Losing hair

[beenee]

What's the best way to prevent hair falling. I have a balanced, healthy diet but have always had this problem. I have a dry scalp, and even with the dandruff cured I experience hair loss. Any supplement I can take?

I know we normally lose 100 hairs a day etc etc. - this is definitely more than that.

[sddsddean]

1) Are you male or female? 2) Is there any patch forming? If so (and you are male), is a 'normal' looking patch? If it is (and you are male), could be just male pattern baldness starting. I started losing my hair in odd patches a couple of years ago and according to the consultant at hospital this is due to non specific alopecia. Usual cause is stress (though I don't think I'm too stressed). Consultant said it might come back, but probably wouldn't and that as the only real treatment is by using steroids, they don't usually bother treating men, as the side effects are worse than the baldness. I am not too bothered about it, so thats OK. However, as women are more worried about their hair falling out, then it is usually treated with steroids. You might not have alopecia, but thought I would mention it.

[beenee]

I'm a 22 year old female ... But I'm sure some gentlemen on AB would find your information useful. Thanks anyway.

[andy hughes]

There are a number of reaons why women loose hair, it can be linked to hormonal imbalance, or stress. Best thing is to ask your doctor for referal to a tricologisty, who may be able to locate and sort the source of your problem. Best of luck.

[beenee]

Thanks andy, but I would really prefer to try some things before going to the doc's for this. I'd appreciate it if anyone could tell me of any vitamins, minerals etc. I should increase in my diet for healthy hair.

[headlesspets]

the cause of your hair loss could be anything from a side effect of oral contraception, hyperthyroidism, or as AH said hormone imbalances, stress or shock.... a referral to a trichologist would indeed be a good idea, just to get a diagnosis. then you can choose to treat it with complimentary medicines (acupuncture is said to be useful)or dietary supplements or other alternatives.

[Miss Zippy]

I've experienced this a couple of times before. I would add that I never developed bald patches and my hair never really looked or felt noticeably thinner (I'd suggest a trip to the docs if that is the case as it could indicate an underlying medical condition). However, I was worried enough to do something about it and both times I took Kelp supplements and brewers yeast and I found it worked for me and over a few months my hair loss rate reverted back to 'normal'. You will need to take them for a minimum of three months before you notice any difference. Take a good quality brand too. Also, massage your scalp daily for a few minutes with the tips of your fingers, this stimulates blood flow to the follicles to promote hair growth.

[Miss Zippy]

Forgot to mention iron too; a lack of which can also contribute to hair loss, so make sure you're eating enough iron rich foods. You can buy iron supplements (ferrous sulphate) from the pharmacist but you should really only take these is advised to by your doctor (e.g. if you have or are prone to anaemia). Be careful not to take too much iron though as one effect of taking too much is either constipation or the runs!

[beenee]

Ah lovely! Thank you Miss Zippy. I suspect that the iron deficiency may be the cause of my hair loss as I'm anemic and have never taken iron supplements. I will start on those immediately. Thank goodness it has never been bad enough to cause bald patches or significant thinness but the fact that everytime I run my fingers through my hair I get a good 4-7 strands in my hands, is upsetting. Thank you for the Kelp suggestion also I will do some research on this and see if I need to revert to this if the hair loss continues.

God knows I need a proper head massage too! :) Thanks again!

[Miss Zippy]

Glad to help and I hope it works for you :-)