Sudden hair loss

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I am pleased to see more recent posts on here as i can update,
My hair still hasn't grown back, and where the parting was filling in it has got worse again,
I have been seeing a dermatologist,who insists it is caused by stress,and now i have to agree with him
Also lost my little dog last year,just a week after my last post on here ,and that was another upset, i still get upset, when i look at her photo's and think about how i took her for more medication to the vet and he said she had lost her sight,and needed to be put to sleep there and then, that was a big shock,he let me bring her home for that night which i now feel was wrong,, my fault, as she was bumping into things and found her crying at 4am, in the bathroom against the radiator, she had been asleep on my bed,and i must have dozed off,so took her first thing in the morning,
I miss her still so much, and this lockdown has made it worse,as i could at least have been walking her,[if she had been well of course]
Spoke to the derm on the phone last week,and he asked me to send photo's of my hair, and scalp, but i don't suppose he can do anything about it
I have been looking for another small dog, but rescues have none,suitable,as must get on with my cats,and breeders prices now are extortionate,into the 1000s
I'm sure that would help, give me something to focus on, as no incentive to do anything,at the moment,

Do you think bleaching and hair colouring damage hair? I am fed up with the grey as it looks so thin on top, but I don’t want it any worse by colouring.

Don't know if this is any help, I've had hair loss since after the menopause, I was becoming very depressed as my parting was becoming wider and wider, on top of which (not so bad)
I had lost all the hair from my legs and my body hair, armpits etc. was very thin. I did quite a lot of reading up on the internet as the Doctor was less than helpful and for the last three months have been taking DHT blocker and multi vitamins regularly, both from the internet.
Sitting in the sun yesterday I noticed I had hair aprox quarter of an inch long all over both legs and examining my scalp I'm sure my scalp doesn't look as bad.

MerseyBelle thank you, i don't think i need a full wig,so hoping to find a topper that will be good enough, as i have a lot of hair where i still have some, and i would like something that will still show some of my own hair,i have had to cut it twice, as it is growing so fast,especially at the back below where it has gone from
When i wear my hat, which is more of a cap with peak, a bit like they woe in the 60s, no one would know how bad the rest of my hair is

blondenana - Good luck for next week, hope it all goes well for you.

MerseyBelle2 i meant to say i am sorry for the loss of your baby and can quite understand that grief could cause hair loss,
I don't like those fibres at all, they make me feel dirty, and in any case need some hair to stick to or they don't help

I looked at the Simply Yorkshire ones, but all seem to be synthetic , and couldn't find any under £100
However i have spoke to a lady only about 15 miles from where i live and going on Friday to have a look, she said that the wigs these days even the synthetic ones look very like real hair, so i am willing to have a look
I don't drive so my daughter is taking me on her day off which is very good of her
The hair i have left is growing very quickly so i thought i would try covering the bald spots ,but they are too close together, almost next to each other in a line

The wigs I’ve got aren’t human hair they are synthetic. For first time wig wearers the Tori wig is really good and suits most people, it’s a collar length bob. Also for a short style I’d recommend the Lizzie wig. My friend had cancer a few years ago and lost all her hair, the wigs she bought via Oncology recommendations were dearer and not as good as mine. Simply Wigs are based in Huddersfield I think and you can actually go to one of their open days and try some wigs before you buy. The Tori often needs the fringe cutting but the Lizzie wig though short has been perfect literally out of the box. Human hair wigs are very expensive and I think you really would need to try them personally before buying. Good luck and don’t stress over it. You’re lucky if you’re blonde to begin with, they have some fabulous blonde wigs !!! Most new wigs look better after you’ve messed them up a bit, washed them and had them thinned ( a hairdresser can do this with thinning scissors ). Believe me if you’ve been embarrassed and worried about your hair wearing a wig is such a relief !

MerseyBelle2 were the wigs you got human hair, which is what i would like,but they look very expensive from what i have seen, if not don't the synthetic ones look strange, i don't know as never actually seen a real hair one

Merseybelle2 thank you for your input and also for the wig sites i will have a look, i have been looking already tonight,as i think i am going to have to get a wig, as much as i don't like the idea
I am in Yorkshire so that might be handy
I am beginning to get very depressed about it now, so really that is all the choice i have
Although i have had a very stressful time recently, my Dr gave me some HRT which he said would help, unfortunately he gave me some which are very likely to cause hair loss, and have in some ladies, so now i have lost more, seeing him again on monday

I have always had trouble with my hair thinning. It began with the loss of my first baby over 50 years ago. My hair has always been very thin. I wore it long for years as I could pin it over the worse areas at the back to cover it. I also found the hair fibres on Amazon that you sprinkle on and they help. Also the coloured dry shampoo from Baptiste they sell in Superdrug worked wonders as you can spray it over bald areas. At its worst I wore wigs. I’d recommend Rene of Paris wigs but if they have too much hair in them then go to a hairdresser and they can thin and style them to really suit you. There are plenty to choose from under £100. I bought them from Simply Wigs in Yorkshire online. Don’t fall into the trap of buying very cheap wigs online because a lot of them are fake sites using proper pictures of genuine wigs that are not what they supply. Joseph’s is another excellent wigstore on line. I have just had my hair cut short on the advice of my daughter. I was dreading it as I thought it would look worse but in fact a short layered cut makes it look thicker. And I have my wigs for back up. Good luck and try not to stress over it. Take vitamins including an iron supplement and eat well. Best wishes to you and all my fellow sufferers.

Thank you Lorianne i sent for a couple of hairpieces, but they are no good, far too little hair and very fine,
If you saw me from the front you would never believe what it's like at the back
I think i am going to have to look at wigs for now and hope my hair does grow back
My Dr said it isn't in the usual pattern for female hair loss, so i can only hope it will revive itself
I couldn't possibly go out with it like this,there is no way to disguise it, so having to wear a hat for now

A hairdresser told me that her mother lost hair through stress. She was constantly on the end of a phone to Australia to her relations, one of whom, her son, had suffered a bad accident. It did grow back and the new hair was better than her previous hair!

The saying is tearing one's hair out, and no wonder we do sometimes. I feel for what you are going through and wish you all the very best. At least it's good to talk.

Lorianne meant to say looking at me from the front i look to have loads of hair,it hasn't affected the front, and my Dr says it isn't the usual pattern for hair loss, so i do now think stress related, but this isn't helping my stress either

Lorianne Thank you for you input, i now think my hair loss is down to stress, but i was still having HRT and was fine on what i was taking, but my Dr decided to put me on patches, and one of the ide effects of this particular one is hair loss i told him about this,but he said the oestrogen helps hair loss, well in this case it hasn't, and i have since found out that it is the progesteron which is very harsh in this one is what causes it,and also read of several people who have experienced hair loss with this
I was horrified last week to lose even more hair and the back of my head is almost bald now
I have stopped taking it,and have an appointment on the 5th with my Dr,
Can't remember if i said i was using steroid lotion, but it seemed to be helping until these new HRT
I am devastated ,i really can't go anywhere now without a hat, so looking for a hairpiece for now
I am glad yours grew back in the end, and yes i do have a double crown too, but it isn't just that area,it is from there down
I was able to pull the sides together beore last week which helped to cover the bald bits bit now the baldness is round the sides too,
Even while i am just sat here on my laptop, hairs are floating out on to it

I forgot to mention that when I was stressed I had the itchy scalp. Doctors didn't know much about it but a trichologist said it was temporary hair loss through stress and would grow back.

I have a double crown. Lots of people have this too. It is hereditary. Instead of one crown, there are two, about 5 centimetres apart.

The hair grows in a whorl, or spiral . As I have aged it has become more noticeable, so that it can look like bald spots. When just washed,the hair falls better and does not seem bald. However, it separates if the wind blows or when I do a lot gardening etc.

Hair sprays solves this problem but it has to be something strong like VO5 gel spray. It can be horrific for me to look at the parting of the ways at the crowns of my hair so I know how it feels. I thought I was going bald.

I also had hair loss through stress but it did grow back after about six months as has been mentioned. I was losing it at the front too.

Hair follicles can become smaller with age, so that strands are finer. I am 75 and just discovering this.

I hope you feel more reassured. Your daughter hasn't been very helpful.

jackfowler i am sorry only just found your comment,
My Dr gave me a prescription for some steroid lotion,
My hair does seem to be growing back, [i think] cant see the back properly but the parting has definitely filled in
I just wish i knew what caused it, could be stress, had a lot the last 2 years, but especially last year,including a relationship breakup,which hit me hard
Thank you all fo replies,and advice

Hair loss problem in this 21 st century became one of the most common health issues that generally affects the confidence and general well- being. While many would consider their hair loss is due to genetics, many people that suffer from alopecia, or other conditions of baldness, simply don’t know what to do other than shaving their heads, wearing bigger hats or just resent their ancestors.

KatyK yes i saw the item on hair loss on this morning,womens hair loss was only briefly mentioned

Anjathank you, my liver is regularly checked as i have Haemochromatosis. and have had blood tests recently, but my scalp is very pink, not quite red, which is why the first Dr i saw said it looked slightly inflamed, still dont know why, but maybe the steroid lotion will help
I have got some of those hair fibres that help to cover the bald spots ,but it is horrible,and very drying
I enquired about a hairpiece but the lady i saw said there is nothing much to clip it to,
I think she is wrong as i have lots of hair at the front,and to look from the front no one know what is happening at the back

Blondenana you might want to have your liver checked out if you are ‘itching all over’ or it can be the side effect of certain painkillers. I can’t take cocodamol as it makes me itch dreadfully.

Apologies. The item on This Morning was about hair loss in men.

Boosgran have PMd you,i forgot to ask about printouts, i was just trying to concentrate on him giving me something for my hair,
He has faxed to my chemist a prescription for some Betacap, steroid lotion, so i will see how it goes,
Thanks for letting me know that i am entitled to a copy of my results
In fact when i questioned the first Dr about my ferritin results she said they only seemed low because they had changed the way they do it now,
I have never been told this by the nurse who takes blood tests or my consultant, so i don;t believe it when i have questioned the results
I also asked about the oestrogen connecton as i had also been told a lack of oestrogen could be to blame
I have been taking livial for a couple of years ,so i wondered if there could be a connection there,and the first Dr told me to stop it, my Dr said carry on and he is going to try to find some patches that might be better

Hi blondenana you are entitled to copies of your blood tests by law although they may charge a small fee for printing - mine doesn’t. Being told results are ‘normal’ is unacceptable. I was told that many times regarding my thyroid and found out it was anything but!