February 1 2006, 11:34 am PT | Posted in: Female Hair Loss
I have had sudden hair loss in about a months time. I had thick curly hair my whole life now it’s half the volume and very thin. I’m 33yrs. old (female). i have lost a lot of weight recently and also been under a great deal of stress. i went to see the dr. and dermatologist they didn’t seem very concerned, but recommended biotin and rogaine for men. i also just started to feel itchy and tingly in the scalp. Is it due to the hair coming out or hair regrowth? This situation is making me more stressed out, and i’m not getting answers anywhere. some info and advice would be appreciated.
Thank You
As I’ve said here before, there are many causes for hair loss. Be sure to look at the previous responses in the Female Hair Loss category for others in your situation. Stress and sudden weight loss can cause hair loss and would be at the top of my list for you. Itchy scalp can be from hair regrowth or from other factors, such as nervous disorders and stress which causes hair loss. Other causes for your hair loss and itching include imflammatory disease, psoriasis, alopecia areata, etc. Sometimes, a person can have an itchy scalp from lotions/creams which they put on their scalp. You need a blood work up to rule out hypothyroidism, anemia, and other reversible medical diseases.
I too have hair thinning issues. I am 25 years old, and this hair loss/itchy scalp began not too long after the birth of my son. At first I attributed it to post partum pair loss, but when it continued after 2 years, it became worrysome.
My hair seems to be constantly be falling out, and regrowing. I have a lot of frizzy baby hairs. My scalp is itchy, and when I scratch, in the general area I find like a granule of skin cells. It feels like the white bit at the base of a hair, only a little larger and dryer. Most of the hair that falls out also has these at the base of the hair. This is driving me crazy, PLEASE help me figure out what this is. My thyroid is okay, and I am not a diabetic.
Thankyou.
re the previous comment - this happens to me too! The exact same condition. I have thinning hair at the top of my head and my scalp feels very itchy. When I scratch I often have one or two hairs falling out with the same sort of symptom as Miss Kristen. I’m 22 and vegetarian, and have faced hairloss for the last 2 years. Please help me figure this out!
I have the same condition as the two previous comments. Sometimes when I scratch my head I actually bring a hair or two with the white tip that looks like actual scalp. During the past 2 years I feel tht my hair has thinned out drastically (I am getting pretty creative with my hairstyling) I have talked to my doctor about my situation and I was referred to a rheumatologist for an evaluation for thyroid or lupus. All my tests came back negative, so I was just told to have a healthy diet and to take vitamins. I have been taking Biotin (maybe a little too much) is too much Biotin bad for you? I am feeling very desperate and I try not to stress about it just to not make the situation worse but sometimes I can’t help it. If anybody knows why this is happening please let us know.- Thanks
My hair is coming out at an alarming rate. Also have an itchy scalp and my hair has become extremely fine and wispy, like corn silk. I’m almost afraid to put anything on my hair because, when I touch it or comb it, I get more hair loss. I have an appointment with a dermatologist; the appointment was made weeks ago but isn’t until Oct. 24, and I could be bald by then! I started B-complex vitamins and quit my statin drug because I heard statins such as zocor were associated with hair loss. What else can I do, besides pray?
Don’t ‘know if it is related, but the inside of my nostrils are dry and crusty…
Hi,
I have similar symptoms and do not know why. I am 37 and have a horribly itchy and sensitive scalp, I used to have a lot of fine hair and lately I have been losing it. I go to a dermatologist tommorrow, and have been told by my physician it could be stress related, a hypo active thyroid, hormonal, diet related, or a fungal or skin condition. I also read up that the mirena Iud , which I have could be a contributing factor. the hair loss is not in patches but on my whole head, although it itches more on the top and sides. I know the iron levels in my blood are okay, but I dotake zoloft for depression symptoms. anyone have any recommendations? I am afraid to brush and wash it too much. And what shampoo and conditioners should I use or avoid. I did not realize how upset I am about this…. thank you,
Chris
i am 23 and seem to have similar symptoms to the individuals above. i just recently moved across the country and at first attributed it to hard water here. then i attributed it to the shampoo i was using, i quickly changed that 5 different times- no change. now i am sitting here with an itchy, sensitive, and burning scalp. recently i noticed that i am thinning quite noticeably in the front of my head- near my forehead and temples. my visible scalp it red and blotchy. i am healthy, exercise daily, take vitamins, and just started cutting virtually anything processed out of my diet. the only thing i can think of is that i used to dye my hair often, however it was strong and could withstand anything as of a month ago. the last time i died my hair was 3 months ago with good results. i don’t understand why this is happening now. please help!!
I am just going to add my two cents in here…..I have had dry, brittle hair for years and then sudden diffuse thinning….I had requested my thyroid to be tested for 4 years….and for 4 years the “Doctors” I saw said “your labs are within normal limits, something else is causing the problem.”….and then they referred me to psychiatry….
Well, I started to do my own research since I know it was not a stress or psychiatric reason…..
Lo and behold I stumbled upon the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)thyroid criteria…..The ENTIRE time I was complaining to these “Doctors” about my symptoms and telling them I had all the classic signs/symptoms of hypothyroid and they denied it…well, I WAS HYPOTHYROID!…..
The moral of the story….Do NOT believe what your Doctor tells you unless they are up to date on current clinical practices (and especially if they belong to an HMO that encourages them to follow their medical profiles versus the current standard of care protocol)…..
Look up the “new” AACE guidelines (as of 2001 that is) and see if you are hypothyroid before letting your doctor blow you off….besides hair loss, untreated hypothyroid condition can end up causing a magnitude of medical issues (ie: high cholesterol, depression, and can also be connected with adrenal fatigue)…..
I am having these symptoms as well.. Hair loss that grows back and falls off. I feel like I am going bald. Please help me. I went to a dr to see if I had lupus or rheumatoid arthritis but I don’t have either. I am 32 years old and am very healthy other than that. It started happening after the birth of my second son and is now getting worse. I don’t know what to do. Please help
I too use to have very thick and curly hair. I never could get it all in a pony tail. I started noticing hair loss and itchy scalp about 2-3 months ago. Everytime I touch my hair or run my fingers through it, it comes out.
My family doctor took a total of 5 minutes to assess and draw blood and prescribed an ant-fungal shampoo to me and sent me on my way.
Needless to say I am still losing an alarming amount of hair to the point of going to an Internal Med doctor in two weeks for a second opinion. This is very scary, I am only 39.
I have had hair loss for the last 2 years. My scalp is also itchy. I went to a dermatologist and he told me it is the medications i am taking. I have been taking Tricor for the past 2 years and just started taking Vytorin 4 months ago. He said the redness was from a slight case of Dermatitis. He gave me perscription strength Nizoral shampoo and it has helped the redness and itching. I quit taking the drugs also. He said it should grow back well in 9 to 12 months. We shall see.
I have been losing hair for about a month now. I think it is from stress,but I am not sure. I have thick curly hair that fall out when I brush it or run my fingers threw it. I have dance class and if I do not put it up its fall out all over the floor! Help!My scalp is a little itchy and kinda red:(
2 years and 4 months ago my scalp was full of hairs and they wern’t lifeless. Then I started having itchy scalp which when I scratched came with granules of skin and 1 or 2 hairs at the base. This has been consistent ever since. I have tried Nizoral, Deep Cleansing shampoo and the ones with no Lauryl Sulfate but the condition is not going away. The dermatalogist said I couldn’t do anything about it. Does anyone know a remedy for the same problem? Seems like most of us are having the same problem with no solution from anyone of us. I’m going crazy trying new products to solve the problem.
i recently started to lose alot of hair i’m 17 years old and have dark super curly hair. at this point if i place my palm to the center of my head all i’ll feel is whispy baby hairs that seem to be growing back in. My scalp is extremely itchy. I have increased the amount of times i wash my hair from about once or twice a week to every other day and i cut my length to above my shoulders but my scalp is still really itchy. Being a 17 yr old female naturally i’m freaking out my scalp has no scales on it and no signs of irritation. I am amenic and i’m on medication for a thyroid disorder
I too have an itchy scalp. With my hair getting thin on the top of my head. I’ve had this for several years. Haven’t ever gone to the doctor. I do have Excema. I’ve had it since my high school days, and I’m now 65 years old. Excema never goes away. It will clear for awhile, then come back . Even at 65, I’d like to not be a bald old woman. Used to color my hair, but quit. Thinking it was the coloring. Have used different shampoos and conditioners. Using Head and Shoulders now. My head feels a little calmer. My head is also tender. Would like for my hair to come back in. It is some, but not a lot. Judy from Illinois
Hi,
About 5 months ago my hair strted to fall out whenever i had a shower(lots of it!!) My hair is very thin now and I have a very itchy scalp at the back of my head. I’ve tried swithing shampoos but nothing has changed. Any ideas?
I’ve lost at least 50% of my hair in the past 2 years. I am 24 years old. My hair used to be smooth and shiny. Now it is brittle, dry, thin, and lifeless despite what I eat. I feel tired, sleepy, depressed, and dizzy. I lost appetite. I am always feeling cold. I have no history of baldness in my family. Does anyone know what could be the cause?
My email address is alynnaluong@hotmail.com if anyone can give me some advice! Thanks.
Okay ladies.
This may meet alot of hostility, but if you’re desperate to get better give it a shot.
Stop washing your hair.
It’s all I did (long haired guy, had terrible scalp pain, and thinning of hair strands). I also had my doctor give me some anti-allergen boost I was lacking in. My dogs hair and other things would increase the itchiness or pain. I stopped washing my hair and the pain went away and my hair is getting better (I’m rinsing it every three days now with baby shampoo.) All pain is gone and scalp isn’t dry. I don’t look as though I’m balding under heavy light now either.
Try that, and stick to a decent diet and don’t stress. It’s quite possible the problem was just myself, and many of you being blind to proper hair care. Nobody, and I mean nobody should ever wash their hair daily.
All, I have had a similar problem over the past two years. It started when I was planning(stessing over) my wedding two years ago. I had an extremly itchy scalp. It was sort of crusty and white flakes would come off when I scratched it. I was also losing globs of hair a day. It would cover the drain. Luckily I have a lot of hair, so it was only noticible to people when I pointed it out. But my hair is still much thinner than it was.
- After making myself relax and de-stress I started a vitamin regimine.
- To make the scalp itching stop, I was prescribed Olux Foax (100 gm) and I used it once - twice daily for a few months, and then as needed after that. This helped the flakiness go away. To ensure the flakiness didn’t come back, I take flaxseed oil pills twice daily.
For the hairloss, I take biotin (a lot of it - 3000 mcg daily)and I take a multi vitamin with iron daily.
After about four months of doing this, I saw that the hair was growing back and the hair shedding was greatly reduced. Now two years later I have a lot of wispy ends and it kind of looks like I’m growing out bangs. At this point, the hair is growing quickly thanks to the vitamins and I have normal shedding.
As a heads up, I have read that it is normal for your hair to shed more than usual at times, after an initial hair loss. Since a lot of fell out at once, and started growing at once. Those same hairs may go into the resting phase and shed around the same time years later.
Iam 25 yrs. old and have been loosing my hair for about 3-4 yrs. I had such beautiful hair so thick and healthy. now its 50% or more gone every one is noticeing now.I also have severe itchy flacky scalp. I used to dye my hair alot and wounder if any of you also dye . Its just krazy to me that so many young woman have the same symptoms! and its frusterating that doctors dont know whats going on. This is a serious issue here!! they dont know how it feels for a young woman to loose her hair! its one thing for a man to go bald but its totaly different for a young woman to go bald.I think there really should be; way more studies done on young woman and hair loss. so if any doctors come across this plz. for the love of god we need more research. ITCHY & CLUELESS Luisa
Ladies,
same here. You have each described my symptoms. I have made an appt to an allergist. appts for a dermy are booked up here for over 2 months. I will be bald by then at this rate.
I have read where others had appts to dermatologists, but there is no update as to their diagnosis. So i will be sure to post mine for ya.
As to the post by Nikki……I agree with her about the biotin. I am taking the max dosage which is 5000mg daily. I have been told that will help hair re-growth. I have also been told flax seed ooil in conjunction to biotin will help as well.
I am having major issues, & do not know what is happening to me. With my first daughter, I experienced a lot of hair loss after she was born, associated with itchy scalp. I went to a dermatoligist, & he prescribed me spironolactone to help some of it grow back, then had me alternate between a few different dandruff shampoos to get the itching under control, & using those two things seemed to work. Now, I just had me second daughter about 5 mths. ago, & my scalp did it again, just as it did before - itchy scalp, hairloss…well, the shampoos are no longer working like it grew a resistence, & the spironolactone is growing back some hair, but my head is itching so bad that I can’t stand it, & I’m still losing hair. Now, I’ve had my thyroid checked, so all of that is great, but this is driving me nuts. What could be causing this after the birth of each of my children? I understand postpartum hairloss, but the itchy, scaly scalp? Please! I need help! The other remedies from the other time I experienced aren’t helping!