How Women Can Deal With Thinning Hair

by Lauren Greschner (Subscribe to Lauren Greschner's posts)
Oct 4th 2007 10:46AM

Categories: Motivation, Alternative & Green Health

I don't think that anyone would be particularly happy to notice that their hair is thinning. It's got to be upsetting for men, but since it's a more common occurrence among that sex, I think that it would be even harder for a women who is losing her hair.

If you've found that your mane isn't as thick as it used to be, is patchy or even starting to show bald spots, you might want to check out this gallery, which offers 20 tips on how to deal with thinning hair. The first, and probably most important tip is to head to your doctor. There may be a reason why you're losing hair and a physician can help you find a remedy.

Additional advice includes improving your diet and taking vitamins to improve hair quality, experimenting with a new hair style that will disguise patches and trying out volumizing or other specialty products to improve the look of your hair. To see the rest of the tips, take a look here.

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Comments (17)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jen 10-04-2007 @ 6:54PM

Here is a good page also with information and options for treating thinning hair. http://www.squidoo.com/helpforhairloss

Carol 10-07-2007 @ 9:02AM

Here's the best tip of all...

My hair started thinning when my doctor's failed to treat my chronic LYME. If your doctor ran a Lyme test and yours was negative - don't believe it.

Google chronic Lyme, find an LLMD, and realize that there is a stormy political debate going on over what is and is not Lyme.

The tests are not accurate, but the CDC won't allow doctors to treat you unless your worn-out immune system 'happens' to produce antibodies. There are many coexisting bug-borne infections that accompany Lyme, too. I got my infections from fleas and mosquitos - not a tick! - no bull's eye either - just some non-specific rashes over the years diagnosed as eczema or psoriasis.

Lyme messes the thyroid and adrenals up and even hurled me into menopause at 41. By the way, my doctors thought all these symptoms were 'normal' and were fine explaining my night sweats, hot flashes, hair loss, insomnia, mood swings, etc... with a diagnosis of first perimenopause, and later menopause.

My advice - don't believe your doctor. The pharma and insurance companies give them too many free lunches maybe.

But what I learned the hard way is that if your hair is falling out, you have underlying INFECTION that most likely will never show up on a test. See an LLMD.

D.C. Dob 10-07-2007 @ 6:38PM

My mom is complaining of her hair will not grow! It just stay's short. Does anyone know what would cause this condition? She say's she only wears a wig when she goes out in public. She is 75 yr's of age.

D.C. Dob 10-08-2007 @ 8:14AM

Mary Vasconcellos 10-10-2007 @ 2:56AM

I am in the indusrtry and I found this information compelling. I can now can pass on the news to those that may benifit from this site. Thankyou.

Essentially,

Mary

Jess 10-07-2007 @ 10:05AM

Does anyone think a cause for thinning hair can be from use of hair spray and the wrong kind of hairbrush? When ever I use hairspray I can not brush or comb my hair without it ripping some of my hair out and the bristles on hairbrush are so rough on my hair. We need hair friendly hair spray and hair brushes.

Liz 10-07-2007 @ 11:30AM

Hair loss is NOT always caused by underlying infection. I shed hair for months after a series of stressful events.

Certain prescription drugs can bring it on, so can severe dieting, thyroid abnormalities. major nutritional lapses, general anesthesia, pregnancy etc.

Many women shed hair after hormonal shifts of pregnancy.

In any case, it is -- for women anyway -- a very difficult loss to handle. The best thing anyone can say to a friend is not "Gee, your hair still looks great to me (although that's nice) " but, rather, "tell me how you're feeling."

A should to cry on is most beneficial.

It's been six months and my shedding (telogenic effluvium) has stopped on its own. My hair is growing back. But since it was my strong point, in terms of physical assests, it has been a wrenching experience. I've had to call on every reservoir of optimism I possess -- and I have a lot -- to not constantly be in a pity party.

It helped to use a sprinkle-on coloration product often available through hairstylists, that will cover barren areas -- and I found to be especially helpful for coloring in the part in my hair which had widened just a bit. It's an allusion that may make you feel more comfortable.

Definitely check with your doctor and/or dermatologist for a thorough examination and testing for any hidden causes.

pepperie 12-10-2007 @ 10:12PM

Hello Liz, you are welcome to visit our website, www.pepperie.com for a new hair experience. Your plight is worth offering you a sample of our Pepperie hair product. Simply email through the website if you find you may want to try our finest aromatic natural spice spray for your hair and scalp. Feed your hair inside and out! Have gr8t hair days!

Gina 10-07-2007 @ 12:13PM

I've found some really helpful comments here. Thank you. I'm devastated. How do you go happily from one with the thickest head of hair to one with the thinnest?

erin 10-07-2007 @ 1:26PM

I am in medical menopause. Induced by an injection. A short time after, I noticed more than the usual amount of hair in the shower. At the time, I had very heavy, thick, wavy, past my waist hair.
No, the weight was not an issue, I had/have very healthy, strong hair.

To combat the loss, and to increase how fast my hair would grow.. B-100. It worked for me.
Be prepared to deal with your nails growing fast also! In a three month period, my hair grew back, after a hair cut, 5 inches.

I air dry my hair. The biggest key washing, only wash my hair once, and use lots of moisturizer.

Use a brush without the balls on the ends. Or a wide tooth comb.

The rest...

Medication and drugs play a huge part in how your hair acts, and reacts. Simple, learn to know your body, and your medications, and how they interact.
I did find that two drugs cause alopecia. I spoke with my physician, and did research, and found another medication that I could take that did not have this side effect..

Good luck!

AWLLTIUTHBHFIJTS 10-07-2007 @ 1:41PM

Without meaning any sarcasm, I say quit being so vain and be happy to be alive and able to use the computer. There are a whole lot worse things in life than losing one's hair. Given the choice, I'd much rather have lost my hair than an eye or a limb.

If all else fails and you can't stand the (going) bald look, buy a wig, and be grateful if you have two hands to put it on with.

To those who put forth the important information, i.e., Lyme and other diseases, thank you for posting it. The information certainly outweighs the complaints any day of the week.

Jen 12-12-2007 @ 1:34AM

AWLLTIUTHBHFIJTS: You've obviously never had a hair loss problem. So if you don't mind, please don't trivialize the issue for those of us who have. While it is difficult enough for men to lose their hair, it is especially difficult for women to suffer hair loss as we're expected to have a full head of hair and rarely expect hair loss. I experienced this problem several months ago, and let me tell you, as intelligent self-confident person who focuses little on appearances, it was very, very traumatic. Certainly it isn't the same as losing an eye or a limb, but don't talk down to the rest of us until you've experienced this problem yourself.

pudlog74 12-10-2007 @ 8:47PM

I started to lose my hair after starting medications after my heart by-pass surgery. When I shampooed it would
fall out in strings meaning that every time I tried to rince it the hair kept coming out. That all started 14 years ago and has gotten worse over time. My doctor doesn't seem to know why this is happening. My hair has seemed to have thinned to a certain point, which is a lot, and it still falls out a lot but apparently growing also to maintain a
certain point of thinning. I finally bought a fairly good wig to wear out in public but I have to contend with it at home. I'm not that vain but it just doesn't look right for a woman to have hair this thin. I have noticed in the last several years that I see a lot more women with thin hair so there must be a common cause. I've been wondering if it's not something in the water or food that is so common that nobody has thought about it.

Erin---- what 2 medications do you think made your hair thin? I'm wondering if I'm taking the same ones as I take about 12 different medications a day. An answer would be greatly apprecialed! Thanks.

pepperie 12-12-2007 @ 1:32AM

Hello Liz, you are welcome to visit our website, www.pepperie.com for
a new hair experience. Your plight is worth offering you a sample of
our Pepperie hair product. Simply email through the website if you
find you may want to try our finest aromatic natural spice spray for
your hair and scalp. Feed your hair inside and out! Have gr8t hair
days!

Liz 12-12-2007 @ 1:34AM

Compassion is appropriate for anyone who suffers. We cannot know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes -- or in someone else's hair thinning situation. Someone else always has things worse than you or I may. That does not prohibit each of us from extending kindness to those who are grieving, whatever their loss may be.

Mandee 12-12-2007 @ 1:34AM

im only 19 and im loosing hair like crazy. it started when i was 16-17. my hair was 10 times as thick before, now its just so thin and makes me so upset. and it doesnt seem to be getting better, only worse. does anyone have any solution to help. i would greatly appreciate it.

ijewaoifjeaw 12-12-2007 @ 1:35AM

Back to the person that said that having a hair loss issue is not a real issue...I can not believe you could say that. I lost my hair when I was 13 and am only 27 with a bald spot on my head. It is one of the most devasting thing I went through in life. I cried every single day for 11 years until a miracle came into my life and that was Hair Club for Women. I was born again and it has been the best 3 years of my life. Many things caused my hair loss, hereditary, diet, and stress. It ran in my family but not so early in age. I started excercising and watching what I ate that caused my hair to fall more and then I started stressing about it that caused a majority of my hairloss.

i thought I would put in my experience and give other women hope that there are resolutions to this.
From my 11 years of experience I can give you some suggestions:
Shampooing your hair everyday will cause your hair to fall because our hair needs natural oils for it to grow. Hair products are also not good. Do not condition your hair every time you shampoo because this can clog your pores...Massage your scalp frequently (possibly every night) and htis will help stimulate your hair growth.