Any Solutions?

[momof3girlies]

I know this may be a redundant question, but you could all please list what you are using/doing to stop the hair loss.

I sit here crying as I type this cuz I am so upset about this. I have always gone through periods of "shedding" but it usually lasts a week, maybe and just some hair. For the past 2 - 3 weeks I have been losing literally clumps of hair. I am afraid to brush it, I am afraid to wash it. I keep it in a lose pony tail so I am not leaving hair everywhere I go. I swear, I feel like I am going through Chemo. When I have been down on myself and my self-esteem at its lowest point, I have always been able to say, "Well I have great hair"....now that door is closing and I am really REALLY upset about it.

Please tell me there is something I can do to stop it. My Endo can't see me until September 22nd and they have me on their list if someone cancels. I can deal with most of the other symptoms of PCOS, but I am not dealing with this one well at all.

[Jen K]

Hi there momof3girlies,

I am so sorry that you're going through this. I know exactly how you feel. I too suffer from really bad hair loss. I wish that I had some good advice for you, but I haven't been able to get my hair loss under control, so I am still searching for the answer myself. I am currently on 2,000mg/day of Metformin, 100mg/day of Spironolactone and Cyclen bcp. In addition to those prescription medications, I also take vitamins - a B12, Biotin, calcium, Omega-3 and a multi. But, so far, nothing has helped enough for me to notice anything. I use Nioxin shampoo which is supposed to help hair loss - I think it might work for some people, but unfortunately it hasn't done anything for me. I apologize for sounding like such a gloomy gus about this, but I am getting frustrated with all of this!!! I can cope with all of the other crazy side effects that we PCOS ladies have to deal with, but the hair loss is a bit too much for me.

Good luck!!!! And don't worry, you're not in this alone!

Jen K

[kricket]

I was just getting ready to post about this, myself. Right now, I'm not doing anything specifically for hair loss. I'm afraid to try anything for fear of making it worse.

I've read the warnings and the successes on this site, but I'm just so confused. My aunt got a hair piece and she loves it. I'm thinking I may just do that so I don't have to worry about making it worse.

I have just started Met. and I am now up to 2000 mg. I asked my dr. if my hair would come back and she said that honestly, she really couldn't tell me. She said some of her patients had some improvement, but there are a lot of other factors that will play into whether you get it back. She did say that my age was in my favor - first time I have ever heard that 35 was young enough to do anything in relation to hormones or health stuff!

Does anyone have a hairpiece they like and if so, where did you get it?

[Tharaa]

Dear Momof3girlies,

Don't stress yourself or feel sad! All these emotions will work against you and not for you.Please know that it might get bad but it will definately get better,it almost always slows down...Here is what I have found to be helpful.

1.) Stop using all commercial hair care products,shampoos,styling aids
2.) do not chemically proccess your hair it will make it worse,no perms,colors,bleaches etc
3.)use only natural shampoos no sodium laurel sulfate,Nioxin is not helpful for many
4.) massage your scalp every morning and night before bed with some oil like coconut or even jojoba,olive oil whatever is available to you!
5.) do not use plastic combs,only wood or metal,do not use nylon brushes they pull out your hair

EMAIL me anytime,we are all in this together,there is hope and we can heal!

[momof3girlies]

Thank you so much for your replies. I had a serious breakdown this morning and I am feeling a bit better. I just needed to "grieve" the loss of my hair for a moment of two. So I have been looking at "remedies" all morning and I am thinking of trying the Nexxus Vita Tress for the time being. I am going to quit using my usual shampoo, which btw, I just started using about 2 months and wonder if that aggrivated it and started the Major loss of hair. I also want to add that I am on a low carb diet/lifestyle so I am hoping that will help as well.

[Tharaa]

Good luck to you Cyster,we all have been there,and we will stand with you :-)

[StarMaiden]

Does anyone have a hairpiece they like and if so, where did you get it?

Kricket, I wear a hair piece, and sometimes, I wear wigs. My loss has is progressing, and at some point, I will probably be wearing full wigs, rather than hairpieces. So I have bought some full wigs to have fun with, and to get used to.

If nothing you try stops your hair loss, or reverses it, and you reach a point where you want to try a hairpiece, please know that it is not the end of the world!!!! They can be very lovely, very fun, and in some ways, can make your daily routine easier. I'm not saying this is a problem free solution at all! You still have to find the right hair that works for you, and techniques that make it comfortable and secure. And the emotions that come with dealing with supplemental hair can be difficult to deal with. But, it is a WAY of MOVING FORWARD, and regaining your life, and your self-esteem.

If you are interested in researching this option, a great place to start is Wig Support. http://groups.msn.com/WigSupport/general.msnw This is a place to go for friendship, emotional support, education, pictures, and information about "wearing hair." I am an active member there. It has made my life so much better. Having worn my hairpiece for a year now, I can tell you, I have ten thousand percent happier about how I look than I was before. I researched my options, and picked out and bought my first hairpiece through the owner/moderator of the wig support group.

And ladies, there is NOTHING wrong with feeling sad about hairloss. Having a legitimate emotion is NOT going to make your hair loss worse. Sadness over this process is NORMAL. It is a grieving process that you go through. After all, you're dealing with something that touches at the very core of who we are, and affects our self confidence, our femininity, etc. It is OK to have those feelings, and you need to work through them to move on in life. And it is a process, not something that happens in a day.

My personal opinion on shampoos etc., is that nothing that you put on the outside of your scalp for such a very limited time every day or so, is going to affect what is going on at the hormonal/physiological level inside your scalp very much at all. But as I say, that's my personal opinion, informed by the lack of large scale clinical evidence that shows otherwise.

However, for some people, some products, and some meds, do seem to make a difference, so sharing the info here is important. Gives us all a chance to find what works for each of us. Hairpieces are what works best for me.

[Nish]

Its really distressing that so many of you are suffering from hairloss. I was just wondering if any of you are doing no carb or atkiens diets. I know lots of people who have lost hair due to these crazy diets. Agreed that refined carbs are not good for you but if you cut them out all together than your hair suffers as protien cannot be absorbed by your body if there isnt sufficient amount of carbs going in too! I really would suggest trying evening primose with bition and regualr oil massages to stimulate the hair folicals. Please dont feel like you are alone, were all in this together !

[momof3girlies]

I am doing low carb. I haven't omitted carbs completely...but the carbs I do eat are whole grains, complex carbs and I steer clear of sugars, refined flours and simple carbs. I do take in more protein than carbs though....hmmmmmmmm

I also wanted to add that I went and purchased the Nexxus product and the cream really makes your head tingle If I could be so bold as to say that my scalp actually feels better than it has in months....I really hope it works!