Female hair loss.

Tegan
my hair started thinning about 10 years ago after I had total hysterectomy. I've also had an underactive thyroid for 20 odd years but apparently this was not a contributory factor!
I've always had fine hair but ther used to be plenty of it, but now I have almost total hair loss on top, and after exhausting every possible medical avenue - endocrinologist, full blood work, etc etc, it appears that I am cursed with "female pattern baldness" - hideously depressing term. Both my parents had thick luxuriznt hair all their lives, so do my 2 children, I drew the short straw ����
Last year in desperation I turned to "non surgical hair replacement", which turned out to be an extremely expensive hairpiece that was attached to my own hair in much the same way as hair extensions. I could wear it swimming, in the rain, and in fact treat it exactly as if it was my own hair. I was assured that it would not cause any damage to my scalp or my precious remaining locks, and so after discussing wth my daughter and a very close friend, I took the plunge and invested £800 in this enterprise. At first I was thrilled with the result, everyone remarked on how great my hair looked, 10 years younger, blah blah blah, and I would just smile and say I'd had a colour and a few extensions!
But very quickly the thing became loathsome! Hot and uncomfortable so that I wanted to rip it off! But I couldnt of course. Then after a couple of hair washes (took hours to dry too) the bead fixings would begin to work loose until it was flapping and detaching on one side. This meant I was going back to the salon to have it reattached every month, at £75 a time. This procedure was a couple of hours of sheer torture, the removal was painful, although the relief was enormous each time. But the amount of my own hair that came out with it each time was alarming. It was washed, my scalp was massaged, then it was reapplied .... more agony!
After 6 months of this I decided I couldn't bear it any more. It had got to the point that it was almost falling off so I removed the last 20 or so beads (even cutting some out) and got myself a couple of wigs. I have also found a wonderful NHS registered wig specialist who was horrified and said that attachment method was totally unsuitable for my problem. She has helped me to choose a wig that is very realistic, fits well and feels comfortable, and a fraction of the cost of the detested "roadkill" hairpiece. All in sll I spent over £2000 on the piece and the maintenance visits! �������� The wigs have cost me a couple of hundred each, I wish I'd just done that in the first place....older, wiser and poorer!
So Tegan I truly sympathise with you, it's an awful problem that made me feel somehow ashamed, as well as depressed and embarrassed, but I have ginalky found a readonable solution and feel much happier and more confident again.
Don't give up!

sued59 - At the risk of repeating myself As I have mentioned above I wear a 'hair system'. It is not hot or itchy. It is also not cheap. It is done at a specialist hair clinic. I now have no hair at all really. This system is firmly attached to your head. I have been out in gale force winds, all sorts of weather and there is not a chance of it coming off. I can wash it as normal (head in the sink as with normal hair), curl it, style it. I go back to the clinic once every 6 weeks and they take it off and cleanse and condition my scalp before re-attaching the system. It is not how I want my life to be but it is what I have to deal with so I am doing the best I can. A similar system to mine (but not the one I go to is a salon run by Lucinda Ellery, you can find clips of her system on youtube I believe. By the way, my hair never fell out, it just stopped coming through my scalp if that makes sense. I have learned lately the there is a condition whereby the scalp can get clogged and the hair is unable to get through. This can be cured with certain products but can take a long time. The clinic where I go also uses laser treatment which works for some people.

...by the way I DID buy the Pantene stuff cause it was half price at Tescos. I also bought some Aussie Miracle Dry Shampoo Aussome Volume which was on offer. The Bouffe I don't like to use a lot as it's not too kind on my scalp and the Batiste, which did thicken my hair really well is very powdery and perfumed. The Aussie stuff [unlike their shampoo which has a very strong perfume which I don't like] is much pleasanter.

Whenever I can I wear sunglasses on my head; you could do that when hillwalking. I wear hats most of the time in winter. It's when I get hot and have to take the hat off that I get embarrassed. I don't think you could wear a wig when exercising. Maybe a hairband of some kind? The wig I tried on had mesh at the top which stops your head getting too hot so I'd probably wear that instead of a hat; I think it was a Raquel Welch one. I'm probably going to buy it but not wear it all the time and I can't wear it with people I know cause they will realise it's a wig straight away. It was £120 which I thought was a good price; there were more expensive ones but I didn't like them as much. If I do get it I'm going to look on it as a bit of acting and I can pretend to be someone else when I go out [ie someone with hair!]. Watch this space. I could wear it when I go to the next Edinburgh meet up and get everyones opinion!

Tegan and all who have posted, I have read through this thread with tears flowing, to discover other people who are experiencing the same as myself but who are trying to make the best of it as I am is comforting.
I have been loosing hair for about 15 years since menopause began and like many of you it has had a profound effect on me. I have been avoiding meeting people especially old friends I haven't seen for a while, I notice people staring at my hairline, I avoid bright lighting and find myself looking at other ladies my age who still have a good head of hair wishing I could have some of theirs! I have tried minoxidil with some slowing down of hair fall, but it irritated my skin, shampoos don't seem to help and I have considered transplant but decided it's not a good option for thinning hair. As I am a keen hill walker, do yoga and Pilates I have been scared to consider a wig or hair piece in case It moves, or worse, blows away in the wind....
Do any of you ladies who use a hairpiece or wigs do exercise?
Are they hot and itchy?

I love Faith in Nature products and they seem to be a little cheaper in Oxfam shops. I've recently tried Organic Surge volume shampoo - expensive, but you don't need much, so in the long run, it probably isn't as expensive as it seems.

I am aware that my hair is thinning. It always had volume, but if pulled together in a pony tail there was very little. I worried as more seemed to fall with each wash.
I now use organic shampoo - Faith in Nature range, different combinations of shampoo and conditioner, all of then smell beautiful. I also find that they are gentle on my scalp, my hair shines and I think less is falling. Hopefully some is growing.

I get them at an organic shop, but I have seen them in the Fair Trade section of Oxfam shops. X

I saw the advert for that shabby and thought it looked good. The problem is that, like you, I have shelves full of different 'miracle cures' and I'm trying to use them up before I try somehing new. My hair is so thin and fine that one of the problems is that it breaks at the ends. Mind you, my hair loss happened a year or so ago; hair everywhere when I took my hat off or combed my hair; as for when I washed it ! Since then the loss has been much less, but I've never regained what fell out . Having said that, they do say that hair 'gets used' to shampoos and conditioners and it's a good idea to alternate with different ones. I did try a wig on the other week and rather liked it, so I may buy one just to wear for trips to the theatre and suchlike. I'm also planning to visit a friend down south next year and may try it out there and see if her friends, who don't know me say to her 'your pal wears a wig, doesn't she'.

I think I must try out every new hair loss/volumising product that comes onto the market and usually end up giving most of it away to family as it never does what it says on the 'tin'. However for the last six weeks or so I have been using the Pantene Breakage Defence range and this definitely does what it says on the 'tin'. Prior to using this range whenever I combed my hair I would dismay at the amount of hair that I would find on the comb. Hair that I could ill afford to lose. Now the hair I shed is minimal. Same goes for my bathroom floor - I used to get so upset when I swept the floor because of the amount of my hair that I would sweep up - now virtually nothing. I am not saying this is a miracle cure but for now I have found a product that definitely is working for me and I thought I would share this in the hope that it might help others.

I started losing my hair 45 years ago! I have worn a wig (how I hate that word) for almost 28 years. Having gone down the off-the-peg type to the bespoke type and I am about to return to off-the peg. There are products one can use to help them look better for longer and I go to a wonderful place to be fitted.
What is harder to cope with is losing one's 'facial furniture' so I have had semi permanent eyebrows for years now and laterly plucked up courage to have eye-lids dome too.
Alopoecia does not attract a huge amount of research as it is not life threatening, however it can mess up your life! I try to live by the mantra "I have alopoecia, alopoecia does not have me".

I now use the L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo, don't bother with conditioner. I then spray Ojon Volume Advance on before I dry it. I won't say it does absolute wonders, but what I like about it, it isn't sticky feeling so you don't know it is there not like mousses. I must say my hair would be flyaway without it. Another thing I find useful is get some hair wax and put the tinniest bit on the palm of your hands, rub them together, then take one hand and gently pat your hand over your hair so just a little is absorbed. After, comb it through thoroughly with a narrow tooth comb to distribute it well. What this does, is makes it feel a little chunkier, a little shinier and easy to handle.

I know. Sorry. I flipped the thread and it made me grumpy all over again. Not a wise thing to do. Sorry again.

jingl I am not chasing youth and would not want to be young again if you paid me but I do suffer from female hair loss and whilst I appreciate it is not life threatening I would much rather have hair than not. As I don't have much of it, hair I mean, any product that might help is worth trying and welcomed with open arms or maybe I should say hair follicles .

Tegan, I really understand how you are feeling as I have expsrienced the problems of excessively fine hair all my life and during the menopaose aged around 50 I had a large virtually bald patch. In desperAtion I bought a wig, and waited for rude comments from family and friends but was pleased when people told me I looked completely different and years younger! In 2010 I had to have chemotherapy following a cancer op, but my hair was by then the least of my worries. I discovered that Toni and Guy have a wonderful (admittedly expensive) wig service, for women affected by hair loss due to chemo. I had an appointment to choose a wig from an extensive range of styles and colours and was seen by their wig specialist who enabled me to have my wig fitted privately when their were no other customers. She cut the wig perfectly and it looked quite natural. I now feel so much more confident, especially when meeting new people (which i used to dread! So don't despair, there is help available, and you may be able to get a wig from T and G even if you haven't had chemo.

Lona - I totally agree with you. As mentioned previously on this thread, I lost most of my hair, it was (and still is) a nightmare.
I have had a 'hair system' which costs me a fair amount of money annually.
I am not chasing lost youth, I am just wanting to live without having to hide away. My hair loss took away, not just my femininity, but, along with the other problems in my life, became the straw that broke the camel's back. I think most women who lose their hair through cancer say that it is one of the worst aspects of the treatment. It may seem trivial to those who haven't experienced hair loss but take it from me it's no walk in the park and anything that helps is worth a try.

If something is making you unhappy or distressed, what's wrong with trying to do something about it?
It's not necessarily anything to do with youth either.

No. Not you Ana.

I'm not 'chasing lost youth', jingl. I don't want to dye my hair (which isn't silver, by the way!) and it could do with a bit more body.

I'm very glad you're happy to accept your lot!

From the Facebook article.

Description
Bouffe was inspired by the bouffant hairstyle created for Marie Antoinette by her hairdresser in 18th Century France. The teenage queen had relatively thin hair and wanted thicker-looking locks. Bouffe is a revolutionary product which weightlessly holds and texturises the hair.
Available in a variety of non-permanent shades, Bouffe covers the re-growth of coloured hair and easily washes out with shampoo.

Sounds horrible to me. What's wrong with clean, silver hair, even if it has a bit of pink scalp showing through? Live with what you've got and stop chasing lost youth.

Glad I spotted it Tegan (and Ana)

I bought a can of Bouffe last week (light brown). I was hoping it would both camouflage the grey bits that I only have at the temples, plus give a bit of extra body as my hair is quite short at the moment.

I've only used it once, but I am quite impressed, although you can't exactly run your fingers through your hair afterwards as it has a slight fuzzy-felt effect! I may have overdone it a bit and practise may improve matters.

I certainly appreciated the absence of overpowering perfume!

Hi, I work for BOUFFE and love the way you have found the product and are using it exactly for what it was made for. The founder has had thin hair problems since child-birth and developed the spray as both a cover-up and volumiser. It's only been out in Boots for 8 weeks but should be in more stores soon.

Happy to receive any feedback you have as we are always looking to improve.

The powder is a silica (which gives the hair volume) and we were the first people to put it in a spray format. We also have a colourless version if you prefer.

Best wishes
[email protected]

My Bouffe arrived on Monday. Couldn't buy it at Boots; had to order it via the internet and I am quite impressed with it. Works in the same way that the Batiste did but Batiste was very powdery and highly perfumed. The Bouffe has made my hair very dry and although I've bought the silver colour my comb has turned black so I'm sleeping on a brown towel in case it stains my pillow. Also concerned about what will happen if it rains and my hair gets wet . What is has done is eliminate the parting which was getting wider and wider. I wish I'd realised you can buy a colourless one [which I would have preferred]. I'm also allergic to a lot of things and I half expected my hair to drop out once I'd sprayed it but [thus far] there's no itching or redness. I'm well chuffed with it. Thanks for mentioning it, Lona !

I do hope it works given that I've spent ages growing out any colour in the hope of a miracle product coming on the market. Worried that it's one of those things that sells out straight away. The Batiste worked really well for me [in that I just want volume on top] but it was very dry and powdery and had quite a strong perfume]. If this works in a similar way but without the problems I'm on to a winner.

I'd to squint a lot! There's light blonde, dark blonde, light brown, dark brown, black and silver. Plus one that says it's for all colours, but I don't see how that would work. Hmm, now shall I go blonde or brunette? Or just give it up and aim for the silver?