Female Hairloss

[berniesandersmittens]

My hair has been falling out so bad that I can see my scalp around the back of my part line.

It's not due to Chemo or medication change.

I have not colored or treated my hair in a few years.

At what point do I buzz and wear a wig? Is it easier to keep a wig on if you have some hair, or completely bald?

It's REALLY making me self conscious and worsening my depression and OCD.

[oregonjen]

1. Have you had Covid? I know hair loss after having Covid is a thing.

Are you low on iron? Thyroid okay? Lots of things can cause hair loss. Be sure to check with your doc or dermatologist. Hugs to you!

[berniesandersmittens]

6. Had covid in April

My thyroid panel was normal. The doc says it could be stress.

How does losing your hair NOT make you stress?

[oregonjen]

9. Ugh, Stress! This has definitely been a very stressful time!

Be sure to check your iron levels. People who menstruate can be very low on iron and not even know it.

Also, I’m not a doc, but I’ve read on several sites that hair loss after having Covid starts about 3 months after having it.

[NQAS]

2. Sounds like it could be alopecia

My daughter has it. Came on in her early 20s. It was devastating. She tried various medications, with no success. She seems to have dealt with it well, though she doesn’t talk about it. She has wigs.

I think you have to find your own way through it. First, find out why it’s happening. Second, surround yourself with people who will support you and follow your Direction in what you need. If you want to rock the baldness, do that. If you want to keep it private and go the wig route, do that. And if friends snd family won’t have your back, find ones who will.

[berniesandersmittens]

8. At this point I can still hide it by styling it up.

I think I'm gonna try a short wig out before I decide to buzz it off.

It will take an hour drive to go look at some.

[cate94]

3. I don't know the answer.

I have a similar problem. Hypothyroid can contribute to the problem. Once on meds, it slowed it a bit for me, however, as I age it has gotten worse.

[berniesandersmittens]

10. I'm in my early 40s

Became a total hippy when I became disabled. So I'm not used to "getting ready" anymore.

I am also an aloof person that sometimes has my shirt on backwards, so I'm afraid the wig will be crooked or fall off in public.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. Do you take vitamin B?

It is the vitamin for skin, hair, and nail health.

When I (female) take vitamin B, my hair gets so thick I can hardly comb it. I have been having some brittle nails (our weather has been really dry), so I think I’m gonna take some for about a month.

Please do not use my opinion as a medical diagnosis…just an observation about my own hair. Good luck.

[berniesandersmittens]

12. I take a multivitamin daily

I will add more B vitamins. Pretty sure it doesn't hurt to go over the daily amount on VB, so I'll try it.

I took fish oil for a while but it didn't seem to help.

[3catwoman3]

13. The B vitamins are water soluble, so if you take more than...

...recommended, you will only end up with what is humorously referred to as "expensive urine," which will also be quite yellow.

The B3 part of vitamin B, niacin, can cause facial flushing in high doses:

What is niacin flush?
Niacin flush is a common side effect of taking high doses of niacin supplements. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s harmless.

It appears as a flush of red on the skin, which may be accompanied by an itching or burning sensation (1Trusted Source).

Niacin is also known as vitamin B3. It’s part of the B complex of vitamins that play an essential role in turning food into energy for the body (2Trusted Source).

[Irish_Dem]

5. Do what makes you feel better about yourself.

I have a friend who has a number of wigs, each one different.
It is a lot of fun to see which one she will wear on any given day.

Another friend wears the same wig every day.
And that is nice too.

[MuseRider]

7. Me too.

I do not know why but a few years ago it just started to fall out. My hair was always thin and fine and so straight a permanent lasted about 4 hours. Then all at once it started to come out. I was on a bunch of meds but not anything that was called out for hair loss.

Luckily I have a good friend who owns a wig shop. I put it off as long as I could, I do not know why. I love my wig. I don't really love wearing it though, I suppose if I wore it more often I would feel more secure with it but I do not want to wear it all the time.

The point you get a wig is the point when you decide to get one. It was really fun picking one out and everyone who sees me loves it too so that is something I was never used to given the state of my hair my whole life.

Do not shave your head. You will not want to wear it all the time and unless you look great bald or just do not care I was told it was best to keep my hair. It is easier apparently to keep your wig in place if you have hair and the cap on, less slippery maybe. The glue you use to keep the wig in place bothers my skin but it works wonders and is fine after washing it off.

A lot of talk here but I understand where you are. It is a difficult decision but one I am glad I finally made. I would have done this years ago had I known.

[shelshaw]

11. Here's an article on new treatment that you may find interesting

https://news.yahoo.com/dermatologists-discovered-cheap-common-blood-175548722.html

[3catwoman3]

14. There is something called telogen effluvium, where a greater-than-usual...

...number of hairs go into the resting phase of the growth cycle all at the same time:

https://www.aocd.org/page/TelogenEffluviumHa

An evaluation by dermatology seems a wise first step.

[we can do it]

15. I have alopecia areata, been buzzing hair low in different styles for at least 15 years.

Never had as many compliments when I was paying $50 per cut. Plus it’s a big time saver.