Hair loss: need help!

[Mom2Princess]

OK ladies, I rarely post on this board, but Im a long time lurker. Love this community.

I never had thick hair, but my hair was OK, it grew as it should, it looked nice and well-taken care of. I always had it butt-long, and never did anything with it beside wash and comb it.

After pregnancy (2001) I lost a lot of hair, which is normal I guess. But it didnt come back. I lost about one-third of my hair volume. It's shoulder long, and looks just horrible. I have to wear it in a ponytail every day, but I let my hair hang down when Im home.

Ive tried: vitmamins, more nuts and more water (I always drink water), wash it every day, wash it twice a week, I tried all kind of shampoos from the expensive ones to the cheap ones but nothing works.: I dont smoke, dont drink, eat veggies, eat fruit, my hair should be in top condition.......

My hair doesnt grow as it did years ago.

Maybe my hair became chemicals-intolerant, I dont know.

I want my hair back!

Any advice? Home-made shampoo?

Thanks for any advice.

[AfricanQueen99]

When I started having thyroid problems my hair was coming out in clumps. It might be worth getting a blood work-up from your HCP.

eta: to address the shampoo aspect. When I started using homemade soap (NOT shampoo bars, but soap bars) with a very minimal amount of vinegar rinse my hair started looking world's better. Maybe that might help?

[Drummer's Wife]

I always lost a bit of hair after my babies were born. It seemed to end after a few months, though. After I got sick and had surgery (and a ton of meds) earlier this year, I lost quite a bit of hair. It got pretty thin and was coming out constantly. Drove me nuts (and clogged up my vac!)

Anyway, It seems now after about 8 months it's finally not falling out anymore and seems to be thickening up again. Definitley do not use mainstream hair products. The chemicals in them surely won't help. No other advice, though. Hopefully it gets better soon!

[Mom2Princess]

Originally Posted by AfricanQueen99

When I started using homemade soap (NOT shampoo bars, but soap bars) with a very minimal amount of vinegar rinse my hair started looking world's better. Maybe that might help?

How do I make that kind of soap myself?

Thanks for the replies.

[CarrieMF]

thyroid is a common cause of hair loss, it is often triggered by pregnancy.

Anemia is another one. I am deficient in B12 & because of that I become anemic. When I get behind on my shots I start to lose my hair.

[AfricanQueen99]

Originally Posted by Mom2Princess

How do I make that kind of soap myself?

No idea, but I'm sure a ton of women make their own around here - maybe someone will PM you about purchasing from them? I found a chick on the internets that is a WAHM and bought a ton from her...I tried her shampoo bar, but it was too rough on my hair...then I tried this soap bar for sensitive skin (read: no dies, no fragrance, etc) and it worked like a charm. Because it's still a little drying I do a rinse with DWV and water (1DWV:10-15H2O)

Oh, my husband only uses Ivory soap (not *my* good homemade stuff!!), but I would imagine that would work, too - since it's fairly pure.

If you want the link of the lady I purchased from just PM me.

[AllVegSugarMamma]

I second the hyperthyroidism check.

In case you can't get to the doc soon: Mineral deficiencies and oxidized fats can speed up hair loss, so try any of these:

* eat as many dark leafy greens as you can (green smoothies are not that bad if you have a good blender: banana + spinach or mango + kale, yum!)

* change your diet to very low-fat (15% or less calories from fat) or eat fats "raw" as opposed to cooked fats/oils.

A friend's grandfather has a magnificent head of hair and says he owes it to daily head massages; stimulating the bloodflow below the scalp.

[marimara]

I second (or third ) getting a thyroid blood test. Maybe you have thyroid problems. Are you taking any medications? Another cause of hair loss is biotin deficiency (and I think some other B Vitamins as well). Maybe you could take a super B-complex supplement.

[eirual]

I also suffer from crap-tacularly thin hair. Since turning veg at 13 I botched my thyroid in the process (too many modern soy products). Just wanted to let you know I am in the same boat and appreciate these suggestions too!

[Siennaflower]

I'm in the same boat. Have you tried supplementing with clo? I'm trying that along with B vitamins and a TF diet.

[pixlee]

I would definitely look into taking a b vitamin and also I''ve been reading a lot on emu oil. It seems it has many benefits, one of which seems to be with hair loss. Just google emu oil and you'll get tons of info or maybe a poster here might have some personal experience with it. Hope that helps.

[mk12]

Originally Posted by pixlee

I would definitely look into taking a b vitamin and also I''ve been reading a lot on emu oil. It seems it has many benefits, one of which seems to be with hair loss. Just google emu oil and you'll get tons of info or maybe a poster here might have some personal experience with it. Hope that helps.

I've been using Emu Oil on my face and hair for several months, and I can see that in the area where my hairline had receded, I now have a lot of shorter hairs - about .5 to 1 inch long. I try to get the oil around my hairline at night when I apply it to my face after washing it. Also, I often take sea salt baths at night and then apply a good amount of Emu Oil to my hair and scalp and wash it the next day. Emu Oil has also done wonders for my skin.

But yes, also check for any thyroid problems and nutritional deficiencies.