preventing hair loss?

anja_orison · 04-27-2003, 09:57 AM

I keep having dreams about losing my hair!

It's been happening several times a week for almost a month. Only thing I can figure is that it is one of the few "classic" symptoms I don't have, and since I'm new to all this it was only a few months ago that it even occured to me that my hair might fall out some part of my subconscious locked on to that possibility and won't let go!

Anyway, in an attempt to mellow the nightmares, I am wondering if there is anything specific I can do to prevent hair loss? I'm working on losing weight and taking a good multivitamin. Any ideas?

anja

pleasantlyblew · 04-27-2003, 10:27 AM

I'd like to know this too, as I never had the hairloss symptom until very recently and I have been diagnosed for about 7 years but had many other symptoms for a few years before that. Mine happened after I came off Spiro a few months back, so I went back on it but I don't really want to be on meds forever ideally.

I hear that sea kelp is good for hair loss/growth and many women on here swear by the herb Saw Palmetto but I don't think it helped me. I thought hairloss was very much a hormonal thing but strangely my androgen levels were lower 2 months after coming off Spiro (Spiro is an anti-androgen) but my Dr thinks losing weight and low carbing during that time may have helped reduce these levels. I just would have thought that lower androgen levels would have prevented hairloss but it seems this was the opposite for me! Weird! It's hard to say if my hairloss has improved since ging back on Spiro as it is early days yet. I can't see/feel any new growth but my hairdresser thinks it hasn't got any worse, which is reasssuring. I'm lucky I have thick, curly hair so it is not too noticeable if I style it well.

Hopefully this is something you will never have to worry about but it is wise to take preventative measures, if there are any

I suppose the reason some women get hairloss and some don't, is the same as why some men lose their hair, whilst others (like my 85 y o Grandfather!) retain a good head of hair all their lives. Genetic no doubt!

Nikki x

Sabrina02 · 04-29-2003, 07:45 PM

Taking a mulitvitamin would be great. Also take an iron supplement during your period if you have a history of low iron since low iron can cause hair loss. Do things to help control your insulin and blood sugar levels like exercise, eat foods that are less processed and less refined (no white bread, only whole grain breads etc), get enough protein and good fat. Omega3 fatty acids and evening primrose oil are good for women, hair and blood sugar stabilzation. You may want to get shampoo without SLS since it can cause scalp irriation and thus hair loss. Avoid starting and stopping the birth control pill, ie avoid hormone fluctuations. If you are on an antiandrogen, wean yourself off when and if you want to go off. I personally recommend an antiandrogen if you are really worried, just don't start and stop it. Take it very regularly. Actually wean yourself off of any medications when you want to stop them so taper your dose down over 1-2 months. B-stress complex and biotin are great for hair. B-complex is especially important to get if you are on bcp since they tend to deplete your body of b vitamins. B vitamins are water soluble so the excess won't build up in your body. You may like to check out longhairlovers.com. They have lots of good advice about supplements and hair care in general. Chromium might be good since it is good for insulin function.

Nicki, I think your hair shed may have been related to the hormone fluctuation caused when you stopped spiro. Hormone fluctuations like that are common causes of a hair loss called Telogen Efluvium(TE). Your weight loss could have also contributed to it. In TE your hair sheds for a few months and then stops and what you loss grows back.