Hair Loss

[claireypoo]

My hair has been falling out over the last month, to the point where it is getting scary! I counted 331 strands yesterday and a similar quantity has been falling out every day - more when I wash my hair. The bath is covered in hair and they are on my pillow, bed and round the house.

I had a whole batch of blood tests done in April, including thyroid, and all was normal but I am scared that maybe I have become ill since then, or maybe that my blood tests were normal because at the time I was taking multi vitamins with iron and maybe I'm anaemic? My iron was 152 which was just a bit higher than normal range of 120-150? I was taking multivitamins with iron for a whole month before the test. :(

My hairdresser says "there are no bald patches yet" which was both reassuring and scary (YET?) but it is really freaking me out. I have been dieting, and lost 3 and a half stone in weight, but it wasn't drastic, at 1.5lbs a week over eight months with a good diet and exercise. Or maybe it is anxiety? Although I've not had hair loss with anx before. I am only taking domperidone and gaviscon for reflux, and I don't think they cause hair loss.

So scared it means something sinister. Also scared of losing my hair to alopecia .

Anyone had anything like this?

Claire X

[Fishmanpa]

I'm no one to talk about normal hair loss ~lol~ But people shed. It's hot and humid. Totally normal. You really have nothing to be concerned with Cpoo. You should see my cat!! You're dieating... perhaps a multivitamin would be in order. It certainly wouldn't do any harm and may help replace things you're depriving yourself due to diet.

What are you doing to help with your anxiety?

Positive thoughts

btw... you're really collecting and counting lost strands of hair?

[claireypoo]

Anxiety wise, I've been referred again for CBT and in the meantime trying not to Google and ask my partner for reassurance. I'm also working through a book called Overcoming Health Anxiety (one I haven't read before, so fingers crossed that it helps). I'm finding it hard to relax, particularly hard today with the handfuls of hair and the nausea. One of the meds I was on has a side effect of anxiety at withdrawal which I have just found out and may explain my very high levels of anxiety. I'm even scared to take a drive in the car. Everything seems massively dangerous. I'm also more paranoid about everything and my OCD is going naners with intrusive thoughts which I am trying to not be disturbed by. Trying to pluck up courage to walk on the beach as the water always relaxes me. Finding this really tough tbh. X Thanks FMP. X

---------- Post added at 13:25 ---------- Previous post was at 13:21 ----------

And yes, counting hair not so weird when you consider I'm usually measuring and photographing moles, the inside of my mouth and photo cataloguing my own poop. ;) (really need the cbt)

[Fishmanpa]

Here's a suggestion. Perhaps your partner or a friend can take you to the beach for that walk. You may be anxious and not want to but I assure you you'll feel much better afterwards :)

Positive thoughts

[claireypoo]

I'll try! Thank you, Mr. Fishster

[Magic]

I have hair loss too. Some people I notice as they get older their hair gets thicker and courser-- but not mine!!
Nearly all my meds say hair loss.
I just keep putter the thickening mouse lotion on.
Have you had a hormone levels test claireypoo?

[Dolphin8808]

I had the same thing, my dermatologist told me we sometimes go through the cycles, that people will NOT notice, only we do. She said to not count the hair collected (she said you would be amazed how many people bring in the bags of their hair to show her what they have lost).

Stress can make hair loss worse, traumatic events, thyroid and sometimes, just no reason. Mine lasted a few months before it slowed down and it still freaks me out but no one ever noticed. Its called:

Telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing your hair.

It will slow down on its own, try not to worry about it, other people will NOT notice :)

[claireypoo]

Thank you all for your replies xxxx I was more worried it was from anaemia (which ties into my stomach C fear.) :( I had bloods done in April, fbc, thyroid, hormones and a bunch more, all normal (except the iron was slightly high - I was taking a multivitamin with iron at the time of blood test.) I keep thinking it might be an underlying illness. Also scary to see how much there is coming out! X

[Dolphin8808]

It is scary, I remember not wanting to go to the hair dresser because I didn't want to hear her comment that I was losing too much hair.

It really is super common, especially in those of us with anxiety and stress!

[claireypoo]

Thanks Dani! How long did yours take to stop?
FMP - I went to the beach!

[Fishmanpa]

FMP - I went to the beach!

:yesyes:

Positive thoughts

[Dolphin8808]

It did it for a few months then it slowed down. The dermatologist said that is totally normal.

[Brunette]

Dolphin's post is spot on.

This happened to me once after a period pf stress and it was a bit worrying at the time, but after a few months it went back to normal. I still seem to shed more hair in the summer though - like cats do :)

[claireypoo]

Thanks guys! Actually, I just spoke to my friend who is a Lighter Life Consultant, she said hair loss is often a side effect of dieting. Particularly with large amounts of weight loss or over a long period of time. Seems to burn fat the body needs to essentially think it is starving (more output than input) and that starvation mode mildly stresses it, even if, like me, you only lose a pound and a half a week. The body is still burning it's fat reserves. She says, it's harmless, just a thinning, and will grow back. To be on safe side, I've changed my goal to 1lb a week now instead of 1.5, and upped my protein. :)

Now I'm going to stop freaking out about my hair (my nails too - ARE THEY CLUBBED? ARGHHHHH, NO THEY ARE OKAY) because it's my birthday and I'm going out into the world. X

---------- Post added at 13:54 ---------- Previous post was at 13:50 ----------

And thanks Dani for the post, I looked it up and that seems like what's going on. Maybe as a reaction to stress or diet because it hasn't happened before. x

[Brunette]

You can also get a vitamin supplement for your hair, nails and teeth if you need to. Perfectil is the branded one and it's expensive but you don't have to use that one.

[claireypoo]

Thanks, I'll try that x

[Carnation]

Claireypoo, I had this, it wasn't a clump, but strands all over when I brushed touched or they just fell out on my clothes, pillow and bath when I had washed my hair. So many, they blocked the plug hole.
I was worried at the time and my fringe was looking a little thin, I was beginning to comb it sideways. I was really panicking. Then suddenly, it stopped and now I am back to normal.
What I didn't realize was I had gone through a very stressful period. We had moved twice in 6 months, set up a business and lost it, my Partner was ill and had lost a lot of weight; was beginning to look like a living corpse, my Mother had collapsed from overdosing on her medication and my Father was in Stage 3 of Parkinson's Disease. I had lost my Home, Job and all of my Family were ill all in a matter of months.
No wonder my hair was falling out. I also had very dark circles under my eyes and made jokes about how great I would look at Halloween. I lost a lot of weight and was always tired. So, my point is; the stress can really affect you badly and reacts to warn you; like your hair falling out. Maybe you have been through stuff that you didn't realize may be having an affect on you physically.
As long as you eat healthy and regular, get plenty of rest and gentle exercise and take some time out for yourself, you will be ok. :)

[Magic]

Good post Carnation,
I have called in the hairdressers this morning for a dry trim as I don't want any comments about my hair loss.
I am under a lot of stress that won't go away because of my circumstances .
I feel the sertraline meds are kicking in.
Maybe that will help.
regards to all x

[Carnation]

Thank you Magic.
I was more self-conscious about people looking at me thinking; 'Oh My God, look at her hair'. But, no-one did comment, even my Partner said he couldn't see any gaps or thin areas. I actually stopped brushing or combing my hair and just used to use my fingers instead. But, it is actually something inward and not outward. It will settle down and hairs grow again, so a new cut might not only help you to feel better, but you might actually like the new cut. (I know you said a trim, but you could try something different?). Just one other thing, don't worry about constantly washing hair, it is more likely to fall out if dry under normal situations, just make sure you use lots of conditioner and a finishing serum helps to keeps hairs in as well.:)

[claireypoo]

Carnation, that's what I have too, except when I wash it, there is lots more. I'm trying to be gentle with it x I have been under stress for years, maybe my body is just saying 'enough's enough!' :)

[Carnation]

Claireypoo, it will get better, don't fret too much; (that's not easy I know), but it will right itself, it's just a reaction.:)

[claireypoo]

Thanks so much. *hugs* X

[claireypoo]

Just thought I'd update this thread. My dramatic hair loss stopped this week, and is just my normal loss now, it started falling out in April last year. My TE lasted 10 months, but apparently the average is 6 months.

At it's worst it was falling out in massive handfuls, all over the house, on my hair brush, masses when washing it. Really distressing. I have lost about 40 percent of my hair in total. It's not noticeably balding, just thin and frazzled looking. My fringe has been hit the worst. One thing that seemed to change it in a hurry was stopping using keratin. However the telogen effluvium started (weight loss/ stress (doctor thinks that)/ keratin) nothing seemed to help until I stopped the keratin. Keratin is in a lot of shampoos and conditioners. I use a herbal shampoo now , just in case.

To anyone going through similar, it does stop, and you won't go bald or lose all your hair. (I worried massively about that, which probably made the stress worse)

Claire
X

[Leah1971]

I found this while looking for others that have had the same thing. I've been losing handfuls of hair since January this year. My anxiety started at Christmas. I've been trying to not worry about it but with the amount of hair loss it's difficult. No bald spots. Just all over hair loss. It's continual and I'd say I've lost close to half my hair. I started a new medication in January. Lexapro. I've been gradually increasing the dose to ease the bad anxiety under the instructions of my pdoc. I'm now into my 2nd or 3rd week of 25mgs. I did lose a lot of weight rapidly in the beginning of this episode. No doubt that wouldn't of helped. I'm hoping the hair fall starts to ease soon. Its still worrying me. I'm also hoping it's nothing to do with the Lexapro.

[Savvy_Darling]

Wow this thread is relieving to read! I know it's old but I'm going through a similar situation! More hair shedding since about September so about 5 monthes of this hair stress. My hair is thinner and I've been worried about going bald at 21 and have cried so many times over this. This thread it giving me hope that it will pass and my hair with restore itself. I had an exceptionally hard 2015 with stress anxiety and a traumatic experience January of 2015. My anxiety started to get horrible around September and that's when I noticed the hair shedding and coming out easier when wet. It doesn't help that also my hairstylist over lightened my already very blonde hair and damaged it pretty bad in August of 2015! :( but anyways.. I'll read this when I start to get upset again.

Oh and Leah, how did you hair do? Has it returned to normal again? Let me know!