General Chat

I never thought I would have to put this thread up, but my hair is coming out, and getting thinner and thinner.

I have always had thick, strong, curly hair, which was hard to tame, but if cut properly behaved itself reasonably well.

I am now diabetic, and in my late sixties. This hair loss is distressing, to say the very least, and I have gone through the blurb on my medication leaflets, to discover that meds for raised cholesterol levels can cause hair loss. The internet gives quite a few cases of hair loss being accelerated by the use of statins.

I have trawled the websites, and come up with Provillus, a herbal remedy with Biotin in it. We use Biotin for our dogs when they have finished moulting, and it has amazing results! I am not about to take the dogs medicine though.

There has been a huge amount of stress in my life of late, and I do know that stress can cause hair loss.

For two months my patient husband has been applying Minodoxil as prescribed by my GP to my hair, but only six applications are allowed at one time, and the area of loss is expanding!

I would be grateful for any help and useful comments, realising that this is hardly a GR subject.

Have you had your Vit, d levels checked?

I have a similar problem, the parting in my hair is getting ever wider! I never had thick hair anyway and my Mum's hair was also thinner and thinner as she aged but mine has been going for a while now and I had tests which found I was vit d deficient. I had tablets and then a big dose of vit d in an injection but I am not sure it has done a lot yet. Since my bump on the head when I fell I am not able to do much with that part of my head, it's still tender, so can't see if there is more growing.
I too am under lots of stress so it's probable that unless we can lessen the stress levels our hair will continue to disappear. It's upsetting as you say, I am a Leo and would prefer a mane not this sparse stuff.
I do remember two elderly great aunts who had such thin hair and they used to make themselves little crocheted skull caps so the problem is probably hereditary in my case too.

I will look to see if anyone comes up with any helpful suggestions.

Lizx

Thanks Purple, for your reply. Don't think I have had my vitamin d levels checked. Being diabetic, they take six monthly bloods, and test for all sorts, including thyroid, which is one factor in hair loss, but my thyroid seems to be working OK.

Thanks for your reply Barbara, just came on as I was replying to Liz. Am using a very mild shampoo now, GP recommended baby shampoo, which doesn't seem to get the residue left by the Minodoxil out.

I like the shampoo from Avon and the conditioner does seem to thicken what hair I have a little. They also do one for older people's hair so have got some to try but it's hard to do much with my hair while my head still hurts. I should have had it cut before Christmas and then would have added some colour, but had to cancel the apptmt and have left the colour in the box! I look (and feel) like an old witch with this longer thin grey wispy stuff hanging about!

I am 62, have had checks for thyroid problems but nothing showing up.

Lizx

Hello Purple

I do use the Avon shampoos. Was using the 3 in 1, but hairdresser advised against it ages ago, said it flattened the hair follicles! Am using Johnson's baby shampoo, Avon naturals for dry/damaged hair, and Elvive damage care repairing shampoo. I alternate them, as my hair seems to get sick of one brand.

Sorry about your bump, and as I never have my hair coloured, it is grey, getting older is a bit depressing, isn't it!

Thank you for the information, Barbara. Did you mean that blood pressure tablets can cause hair loss? I've check through the blurb on mine, and don't see hair loss mentioned as a possible side effect.

Thanks Barbara for your reply.

Just had a phone consultation with my GP, or the one I shall be seeing now, since my tried and tested and wonderful GP left recently.

This new GP says that Simvastatin does cause hair loss, and has told me to stop it for six weeks, after which if there is no improvement, he will put me forward for a second opinion (which I have requested).

GP also says that the other meds I am on, do not show hair loss as a side effect,

I realise there are far far worse illnesses, but he agrees that this little baby is a very distressing condition. He also says that he does not think Minoxidil does a lot of good. He hasn't heard of Provillus with biotin, says it is not one of the drugs which has been tried and tested. Biotin worked wonders for my younger dog after moulting.

All the best, anyway, and may we all keep our hair on.

Thank you for your reply DionFortune. My blood tests were clear a couple of months since. Have some Omega 3 tablets, will take them. Will ask about the Zinc and Calcium.

Well, ladies, I now don't feel quite so alone as I did!
Coming into my mid-60s as I am, I had noticed that I seem to be able to see my scalp a lot more than before - which I had put down to my hair colour fading, but there is suddenly a lot more hair left on my hairbrush. I am losing my Leo mane.
Not on any meds (yet!) but certainly my stress level has been very high just lately.
I love the fact that Biotin has worked on moulting dogs, and I think I shall look for something with that as an ingredient., and increase my Vit D level, and take cider vinegar, too.
Liz, perhaps we should start up a Genes cottage industry and crochet little lacy caps for ladies with hair loss? They were fashionable in the '60s and '70s!

Joanna

Angelsong, I have hair loss because of psoriasis in my scalp, and I have had white hair since my thirties. Never have had a perm and still have this trouble. I had bad side effects with Statins, so came off them. I read many reports that cider vinegar helped lower the cholesterol, so started taking that in liquid, a 5ml spoonful daily. For me it has worked, but no one on here has reported back to me whether it has worked for them.

I to am in my late sixties and my hair comes out quite a lot it is getting thinner I don't know about cider vinegar but my mother used to take it regular. I did not notice her hair getting any thicker but if you think it works I think i will start taking it. Do you not take it in water.
It is supposed to help with slimming.

Margaret

Don't laugh cos I'm serious - some years ago my mother suffered hair loss and the specialists couldn't work out why. The trichologist advised her to rub "Baby Bio" into her scalp.
Now I don't know if it was just the massaging action that got circulation flowing but it worked!

Hello ladies

Yep another one suffering from hair loss,
I have just turned 50 and its not good, I have always had fine hair but its now awful,
the doctor has done all the tests,they have all come back clear,he recommended " Regain " which i must admit I've not tried I'm worried that it will make it worse all that rubbing it in daily and no guarantee it will work,
my Doctor isn't that sympatic (sp) he basically said its female pattern baldness and he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about,
I am receding at the temples and going VERY thin down the middle you can see my scalp through my hair now,if I was to put my hair into a pony tail it would be no thicker than your little finger.
It ruined my 50th Birthday,we went out for lunch and the lady serving our food passed on some advice to my husband,when we got home he told me,up until then i thought that maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought , but for somebody I dont know to comment on it !!!!...i spent the rest of the day in tears ( like now ). I went through the menopause about 10 years earlier that the average age,I'm on statins and suffer with stress ( I wonder why ).This is the first time I've ever spoken about it but I thought I'd let you know that your not on your own.

Margaret, I was recmmending cider vinegar to lower cholesterol. I havent found it any good for slimming, I only wish it was! I take the vinegar in water or my favouite squash.
Julia, some of us might grow flowers instead of hair, wouldnt that be a change!. Must read the ingredients of my Baby Bio pot.

Just got back on the internet, so haven't replied to the later posts. I found the two male doctors I spoke to much more understanding than the lady doctor I was recommended to see.

I have been told that statins can cause hair loss, so beware. My doctor has told me to leae them off for six weeks and see what happens.

It is disturbing that so many of us are suffering in this way. I realise that it is a much less dreadful thing than some of the major illnesses, but it is distressing for women. Like Blue Moon, I feel like weeping, and dread washing my hair, because I know there will be too many hairs in the comb, and on my top.

Thank you all for responding, I really thought when I dared to put the thread on that there would either be sarcastic replies, or it would be ignored.

Bless you all

Angel

hiya girls, i too have thinning hair, its done me head in big time. ive avoided looking in mirrors and at my reflection in car windows , how sad is that lol, hv to laff r i wud hit rock bottom, i tried that nourkrin what that bucks fizz lass used, cost me over£150 for 6 mnts (off internet ) boots wud hv cost a lot n more, but have to say saw no change. i say to myself i may end up wearing a wig, if so i hope it looks as gud as val pollards in emmerdale, me mates not convinced she wears i wig but i am lol, take care all xxxxxxxxxxx

Hi girls..
Im 54 and also have a hair loss problem,,although i lose a fair bit i have no bald patches. I asked gp about this and he says its my age and tha Im on the cusp of the menopause,..which is no help really....My hairdressser toldme about a substance one her other clients usues so i will get back to you when i find out more.

Well would you have believed there are so many of us with the same problem.
I know mine is partly hereditary because of the way my Mum's hair went so am not looking for miracles and don't have a fortune to spend on trying things anyway.

I have been telling my doctor for over a year that my hair was thinning and she would say, Yes so is mine!!! We are quite alike anyway in things that we suffer from, so she does understand but she is a lot younger than me and she still seems to have a lot more hair than I do!

Will wait to hear about these other things mentioned - we could offer ourselves as a test group for some new products lol Who will write to Trinny and Susannah or whoever does those programmes? Maybe Gok Wan would help us all!

Must find my winter hats soon - it's chilly out there.

Lizx

Btw, there used to be a yong woman in her thirties who lost all her hair and she still wears lovely scarves and hats as hers hasn't grown back, I don't think. She was healthy enough tho, has produced a beautiful baby girl since she left the boards.

My sympathies to all you ladies, but not so long ago I saw a woman in our local city and her head was a bald as a baby's b**. She looked beautiful. I think if you hold your head up and look confident nobody will think too much of any baldness, but if you look embarassed you will draw more attention to yourself. I had promised if I ever came to England I would shave my hair off and go out with a certain young woman who was distressed at being dis-tressed. I meant every word of my promise too, although the chances of getting over there are extremely slim (unlike me). Now if anybody has a cure for overweight other than cutting out food and exercising lots..........

Best of luck with your attempts to find a cure anyway.

Huia.