I prefer breakage to shedding

[YankeeCandle]

I recently experienced some breakage (I usually don't get) and found that I prefer it to the copious amounts of hair I shed per in-shower detangling session.

At least when it breaks off, there is still part of the hair left in my scalp.

When shedding 1-2 tennis balls' worth of hair each time I detangle (with conditioner, in shower), no matter how few days I wait between detangling sessions, I am losing precious hairs that I need to cover my scalp.

You can see straight through the crown of my head to my scalp.

You can see straight through my edges to my scalp.

When I wear my curly hair half-up, half-down, you can see straight through the sides of my skull to my scalp.

And it's super-noticeable because I have dark hair and light skin.

I know it's a natural daily process, but I really need those shed hairs back in my head!

Past threads have suggested garlic pills, but I'm always worrying about internally ingested "fixes."

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

Uh...did you recently have a baby?
Or have you been to a doctor?
If you're losing that much hair, to the point where you can see your scalp, maybe you should look into some of those internal fixes.
Many of them are just minerals or plants. And I honestly believe that they are far more effective than topical solutions.

 

[YankeeCandle]

No, no pregnancy.

Hair loss and low hair density run powerfully through the men and women on both my mother's and father's sides of the family.

It's not an all at once "shedding that shows my scalp." It's just the cumulative effect of years of gradually thinning hair combined with already fine texture and low density. And shedding.

Do you or anyone else know of any drawbacks to taking garlic daily?

I am concerned with "too much of a good thing". You know how inevitably after a few years, scientists "discover" that x-supplement, vitamin, or substance really should NOT have been recommneded for daily supplement use?

 

[knt1229]

If you are seeing clear thru to your scalp that is NOT because of shedding. It sounds like you are losing hair or your hair is thinning due to age or for some other reason.

The natural process of shedding hair should NOT cause hair thinning and being able to see clear thru to your scalp. If this is happening then there is something wrong and that issuse needs to be addressed. Shedding hair is not the issuse here but you are losing hair or your hair is thinning for some reason.

Good Luck!

 

[Chaosbutterfly]

No, no pregnancy.

Hair loss and low hair density run powerfully through the men and women on both my mother's and father's sides of the family.

It's not an all at once "shedding that shows my scalp." It's just the cumulative effect of years of gradually thinning hair combined with already fine texture and low density. And shedding.

Do you or anyone else know of any drawbacks to taking garlic daily?

I am concerned with "too much of a good thing". You know how inevitably after a few years, scientists "discover" that x-supplement, vitamin, or substance really should NOT have been recommneded for daily supplement use?

I have thought about that, but garlic is something that has been renowned for ages for it's medicinal properties.
And personally, garlic has been nothing but friendly to me...my shedding has dropped dramatically. I've only been taking it since October, but I plan on taking it for as long as I can. I really think it works.
I was taking chlorella, which didn't do much for me, but which is also renowned and has been used for a long time for its health benefits. Acai too.

I think that the natural herbal supplements are always going to be okay to take, unless your body just doesn't like the supplement, or unless you take too much. Too much of anything is going to be bad, but if you watch how your body responds and adjust the dose accordingly, then nothing should happen. Or go to your general practicioner and ask him how much you should be taking.

As for biotin, which is also supposed to help with thickening hair...I don't know much about that. I know it's a vitamin and that I take a ton of it (10000 mcg a day), but it hasn't disturbed me in the least. I had some skin issues from it, but upping my water intake and some bentonite clay has taken care of that.

And if it proves that taking these supplements every day is actually bad, and it makes you grow a ding-a-ling or a third boob...well, at least I'll have some thick swanging hair to go along with my deformity. *shrug*

But that aside, I really do think that if possible, you should see a dermatologist or trichtologist (not Lisa Akbari, she don't know what she's doing) just to get checked out. That is ALOT of hair to be losing, even if not all at once.
Are you sure your thyroid is okay?

 

[YankeeCandle]

Thanks for the insight, ladies!

Yes, my thyroid checks out okay. The one derm who addressed the hair loss was back when I was 16. He looked at my scalp for a second, asked about my family history, and told me the only thing I could do was use Rogaine.

I've been hoping that advances have been made since then because Rogaine doesn't really address my need for more hair to grow out of my scalp than ever has before.

For the shedding issue, I will try garlic. I've been eyeing chlorella, too, but have to do more research on it. If I get a blender, I might do Bronzebombshell's raw egg shake, too.

 

[Jas123]

Do you or anyone else know of any drawbacks to taking garlic daily?

lower cholesterol