Hair is breaking/falling out.

[sunkissedskin]

Hey ladies,
I posted a thread a couple of months ago about my plethora of hair woes, and unfortunately I'm still struggling a lot with my hair and I'm pretty much ready to throw in the towel and just keep it shaved permanently. I currently have a TWA.

My hair is so fragile. I don't know how else to describe it. My strands are EXTREMELY fine and wispy. Every time I wash, moisturize, even TOUCH my hair, small clumps fall out. Some are random broken pieces, others have the little bulb at the root. It's brittle and fragile, yet dry. When I moisturize, the moisture doesn't seem to stay very long. I can't figure out whether or not I need protein or moisture or what. The fact that it's so weak makes me think that I need protein to strengthen it, but then my hair tends to be very dry so I don't even know anymore. I've been spending money to use better products, putting more of an effort into hair care and still nothing is changing and my anger and frustration just keeps growing more and more every wash day.

I've been using henna and indigo every other week, and alternating between shampoo and no poo, both don't seem to make much difference. Recently got a sample of the Shea Moisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Shampoo and I've been using that. I wash once a week. I condition with Aubrey Organics HSR and GPB, as well as a few Giovanni conditioners. I deep condition for a couple of hours without heat using whatever conditioners I have. My daily moisturizers are Honey Fig's Cocoa Butter Afro Puff and As I Am Double Butter Cream. I oil my scalp occasionally with sweet almond oil.

I recently started taking iron supplements. I don't know if something is wrong internally because externally, nothing seems to work. I don't know if this is a rant or a cry for help lol, but I would appreciate any further advice because I'm on the verge of tears right now. I hate to say it but I'm beginning to regret this decision. I went natural April 2011 and I've completely shaved my head about five times now. I really think I'm ready to just give up...lol.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

I'd first go to your doctor, and get a full workup done, just to rule out anything internal. Then I'd go to the Derm, and see what's up with the health of your hair and scalp. I'd start taking a good multi-vitamin, and Biotin, and maybe look into Mineral Rich...it's good stuff. I'd then start using Alter EGO Impact Hot Oil Treatment with Garlic and add some Fenugreek, Bhringaraj, and Neem to every DC treatment.

Which is pretty much what I did do when my hair all fell out after I gave birth. I also went totally no poo, and used cleansing conditioners. I also use protein weekly, but before you pick up the protein, check and see what's going on first. HTH!

 

[Evolving78]

^^^it maybe internal. you have a twa and you are having a lot of issues. this should be the fun process. all of your hair is new and hasn't been exposed to wear and tear over the years.

how is your diet? that's good you are taking iron now. i would just cowash and moisturize for awhile until you can get to the bottom of things. you need to see and derm and get some blood work done.

 

[Missjae09]

what is your diet like? in addition to seeing your doctor you may want to up your water intake and take a hair, skin, and nail vitamin in addition to your multivitamin.
You may also try adding some natural oils to your dc if you are not already doing so.

 

[NJoy]

Ugh. I hate that you're having so many problems and dealing with the frustration. I agree that you should get a blood workup to rule out anything internal.

I notice that you've recently started taking iron. Unless you've already found out that your iron in low, I wouldn't advise taking iron on your own. Yes, hair loss can be a result of low iron but, too much iron in the body can cause hair loss as well as other dangerous conditions. Definitely stop taking before your blood work so that you'll be able to know whether you are actually deficient or not.

And while you're trying to get to the bottom of this, please try to relax. I know it's easier said than done but, stressing only adds to the problem. This is just a bump in your journey. You'll get past this, having picked up a better understanding of your hair along the way. Be calm, observant and take notes. You'll get past this and be able to help someone else later down the road.

 

[sunkissedskin]

Thank you ladies for the responses.

As for my diet, it's not the absolute cleanest in the world, but I'm a fairly healthy eater if I do say so myself. I'm gluten/wheat free, dairy free, and I try my best to avoid soy but I love Asian food so this is sometimes challenging, lol. I do not eat refined sugar, nor do I cook with salt and I avoid high sodium foods. I eat/buy organic when possible. I also avoid processed foods (I do enjoy my vegetable and tortilla chips though). I'm proud to say that I haven't drank any soda or eaten a meal from McDonald's since last September A challenging task for the average teen. I eat fruits and veggies daily, and I'm also trying to reduce the amount of poultry and other meats I eat in exchange for fish. I do loooove a big plate of oxtail and rice and peas though.

I drink plenty of water. I can't estimate an exact amount, but water is the only beverage I drink, besides decaffeinated teas (and the occasional organic coconut water in the summer) Take my word for it, water is definitely not an issue for me.

I'm sure that's more than you guys wanted to hear about my diet LOL but yep that's about it!

I take vitamins/supplements daily for skin care/anti acne. Those are Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Estrosmart Plus (a hormone balancer), and Zinc. I was taking Neocell collagen powder but I ran out. My next shipment is on the way lol. I also plan on starting hyaluronic acid. Once again these are all for my skin...but no, I do not take a multivitamin.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

Thank you ladies for the responses.

As for my diet, it's not the absolute cleanest in the world, but I'm a fairly healthy eater if I do say so myself. I'm gluten/wheat free, dairy free, and I try my best to avoid soy but I love Asian food so this is sometimes challenging, lol. I do not eat refined sugar, nor do I cook with salt and I avoid high sodium foods. I eat/buy organic when possible. I also avoid processed foods (I do enjoy my vegetable and tortilla chips though). I'm proud to say that I haven't drank any soda or eaten a meal from McDonald's since last September A challenging task for the average teen. I eat fruits and veggies daily, and I'm also trying to reduce the amount of poultry and other meats I eat in exchange for fish. I do loooove a big plate of oxtail and rice and peas though.

I drink plenty of water. I can't estimate an exact amount, but water is the only beverage I drink, besides decaffeinated teas (and the occasional organic coconut water in the summer) Take my word for it, water is definitely not an issue for me.

I'm sure that's more than you guys wanted to hear about my diet LOL but yep that's about it!

I take vitamins/supplements daily for skin care/anti acne. Those are Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Estrosmart Plus (a hormone balancer), and Zinc. I was taking Neocell collagen powder but I ran out. My next shipment is on the way lol. I also plan on starting hyaluronic acid. Once again these are all for my skin...but no, I do not take a multivitamin.

Get a full work up done. You may have vitamin, or mineral deficiencies. Also follow up with the Derm. Your diet is great, but sometimes you may be missing out on something with a specialized diet.

 

[sunkissedskin]

MrsJaiDiva
Could you please give me a few examples of some cleansing conditioners?? I hate using shampoo but I keep getting conflicted answers on whether or not I need to use it...I will definitely look into the Mineral Rich and the hot oil treatment.

NJoy
Thank you for the kind words. I really need them right now lol. I was actually prescribed the iron last December but I never finished taking them...I have no idea why. I was prescribed them by a doctor who wasn't my family doctor, I guess when she looked at the blood test results she thought it would be in my best interest to take them. But according to my actual family doctor, my iron was on the "low end of normal". Either way, I was supposed to take them for 3 months but I never did. erplexed

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

These are my fav's in no particular order:

Deva Curl No Poo
Hair One Cleanser and Conditioner with Olive Oil for Dry Hair
Renpure Solutions Ren Cleansing Conditioner
WEN Fig Cleansing Conditioner - This and the summer Mango Coconut are the Gold Standard IMO

I still need to try:
WEN Six Thirteen Cleansing Treatment
Curl Junkie Daily Fix Cleansing Hair Conditioner

I've tried a few others, but these give me the most consistent results, and the best hair days. I use diluted shampoo only when I have a Serious amount of build up...I've only used it once this year.

 

[greenandchic]

Also regarding iron, make sure your doc check your ferritin levels (iron stores). Your iron levels could be "good", while ferritin levels are low. I had heavy shedding for quite some time only to find out my ferritin levels were <30 (even though my iron was good). Once I had that corrected my hair stopped shedding at that rate.

 

[ecadnacmc]

I would decrease the frequency of your henna/indigo treatments. Both can be drying. I usually do mine monthly and I always do a DC/prepoo to combat the dryness. Also I only do the indigo on the new growth because it is extra drying. I also cut out all shampoos, but I'm cheap so I just cowash with cheapie conditioners like VO 5, suave naturals, tresemee naturals and use my good conditioners ie Aubrey's and Giovanni for my DC. Remember that Henna acts like a protein so I try to avoid protein conditioners when I henna. I agree with seeing your doctor to check out if you have any deficiencies because sometimes when we restrict our diets to become healthier we cut out some essential vitamins and nutrients. HTH!
Also you may need to clarify. I don't like shampoos so I use either terresentials, rhassoul clay or bentonite clay to clarify.

 

[DarkJoy]

Thank you ladies for the responses.

As for my diet, it's not the absolute cleanest in the world, but I'm a fairly healthy eater if I do say so myself. I'm gluten/wheat free, dairy free, and I try my best to avoid soy but I love Asian food so this is sometimes challenging, lol. I do not eat refined sugar, nor do I cook with salt and I avoid high sodium foods. I eat/buy organic when possible. I also avoid processed foods (I do enjoy my vegetable and tortilla chips though). I'm proud to say that I haven't drank any soda or eaten a meal from McDonald's since last September A challenging task for the average teen. I eat fruits and veggies daily, and I'm also trying to reduce the amount of poultry and other meats I eat in exchange for fish. I do loooove a big plate of oxtail and rice and peas though.

I drink plenty of water. I can't estimate an exact amount, but water is the only beverage I drink, besides decaffeinated teas (and the occasional organic coconut water in the summer) Take my word for it, water is definitely not an issue for me.

I'm sure that's more than you guys wanted to hear about my diet LOL but yep that's about it!

I take vitamins/supplements daily for skin care/anti acne. Those are Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C, Estrosmart Plus (a hormone balancer), and Zinc. I was taking Neocell collagen powder but I ran out. My next shipment is on the way lol. I also plan on starting hyaluronic acid. Once again these are all for my skin...but no, I do not take a multivitamin.

What styling products are you using? (name brands please)

Are you a teenager? Could be hormones. Unless you're in you're late 40s or medically aware you have hormone issues, I'd stop taking any estrogen balancers. Also, if you're on birth control mixed with that estrogen pill you could be asking for a lot more than just broke off hair. More like, major cardiovascular events, like embolisms.

The wrong supplements could also cause hair to fall out. I once was giving my DD a simple flinstones vitamin once a day and her hair started to fall out after a month. Luckily, I knew hair fall is a side-effect of vitamin overdose so stopped and she was fine in a few days. So please, just take a regular multi--or even an herbal prenatal (which is much stronger) and you'll be ok.

My hair is also fine, wispy and used to break a LOT. I also had a LOT of shed, so much so my hands would be covered in hair on wash day. Mind you, for me this is genetic. I shed like cray but still had a full head of hair--though it was thin (when straight) it maintained that same level of thinness since I was a toddler.

Rinsing my hair in burdock and nettle Teas stopped the extreme shed almost instantly. And it's a little more full.

Stop shampooing and get rid of the silicon based conditioners. Some of cleansing conditioners have silicons so be careful. I actually made this an experiment and noticed broke off hairs when I used silicon and fall out with sulfate 'poos. Unfortunately styling products were even worse. I'm one of the unlucky ones who has to go truly natural (homemade) on most of my products/stlying agents.

Also dust that TWA. Fine hair needs dusting way more often--like every 6 weeks.

 

[sunkissedskin]

DarkJoy
A full list of products I use:
Shea Moisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Shampoo
Aubrey Organics HSR
Aubrey Organics GPB,
Giovanni Smooth As Silk conditioner
Giovanni 50:50 conditioner
Honey Fig Cocoa Butter Afro Puff
As I Am Double Butter Cream
Kinky Curly Knot Today
NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil
NOW Foods Castor Oil
Ramoni Triple Silk Deep Conditioning Treatment
LeKair Hair Cholesterol

Yep, I turned 19 in October. I am not on birth control, nor do I plan on going on any form of hormonal birth control due to the high occurrences of estrogen dependent cancers in my family. I take the Estrosmart Plus to keep my hormonal acne at bay and treat my PMS. The supplement is not a hormone replacer nor does it contain any hormones. I have suffered from acne since I began puberty and would have pretty severe breakouts that coincided with my cycle along with crippling menstrual cramps and other symptoms. http://www.healthyimmunity.com/products/Estrosmart-Plus.asp (link to the product)

Back to my skin, acne had completely taken over my life and in desperation, I began to research anti-acne vitamins and antioxidants, hence the supplements I take. My skin has improved leaps and bounds over the past year but it still needs work. Whether or not these supplements are impeding my hair's progress, I don't know. But I will get blood work done to see just exactly what is going on with my body.

Hmm...I think I'll have to look into the burdock and nettle teas!
If you have any conditioner recommendations, I would really appreciate it.

 

[southerncitygirl]

sunkissedskin

you don't have much protein in your reggie other than the gbp.

since there are recent changes in your diet, i doubt that its causing deficiencies...in fact the deficiencies could be a spill over from your previous diet and are being made clear because your diet is now cleaner. i would get bloodwork for allergies/food sensitivites as well if your insurance covers it.

this seems expensive but i think it would be worth your while:

http://www.komazahaircare.com/personal-hair-analysis.htm

here's a thread where folks are raving about it:

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=626329&highlight=komaza


its a hair analysis service from a hair care company where the owner is studying to become a trichologist. she informed a memeber that the protein in their reggie needed to be hydrolyzed and aubrey's gbp was not enough. this process could save you alot of money and time on products. she also was able to pickup on nutritional gaps from looking at folks hair samples as well. hth

 

[DarkJoy]

I agree with southerncitygirl. No real protein in that reggie. I used AO GPB too and found recently its not enough. An egg in my DC cleared up my recent hair breakage issues--as well as a good dusting (it had been 3 months).

Ugh---hormonal ache is the worst! I STILL get it and I'm 39!!! It's gotten better with some changes to diet and skin products--actually the last 3 months only one bump! so that's a big improve...hope you have success as well!

Excellent going to the doc too. Hopefully they find nothing serious and you can continue your journey as you have been. good job and living healthy!

 

[greenandchic]

sunkissedskin - Please keep us posted when you do your blood work. I have PCOS and have had moderate to severe acne on and off since I was a "tween" - even before I started my period. When it comes to my skin, my acne is almost completely hormonal and it wasn't until recently that any doctor bothered to check my DHEA levels. Once I stated taking supplements to lower the high levels my skin no longer breaks out during PMS.

 

[Bunnyhaslonghair]

Examen ANY prescriptions you've been taking. A lot of them affect the hair but don't have it listed as an official side effect. Diabetic/blood pressure meds are just an example.

That is, of course, if you are taking any!

 

[lamaria211]

The other ladies have pretty much given all the best advice I can think of I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your troubles, and after you figure this out do your best to just keep it simple. The less you do the better

 

[Seamonster]

Good luck to you, puberty was hard on my hair as well. There is a lot of great advice in this thread, but I just wanted to add my encouragement.

 

[Blessedwithabundance14]

Hey ladies,
I posted a thread a couple of months ago about my plethora of hair woes, and unfortunately I'm still struggling a lot with my hair and I'm pretty much ready to throw in the towel and just keep it shaved permanently. I currently have a TWA.

My hair is so fragile. I don't know how else to describe it. My strands are EXTREMELY fine and wispy. Every time I wash, moisturize, even TOUCH my hair, small clumps fall out. Some are random broken pieces, others have the little bulb at the root. It's brittle and fragile, yet dry. When I moisturize, the moisture doesn't seem to stay very long. I can't figure out whether or not I need protein or moisture or what. The fact that it's so weak makes me think that I need protein to strengthen it, but then my hair tends to be very dry so I don't even know anymore. I've been spending money to use better products, putting more of an effort into hair care and still nothing is changing and my anger and frustration just keeps growing more and more every wash day.

I've been using henna and indigo every other week, and alternating between shampoo and no poo, both don't seem to make much difference. Recently got a sample of the Shea Moisture Yucca & Baobab Thickening Shampoo and I've been using that. I wash once a week. I condition with Aubrey Organics HSR and GPB, as well as a few Giovanni conditioners. I deep condition for a couple of hours without heat using whatever conditioners I have. My daily moisturizers are Honey Fig's Cocoa Butter Afro Puff and As I Am Double Butter Cream. I oil my scalp occasionally with sweet almond oil.

I recently started taking iron supplements. I don't know if something is wrong internally because externally, nothing seems to work. I don't know if this is a rant or a cry for help lol, but I would appreciate any further advice because I'm on the verge of tears right now. I hate to say it but I'm beginning to regret this decision. I went natural April 2011 and I've completely shaved my head about five times now. I really think I'm ready to just give up...lol.

Sorry if this advice is a repeat, but I had a similar issue from protein overload. I used Shea Moisture on my hair for shampoo and conditioner and it broke my hair off and was also coming out at the root. It felt dry and brittle and I found out that my hair does not like a lot of protein.

 

[sunkissedskin]

southerncitygirl
The analysis looks very interesting and helpful... I haven't read through the whole thread yet but I will. However, being a broke and jobless student, I don't know if that's an investment I'm willing to make. A girl's gotta live, LOL.
I've had food allergy testing done but it was via a skin prick test..I would like to get more testing done because through trial and error, I know that I have a problem with wheat and gluten and I feel a lot better without it.

greenandchic
I will definitely update afterwards! I'm going to call my dr first thing tomorrow. I haven't been feeling "right" lately to be quite honest. Heart palpitations, fatigue, facial tingling/spasms/twitching, tingling and numbness in my limbs, random shooting pains...bleh. There was a decrease in these symptoms after cutting out gluten but I still don't feel 100%. Ever since my lung tumour and surgery back in 2010 I haven't been feeling all that healthy.

 

[NappyNelle]

Omgoodness... I'm sorry you are dealing with all of this. I started having hair problems when I started showing symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, a disorder in my large intestine (unnamed), and Fibromyalgia. When I got those things figured out, my regimen allowed my hair to come back in density, health, and retention.

I sincerely hope you don't have any type of condition or illness that is causing the breakage and shedding, but please update us when you get to the doctor.

 

[NappyNelle]

greenandchic
I will definitely update afterwards! I'm going to call my dr first thing tomorrow. I haven't been feeling "right" lately to be quite honest. Heart palpitations, fatigue, facial tingling/spasms/twitching, tingling and numbness in my limbs, random shooting pains...bleh. There was a decrease in these symptoms after cutting out gluten but I still don't feel 100%. Ever since my lung tumour and surgery back in 2010 I haven't been feeling all that healthy.

Except for the surgery and tumor, I had the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS. Your experience sounds like an autoimmune issue along with Raynaud's (sp?). Yes, it is time to get to your PCP and be tested again.

 

[southerncitygirl]

sunkissedskin

the bloodwork for food allergies is much more accurate than the skin prick test. food sensitivity testing is also different that the blood allergen test. i agree with NappyNelle that something deeper that is possibly autoimmune going on. did you do chemo or radiation during your previous illness? it takes a very long time to recover from these and in many instances ppl never do....causing other complications.

does your school have insurance plans for students or are they affliated with a hospital? if you live statside you should be able to be eligible for medicaid as well as food stamps due to your limited income. you do work study or have a part-time job? not to be all up in your mix, i'm just trying to figure out a way so you aren't stuck with tons of hospital/labwork bills.

 

[sunkissedskin]

Thanks ladies for all the help and support. I have responses but I'm basically in tears right now and I don't think I'm up for it tonight so I'm just going to lay down. I'll be back tomorrow.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[ecadnacmc]

southerncitygirl
The analysis looks very interesting and helpful... I haven't read through the whole thread yet but I will. However, being a broke and jobless student, I don't know if that's an investment I'm willing to make. A girl's gotta live, LOL.
I've had food allergy testing done but it was via a skin prick test..I would like to get more testing done because through trial and error, I know that I have a problem with wheat and gluten and I feel a lot better without it.

greenandchic
I will definitely update afterwards! I'm going to call my dr first thing tomorrow. I haven't been feeling "right" lately to be quite honest. Heart palpitations, fatigue, facial tingling/spasms/twitching, tingling and numbness in my limbs, random shooting pains...bleh. There was a decrease in these symptoms after cutting out gluten but I still don't feel 100%. Ever since my lung tumour and surgery back in 2010 I haven't been feeling all that healthy.

Ok, since I am a doctor these are not symptoms to fool around with given your history of cancer. You need to see your doctor ASAP. Your symptoms could be due to an imbalance of calcium, potassium or magnesium among other things but deficiencies or excesses of these essential minerals could be life threatening. Forget about the hair, it will grow back. You only have one life. Please make an appointment to see your doctor and make sure you mention these symptoms first, hair problems last. God bless!

 

[MeechUK]

I started using organic and natural ingredients. Look at the ingredients and go for sulphate free shampoos and conditioners. Better still try making your own conditioners yoghurt is great for breakage and growth, you can add any oil of choice. Up your water intake and try vitamins after eliminating any health concerns. Opt for protective styling and regular deep conditioning.

Your symptoms sound like stress!

 

[NappyNelle]

Thanks ladies for all the help and support. I have responses but I'm basically in tears right now and I don't think I'm up for it tonight so I'm just going to lay down. I'll be back tomorrow.

Thanks again everyone.

I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to alarm you in a negative way. *tearing up too*

 

[ManeStreet]

Yeah hairloss looks like its a symptom of something else going on.

When my hair started falling out in handfuls in 2009. I had extreme fatigue, lack of energy & menstrual issues. I got winded just trying to walk up a few stairs. I ended up having extremely low iron but you have to go to the doctor to know for sure whats going on.

Since you are dairy free also make sure they check your vitamin D levels.

Wishing you the best.

 

[Phaer]

Yeah hairloss looks like its a symptom of something else going on.

When my hair started falling out in handfuls in 2009. I had extreme fatigue, lack of energy & menstrual issues. I got winded just trying to walk up a few stairs. I ended up having extremely low iron but you have to go to the doctor to know for sure whats going on.

Since you are dairy free also make sure they check your vitamin D levels.

Wishing you the best.

oh great! now I have to go to the doctor's ( don't really like doctors, I tend to self diagnose and treat, don't judge me please, haven't had health insurance for over 7 years, job doesn't offer it). I thought I was just out of shape. Like if I miss going to the gym for a week, I immediately get out of breath going up stairs, and it doesn't have to be a lot of stairs either, six will do it.
I sometimes feel weird near my chest, twinging, cramping feeling, and I am always cold, when no one else is. I originally started reading this thread because my hair does break off easily eventhought I wouldn't say it was thin, I started doing tea rinse and I wanted to see what other advice I can get. I thank you all for the advice; now I will ignore it until I can afford to go to the doctor. Time to look into Obama care

I am truly sorry to hear of your medical difficulties OP, stay strong and be encouraged, you have a support group here.