23 girl and losing my hair - Hair Problems Message Board

23girlhairloss · 06-13-2009, 03:49 PM

In Aug 08 I noticed my hair was really thin. Thinking it was from dying it I stopped. I already ate fairly well but improved my diet anyways just incase. After 5 months and the hair loss getting worse, I went off my birth control, the Nuva Ring. Finally, 3 months after that and it still getting worse I went to the DR. He check my thyroid (runs in the family), and iron. Both came back normal. Then I went to a dermitologist. He checked 3 hormone levels I think, maybe more. All came back normal. He decided it was genetic. My dad and his brother have had hair loss but it didn't start till their 30s and at 60 years they still have hair.

I'm really upset about this, and don't think it's correct. In the past year I've notice other things.
-sweating more
-strech marks without weight changes
-low sex drive
-dry skin
-fatigue
-eczema
-decreased appetite
-sick more often
-hair growth for 4 months was 1.5 inches
-constipation/diarrhea

After stopping BC I started getting really bad PMS symptoms I never used to get before BC
-acne
-bloating
-cramps
-breast tenderness
-and my period last 4 days instead of 7 or 8 as before
-headaches

A lot has changed in the past year and I think hair loss in a symptom not a diagnosis. Any help would be great

TEdds83 · 06-15-2009, 06:06 PM

HI there! Sorry about your hairloss problems and other ailments. I have some of the same things. To me it sounds like you have hormone or thyroid issues. But you did say you had those checked so I am stumped. I am not a doctor obviously. I wouldn't worry too much. Just continuing testing if need be. Sometimes things really are heriditary. Hang in there! You will be ok!

P.S. Are you 23? Just curious, because if you are late 30's or older I would really lean towards the thyroid condition or Hormones. But truth be told those things can be off at any age. There are teenagers with thyroid issues. And hormones can be off on birth control etc...and with age.

Morwic · 06-16-2009, 07:30 AM

While hormones & thyroid occurred to me, I'm also thinking perhaps heavy metal toxins could be part of the problem? Stress can certainly affect your whole body, deplete your B vitamins (as can the BC pill), & disrupt the whole digestive process, etc. As to the genetic hair loss, though it can occur in women, it seems like this happens more often to men & without testing it further it isn't necessarily the only cause.

I once had a friend whose entire immediate family was losing their hair & it turned out to be lead contamination - as they were all eating off of lead glazed china. So, you never know exactly what the cause is - but additional testing may be in order here!

SoccerCoachU16 · 06-21-2009, 08:07 PM

When the doc says everything is normal levels, that could mean they are within the reference range, but at the lowest of the levels. You need to ask ! always
for now on a copy of the results of all blood labs. keep them in a file for future
refs. also i would start googling the issues that you have and educate your self as much as possible.
Finding the right Doctor is one of the most important things. This may take some time but don't give up. Post it that your looking for a DR. and for the issue.
I had the same prob trying to find a doc that would let me give myself my own
wkly shot and finally someone came through for me in my area.
You would think that your situation is hormone related, but maybe not!
Mine is and the doc that i see now is a Internal medicine DR. Been to ENDO, and
family MD, You may want to consider a naturalpathic type DR. you would be amazed at the things they know. Get those copies of results and start keeping your own so you know what is what and can start searching the test results.
As time goes by you can always refer back to what was going on in the past
with other Doctors and give them copies of the results! but DON'T give them away.You may want to go to a hair clinic and see what they have to say.
Good luck ! S.C.