Dr. Says I Have Low Ferritin. Since Starting Iron: Short Hair Shed
- Thread starter hairblues
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Hi, hairblues.
My ferritin was also low when my dermatologist tested it almost four years ago. I raised it considerably with an iron supplement and blackstrap molasses. I also eat cereal that's high in iron. Unfortunately for me--but not necessarily for you--none of what I've done has had a positive effect on my shedding. From the start, I've shed all the types of hairs you've described and copious amounts of them. Currently, my sheds consist of more short-cycling hairs of various diameters and lengths. I know this is miniaturization for me, since I had a scalp biopsy done three years ago which revealed Androgenetic Alopecia.
I have two dermatologists. The doctor who read my scalp biopsy takes a picture of my hair yearly to assess the progression of my hair loss. This is not a scalp biopsy. With a scalp biopsy, a small area of hair and skin is removed, and there is a small amount of bleeding. It's not painful.
I have been using 5% minoxidil for over two years no. I'm still shedding just the same, but I've had no side effects. I'm 53, by the way. I haven't gone through menopause yet. I'm wondering if you should wait until all your blood work has been completed until you try minoxidil, in case a deficiency is the culprit for you.
Good luck, hairblues, and keep us posted.
My ferritin was also low when my dermatologist tested it almost four years ago. I raised it considerably with an iron supplement and blackstrap molasses. I also eat cereal that's high in iron. Unfortunately for me--but not necessarily for you--none of what I've done has had a positive effect on my shedding. From the start, I've shed all the types of hairs you've described and copious amounts of them. Currently, my sheds consist of more short-cycling hairs of various diameters and lengths. I know this is miniaturization for me, since I had a scalp biopsy done three years ago which revealed Androgenetic Alopecia.
I have two dermatologists. The doctor who read my scalp biopsy takes a picture of my hair yearly to assess the progression of my hair loss. This is not a scalp biopsy. With a scalp biopsy, a small area of hair and skin is removed, and there is a small amount of bleeding. It's not painful.
I have been using 5% minoxidil for over two years no. I'm still shedding just the same, but I've had no side effects. I'm 53, by the way. I haven't gone through menopause yet. I'm wondering if you should wait until all your blood work has been completed until you try minoxidil, in case a deficiency is the culprit for you.
Good luck, hairblues, and keep us posted.
Hi, hairblues.
I have not tried PRP+Acell. Maybe someone else can give you some information on that.
Also, is the spironolactone in topical form? I took oral spironolactone for several months but discontinued when I noticed weight gain, especially in the midsection. I have since lost the weight ,but it took longer than usual to do so. I don't know if it was the spironolactone for sure, but I was never really comfortable taking it anyway, so I'm still debating whether to give it another try. I didn't notice a decrease in shedding while I was on it, but I had only worked my way up to 50 mgs. for a short time, and I think 200 mgs. are needed to have any effect on hair loss.
I'd take it as good signs that you're not shedding as many shorter hairs and that you're seeing regrowth--yay! Thanks for the update.
I have not tried PRP+Acell. Maybe someone else can give you some information on that.
Also, is the spironolactone in topical form? I took oral spironolactone for several months but discontinued when I noticed weight gain, especially in the midsection. I have since lost the weight ,but it took longer than usual to do so. I don't know if it was the spironolactone for sure, but I was never really comfortable taking it anyway, so I'm still debating whether to give it another try. I didn't notice a decrease in shedding while I was on it, but I had only worked my way up to 50 mgs. for a short time, and I think 200 mgs. are needed to have any effect on hair loss.
I'd take it as good signs that you're not shedding as many shorter hairs and that you're seeing regrowth--yay! Thanks for the update.
I didn't have any issues with my periods during the short time I was on spironolactone. I'm wondering if oral spironolactone would be strong enough to help with Androgenetic Alopecia, in my case. Being a lifelong hypochondriac, I hated the risks associated with spironolactone, and I still worry that I may have triggered breast cancer. Maybe the iron will do the trick for you. And I know the waiting is hard, but luckily there's hope for you, since you haven't been diagnosed with Androgenetic Alopecia. Keep staying positive.
I haven't read of anyone having much success with it, so I'm thinking it's not worth trying. The unrelenting shedding for the last four years is what's really wearing me down. If I looked like Halle Berry, I would've gotten a haircut like hers a year into this BS. Are things any better for you?
I used Nizoral for about two months in the beginning, which did absolutely nothing.
I've been to two dermatologists and am happy with both. I have Androgenetic Alopecia, so it is what it is. My father was bald, my grandmother started losing hair in her 50s, and my mother (age 82) started losing hair in her 70s. My sister is 56, and her hair started thinning about a year ago. I see women every single day with hair loss, and they're not just old ladies. Androgenetic Alopecia is a losing battle really. I'm drained. If there were a solution, I wouldn't be seeing women's scalps daily. It makes me sick to look at them. Hopefully, things will work out for you, especially with the type of job you have.
I've been to two dermatologists and am happy with both. I have Androgenetic Alopecia, so it is what it is. My father was bald, my grandmother started losing hair in her 50s, and my mother (age 82) started losing hair in her 70s. My sister is 56, and her hair started thinning about a year ago. I see women every single day with hair loss, and they're not just old ladies. Androgenetic Alopecia is a losing battle really. I'm drained. If there were a solution, I wouldn't be seeing women's scalps daily. It makes me sick to look at them. Hopefully, things will work out for you, especially with the type of job you have.
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Why would your cat care about spironolactone?
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This forum is generally skeptical of PRP and laser, I have not looked into why.
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The short hair shed is generally a good sign. Hair follicles have to abandon a growth cycle and start over to produce a thicker hair.
The brown spots are interesting though. I was working 80h/week running a project, being right out of university last winter/spring. The stress caused immense scalp inflammation. At the same time I got some brown spots on my hips and legs, like slight bruises.
I thought it was maybe ketosis as i was working out too much and cutting carbs. But maybe it was something different. Actually nobody has figured out the mast cell / inflammation part of male pattern baldness, so it's an interesting detail.
The AA message is a good one for you though, with an AA cure around the corner.
The brown spots are interesting though. I was working 80h/week running a project, being right out of university last winter/spring. The stress caused immense scalp inflammation. At the same time I got some brown spots on my hips and legs, like slight bruises.
I thought it was maybe ketosis as i was working out too much and cutting carbs. But maybe it was something different. Actually nobody has figured out the mast cell / inflammation part of male pattern baldness, so it's an interesting detail.
The AA message is a good one for you though, with an AA cure around the corner.
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- 1,004
Hi hairblues,
In the text you cited:
"AAI has a typical clinical presentation: it looks like an
acute telogen effluvium with an intensely positive pull test
and trichodynia."...
"More than 350 hairs are usually
collected with the modified wash test (MWT),3 and, sometimes,
as many as 1000 hairs are collected."
Is this your case? No?
Don't worry about Alopecia Areata Incognito...
M
Mercedes B
Guest
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Hi hairblues, think again the use of minoxidil. Start with spironolactone one month and see what happen. According to manufacturers of minoxidil, you must use it for life.
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No, I never used it.
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I had lost this thread. Sorry for not answering your question a few pages back hairblues.
Not sure myself if I should take minoxidil.
On one hand the big shed and following big boost of minoxidil will override every feedback regarding whether your other treatments work.
On the other hand it might save additional follicles long-term working in synergy with your androgen countermeasures. (1+1=11)
I am quite exited to have less shedding right now so I'm not using minoxidil to keep seeing what is going on.
-Edit-
The body resets the growth phase of a hair and sheds it if either the conditions have dramatically improved or worsened. The hair diameter can't change during anagen, so in order to grow a thicker hair the body sheds the old one.
Not sure myself if I should take minoxidil.
On one hand the big shed and following big boost of minoxidil will override every feedback regarding whether your other treatments work.
On the other hand it might save additional follicles long-term working in synergy with your androgen countermeasures. (1+1=11)
I am quite exited to have less shedding right now so I'm not using minoxidil to keep seeing what is going on.
-Edit-
The body resets the growth phase of a hair and sheds it if either the conditions have dramatically improved or worsened. The hair diameter can't change during anagen, so in order to grow a thicker hair the body sheds the old one.
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Without finasteride? That's great!
Problem I've had with minoxidil is that if you stop it drops. But my dermo put me on oral minoxidil, told me that it was heaps more effective, and that the results were permanent, but I've yet to see results.