow suit, but for me...until I see patches, I won't worry too much. I think the last half of last year I noticed that I rarely saw hair in my comb, so maybe it is that time of the year for me...who knows? Time will tell....HHG!

 

[Hairsnob]

Here's another hairsister feeling your pain. I'm glad yours appears to be doing better now. I personally am a very heavy shedder...I mean like my dog shedding his winter coat all year round shedding. I got senegalese twists on 12/28/10 and took them out on 2/18/11 and I literally had a plate full (picture a plate piled high with spaghetti) of shed hair, and yes I loaded it with conditioner before detangling. Since then I've done a henna tx (soon after removing), DC, dry twists, took those out, another henna tx, DC and they are now in box braids. I still had two hands full of shed hair after taking out the twists...box braids are still in, but will be coming out tomorrow because I need to do a S&D.

Funny thing is, my afros look full and nice but my twists and box braids look anorexic. I think I am shedding in the male pattern baldness areas because I have a mini receding hairline and I am very scalpy in the crown. I'm self dxing a probable hormone issue because of where I seem to shed most, the acne, and lack of periods. There is absolutely no way I could count the amount of hairs I lose during a detangling/styling session but I do see the white bulbs. Honestly, I haven't really fretted over any of it as traumatizing as it looks because my bulbs are barely bigger than the width of the strand itself, which means that that was the end of those hairs' growth cycle I believe. I really thought some of them were broken hairs because I had to look at both ends and compare them to see the bulb. Granted some bulbs were bigger, but I think about 80% of the bulbs were pretty tiny.

I didn't notice until I took pictures of my box braids that I have quite a bit of quarter to half inch hairs poking up in my parts, so these are either new growing hairs, or what remains of broken hairs...I'm hoping the former because I am pretty gentle with my hair.

About two weeks ago I started drinking a green smoothie for breakfast, increased my intake of fruits and veggies (therefore consuming less fat in my case), and started drinking more water (which for me was THE hardest thing to improve). This past Monday I started taking a garlic and saw palmetto complex supplement on top of my others and began doing TurboFire daily.

I'm hoping that eventually I will notice positive changes with my hair, as I am already noticing great changes with my body, energy, and mood...(it could also be because the sun is peaking its lovely head out to greet me more often now too...lol) I believe I have SAD, but am not bothering to go see a doc about it...just moving somewhere with more sun...sorry, that's a whole other topic.

Anyway, I hope that your shedding will continue to stay at bay...and hope that my shedding will follow suit, but for me...until I see patches, I won't worry too much. I think the last half of last year I noticed that I rarely saw hair in my comb, so maybe it is that time of the year for me...who knows? Time will tell....HHG!

I never thought the size of the bulbs meant anything so I never paid attention to how big they were. Now you're gonna have me overanalyzing that too LOL.

I think you're off to a great start on improving your condition since you say improved your diet, especiallydrinking extra water. I can't say how important those garlic pills are because it's unbelievable how fast they work. When I had the problem last year I took the garlic pills and it stopped and I skipped a couple of days and it started right back shedding. So I started them again and it stopped. I think I took them about a 2-3 wk period before I was comfortable it stopped.

And like you said, it's good you're not noticing the scarcity in your hair so it means it just might be a little normal since the new hairs are filling in.

Thanks for your response and I hope your shedding stops real soon. That warm weather should be a plus for you.

HHG!!

 

[Hairsnob]

Perhaps you should go to your doctor and get your thyroid checked? Maybe it's a thyroid issue?

A couple of other people mentioned this to me recently and it's funny because it was moreso because I was complaining of loss of appetite. But thank God the shedding has stopped but I still may need to get another hormonal levels check soon.

Thanks!

 

[chicha]

I cut back on my MSM because of my acne and that's when I noticed it. Last year I wasn't taking the MSM when I saw the sheddiing. But since I started MSM at least 9-10 months now I had practically NO shedding up until now.

I took a pretty good bit of Aleve to try to combat the hormonal acne around this time also. I think Aleve can cause hair loss because it's an androgen blocker . Last year I took Aleve also but didn't attribute the shedding to that because I had just finished a 90 day round of antibiotics for the acne (Doryx) when I saw the hair loss about a month later. I remember taking Aleve during that time also so I don't know.

.

Aleve can't cause hair loss as an androgen blocker because androgen blockers stop hair loss. Be careful with that.

Also garlic pills are said to help many people with shedding so good luck!

 

[Br*nzeb*mbsh~ll]

I am using Homemade Garlic Oil as a scalp treatment nightly. It has reduced my shedding DRAMATICALLY. I've used it since Monday, btw...I will keep this up for a month and report back.

 

[chicha]

I am using Homemade Garlic Oil as a scalp treatment nightly. It has reduced my shedding DRAMATICALLY. I've used it since Monday, btw...I will keep this up for a month and report back.

Anything that reduces shedding is good. To do so dramatically is a must have. But I am so scared of using garlic oil. Nightly. How do you keep down the scent?

 

[KhandiB]

Im a shredder, and I might look into this, because I have only been diagnosed with anemia when I was pregnant with my sons, and I dont comb my hair a lot, but Im thinking now tha my hair is shedding excessively. I dont freak out about my shedding , but Im trying to figure out if its natural or not. It seems as thought my hair has thinned, but it could be that I figured what works for my hair and it just looks thinner but is not (if that makes any sense, lol)

I think I may start taking some slow FE to see if that helps

When I hear shedding I automatically think iron levels. You might want to ge that checked. I am boderline anemic and that was the root of my shedding. Once I added iron to my vitamin regimen the shedding significantly decreased.

I do have a suggestion that works to curb my shedding and th amount of hair I lose during the wash process. On wash day before you add your conditioner and right after shampooing do a black tea rinse. Add a couple of black tea bags to a pot of hot water and let it steep for about 5-7 mins. Add honey for added moisture if you want. Stir and let cool to room temperature. Once room temp (must be room temp to avoid burns) pour over your hair making sure to get the tea from scalp to ends. Leave the tea in, do not rinse. Using a towel gently blot hair so that it is not dripping. Add conditioner as ususal, using heat is ok. Rinse with cool water and continue styling as needed. You should see minimal hair in the comb out. If you use the rinse before you condition your hair is less likely to tangle.

It is a cheap alternative to as a box of regular black tea bags is usually under $4. HTH

 

[Janet']

I don't have any advice, it seems like these ladies have given some great advice thus far...I just want to encourage you to keep your head up!

 

[Br*nzeb*mbsh~ll]

Hairsnob, you know what? It doesn't smell by morning. I do confess that my DH is not amused. I try to switch out and wash my scarves frequently to help. There is NO scent when I style my hair the next day. And my stuff is STRONG. I know I used an entire head of garlic, easily.

 

[Myjourney2009]

You know you don't need to be taking medication for acne...just look at your diet. Is it high in dairy products? If so stop eating them completely. Even things like chocolate that contain milk. I've been doing this for months.

As far as shedding, I'm in the same boat at the moment. I am just going to try and up my b vitamin intake. I've been eating lots of garlic too. I just read that saw palmetto and Green tea help with hairloss, as well as emu oil. May have to start drinking Green tea

Austro-Afrikana

In case you did not know Saw Palmetto increases boobs as well

 

[kizzylonghair]

Hi Hairsnob,

Just spreading some love. I was on accutane for my my skin for 6 months up until Oct.(Did wonders on my skin BUT I lost SO much hair, I can only imagine how much more I would have lost of I was not taking care of it.
I ended up doing a 2inch blunt trim as my ends looked terrible, I already have v fine hair.
But between Oct & Now my hair has stopped the harst shedding and I can see the thickness of hair starting to returning. Once this phase is finished it wont take you long to get back where you started. Good Luck