Hair Loss/Thinning

janie It's a lot harder to challenge a consultant than a GP!
Doctors may seem blinkered sometimes but on the other hand, if they stray from orthodoxy and the received wisdom, they run the risk of being sued by patients and hounded by the NHS authorities and the GMC.
Malcolm Kendrick is a brave man.

Thank you everyone for your comments on this topic, much appreciated. Janeainsworth I have saved that article, very interesting and reinforces some of the information I have googled on the subject of thyroid. I find it amazing that doctors fail to treat symptoms - at times they are very rigid in their thinking and work in a very blinkered fashion. I have been under a Consultant Endocrinologist for a couple of years and it's very hard to know how to handle things in order to encourage a different approach.
As far as products are concerned I use the Fibrology shampoo and conditioner, and I would be lost without a fabulous product called Revlon Uniq One which I spray on before combing through and blow drying. It detangles, conditions and gives body.
Will certainly give kelp a go Cardiganwearer. I am taking Biotin, Vit D and Omega 3 at present.
Good luck all - and please share any miracle cures/results!

If this is caused by a thyroid issue and you are open to taking supplements I would recommend that you try taking kelp either in powder or tablet form as it is rich in iodine.

I agree with an earlier comment about the thyroid problem. If your throid is underactive it will certainly cause thinning hair and also hair loss. Suggest you go back to your doctor and find out out where on the normal scale your results are. My dr maintains that everyone is different and tends to rely on the symptons continuing rather than the blood tests. Do you have any other symptons, tiredness, slow thinking, change of voice and or more facial hait, all are symptons which can be treated with medication.

Oh, one thing I forgot. The Love Hair Tornado hairpieces are remarkably effective for about a fiver - just pin them on the back of your head and they are so light they stay put. They have other styles too. I used one for my 60th party and a few people complimented me on it and asked where I'd had my hair done The thing is my hair was coloured red then (hair dye is another thing that can thicken the strands of fine hair a bit) and it doesn't match anymore. Heads off to order another from the dreaded Amazon....

I've posted on other threads about this. My hair has always been baby fine and is thin as well, has been since my thirties. I've had tests for thyroid function and anaemia, but nothing's cropped up. My DGM and aunt had similar hair and my dad was practically bald by his mid-twenties, so I assume it's genetic. I've tried all sorts of pills and potions to little effect, had specialist extensions at a salon that offers treatment for people with alopecia and the like (they were excellent, but I had to trail down to London every 6 weeks for adjustments, which after a year or two got to be too much of a commitment and expense). I now just concentrate on trying to make it look better. Elvive Fibrology is effective to some extent, and I use Batiste Dry Shampoo to boost what I have - both are cheap and make some difference. The one thing that always annoys me is people saying you should just have a good hair cut at a top salon. If you have enough hair to be given a good hair cut, you haven't really got a problem! Best wishes (and I'll be watching the thread for any recommendations too).

Janie, have you been referred to specialists for either your Thyroiditus or hair loss?
Our GP's are wonderful but not the font of all knowledge.

My daughter has Graves disease. In the 18 yrs since being diagnosed (aged 16 yrs) and following the removal of her thyroid she has had to battle with clinicians who tell her she is in the "normal" range when clearly she was either hypothyroid or hyperthyroid and needed her Thyroxin dosage altered.
She is a hairdresser and knows from her own experience and that of others the effect of thyroid problems on hair.

The guidelines on thyroid levels in the UK are very different from those in the USA as is the treatment. Please don't be fobbed off, do your research and ask for a referral.
Good luck. xx

Janie
Re your autoimmune thyroiditis.
drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/05/01/treating-thyroid-patients-like-children/
This is a long and rather long-winded blog, but he is basically saying that a lot of people with thyroid dysfunction are not being treated properly.
Quote:
"The conversion of T4 into T3 can be significantly reduced in some people. So these individuals can have normal T4 and TSH, but they are still effectively hypothyroid. For those who are interested in a bit more detail, there is a population with a defective DIO2 gene. This blocks T4 to T3 conversion, and results (amongst other things) in reduced T3 levels in the brain, which can lead to mood disorders. I mention this single example to make it clear that there is solid scientific evidence to back up the conjecture that it is possible to be functionally ‘hypothyroid’ with normal blood tests.

A lot of people have reported significant improvements in their health through taking thyroxine, with normal blood tests, and also natural thyroid extract when their laboratory tests were ‘normal’."

So especially if you have other hypothyroid symptoms, it might be worth going back to your doctor and asking again.
I particularly like Dr Kendrick's comparison of the way thyroid patients are treated, compared to patients who need anti-depressants.

I have the same problem, thinning hair when it used to be thick. The only place it grows now is on my face, so am trying to deal with that too. Not happy of course....Blood tests show nothing abnormal, but the doctor referred to it as male pattern baldness. It's not literally bald but it is thin.
My friend went up to Harley st and had injections and was prescribed minoxidil which helped her. However her hair was nowhere as thin as mine is but she was pleased with her results.

I too have hair loss, and have been hair free for over 30 years. It is not the worst thing that can happen, although as I don't try to hide it, people always assume I'm having chemotherapy. My DH always has a story about why I'm bald, usually involving a sex game. I never mind anyone asking, but resent assumptions. I realise this doesn't help you, but cotton scarves and hats make a statement. I also used to paint flowers in my bald bits, but I was younger then!

Oh ruby how kind.

You are beautiful just as you are KatyK X.

There have been a few threads on hair loss on GN and also a blog. They may be of help to you if you can find them. I have lost all of my hair and although, as you say above janieuk , it's not the worst thing that can happen but it certainly is devastating and can ruin lives to be honest. Minoxydil didn't help me, which isn't to say it won't help you. (I got it on prescription). I have tried the lot to no avail. Good luck.

I know how you feel. My hair has always been lush and thick with a kink in it and curly at times. I have never had to deal with thin hair. But recently my hair has become really thin, losing all of its thickness and voluminosity. I have trimmed it this weekend and coloured it, followed by a deep condition and, even though it doesn't look thin, when I put my hands through it, it is thinner. I haven't found a thickener just yet. I will look though and if I find something that works for me, I will let you know. It is embarrassing to feel that hair is thinning and maybe by the time of the wedding coming round, you will have found something that will help and make you more confident, lets hope. I had put something in my trolley at Tesco online but just been told it isn't available with no alternative. It was Elvive Fibrology Hair Thickener but I hadn't tried it yet. I may find it online on ebay or amazon and order it from there. If you try anything will you please let me know? I think mine is the menopause too. I'm having lots of other symptoms. Take care. X