Extreme hair loss over here. THIS CAN'T BE NATURAL. Ya'll, please help me! - Hair Loss / Alopecia Message Board

I Eat Hay · 02-04-2004, 01:16 AM

Have you ever raked the yard one day, and after you were done, lifted your rake to find a HUGE mass of pine straw woven through the teeth of the rake? That's what my hands look like as soon as I begin to wash my hair. I'm loosing enough hair in one washing to fill a few trash bags..... Okay, I'm exaggerating, but my point is, the amount of hair I'm loosing is UNBELIEVABLE.

I'm convinced this is not natural hair loss for a couple of reasons. One, my hairline is not receding; my hair is falling out from all over the place--the front, back, top, sides, EVERYWHERE! Also, it seems to be trying to replenish itself, as I can always see new hairs coming up around my hairline.

At least its willing to grow back, I guess. But this means my hair length hardly ever moves, because by the time it takes these "new hairs" to grow back to match the length of the rest of my hair, most of the rest of my hair has fallen out, and new hairs are growing back to match the length of the hair that just grew back. I've gained maybe an inch in hair length over one year, and I haven't cut my hair once!

My hair has also become very, ummm....WEIRD. I used to have "normal" hair, but now it always feels very "sappy," as if I wash my hair in pine sap or something. It has a sticky feel, and its almost impossible to get shampoo to lather up on my hair, because I can barely run my hand through it. The hairs have also become very slender and frail-like, and the roots are nearly microscopic. You have to hold a hair up against a dark object in order to see its tiny root. I also have dandruff for the first time, and when I scratch my scalp, gunky white muck comes out all over my finger nails

I've tried doing some things to fix my hair loss problem, but nothing has worked. I've tried changing shampoos many times. I've tried organic shampoos. I've tried using a tiny drop of shampoo, diluting it with water, and washing very gently. I've tried not washing my hair at all. I don't know what else to try...

Any ideas on what could be causing all this hair to fall out? Could this be some type of hair disease I've contracted? Or could it be lice, or something like that?
BTW, I'm 20 years old, male, and Caucasian with dark brown hair. And I've had this problem for about a year and a half now.

scribbles · 02-06-2004, 12:16 AM

If your hair is falling out in small patches, it could be alopecia areata, where your white blood cells attack your hair follicles... but the hair follicles are still able to re-grow the hair.

Is your scalp red, dry, itchy? Are you also losing hair from other areas, like your face and body?

Your hair loss could also be from some genetic condition, a (skin) disease, thyroid/hormone problem, poor diet, medication side-effects, bacterial infection on your scalp, an allergic/sensitivity reaction (like to ingredients in shampoo), certain times of the year (like dry winter weather)...

From what you've written, and since it's already been a year and a half, I think you should get it checked out with your doctor! Good luck!

denim_lad19 · 02-11-2004, 09:12 AM

Hey

I am 19 and suffering very similar problems to yourself. Ive been noticing hair loss in my head for bout the past year and a half too...since I was 17 or so. I think my situation is slightly more serious in that I now have very little hair left. The sides are fine though, which makes me think I am going bald naturaly. However, like yourself, I also have a poor scalp. I used to have white gunk coming out, though other times it is yellow. Its really disguisting. I am considering going on proscar (see my thread) but have not yet been to the doctor. I went when I was 18 and she just said it was natural and thought no more of it, however, I am now reconsidering going back and seeing if it is a skin disease. the problem is though my hair does not seem to be growing back- though i don't know if this has anything to do with my unhealhty scalp. I would also add- I think my diet is quite good.

Kari7171 · 02-17-2004, 01:07 PM

One thing I do know is high doses of vitamin A cause hair loss. I don't know if you take that or not but my aunt was taking high doses every day and she got this wierd purple stuff growing on her face and then her hair started falling out. My mom also had the doctor prescribe vitamin in high doses for her and he said to stop taking it if her hair started falling out.

slyrdh · 03-23-2004, 07:40 PM

Stress can make your hair fall out I've heard. My hair dresser said certain times of the year more hair will come out. I had alot coming out. I keep my ponytail low and loose now for work. But it does seem like I lose alot more hair at certain times of the year (like fall) than others.