Female hair loss.

Just a thought - has anyone read Sarah Vine on female hair loss. She has had one or two pieces in the DM on her problems. Can't remember where she has got to on her search but I have an idea it was using a 'topper'.

Tegan, your words could be mine. I've been embarrassed most of my adult life about my hair. My mum and gran were the same. I've seen a product advertised that you shake on your scalp which is supposed to look like hair. Has anyone tried it, and where do you buy it?

Inishowen. Yes I've heard of this, I think it's made of some sort of fibres. When I was going through my trauma I found videos of people using these.
From what I can recall they came up when I googled hair loss. Some sites showed people demonstrating them, I have a feeling one was called Mane.
I think it clings to your existing hair and makes it look thicker. I also seem to recall the one you put on your scalp which makes your scalp look as though it's covered by hair. I never tried them, as I didn't have enough existing hair. Perhaps if you google hair thickener or something it may direct you.
Personally I think there should be NHS funding to help women who are suffering with hair loss and who can't afford to do anything about it. My hair loss almost ruined my life. I was reading something the other day about a young girl who was given a breast enlargement on the NHS as her shape was making her depressed. Tell me about it.

should have put appearance rather than shape

Toppik's one, inishowen. Trouble is, you don't get a lot for your money.

About 15 years ago my hair started to look much thinner on the top. I was in a very stressful period at the time and my sympathetic doctor sent me to the Dermatology Dept of a London hospital. They took photos and made various measurements then prescribed Minoxodil 5%. This is a liquid which I apply with a small syringe, once a day, just to the crown and front of the scalp. It has definitely made a difference and although I still lose hair overall and need a sieve over the shower plughole, my hair is not too visibly thin. I'm told that it doesn't work for everyone and I am so thankful that it does for me. Once started, you can never stop using it and it is on private prescription (around £20 a bottle which lasts me about 4-5 months). Minoxodil is sold in chemists as Regaine, though as a preparation only for men. Not sure why, and I have never had any adverse effects. But if it ever did stop working, I am encouraged by a friend who wears a wig to cover her very thin hair, and it looks lovely.

After all the discussion above, I found myself (at 2am, after a night out involving copious alcohol) emailing Lucinda Ellery's in Manchester to book a consultation. I just know this is going to be ruinously expensive, but what the heck - I'm quite excited at the prospect of seeing what could be done with me.

Oh wow! Looks like we'll both have to start doing the lottery then! I've been doing a lot of thinking as well and realised I needed to change my attitude to how I feel about myself. May just get a wig for some occasions where I'm going somewhere that no one knows me. My daughter tells me of a friend of hers that has such amazing hair that everyone assumes it's a wig anyway. This thread has been very therapeutic for me in that I have had to face my demons. I think as well that a lot of it is all down to confidence, and any self confidence I have, in public is just a facade and I'm a jibbering wreck underneath [but the again, most people are].Good luck, Maggie!

Maggie - I can only speak from my own experience. After I booked my own appointment with the people who helped me, I was terrified, scared of being 'ripped off', of looking ridiculous, of meeting up with people and them thinking 'oo look at her, who does she think she is trying to look younger' (which I wasn't). It was all completely unfounded. Everyone was lovely and I wish I'd done it years ago instead of struggling on. No one who didn't know me before would ever know it's not my own hair, I can wash it as normal, curl it, straighten it etc. It's not so pleasant when I go back once every 6 weeks and they take it off to re-fix it and condition my scalp. But that's an hour or so once in a while so it's not too bad. Yes it's a bit expensive but it has changed my life and although I would obviously rather have my own hair, that is not going to happen so I've had to accept it. Good luck.

I wondered what happened about your scalp with it being covered up so much [although I suppose it's all breathable].

Tegan - The base of the one I have is like a mesh skin, they make it look like a scalp.
I think the Lucinda Ellery system is better but there is not one near me and you need a bit more hair than I have to be attached to her system. Mine is a real hair system, they use glue to attach it to your scalp (sounds horrendous but it really isn't). You can go out in gale force winds and it just behaves as normal hair, you can pull it with all your might - no way would it ever come off, this worried me for a long time but now I am totally confident with it. For the first time in my life I have had shop assistants say to me 'haven't you got lovely hair'. And yes I have - it's mine, I paid for it!

Oh and Tegan I agree discussions like this really help. I used to go on Womens Hair Loss Forums and it made me feel less alone.

This jumper?

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Classic-Chenille-Cowl-Neck-Jumper/dp/B0052PQGWY?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_3&nodeId=43078030&sr=1-3&qid=1382270707&pf_rd_r=03ZE0GKM2VV1CCPM6A0R&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=43078030&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3

These kind of colours can reflect a healthy glow. Important to choose the right tones methinks in clothes and lipstick - a bluish red does not suit my light olive complexion where as orangy reds do. Hold a garment up to your face and ask does it make me look more or less tired/healthy? With lipstick put some on the back of your hand.
Someone "did my colours" years ago and it really helped me to know which bright colours were a good idea. (cream not white, never pastels etc)

did it again, sorry
www.marksandspencer.com/Classic-Chenille-Cowl-Neck-Jumper/dp/B0052PQGWY?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_3&nodeId=43078030&sr=1-3&qid=1382270707&pf_rd_r=03ZE0GKM2VV1CCPM6A0R&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=43078030&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3

I was in hospital with a woman who lost her hair from having chemo. She had a very short, finely cut pearl blond wig, which we on the ward thought was her fine re-grown hair till she took it off to show us. I would never have known - it looked so natural and because it had been cut and styled so well, was not how you would expect a wig to look. She said it took very little care and always looked like it had recently been styled. She got it via Christies and they advised her to have it styled at a specialist hairdressers in Manchester.

I think that having it styled is the most important bit.

JessM - that jumper is my favourite colour.

I'm terrified of having my colours done in case they tell me that shocking pink and deep purple aren't really my colours - I'd have to have whole new wardrobe..................

Thank you, Tegan and KatyK for your support. I'm just hoping they can fit my consultation in quickly now that I've taken the plunge. Fingers crossed!

I saw a couple of products in Boots today on the Nourkrin counter; one was a serum which was minoxadil but in a strength low enough for it to be sold without prescription and next to it was a product for men [but I assume women could use it] that thickened hair at the root [damned if I can remember what it was called though]but what worried me about that was it said you needed another product to make it waterproof, so I wondered what would happen if you got caught in a shower [?]. In the end I bought more Nourkrin and a new hat.

Maggie; I've just tried some Batiste and it's brilliant. No problem with it being white cause my hair's white anyway. Went into Boots to look again at the minoxadil things and picked up a can of the thickening Batiste one. Even the elastic band I use is staying in better. My scalp feels a bit itchy, so I'm only going to use it for 'special occasions' [in fact I'm going out soon for a very rare pub meet up with a friend]. And my hair feels a bit dry and, when it's dry I have to be careful when brushing as it breaks off. But I'm well chuffed! Thanks!!

Tegan - that's wonderful. I used to use Batiste in the '70s. My granddaughter uses it now - it has been rediscovered and improved I think.

So glad it helped, Tegan. I'm never without it now. Hope you enjoyed your night out!

I'm going to try one with a bit of colour in next . And I may go to the hairdresser and have my fringe cut..I was trying to grow it out but I do need a fringe because of the shape of my face. Aveda do some shampoo and conditioner plus a scalp cream but it's £80+. What's annoying is that they charge so much for things like that because they know how desperate women are to find solutions. I sort of wish I'd bought some of the minoxadil stuff to try with the 3 for 2 double discount offer now; maybe I'll try that at a later date. I would never have dreamed of using a dry shampoo . It used to be in a sort of a puffer, didn't it? Can remember using it in my teens.

I just remember Batiste making my hair look thicker (when I had reasonable hair). It was an aerosol. I never thought it would come back, as I used to think it was an old fashioned thing that no one ever used except me. Glad to see all the smiley faces on your posts Tegan.

I've just got my hair back after my latest chemo and my hair loss was far more upsetting than I thought it would be. I've also had an increase in hot flushes so I wore Buffs as little beanies. My hair is as it was, have thick black hair, thanks to my late Italian grandmother. Anyone with thinning hair has my upmost sympathy.