Losing Lots of Hair! Please Help!! - Hair Problems Message Board

ericanicole25 · 07-16-2008, 10:55 AM

Hi Everyone...

I'm concerned that I'm losing excessive amounts of hair, and am wondering about the various reasons that this may be happening to me. I'm an average, healthy 25-year-old female, and the rapid thinning of my once thick, voluminous hair is terrifying to say the least.

Just over a year ago, I had my hair chemically straightened (a reverse perm) and have had the roots straightened once since then. I thought that this may be what's causing the hair loss, but the more research I do, the more I see that this type of hair loss (shedding from the root) isn't a common side effect of chemical treatments. Breakage is more common, but is not what I'm experiencing at all.

I try to eat as healthy as possible, but could I be lacking something? I've heard that lack of iron can cause hair loss.

Also, I have been taking monophasic birth control pills on a continuous method (84 days on, 7 days off - periods every 3 months) since October 2007. I used to use a triphasic pill and took it in the normal prescribed way. Could all the extra hormones I'm taking be causing this hair loss?

I really don't think it's stress.

I have a Dr's appointment today to discuss this, but I am hoping that maybe another person out there has experienced something similar and has any advice to offer. Is there a certain type of specialist who handles hair loss? Perhaps a dermatologist?

Please help! I so badly want to keep my hair!

younggranny · 07-16-2008, 09:49 PM

I know loosing lots of hair can be very stressful, especially if your hair is already thin like mine... One reason you could be loosing hair is that you have low thyroid. That is very easy to check. Just need a blood test. That is the cause of my hair lose. Right now i am upping my medication so i am having extra hair shedding, which isn't good because i need every strand of hair i have...I hope this was helpful.

ericanicole25 · 07-16-2008, 11:10 PM

Thanks for the advice. The Dr. is sending me for a bunch of tests; 2 different thyroid tests, iron, blood sugar, something to do with the kidneys and even testosterone levels (who woulda thought?)

I'll be getting the results in the next couple weeks so I'll post then.

Thanks again!

confused78 · 07-17-2008, 09:14 AM

Birth control pills definitely can cause hair loss.

ericanicole25 · 07-17-2008, 10:50 AM

I thought so too, but the Dr. told me that elevated levels of female hormones aren't known to cause hair loss; testosterone is the culprit.

I'm not 100% convinced though; it seems that this excessive shedding started shortly after I started taking birth control continuously.

I guess we'll know soon enough! Or everything will come back normal and I'll be lost!