Please All Ladies, Help Needed! PICS INCLUDED

[foxxymami]

I am facing what is looking like a horrible situation here. I feel like I have no hair on the top of my head . My hair is about 2 or 3 inches from bra strap, but that does NOT matter to me right now. I have seen sometimes how women can just have almost NO hair on their head and I don't want that I happen to me. I am so scared.

This has come from shedding, which I've always seemed to have had (for the last 6 years or so). My hair has always been able to be grown long, but over thes past years I never seem to retain any fullness of my hair because of excessive shedding. This sucks . But I just took that picture of the top of my head, and it scared the HECK outta me.

http://public.fotki.com/foxxymami/hair/
I am now enlisting you guy's help. I want to use the following as part of a basic hair regime:

Garlic Shampoo
Original MTG
Cholesterol or Protein Conditioner
Volumizing Shampoo
Volumizing Moisturizing Conditioner
MSM Powder or Crystal
Vitamin C supplements

Does this look pretty good? Could you all suggest some good brands of these products. I would be so grateful.

I may have to just cut off my hair and rock a short 'doo, cause that's what I'm about ready to do

 

[Bees]

OMG! My haead looks just like that! I have only just begun to fight the thinning...with a vengance. I have been using ORS Fertilizing Balm...Shen Mein...Elasta QP Mango Butter, MSM...and keeping the flat irons out of my hair. I did use Cayenne Pepper and Jojoba... Rosemary and Sage...it stimulated growth...but I have run out. I think basically...it has to do with circulation...at least for me. I have also started massaging my scalp with the fertilizing balm twice a day. I am beginning to see a little fill in.

 

[ThursdayGirl]

Hi Foxxy,

I'm really sorry to hear about your hair. I have a few suggestions:

1. I wouldn't use volumizing products, my understanding is that it swell and roughs up the cuticle of the hair. This could (for us) make the hair even weaker in the long run - leading to breakage.

If you want to thicken up your hair - start from the inside. Look at your diet-eat healthier, if you are taking a bunch of supplements currently, you may want to stop. Some vitamins in too high a quantity can cause hair losee. IF you aren't taking any vitamins, you may want to add a B-complex supplement. This will include B-5 and biotin, both of which will thicken the hair. You also may want to determine whether or not you're anemic as that can also cause hair loss. I agree with taking MSM and vitamin C that's a good idea. Unfortunately, you may have to try a few brands to see which one works for you. Also remember that it can take a few months to see an improvement once you start supplements.

2. I wouldn't use Garlic shampoo... it can be very drying. Instead what you might consider doing is mashing up a couple of garlic cloves and mixing that with your regular conditioner. Let it sit for half an hour or so and rinse. This helped me when I had problems with shedding.

3. Stop the relaxer touch-ups for awhile. I'm not sure how often you get them, but your hair looks stick straight... you said your hair is very long. How much elasticity is in it? Your scalp may need a break. Why not try waiting a few months 4 or so and see if it looks like your hair is thickening up at your scalp. You can also probably camoflage (yeah I know its misspelled... mea culpa) the thinness by not relaxing your hair so straight.

4. Also know, that for most people, the hair at the crown of the head is a little straighter and thinner... so that's normal. Also ... do the other ladies in your family have thin crowns? could this be hereditary?

5. See a doctor if this doesn't get better in a few months.

Good Luck!

T.G.

 

[aileendq]

I'm so sorry! I know just how you feel. My temples are getting thinner and thinner each day!

I'm using MTG on them alternating with a generic type Minoxidil. It seems to be staving off any more thinning.

Some things I would suggest are:

1. Get a complete check up! Tell your doctor why are getting the checkup. It may be hormonal, or genetics.

2. Watch your stress level! I can't say enough about this.

3. Lay off the relaxer on the thinning spots. Period. (I don't relax my temples at all. I tie them don't after putting the MTG on them.)

4. Eat right. No crash diets. Up your water intake.

5. If you rollerset, watch the tension you are using.

6. Use peppermint, cinnamon and other "stimulating" oils on your scalp during light scalp massages.

7. See no.2!!!

God Bless!
A

 

[Queenie]

Try Nioxin Products they are made for thinning hair. Also make an appointment see a dermatologist. My co-worker had the same problem and it was worsened because she waited so long to see a doctor.

 

[NYRICAN1]

I used to have thinning on the sides and the back of my head but what I was suggested by my dermatologist is to not relax or use chemicals on my hair for at least 4 months and not to use stressful hairstyles like tight ponytails. My hairdresser also suggested to use the ORS products mentioned here . I used the ORS stimulating shampoo, the ORS mayonnaise and the ORS temple balm. They helped tremendously. As a matter of fact I have to get back to the BSS and get some more ORS products.

 

[foxxymami]

Yes, Im starting to think a lot of my shedding has got to be internally. I will look into the Nioxin and other circulatory stimulators. I will go to the dermatologist definitely. I have a doctor's appointment next week, I wonder if I can get a referral then. No relaxing on thinned spots--got it.

Okay, also I did something else. While sitting here, slightly fretting over my hair, I just trimmed it....... okay, well actually more like cut it. I just started thinking to myself "Why sit here and do nothing when I can get up and do SOMETHING" so I did something that may seem a bit impulsive and cut off 5-6 inches of my hair. I don't know how it will look yet because its in rollers. As soon as they're dry I will take a picture. Until I get that appointment and also look into products for thinning hair, this new haircut helps me breath a little easier in the meantime.

 

[ThursdayGirl]

Yes, Im starting to think a lot of my shedding has got to be internally. I will look into the Nioxin and other circulatory stimulators. I will go to the dermatologist definitely. I have a doctor's appointment next week, I wonder if I can get a referral then. No relaxing on thinned spots--got it.

Okay, also I did something else. While sitting here, slightly fretting over my hair, I just trimmed it....... okay, well actually more like cut it. I just started thinking to myself "Why sit here and do nothing when I can get up and do SOMETHING" so I did something that may seem a bit impulsive and cut off 5-6 inches of my hair. I don't know how it will look yet because its in rollers. As soon as they're dry I will take a picture. Until I get that appointment and also look into products for thinning hair, this new haircut helps me breath a little easier in the meantime.

I don't know that this will help thinning at the top of your head. I looked at your other pictures and your ends didn't look bad. I hope you'll be happy with the results though.

Good Luck

 

[ghanaian dime]

Are you taking any medications? BC or such? I have actually been having shedding problems since January, and I think I can attribute it to going from the brand name form of my BC to the generic. I've recently switched back and I'm going to see if that will helps. I also started taking florisene which I heard about on this site. I used to be anemic, and have stopped taking iron, but this particular iron pill is supposed to help keep your iron intake at proper levels b/c iron deficiency can also cause hair loss. Also, if you are taking multivitamins, make sure you're not taking too much vitamin A, because that can cause hair loss too....I hope this helps.

 

[foxxymami]

Well cutting the ends of my hair definitely won't help the shedding, but it just puts me more at ease and temporarily settles my worry. I don't want to go getting to stressed out about this. Everytime I would look at my length then look at the crown of my head, I would sulk. And, especially since I just relaxed my hair last weekend this is all REALLY visible. I am trying to breath easy until that dermatologist appointment when the doc can tell me what the heck is going on.As far as medications, @Ghanaian_dime, I am on no medications. However, up until April this year, I had been on BC for approximately 4 years. I don't know if that's a contributing factor or not, but hopefully I'll have some definite answers soon. Though, that ORS and the garlic trick sound good!

 

[natstar]

Hey Foxxy- I am so sorry this is happening to u but don't worry. Like others have probably said- I would see my doc about this. Also- I have heard rogaine helps as well. HTH

 

[ghanaian dime]

When I saw your thread, I thought, that's how my hair has been acting for the past few months now. I've been doing quite a bit of research on it, and I have come to the conclusion that my hormone levels are changing and my hair is going through a crazy shedding phase (the crown of my head is, because the middle to the back is growing fine).

I recently did what you did. You may be my hair twin b/c I was a few inches to bra strap too, but I cut abut 2 inches off b/c I thought that may help, but the shedding didn't stop. I went to his site and read up b/c I heard about florisene on another thread about hair shedding. If anything, it was very informative about hair in general. I'm giving the florisene a try for 6 months (it can't hurt since I'm prone to anemia anyway and it's mostly iron).

I think it's a combination of things, seasonal, hormonal, and my hair's general life cycle (take the little quiz about CTE). Remember, all your hair doesn't come out at one time, different sections go through their shedding phase. And right now, I think my crown is going through its phase. I was going crazy too, but I'm just going to try to keep it healthy and let time tell. I hope this helps you in some way. Keep us posted about what the dermatologist says......

http://www.florisene.com

 

[WesternEyes]

I agree to go see a doctor about it. There are many things that can cause shedding for such a period of time, hormones,anemia, or maybe even a thyroid condition. I went through a three year period of shedding that finally stopped last year. My hormones shifted gear and suddenly hair loss ceased.

 

[foxxymami]

Wow! You all have been so helpful. I know once before my doctor told me I was slightly anemic. So I guess its a bunch of things that have caused my hair to shed so dramatically as of recent.

WesternEyes, your story makes me hopeful and also calms me down much much more.

I will definitely keep you all updated

 

[sharee]

Foxxymami this is a good thread because my hair looks just like that and I have not permed my hair in well...one year tomorrow!!! I needed to see a thread like this because I was too embarrassed to post a pic of the top of my head.

 

[ProseChild]

My hair is shedding really badly too.. I just started some medication for hormones, so its gonna take a while..

do you ladies have any suggestions of non-stressful hairstyles? I was gonna sew in a full head of weave, so I could just leave my hair alone for a few weeks.. do yall think that is a good idea??