my hair is gone :(

jessicaxmas68 · 10-10-2006, 04:48 PM

hi everybody.

i joined the boards many months ago when i started my journey of balancing my hormones. so i stopped bcp and started a nutrition-supplement-herbal routine. also started met (850) as i was diagnosed diabetic as well.
since then i have pretty regular cycles (31-35 days) and lost about 40 pounds.
the last year my hair was giving me trouble, but ever since september it is worsened to the fact that i have about 1/3 of my hair left. my crown is not too bad (curly hair) but i can't let my hair down anymore there are just some silly pitiful strands. i am extra sad because my hair was the one thing i was proud and complimented on regularly. plus the fact i have dropped 3 sizes but feel really unattractive without my usual hair...

went to 2 doctors so far. one said non reversible, after months of treatment will get slightly better. many reasons blah blah blah. second said pcos is to blame even though everything is fine now at least normalised than all the years i was untreated. he said take birth control pills and in 8 months i will see improvement, never the same though.
i am so angry, first of all i don't want to take bcp for a year (tried so hard to get myself sorted without chemicals) and wait for some hair and then what will happen if i want to try for a baby? secondly no one is giving me much hope...

my mum went through cancer, i lost all that weight but seems no one wants to consider stress etc as a factor.

i suppose i am asking for some support and any positive stories... i have 2 sets of treatments costing an arm and a leg and feel it is useless anyway...

thisfreakingsucks · 10-10-2006, 08:49 PM

i have been losing my hair at an alarming rate
it seems that nutri=ox is working in helping my hair grow faster/back
its thinner then it was but its there
i also take fish oil and biotin for my hair
((hugs))

nomadic_existence · 10-10-2006, 11:13 PM

I understand, completely. I used to have a full head of hair I was really proud of, then I ended up with the hormonal shift and after having my daughter, I started losing (especially at the hairline). What is really embarassing is having a receding hairline that is prominent.

I'm so sorry you are going through this, too.

flyfisher · 10-11-2006, 02:44 AM

I am so sorry....It is upsetting...I too am battling the thinning hair situation. I started on met at the beginning of August and noticed this morning ( I went to get a hair cut) that I have new hair appearing at the front hairline. I hope its new hair and not hair that has broken off...lol.. I hope I am getting new hair growth all over. I too us to have real real thick, beautiful, curly, long long hair. It is short and thin now and its real depressing. I use to value my hair too and now I can't hardly stand to look at it in the mirror. I go get haircuts hoping he will have a magic wand to waive over it and it go back to the way it was. I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone and I am so sorry..((HUGS))

vtmommy · 10-11-2006, 03:05 AM

I am only 21 and 1/2 of my hair is gone too. It takes a toll on my emotions it really does, that was the one thing I had going for me. In the year book, I was Best hair, lol. That sucks bad. I think that I will be bald within a few years, since i started losing mine about 2 years ago. I would rather be without legs, without teeth, without boobs, but hair is a tuffy, i know that the legless, teethless and boobless disagree, but that is how it goes......

jessicaxmas68 · 10-11-2006, 08:17 AM

thanks everyone for responding, it seems many people go through this, i just never thought i would have such problems after all these years and after regulating my cycles

i was reeading the success stories and seems spironolactone is a solution for many, complemented with rogaine or nizoral shampoo...also saw palmeto,evening primrose and vitamin b seem to be helpful.
i have no idea whether i can get all these in greece but will do some research. i am seeing another dermatologist next week and then will decide on what tratment i will follow...
for now i am just trying to keep my spirits up cause in the last month and a half i went from having great hair to looking for hats and scarves

i will post again when i decide what i will do. i have to believe losing all the weight and stress contributed. it just doesn't make sense losing all the hair so suddenly just from pcos...maybe it is just wishfull thinking.

going to see an accupunturist today as well, trying to find a way to relieve some of the negative energy floating around in my body, this will be fun!

take care all...

kmhendri · 10-12-2006, 06:37 PM

I went through a period this past summer where I was losing about 500-600 strands just in the shower per day. If I ran my hands thru my hair it just kept coming out. I was devastated. Almost to the point of depression, because it is very concerning to feel that if it keeps going you will have no hair left.

I went to the doctor, he recommended women's rogaine (said that my hair follicles were going dormant and that it was a cycle I just had to wait out) I have about half the hair I used to. I also take biotin and fish oil. Since there isn't a real easy way to determine why it falls out, it was diagnosed as stress.

It did this for about 3 months and has just now started to get back to normal.

guineapig · 10-15-2006, 04:18 AM

Most of the drugs for hairloss (spiro, propecia, dutasteride, flutamide) cause severe birth defects so you wanna be SURE you aren't going to get pg on them. Not just "I have PCOS" or "the docs said I'd never..." but sure like you are abstinent 100%, have an IUD, or a "snipped" partner. Also most women have wild cycles on spiro without bcp--so be prepared to bleed. I liked spiro but never REgrew any hair on it. Made my existing hair grow really fast, but no thicker.

Haven't tried the male drugs yet, nor Rogaine. I never did bcp 'cause I hate them & IMO excess estrogen can worsen hairloss (see sig).

There's also the herb saw palmetto which supposedly works like Propecia to an extent. I don't know if you can take it while ttc though.

Hairloss sucks, I hear you! I haven't found an answer yet though. Other nondrug treatments might be the LaserComb, hair transplant surgery, or just getting creative with wigs/pieces/extensions.

nomadic_existence · 10-17-2006, 03:29 AM

Hang in there, Cyster. I know it's rough but we'll be here if you need support. It just sucks feeling like a man sometimes.

(((HUGS)))

ScaredSally · 10-18-2006, 04:27 PM

Hairloss nearly caused me to commit suicide not something I am proud about I have diffuse thinning plus male pattern receeeding hairline I am reallyu resembling a bloke ... for me it was the male pattern that made me feel more of a freak female pattern hair loss is usually diffuse but affects the top of te head leaving the hairline in tact ! mine is receeding badly .. I have tried rogaine (the mens strength), propecia, flutamide, sprirolactone, the pill is not strong enough on its own to improve hair loss you need one of the above alongside with it ... I am wearing extensions at the moemnt .. and am looking into bonded on wigs ... I go to www.wattzinternational.co.uk you can check out before nad after pics ... hairloss has changed the once fun bubbly outgoing full of life person to a mere shell that is existing and desperatly trying to get on with my life but the joy of it has really diminished hair loss truly sucks and I wish it was taken more seriously it may not HURT or be Cancer (which I often have had thrown at me like I KNOW that) but emotionally it is definatly damaging ....

I am a member of some good hair loss forums if you would like hte addresses let me know