Hair loss...
Posted by crazy_veg on Jul 15, 2007 · Member since Apr 2007 · 42 posts
I feel that my hair comes out WAY TOO EASILY. I went to a doctor some time ago and she said there was nothing wrong- I don't believe that..my mom says the amount I lose is not abnormal. I talked to a hair person Friday and asked what would cause hair loss and she asked if I changed my diet- Well yeah, but that was 6 years ago (that I became vegetarian). I did stop eating fish about 2-3 years ago...(all meat)...WHAT SHOULD I DO?! I put my hair back daily to keep it from getting tangly- so I dont have to brush it...I need some answers.
It could be sign of extreme stress or an illness. You should get a second opinion. As long as your eating healthy, you're diet shouldn't have anything to do with it. There is a chance that you are simply losing your hair for no other reason than age and/or genetics. That could be why your doctor wasn't concerned.
If you pull your hair back tightly, I think that can promote hair loss. Make sure you're doing a "loose" ponytail--just enough to keep it "corralled" (oh, my, I didn't realize I'd made a funny until I typed it). :D
Do you see signs of thinning? I shed an awful lot and I don't have to brush mine much either. I have a lot of really fine hair. I own a comb, but only use it a couple of times a week; I usually let my hair dry and run my fingers through it, and it's fairly long. Here's my theory: I think that because I don't brush it regularly (which I don't think is good for it) that my hair comes out sporadically through the day, instead of all at once, when you brush. It drives me nuts to have the "travellers" that tickle the backs of my arms and otherwise irritate me, but I'd rather have that than rip my hair out by force with a comb or brush. I also pull my hair back daily; I wonder if that prevents it from shedding slowly, because it's all wrapped up in a band or bun. So when you pull it down you see a lot of unattached hair at once.
In most instances, I can pull my fingers through my hair and pull half a dozen hairs with it. Every time.
As I said, I don't see signs of thinning, so I don't worry too much about it. If I develop a bald spot (after I freak out) I'll let you know. ;)
Head-massage can stimulate the circulation (as can brushing) which helps.
Try putting olive oil on your hair, work in and wrap your head in saran wrap so you don't drip. Leave it for about half an hr or so (longer if you have a lot of hair). Then shampoo as normal.
You can also lose hair if you change shampoos. Don't know why.
i find that when my hair gets really long I start to lose a lot. Maybe you should try a herb and vitamin tablet for a while just to strengthen the root system.............It's worth a try! :-)
i lose hair quickly because i habitually comb it or twirl it in my fingers. i didnt notice what i was doing or that my hair was coming out until i had a big ball of it in my hand or in my comb. anyways. its linked to stress, nervousness, anxiety. how is it coming out? are you combing it a lot? are you encouraging it to come out? or do you leave it alone and it falls out without any incentive?
Birth control pills made me shed my hair A LOT... like handfuls... it was one of the signs that made me know they weren't working with my body chemistry I had many other signs as well though.
I still shed a lot and won't consider it abnormal until I see a bald patch.
*I just read all the posts and I agree with nutdragon actually cuz I tend not to brush too much either
A few years back at fall, I had huge hair lost. Everytime I washed my hair in shower, the amount of hair can plug the drainage. I had pretty long hair too. my head the root of hair also hurt. Is it called scalp? My English is not so good. My hair dresser found out that it turned out I was shedding the hair but growing a lot new tinny hair. Are you growing hair at all?
Two suggestions:
1) If you can, let your hair air dry (not blow dry) and leave it alone until dry. I've heard that brushing or combing wet hair does more damage than brushing or combing dry hair.
2) Use a conditioner, so when you do brush or comb it, you don't need to be as rough with it.
Do you notice thinning of hair? If not, you shouldn't worry too much (as long as you are eating a good diet). Also, keep in mind, hair grows faster in the summer so it might also be falling out faster (just a guess).
I have a shedding problem too, but it is normal to lose up to 100 strands a day. I think it would also depend on whether you have thick or thin hair to begin with. An easy way to determine if you are losing too much hair is to compare old and new photographs of your hairline. Try to be as nice to your hair as you can. I just came to the decision to stop highlighting it.....Now I just have to get up the courage to go cut off most of the damaged parts.
When I was 15 I lost a TON of my hair. (I had thinnish shoulder length hair) We went to the doctor and it turned out I had mono!
Hair naturally comes out. If you pull your hair back everyday and don't brush often - that's all that it is. I used to do that, and whenever I showered SO much of my hair would fall out. Whenever I took it out of the pony tail, I'd leave hair lying around everywhere. Literally. I thought I was going to go bald. I also went to the doctor. Got a full blood test - nothing was wrong.
Went to my hairdresser, and she said that if you don't brush in the morning and evening to get all the "loose" hair out - this is what happens. I started brushing thoroughly in the morning and before bed. Turns out that what they say is true - 100 strokes for each part, twice a day. Brushing distributes the oil from the scalp evenly. Just make sure you have a really good brush - try to avoid the plastic crap, which tends to damage hair in the longrun. Stick to all natural ones, which can be expensive but are well worth the investment.
As soon as I started brushing twice a day, bam, all the hair loss stopped. Or rather, it was controlled, i.e. I got it all out in the morning and evening. So, I wasn't walking around like one of those animals who sheds all the time!
Get a blood test to be sure, if you haven't already. But, I'm betting this is what it is if you don't brush often.
Sorry, didn't mean to write a book about my hair experiences! ;D
I have very thick hair and I also shed a fair bit (well I did before I shaved my head 8 weeks ago). But before that I had thick hair almost half way down my back and I brushed it every morning and night and still shed probably more than 100 hairs a day. The only difference is I had so much hair it wasn't noticeable.
I have also heard diet/stress can cause hair loss but if your diet changed some time ago I don't see how this would be the cause unless you are not getting all the nutrients you need. Are you getting enough protein, iron and zinc? Have you been under a great deal of stress?
I just thought of something - do you always lose hair like this, or is it in phases?
For instance, I notice more hair falling out during the summer. I'm like an animal that sheds, lol.
I think - as unscientific as this is - as long as you're not going bald, see no thinning, and your bloodwork comes back fine - then, there's nothing to worry about.
Ok, I didn't want to start a new thread, but I've read through these replies and haven't really gotten what I'm looking for. When I first became vegetarian (9 years ago), I did not have a healthy diet and I lost a lot of hair. It thickened up a bit when my diet improved, but over the last few months I've noticed that it's getting really thin. Someone posted in this thread that thinning hair could be from a lack of iron, protein, or zinc. I'm pretty sure I get enough protein and iron...don't know about zinc. What foods are high in zinc? Also, any other suggestions? I just don't think I can pull off the bald look.
you can see the effects of nutritional deficiencies MONTHS after you may have been eating "bad". and it may take a few months as well, to see improvements in your hair.
they say that a women's hair quality/thickness/strength, etc changes 7 times in their life, which often coincides w/ hormonal changes (like onset of puberty, menopause, pregnancy, etc).
short of taking it up w/ your doc, and checking hormone levels, defiencies, etc... i would honestly give it a good year to see if it doesnt regulate itself on its own.
do you notice any thing else going on w/ your body?
Thanks LucidAnne. I just thought it was weird because my hair got thicker for a few years and has only recently begun to thin again (within the last 6-8 months). I feel like I'm eating healthier than ever. I don't know. I suppose it could be stress... :-\
One of the symptoms of thyroid problems, as I have discovered to my cost, is hair loss and fragile fingernails. If your hair is also noticeably coarser than it was (you touch it and it feels all damaged, even if you don't use a lot of perms/styling products), I suggest you get full bloodwork done. You could have a physical problem.
Since I've been on the thyroid supplements my hair has started growing like mad, and you can feel the difference between the top, where the new healthy growth is, and the very bottom where I still have about an inch of coarse, thyroid-damaged hair that needs to be cut off.
I have a feeling that Nature's Gate conditioner is making my hair fall out. :P
I have a feeling that Nature's Gate conditioner is making my hair fall out. :P
Oh no shit!!!! I used to use NG conditioner and shampoo...about a year ago...shortly before my hair started thinning. I quit because of the parabens. I started using Earth Essentials, but didn't really like the shampoo. So, about a month ago, I started using NG shampoo again. I don't use conditioner everyday, but when I do, it's Earth Science. Anyway, my hair feels very soft and nice since I've been using the NG shampoo, but, like I said...really, really thin. Maybe I should stop using NG.... :o :o
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