My hair falling out

[joanne68]

My hair is falling out really bad now after being in Icu . Can any one tell me will i go totally bald before it gets better and how long roughly will it take for it to go back to normal. It started falling out 2 weeks ago. My hair is shoulder length and quite thick. Now it's getting worryingly thin. Its causing me anxiety.

[Sepsur]

I think everyone experiences legacies of ICU to differing degrees. I found hair loss one of the most profoundly upsetting aspects of my illness - possibly because it was a visual illustration of what I couldn’t see had gone wrong inside me. Mine took a few weeks to give up falling out & a few months to grow back. I was encouraged to carrying on washing & combing my hair to stimulate growth. I think potassium is a good mineral to take - best double check which mineral is best.

[Rhyl1 Partner Moderator ICUsteps]

It is very common to loose some hair after critical illness, but it will thicken up again with time. Here are some tips to encourage hair growth.

Try to eat a well-balanced diet. In particular, foods high in protein, iron, and vitamin C; hair is made almost entirely of protein and consuming enough is important for hair growth. You could ask your doctor about taking supplements, particularly iron, folic acid, biotin, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and zinc. There’s no need to take supplements if you’re already eating a balanced diet.

Avoid harsh chemicals or excessive heat on your hair and scalp. Don’t use tight ponytails or braids.

Give yourself a scalp massage when you wash your hair to encourage blood flow to the hair follicles. Use a shampoo and conditioner with vitamin E or keratin. You could try a topical ointment, such as Rogaine. Remember to protect your hair from excessive sun exposure by wearing a hat.

Hope this helps.

[Rhyl1 Partner Moderator ICUsteps]

Hi if you want more information about the effects of critical illness in ICU on the body, have a look at icusteps.org/information/gu...

[BBDEBS]

Totally normal, mine started falling out in fistfulls so I shaved it off, gave it the kick start it needed and grew back quickly.

I had little fluffy duck hair for 3 weeks, then it came back.

Your body ceases making non essential stuff like hair and nails, so it is just a really positive sign to show how wonderful and amazing our bodies are to help the machines and drugs fix us.

Wear your new hair as a badge of honour xx

[sheila21]

I lost about two thirds of my hair after a week in ICU two years ago. Loss of hair and nails weren't a priority while the doctors were trying to save my life as it was never mentioned! It was traumatic but happy to say it grew back really well! I cut mine shorter to help it look less thin.

Plenty of good food and fresh air helped me recover and I set myself small achievable targets helped me stay positiveandcgetvmt strength back. Talk to anyone who will listen to share the experience as I found that helped!! It wasn't an easy time but you will recover!

Good luck. Xx

[Copse77]

Low iron can result in breathlessness, fatigue, inability to concentrate and hair loss. Iron is really important for hair. Ferritin is a form of stored iron protein and women are often more deficient than men. Please see your GP and arrange for your iron and ferritin levels to be checked. My brother was severely anaemic after time in a coma in ICU and it took a while to get his iron levels back to normal. He was on iron prescribed by the Dr and had regular blood tests until it resumed to normal levels. You can boost your iron through green leafy veg like spinach, apricots, flaxseed and pumpkin seed and red meat. There is iron in chicken too . Many breakfast cereals are fortified with iron too.

[kelseyT]

Hi Joanne, I lost about 2/3 of my hair after a week long ICU stay on a ventilator for sepsis. My doctors thought it was strange because it was delayed a couple of months, but they said it was just the trauma/stress/medicine/low iron levels. I was also worried I would go completely bald, lose my eyebrows, eyelashes, etc, but I didn't! I am using SugarBearHair vitamins, biotin, and a special shampoo and scalp oil for hair loss, and it is seeming to really help. My hair is beginning to grow back in!!! I also had thick hair before I was sick, so I cut it off short to make it less noticeable how thin it is until it grows back in more. I felt bad being so worried about my hair when I should be thankful to be alive (which I am of course!), but it is still very traumatic and stressful as you're trying to recover fully. Good luck!! It will come back with time <3 <3