Hair Loss

I feel my hair has thinned too, but my hairdresser tells me it's now 'transparent' rather than grey, this means Its easier to see my scalp, which I think makes me think it's thinner? My eyebrow disappear a long time ago, which has always bothered me. Last year, after much consideration I bit the bullet and had them tattooed ! Best thing ever. But if your considering it do your research, a good beauty consultant is a must, someone you trust and who will help you make the right decision regarding shape and colour. No one notices mine, which a perfect outcome for me!

I accepted things as they are and moved on. Try to use concealers. They work for me and I wouldn't personally go for expensive treatments or hair transplant. I don't know how much hair you've already lost but if you have thinning hair give the concealers like toppik, volume hair plus or nanogen a go and see whether it helps. Having a piece on my head is a no no for me at the moment but if I have no choice in a few years time I'll probably go for it.

I have recently started using concealers and it works for me. I tried Toppik powder and now switched to Volume Hair Plus hair spray and my husband can't tell the difference whether the hair is natural or not. I also read online about minoxidil and started using 1% solution but effects (if any ) will be noticable in a few months. I'm loosing hair and that's the way it is but if I can do something about it I'll help myself. Sorry, sounds a bit selfish .

Mell

Skate, where from?

have you tried supplements ,I have a friend who swears by Kelp capsules and to be fair her hair does look much thicker since she started taking them .Might be worth a try .

Espee I wanted to let you know of my experience with shampoos that claim to thicken hair. I have a good amount of fine hair, which looks ok when just washed but inevitably goes limp and flat very quickly. I started to use a certain shampoo that promised to thicken hair (I won't name it as I might get sued, and it seems that all shampoos that claim this eventually have the same result) It worked well for a while but over the last year my hair seems to have suddenly got thinner. I then read an alarming article about thickening shampoos which said that they coat the hair with chemicals, which works for a while, but causes the hair to fall out more quickly than normal and, more worrying, the hair follicle gets blocked with these products and new hair is prevented from growing. It recommended that you use a very simple shampoo with no promises of any kind, just something mild that will wash your hair. It seems that thickening shampoos after a time have precisely the opposite effect, so I stopped using it at once and now just buy 'Simple' shampoo. My hair does feel better for it and I hope that in time I might recover some of the thickness that I had util recently.

...and further to the above, I had a lot of hair on my brush after washing, but after two months of using Simple shampoo this has decreased to a normal level of just a coupe of hairs.

couple!!

I'm on @ the 5th month of using minoxidil and it does seem to be working. Takes 4 months to start working but then the hair will fall out if you stop using it. Still not sure it there's just something in it that makes hair look thicker. I was sure that I'd develop an allergic reaction to it [I do with most things] but that hasn't happened. Feeling quite hopeful. Did ask my GP if it was ok to take it at my age, and she said she couldn't see why it said over 66's shouldn't take it if they had no BP problems. I will try the Simple shampoo as well; hair thickening products just seem to stick to the roots of my hair and make the hair fall out when brushing.

It's been awhile since I updated but don't have any answers, I'm afraid.
When I eventually saw the GP, she said that at 67 I was too old to start HRT (hey, thanks! Just what I needed to hear!).
I tried a biotin supplement for about 9 months and it made absolutely no difference whatsoever - hair still getting thinner, nails still crumbling.
To be honest, I've more-or-less given up all hope of being able to improve the situation. I'm just really cross that no one bothered to tell me that hair loss/thinning is a very common side-effect of hysterectomy and the menopause in general and HRT could have helped years ago - probably when I first mentioned it to a GP but was brushed off (pardon the pun!)
I know there are people on here who feel that certain things have helped but from my bitter, twisted and apparently too old perspective, I can't help but think that this may be down to the fact that the hair growth cycle is so long. If you're at the shedding stage you might decide it's time to do something about it, find a new product and start to use it. After a few weeks, you could seem to have a good result because your hair's not falling out at the same rate but, in fact, you've just got to the next stage of the cycle..................Sorry!

I am sick to death of being fobbed off.

My GP is rubbish and has this patronising "oh what a shame..... you will have to live with it" kind of attitude. My hair is falling out at an alarming rate, I don't sleep due to horrendous night sweats lasting most of the night. I am grumpy and short tempered during the day from not sleeping and I hate myself.
I have been told I can't have tablet form HRT as have a very thick womb lining but at 56 I am feeling old and miserable. My 5 years younger sister has been on HRT for 2 years now (despite having no nasty menopausal symptoms) as she said she wanted to look and feel her best.

No-one understands unless they have been through it themselves.

Oh gillybob that sounds horrendous! I really do feel for you but do try not to hate yourself - it's not your fault.
I'm evil if I don't get enough sleep!
Is there a different GP you could see? They're all so busy these days and have all sorts of financial constraints, I think we have to just keep on til they can't fob us off any more - she says!
I'm not getting anywhere either but have an appointment with a different GP next week and will keep trying to get some help.

I saw my hairdresser yesterday [it takes about two minutes to trim my hair, it's so thin, so I don't see her very often!]. However, as she can see the top of my head and I can't, she does think that the minoxidil is actually working and I have new hair growth. So I'm going to persevere with it for a few more months. I do wish I'd tried it before. I literally used to have hair falling out all over my shoulders etc and that isn't happening and, given that I've been using it for quite a while now it can't be cyclical. I did work at a medical centre and, being paranoid about my hair, I always noticed other peoples and I don't think that being on HRT seemed to make any difference with some women.

I’ve seen a couple of GP’s Beejo but they just read and follow the reports of whatever the previous GP has said. They don’t seem to look at it with fresh eyes.

I really don’t want to be the miserable old crone I am turning into.

Will they not let you have HRT patches? Is it a cost thing, perhaps?

Crone - not so bad - sometimes described as "an archetypal figure, a Wise Woman" - I can live with that.
Old - gets my back up! Fractured my spine recently and saw a specialist who told me 68 is only late middle age. I like him!
Miserable - I think we've got to try everything we can to steer clear of that. Personally I dance a lot and that keeps me smiling and so far as the hair's concerned I tend to do what I can and live with it while I can.
After fracturing my spine in an accident where the outcome could have been so much worse, I'm glad to be here and on my feet.
That being said, I'm going to carry on talking to doctors about the hair loss and trying anything that anyone says works for them - I just haven't found anything that helps me but I live in hope!

Just read that ketoconazole, the active ingredient in Nizoral dandruff shampoo, can have the side effect of treating “androgenic” hair loss. I’d noticed my hair being a bit thinner than it used to be, and have always suffered from dandruff.

I’ve used various anti-dandruff products over the years, including Nizoral but hadn’t used it for a while. Got it again a few months ago and have the impression my hair is a bit thicker, but it could be just coincidence.

Might be worth trying for anyone with thinning hair.

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My hair started fallling out after the birth of my third child, 23 years ago when I was 31. It never completely recovered, but since I hit the menopause at 39, it has become thinner every year. There is now a discernable balding area on my crown, which I cover up with a side parting and just recently the use of hair fibres. If it gets too much worse I will shave the lot off and tattoo my head! I have tried many remedies, and none have worked. I think mine is 'female pattern baldness' At times it really gets me down, but so far I cope with it. Can't stand teh thought of a wig! I have also lost hair elsewhere on my body, looks very 'scrubby' now - may get rid of that and have a tattoo there as well!

It’s interesting to read of what does (and doesn’t) work for different people. We are so lucky to have so many products on hand, to improve the quality of our hair and its appearance, though I do sometimes feel I’m fighting a losing battle with my thin and baby-fine hair. Dry shampoo helps bulk it up a bit (I used to recommend Batiste, but have now discovered the much cheaper Girlz), and my hairdresser tells me that Nourkrin tablets definitely improve its condition (shame, really, as they’re pricey, but I think she’s right). I’ll try biotin - nothing ventured, nothing gained , and they won’t break the bank, so thanks Dianetheartist. I live in hope of finding out that my problems are the result of a deficiency I can correct.

Im in a terrible state!
My hair on top of my has has suddenly thinned very drastically in a couple of weeks.
I’ve been on Oestrogen vaginal cream for a month as I’m experiencing problems down below and due a biopsy this week.
I am nearly 57 and been lucky to have a very glamorous thick head of hair. Something has changed! Can anyone help?

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Alegria56 i have the same problem, i have 3 almost bald spots on my crown and just below the crown, it has seemed to happen very suddenly too,
I am taking Biotin and my nails and hair in general are in better condition, but not the bald patches
I have an appointment with a Dr on the 20th ,but not my own Dr as he is off after an operation for 12 weeks, this is a lady Dr, so i hope she might understand
I have been on livial for 18 months and also vagifem, so wondering if they have anything to do with it, but my hair was fine at Christmas
Also have you had your ferritin [iron] tested,i was told it should be at 70 at least, but i am supposed to have an iron overload, but my ferritin was very low last year so will question that too

I’ve had psoriasis on my scalp since I was a child, so my hair has always gone through periods of falling out & growing back. Now in my 50’s it’s a lot worse and I can even see my scalp. It’s thinned out way too much and it’s not growing back. I take Biotin religiously it helps somewhat with my nails but not the falling out of my hair. Very sad & frustrating....
What is HRT?

Diany Biotin has done nothing for my hair loss, but i'm sure my nails have improved, but i have been taking it for over a year now and my hair that i have left is growing very fast, but not improving hair growth on my bare patches
I have been seeing a dermatologist, who says my hair loss is almost certainly due to stress, which i can understand,had a very stressful 2 years
He also said it will grow back, but can often take a long time
He did say not to waste my money on shampoos etc that promote hair growth for hair loss.he said more money is made out of hair loss products than any other thing,and they don't work, he said if the hair is going to come back it wil, and if not it wont,simple as that
Hrt is Hormone replacement therapy, to replace hormones we lose during menopause,in the forn of patches or tablets,from the GP
Minoxidil is the only thing that will help hair growth ,but it has to be taken for life,or hair will fall out again
I have every vitamin under the sun i think
You can have tests for under active thyroid, also for low iron which can also be reasons for hair loss
Has your Dr given you any steroid lotion for your scalp, i have been given it for inflammation, some ladies have said their hair has grown back with it, but mine hasn't up to now anyway