Advise on thin hair and nails please!

ellie22

Hi all, new to forum, am 55 and I am finding that my hair is becoming thinner, and my nails even weaker. I am on HRT ..started a month ago or so. Is there anything I can do to strengthen and thicken hair/nails which someone has used and can verify as have wasted money in the past on things which don't seem to make a difference! My hair has never been over thick but now even worse, probably not helped by lack of hairdresser! It is about shoulder length and coloured.

I know how you feel because I’ve myself faced this issue a few years back. My hair was frighteningly thinning and I didn’t know what to do. It’s not easy, trust me. Most of my days are just pondering upon my hair growth. My doctor said it was due to stress, poor sleep and lifestyle etc. Just get your sleep right, fix up your diet and also you can use Paul Mitchell's scalp care anti thinning tonic which prevents gradual thinning and increase volume & strength.

I've bought Nourkin; Viviskal (very expensive); various Phillip Kingsley products (ditto); biotin; Regaine; the lot.
Nothing has touched it, except for Vitamin D. Hurray for Vitamin D!

Vitamin D convert here too. I was having wound healing problem and when blood test showed I was very low on Vit D. My wound healed which I was thrilled about after 9months of agony, my hair improved and my nails. Mind you I do have an under active thyroid which affects hair and nails.

Make sure you have plenty of protein as lack of protein can lead to hair loss. I also take marine collagen. Not had a problem with my hair but I have with my nails, also the skin is thin on my hands. I rub Epaderm cream into my hands and it seems to have helped. My nails have definitely improved and strengthened since taking collagen.

I have the same problems, although I am a bit older. I have noticed a big improvement in my nails in the last few months since the doctor has upped the vitamin D. (Covid protection).

However, I still have a big problem with hair thinning. I do have a thyroid check every year which seems to be correct. I would eat a few almonds every day but it would mean I would eat a whole packet at once because I have no control, which would lead to a weight increase.

I will look up Biotin and Nourkin which are expensive in France but maybe I can get them on H&B’s special buy one get one .... when I can visit next time.

To you ladies with thinning hair I would say get your thyroid function checked out. If you have untreated hypothyroidism this can cause thinning, brittle and falling out hair. The nails I am not sure about but mine are always manicured and a gel polish applied (professionally, fingers and toes).

There is a product called 'Nourkin" which is very good for thinning hair (a little expensive though). A cube of jelly is good for nails and rather tasty too!

The hair has thinned to what it once was but I've still got plenty for my age I think.
As for nails, I'm sure they'd grow and grow if I didn't file them.
In March I'd cut them all and filed them down, shaping as I went and 6 months later they're talons---no kidding and I painted them a magenta colour the other day just to perk myself up. They're like false nails .

I don't take any vitamins or anything on account of the warfarin so I don't know what the growth is down to except like everyone else I've always eaten well but don't drink the volume of water that's also necessary in keeping the nails hydrated as well as the body.
Flaking nails isn't right and a GP should be told of that particular problem if it persists.

Vitamin D!
My hair was getting in incredibly thin.
I was losing so much. It was everywhere in the house.
When I hoovered it was full of my hair.
I was seriously googling hair extensions, the most expensive salons as I could not risk damaging it.
Anyway, at the start of the year I had some blood tests done and it turns out I was very low in vitamin D (in fact, most people in the UK are).
They gave a high loading dose and I now take health span vitamin D religiously.
My hair is so, so much better. I reckon I've got twice as much, and my nails are great too.
I wish I'd known earlier, I've spent an absolute fortune on snake oil.

BrandyGran Unwashed hair smells. In pre-lockdown days if I was sitting behind someone on the bus whose hair had not been washed for a long time, I could smell the staleness. I think it would take several weeks to smell like that, but I am just guessing.

My hair too is very thin but luckily I have kept a few waves! The problem is that when I wash my hair,even using a very mild shampoo sparingly, it looks like baby hair and it's awful but improves the longer I don't wash it- probably because it is getting more oily.
What happens if we don't wash our hair? Would I get cradle cap? I heard years ago that the scalp would settle and hair would self clean. Anyone tried it and what was the result?

I now rub just any hand cream into my hands and rub into each nail every night before bed and my nails have grown quickly and more strongly.

Thin hair...I have this and have tried every thing suggested to no avail. Never giving up my latest try peppermint oil and emu oil. Cannot say it works too soon to tell. What did tempt me, was a YouTube vid where the girl actually recorded her bald patch month by month getting hairs developing, so here's hoping

Biotin is a well known supplement for thin hair. I take it, and also take collagen powder (Great Lakes in a green tin on Amazon). It's nearly £30 a tin but it lasts, but my hair was so thin after treatment for breast cancer, the menopause and under-active thyroid that I was considering getting a wig or topper. Now I don't need to.

I've always had fine hair but used to have a lot of it. My hair hasn't reverted to how it was in my 30s, not surprisingly, but it is definitely presentable now.

I have taken everything under the sun ,including strong biotin ,folic acid, ,sprays,shampoos etc
Still no growth after 2 years

You must consume Folic acid and Zinc more in order to get rid of thin hair and poor nails.

It is advised to take these nutrients via natural food.

The HRT will help, but you can give it a further push with Biotin. Also , although not cheap the Philip Kingsley Elastisizer, M& S sell it , helps strengthen and reduce breakage, I ask for it for Birthday or Christmas gifts.

My nails flake if I don't take a zinc supplement. I'm not keen on taking supplements constantly if I don't know that I need them because too much can cause problems just as too little can. Or you have expensive wee.

Last year's autumn moult continued for far longer than usual and there seemed to be loose hair everywhere. My hairdresser said it didn't look sinister and suggested a course of biotin. I took it throughout March and now I can see stubble sticking up along my parting! I don't know if it was the biotin or just chance, but if it happens again I'll give it another go.

I use Biotin supplements, on recommendation from a friend, also from H&B, sometimes cheaper than the skin/hair/nails supplements I think, and I wait to get them on offer.

Always had thin hair, but I never seem to shed them and also have strong nails.

Isn't it unsafe to take Vitamin E in high doses FlexibleFriend?

I take the Perfectil Hair, Skin and Nails tablets that are always on 3-for-2 offer. I couldn’t really say whether they work or not, as my nails are ridiculously strong and my hair ridiculously fine.

Will have a look at Vitamin E and Holland and Barrett. I tried the oil rubbing into nails, but didn't make much difference...but perhaps I didn't do it for a long enough time! To be honest I can live with the nails although annoying but would lurve thick glossy hair!

I take high dose vitamin E and have really strong glossy hair and my nails have become much stronger since taking it.

I have discovered that eating a few almonds a day has made a huge difference to my nails.

Thinning hair.

I had thinning and flaking nails when my hairdresser recommended Holland and Barret's Hair,Skin and Nails tablets. Made a huge difference to my nails and hair. I buy them in the Penny Sale when you buy 1 and get a second pack for 1 penny. Worth trying.