Losing my hair - help!

[Partiallythere]

Hi all,

About 6 weeks ago I started losing much larger amounts of hair when washing than before. It raised a little red flag in my brain but when I went to my hairdressers two weeks later, tons came out when she was washing out the hair dye - she's been my hairdresser for more than twenty years so knows my hair well. So her saying about it raised a second, but larger, red flag.

I was going on holiday the next day and she told me to go and relax, that it might be stress. On holiday it continued, maybe got worse. I became very aware of every strand leaving my head so it's possible I'd started stressing about it now, ironically!

I've been back from holiday a couple of weeks and it's still continuing - I have quite long hair (to the bottom of my should blades) and where I'd lose a fifty pence piece worth of hair with each wash, my normal, I'm now losing a small handful. Literally when I'm running my fingers through my hair with conditioner they take huge chunks out.

I've been trying not to research too much into this, and wondered if you ladies may have experienced this and any suggestions you may have. I have read about estrogen dominance as we age (I'm 40) and that progesterone cream has been known to help, but have also read horror stories about that. You can see why I stopped reading!

Thank you to anyone who can offer advice. My hair is thinner though I don't have any bald spots (yet) it seems only a matter of a couple more weeks of this so I feel time is getting critical to deal with it.

[galathea]

Any idea what level your ferritin is? There is a direct link and ferritin can run low in hypothyroidism.

Xx g

[Hidden]

How are your serum ferriin levels? Low iron has been associated with hair loss.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry Galathea - must read the replies before I jump in! Seconded, anyway.

[Clutter]

Partiallythere, in addition to ferritin, how are your thyroid levels? Too low and too high can increase hairlosss. Low zinc can also cause it.

[Partiallythere]

Thanks very much everyone. I called my gp yesterday - my thyroid has had a rough time since April - spent time in hospital as BP sky high and needed hourly ecgs - I had started taking just T3 and had overdone it - my own fault. consultant stopped all thyroid meds (she thought I was still taking Levo plus T3) for a few weeks so I then plummeted to depths of hypo and have been inching back up since.

Latest results have my tsh at 0.01, ft4 in range and ft3 slightly high. I'm having more bloods today and will get those results and the last few (I'm in such a mental mess I can't remember anything anymore) and post them.

Basically she said its my thyroid. That hair has a 'lag time' on what happens in our body and its shedding all the dead hair but new hair is growing through - she managed to know this via a telephone line, I never saw her! but seeing my hairdresser tomorrow and will ask her if she sees any bald patches or re growth. At the rate I'm going I'll be completely bald with baby hair regrowing lol. Actually it's not at all funny. I'm terrified

[Mabes]

The pattern of loss - rapid shedding - sounds like Telogen Effluvium. It can be caused by thyroid, low iron, stress (say after moving or losing job), postpartum. It should correct itself once the cause is gone or resolved. Even though the GP said it's thyroid, no harm in asking for Ferritin test.

[Partiallythere]

Thanks Mabes. I looked that up and it exactly describes what's going on. I've been to my hairdressers and had five inches cut off it so it looks healthier. And had my bloods done (inc ferritin) so will post the results for advice, once I get them.

[Partiallythere]

Hi all, could I ask for some help with blood test results please? I take 3.5 grains of NDT.

On 21 July

TSH 0.01 (no surprise)

FT4 15.7 (12.0-22.0)

FT3 7.3 (3.95-6.8)

On 27 August

TSH 0.01 again

FT4 12.8 (12.0-22.0)

FT3 4.9 (3.95-6.8)

They also tested B12 and iron:

B12 345 (197-866)

Serum folate 9.8 (4.6-18.7)

Serum ferritin 94 (13.0-150.0)

Is there anything there you think might be an issue/cause for the hair loss? Thanks very much for any advice x