HELP! - What else can i do to get my hair back? ... (hair loss regimen advice please)

MsMetamorphose

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I'm a 31 yr old female and ive been losing a lot of hair for a few years, but as i had a lot of it ('HAD' being the word!) it wasn't cosmetically noticeable until about a year ago. Since then it has rapidly become more and more noticeable and is now almost impossible to hide.
I have diffuse thinning (all over the head), but have also been cursed with a receding hairline & temples (like a man?!!!!!!!!!! - and i already had a high & wide forehead to start with!). Plus the whole top front half of the hair i have left is so thin and straggly.
I realise now how the hair that frames the face is the MOST important hair on your head - without it i feel plain ugly, especially as a woman. :(

Anyhoo, i've been google-researching like crazy ever since i realised that the excessive hairloss i was experiencing was NOT being replaced with new hairs, like id previously presumed..
These are the products/ingredients/supplements that i've built into my 'Battle Against Hair Loss' regime so far! (please note: I have been gradually adding on to my regimen as i learnt more, item by item, and hence i have only been taking some of these products for a month or two, whilst the rest were started up to 6 months ago.
I have started to see lots of short, baby-fine regrowth beginning to fill in my receded temples somewhat, and a few regular-thickness, short hairs popping out slightly below my receded hairline, above centre forehead, below and beside my widows peak (these are very sparse and look somewhat like Homer Simpson's head, but im hoping more will continue to follow).:-

* NIOXIN SHAMPOO - 1-2x a week {I now use system 4 for noticeably thinning chemically treated hair. I used to use System 2 for noticeably thinning natural/virgin hair. I like both, but prefer System 4 as i find it slightly less drying for some reason}. ... Alternated with .....

* NIZORAL 2% SHAMPOO - 1-2x a week {I aim to wash my hair every other day, to remove more DHT than my previous 1-2x per week washes. However, as my hair is fine and dry i do sometimes leave 2 days between washes for fear of overdrying the lengths. I'm thinking i should try washing every day, especially as my receded hairline seems to mimic male pattern baldness, which i guess means DHT would be the main cause?}.

* NIOXIN SCALP CONDITIONER - 3-4x a week, applied to scalp-only, every wash.

* JOICO K-PAK RECONSTRUCTOR - protein treatment 1x per month, to protect and repair remaining hair/lengths.

* BIOLAGE CONDITIONING BALM / BIOLAGE ULTRA-HYDRATING BALM - 3-4x a week, every wash {Both used interchangeably dependant on how dry my lengths feel. However, i always use the richer Ultra-Hydrating Balm after a protein treatment}.

* 'CARRIER' OILS: EMU OIL, EVOO, GRAPESEED OIL, 'JAMAICAN BLACK' CASTOR OIL - 4-6x a week {I mix these into the topical treatments below and/or use independantly for regular scalp and length oilings}.

* AYURVEDIC OILS (with Indian Herbs): MAHABHRINGARAJ (Pune brand), NEELIBHRINGADI, KESAVARDHINI (Concentrate), VATIKA ENRICHED COCONUT (Dabur brand) - 4-6x a week {Vatika for lengths and Mahabhringaraj/Neelibringhadi/Kesavardhini on scalp}.

* ESSENTIAL OILS: ROSEMARY, CEDARWOOD, LAVENDER, WHITE THYME, TEA TREE - 4-6x a week {Mixed into above oils}.

* MICONAZOLE 2% CREAM - every other day {Mixed with following oils: Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Emu Oil, Essential Oils above. My mix is approx 50% Miconazole Nitrate 2% Cream, 20% Jamaican Black Castor Oil, 30% Emu Oil,, then i add a few drops of each essential oil. I'm in the UK so i use Daktarin Activ as my Miconazole cream, but i think in the US the brand-name Miconazole cream is called Monistat 7}.

* HAIR SIGNALS CREAM / HAIR SIGNALS SOLUTION - every other day, alternated with the Miconazole-oil mix above {Hair Signals Cream applied all around hairline & thinnest areas at top-front of head (bangs/fringe area); Hair Signals Solution applied throughout the rest of scalp, concentrated on crown and sides where it seems to have thinned more than middle back}.

* KETOCONAZOLE 2% CREAM - 1-3x a week {Mixed exactly like my Miconazole mixture above, using Keto 2% Cream in place of Mico 2% Cream. This is the most recent addition to my regime and over the past month i would say ive only used it approx 7 times. My intention is/was to use it every-other-day on the days i dont wash my hair, to keep a more continuous check on my scalp DHT, but i mixed it up as a reseperate treatment and there's only so many lotions and potions i can apply before i hit critical mass! So.. I intend to add the Keto cream to the Miconazole-Oil mixture above.

* SUBLIMED SULFUR (aka FLOWERS OF SULPHUR) - I have not used this yet, as i only received it in the mail today. I'm not sure whether to add it to my Miconazole/Ketoconazole/Oil mixture as some people do, or to make a separate mix. Anyway, as i havent used the Sulfur yet obviously i cant attribute any of my regrowth to this... but hoping it is a positive addition to my hair loss/regrowth regime, none-the-less!


I will follow with a separate post for the oral supplements i take.. (another long list!;).

Maria x

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I just wanted to clarify that whilst i am experiencing new regrowth with my current regime im also still experiencing massive sheds.

It seems my regime so far is successful at encouraging growth much more than reducing the shedding which caused the need for regrowth in the 1st place (did that make any sense?!).

I feel like i still need to block more DHT on the scalp but i dont know how?

If anyone could offer any advice id be trully grateful, and hopefully something ive written may help someone else (i have typers cramp! lol). xxx

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ADDED:

I have no idea what name to give to the hair loss condition i have. I *think* it may be Androgenic Alopecia, but im not sure?.

I visited my GP who ordered a Full Blood Count, Ferritin Levels and Thyroid Function blood tests, all of which came back 'normal'.

I just dont know where to go from here. My confidence is dropping lower with every hair that falls. I feel ugly, unfeminine and like a freak. I cant bare to sit back and just watch myself go bald... i HAVE to take action.

Please help. Is there anything more i can do? Is anything im using doing more harm than good?

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UPDATE:

After a phenominal shed last night in the shower and waking up this morning with noticeably thinner hair yet again, i am feeling nervous and a little hopeless. Could this possibly be a positive sign, signifying my treatment regime is working, or is it as negative as it feels right now to lose yet MORE hair? I'm terrified to be honest, and feel so damned ugly right now.

I desperately want to add more DHT Inhibitors / Androgen Blockers to my regime ASAP. I have a gut feeling excessive DHT could be my main problem.

My GP wont prescribe me any oral meds at the moment, so my google-research has brought up the following possible DHT Blockers for treatment of hairloss:

* REVIVOGEN / CRINAGEN (topical)
* S5 CREAM (topical)
* PROCERIN
* PROVILLUS
* PROPECIA
* AVODART
* SAW PALMETTO (oral or topical)
* NETTLE ROOT (oral or topical)
* BETA-SITOSTEROL (oral or topical)
* CETIRIZINE (topical) <- does this block DHT?

(I already use NIZORAL 2%, KETOCONAZOLE 2% CREAM, MICONAZOLE 2% CREAM, EMU OIL, EVOO & ESSENTIAL OILS, in an effort to reduce scalp DHT, as listed in my regime at the top of the page).

Which of the above products would you suggest i add in to my regime to further block scalp DHT?

Or should i just risk it and try some Spironolactone pills from an online chemist? Would they be the most likely to stop me losing my hair?
I feel desperate & confused about what options are available to me.
I already had low confidence before i started losing my hair and receding like a man - As a woman this is devastating! (please dont think im saying it isnt devastating for a guy, but at least it's accepted as the 'norm' for men to bald/recede, whilst a female is branded a freak, ugly, a tranny/lesbian, weirdo, ugly..

I cant take this anymore..

PLEASE help... ANY comments are so much appreciated. xxxx
 

JayOlli

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yes, I am here :)

Anyone? x

Hi MsMetamorphose,

I can sympathize a lot with all that you say – hair loss (yes, especially for women) could be a big deal. Since I also have suffered (still am, actually) from hair loss, with similar characteristics to what you describe (though not identical), I'd like to ask a few questions that may help me better understand your condition.

1. While I have developed a huge frustration with doctors, have you been diagnosed by a skin/hair doctor (not your GP) ? if not, I think it would be very important that you see a good one, at least to be diagnosed whether your condition is associated with Androgenic condition, or not. You seem to be pretty sure that DHT is your problem, and I wonder what is leading you to that conclusion. For me, while the dear doctor was not able to offer any real cure or treatment, the basic diagnosis was still a good worth for the money.
2. Is everything ok with your nutrition ? both in terms of intake (proteins, broad enough foods that provide you with enough vitamins and minerals, etc) ? in case your intake is ok, are you sure your absorption is good enough ?
3. Talking about absorption - in my case (which I may share in full details someday), I am pretty sure the absorption was not good, so even the food I was easting (and there was not too muc of it) was poorly absorbed by a non-balanced digestion system.
4. In that context - was there a significant antibiotics treatment given to you several months before your shedding started ? this could impact severely your body (specifically your digestion system), and may trigger diffuse hair loss.
5. How is everything else around your health ? are you getting enough sleep ? how about skin, nails, periods (on time or not), all kind of unexplained pains, and in short - general health, or any other signs of abnormal health conditions ?


My own experience was that my own diffuse hair loss was very much correlated with many other symptoms, that alas no doctor (GP, hair-loss specialists, etc) were interested in talking about with me, or to tie them to hair loss in any way. It took me time, trials, patience, and money (a lot of it :)) to address much of those symptoms all by myself, and then to also see impact on my hair loss.

Another comment - I share your frustration with new growth that comes with shed hair. Can you share any info on the amount of shed hair ? do you count how much hair is shed ? I used this method in specific periods, so that I have better measurement and better understanding of what is going on with the massive shed ... since any hair treatment starts to have its positive impact only after a while, and only little by little, it is important to measure changes, and see that indeed a treatment that has anything to do with your condition (and I am sure many of the treatments we use do not make an impact whatsoever) really helps.

Last comment - since the exact diagnosis (and derived from that - the treatment) is very often not easy to obtain, and indeed time is of essence (meaning - you really want to start seeing an improvement !!), my advice is to mix different treatments together, as long as they do not contradict each other. So your focus on DHT etc, while it could be the right thing or not, I'd still make sure to boost up anything related to nutrition. I can say a lot more on that one, but for now I'd stop here.

All the best,
JayOlli
 

rwGourmetStyleWellness

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Hi, What's reduced my hair loss GREATLY are the topicals. The Nizoral 2% as 1% does nothing for me. And Minoxidil. Because the nizoral is so drying, I'm having it, the ketoconazole 2% placed into a shampoo that is moisturizing and detangling for my hair. And it's WORKING!!! THANK GOD! Because the shampoo of nizoral is to harsh to use. Next I'm using Min. in an oil formula also formulated by a pharmacy. So oiling my hair is really applying min. To reduce more of the dht from scalp, try leaving the nizoral on it for hours. I do. I don't put it on for 5 mins. That's nothing for me. Leaving it on for a lengthy amount of time has GREATLY reduced my sheeding and caused me not to shed at all.

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Let me reiterate this, LEAVING THE KETO 2% SHAMPOO ON MY HAIR FOR HOURS HAS GREATLY GREATLY GREATLY REDUCED MY HAIR LOSS RATE. And notice THIS IS THE SHAMPOO THAT IS FORMULATED BY A COMPOUNDING PHARMACIST OF PUTTING THE 2% KETO IN A MOISTERIZING SHAMPOO THAT MY HAIR CAN TOLERATE.
 
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