Thinning hair - am I going to go bald?

Dear Granoffour, I recently paid a hefty sum for some advice from a well known trichology clinic. I am happy to share what I recall: check your iron and vitamin D levels. If you are low on these, it can affect hair health. Your GP can do blood tests if you ask, I'm sure. I am applying a tonic to my hair from the clinic which is pricey but I thought worth trying. I also use their scalp cleaning treatment once a week. My hairline looks somewhat recovered now, but this could also be because I am less stressed now. The clinic did also indicate that Regaine contains some effective stuff - and it works for some people. You can just buy it at Boots. Also, look online to check out what type of hair loss you may have. I found cutting my hair much shorter also cheered me up. All the best, you are not alone...

I can't even wear a hat without it itching like crazy. From previous experience with wigs, many years ago, I had the same problem. Itchy scalp

Check with GP as suggested to rule out thyroid, aneamia or B vit problems. If hair loss like male pattern hereditary baldness Regaine may help, but for general thinning I think a good thing to do is to look after your scalp. Use a mild sulphate free shampoo, Phylia de M system has really helped my hair. I have used it for a year and my parting is much better and bald spot no longer visable. Also massage scalp with pads of fingers every day in circular motion moving the scalp to enhance blood supply to follicles with head bent forward. Treat hair gently, my advice is to stop colouring and be gentle when drying hair. Club cut hair near jaw for fullness and dry with low heat , head downward so hair upside down. I think a good thing to take every day is Collagen plus by Arthrovite, I have found it good for joints too. These things are rather expensive but I don't go to hairdresser and cut hair myself. ( like to be in control!)

Minniesmum Sorry, only just found your post. I buy the Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate - the green tin with gold lid and gold band round the bottom. For some reason the price goes up and down so if you decide to keep taking it, keep an eye on it to pick a good time to buy again.

Granoffour - I seem to have inherited the family bald patch. My Grandma had just a few wisps of hair by the age of 80. My Mum and her sister both had hair so thin you could see their scalp through. Sadly I have it too. I do have a thyroid problem and can't help thinking that maybe my Mum and Aunt had it too, but it was never diagnosed. I have had people say to me for many years now "you are going bald". Well - thanks for that I used to think, you've cheered me up and made me feel even worse about it.

Anyway I have found the solution without taking anything or spending a small fortune.
You can buy 'Topix' on the Superdrug website. It is a fine powder and you select the correct colour and it costs around £20.00. For that you get months of use. You just sprinkle it onto your scalp and you can't see it, it dosn't wear off it just covers what you need to cover. I would highly recommend it. Give it go and you won't be disappointed.

Nioxin shampoo and conditioner - pricey from the salon but very reasonable online. I've noticed a great improvement, my hair was getting very thin at the front since menopause kicked in...

I heard about the dry shampoo trick but then read that it can cause quite a bad reaction so I threw it out. Worth a Google to check it out maybe. Hair colouring is supposed to make hair thicker as well apparently.

I recently went to a salon have grown a reasonable amount of hair again post chemo which needed a bit of snip and the Nioxin products were recommended. I haven't tried them as yet but thanks for the online tip costwise. She did use the Shampoo, Conditioner and a Serum and my hair felt really nice.

A friend with coeliac disease who is eating accordingly (gluten free too) says her hair is definitely thicker since she began eating along those lines.

I too was very distressed at seeing so much hair on my pillow, in the bath etc
My daughter has a salon and I had been using Nioxin shampoo and Scalp Treatment Conditioner which is good but not enough for this new level of hair loss.
My daughter gave me a new product to try. It's prices to buy but lasts months and IT WORKS! I have no hair loss and my hair appears thicker
The product NIOXIN INTENSIVE TREATMENT, NIGHT DENSITY RESCUE. It's a leave in overnight serum, put on dry or damp hair before bed, no residue on pillow.
I am not being paid to promote this but sharing because it is a miracle for me. I look hideous in hats and was ready to buy a couple of wigs.
I have been using this for over 3 months and still have a third of the bottle left so I will pay the £50 for the next bottle. To me it is worth it. I hope you find a solution soon.
PS I call this product Imodium for hair

My mum had very thin hair and used a product called Mane. It's a coloured spray to colour your scalp. Both my brothers used it as well.
Take heart though. I worked with someone who lost all her body hair, including eyebrows and eyelashes. She used wigs and tattooed on eyebrows and eyeliner. You would never had known if she didn't tell you. She was a very glamourous lady!

What a coincidence. Just had to clean out the shower plughole and out came a mass of hair. Frightened the life out of me. Knew I was getting thin on top but this ...... Am wondering if I should stop colouring my hair. Anyone found their hair grows back thicker if you just resist the tide of time and go grey - white in my case?

My hair has always been very fine - from my Dad's side of the family. In old age though over the last few years as it has got white, it has become thin and I have what I call "the pink bits" where you can see the scalp. I spend ages combing hair over these !! However, it really, really helps to have a very good and knowledgeable hairdresser. I have a treatment every couple of weeks and touch wood, it it not getting worse. Bad hair days have always been guaranteed to put me in a foul mood so I take all the help I can !!

I heard Joanna Lumley say that if you stop washing it, it will thicken! I think she's got a pad in Scotland, some remote place where she can hide....!
I suspect most of us are guilty of washing our hair too often and I rather think colouring and blow drying probably don't help. It's dispiriting though, isn't it.

It's great to get everyone's views and personal experience with these products. I'm veering towards trying the Nioxin treatment now, rather than Regaine.

While googling Nioxin for reviews and best price I came across a product called Nanogen Hair Thickening Fibres. I think it may be similar to Mane. It seems to be a powder that you shake on your hair and it clings to it and makes it appear thicker, hiding the scalp. It gets great reviews and - even better - you can get a free trial sample from the Nanogen website (tip on one of the said reviews). I went on, ordered the sample and just had to pay 89p postage. I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

Hope their website doesn't crash if everyone goes for the free sample! lol.

HRT heped with my thinning hair.i now wear it "up"using a banana clip. Makes it look much thicker, and good for my fine flyaway mop!

I lost a lot of hair about 10 years ago, due to underactive thyroid. I take thyroxine but every now and again another lot falls out. This happened recently and my hair is now quite thin - used to be really thick and lovely. I've had it cut very short & spiky which has helped a lot, mostly from the feel-good factor I get when I catch sight of my quirky haircut which makes my eyes look a whole lot bigger and more sparkly!

Sparkelfizz
Cheers - just bought it! Hopefully I will be bonding around like a spring lamb soon! Or well-preserved mutton anyway.

I think the Nanogen might be similar to the Toppik oldgoose mentioned, Rosieroe. I tried one of them once (Toppik, I think) but it made my head itch. That's unusual though, according to my hairdresser. I used to get advice from the Mark Glenn salon in London and one of Mark's tips was to do the massage as described by Bamm. I was always too lazy/busy/forgetful to keep it up for more than a day or two, but I think I need to give it a go! As he used to say "What's up with you? It's free, and it works!".

Ah ! another interesting and relevant topic on here ....I always find replies of help ! I tried loads of shampoos, creams, Batiste, etc etc ...but then went to my doc who sent me for blood tests ....thyroid was the problem. Now taking tablets for that ...hair not recovered very much yet, although a slight improvement ! No pharmacy here (locally anyway) seems to sell Nanogen, so I bought some from Amazon ....wasn't that impressed ...waiting for the new Elseve Air shampoo ...might as well give that a try ! Looked at wigs, but they are sooooo expensive ...may have to get one soon, though, with winter coming ....thinning hair makes head very hot and prone to sun burn in summer, and freezing in winter ...I don't like hats, but suppose I better get used to them !

Some good tips on here I haven't tried .....off I go to the shops again !!

I couldn't understand why I could feel bumps on my head until I realised my hair was falling out! I mentioned it to a hairdresser and he said he'd use Aveda shampoo and volumising products but that I should see my GP. No problem with thyroid, so I made changes to my diet and use a supplement called Maxi Hair by Lambert's. I've stopped loosing hair and have new whispy hair growth.

I'd decided I would certainly wear a wig if necessary, but for now, it's wait and see. Good luck everyone.

Get to GP pronto! A friend of mine had this problem- it was falling out in clumps in the end. GP gave her something & it all grew back. I think it was thyroid if I remember rightly.

What's this, what's this? Elseve Air? I do like the Fibrology, is this something new?

Ah, this must be it. Just look at the hair on the women advertising it! They should have some of us GNers on there!

www.loreal-paris.co.uk/trends-and-tutorials/tips/hair-care-tips/find-your-fibrology

gulligranny

I do hope you are having annual blood checks for your thyroid levels. They may need to up your dose! It was the last thing on my mind when my eyebrows starting disappearing about 6 years ago. I got sick of pencilling them back in again and went to the doctor. Immediate blood test, thyroxine shortly afterwards followed by a full set of eyebrows about 6 weeks later!