I feel so lost - hair loss as a 26 year old (w/ pictures)

[OccamzRazer]

Do you maintain a high calcium intake relative to phosphate? I think calcium is extremely important for hair.

Also I discovered this pretty recently and I don't know if others would have the same experience, but capsaicin is very good for my hair. I think it pretty strongly depletes phosphate.

Yeah calcium is super important!

One thing I noticed recently is the more raw milk I drink, the softer my scalp gets. There's a fast, noticeable difference. Honestly it was surprising at first.

 

[𝙁𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙩~𝙩𝙚𝙚]

Nope, no vaccine! and I experience some bloat with rice but not with fruit.

Here are my ranges back in Feb. Need to re-test eps as I have upped my thyroid to 2 grains instead of 1.5 like when i had this test done.

Prolactin - 8.1 ng/mL
Parathyroid / PTH Intact - 21.0 pg/mL
Free T3 - 3.7 pg/mL
Reverse t3 - 12.3 ng/dL
T4 (Thyroxine) Free - 0.65 ng/dL
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab - 241 IU/mL
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone - 2.13 uIu/mL
Phosphorus - 3.9 MG/DL
Calcium - 9.8 MG/DL

I did have surgery in April, perhaps this is from then?

Surgery WILL turn T4 into reverse T3. So anything to raise T3 naturally. Mainly, selenium and zinc via foods and or take T3 only for a couple of weeks. When someone knows they are having surgery, they should be prepared to take T3 only during recovery…other things that increase reverse T3 are stress, keto, injuries, even dental work, extreme cold, etc. Anesthesia can deplete B12 and zinc I think. My son had a surgery performed and a few months later he had a tiny bald patch on his head. It eventually grew back.

 

[Tash]

Totally know your panic, it's scary AF. And doesn't matter how 'normal' people say it is to lose x hairs, you know when you know.

Don't know what your maintenance regime is but beyond the many peaty/Roddy/Georgi pearls of wisdom, one thing I can't recommend more is eliminating shampoos/conditioners/hair products entirely. After months of disgustingly waxy scalp reconfiguration, my hair now has never felt so soft and healthy. Scalp somehow feels different, like it's less sensitive, doesn't grease up so rapidly. Just a one-ingredient coconut soap and diluted acv rinse.
Don't ya just love sticking the finger up to all these useless health and beauty industries ?

 

[frannybananny]

I have been experiencing immense hair loss since May of this year. Both a receding hairline and intense shedding when I run my fingers through my hair. I have implemented everything under the sun from oysters, aspirin, oxtail, raw liver, methyl blue, cutting training, increasing protein, to upping my thyroid etc etc etc. You name it, I’m doing it.

My temps and pulses are brilliant, which is the most confusing part of this. I’m sleeping like a baby and even though my cycles are on the heavier side, they are consistent and symptom-free.

I’ve noticed when I take b vitamins (@haidut's Energin or even just b1 by itself) the shedding increases. I’ve also noticed this when I eat high carb.

This makes me think that fatty acids are the cause of my hair loss as it appears I’m not oxidizing glucose properly. So then 100g niacinamide 3-4 times a day with aspirin? And deal with the hair loss that will bring?

Or is this a cortisol issue? If so, why would glucose make my hair fall out faster? Doesn't glucose help lower cortisol? And why does supplementing progesterone not help at all?
Or is this an infection? But then wouldn't I have other symptoms like acne and bloating?

What do you think? How can I get my luscious locks back?

You might try biotin and saw palmetto. I might be imagining it but I think the combo is helping my hair stop shedding and maybe growing back at the temples.

 

[Ben.]

Totally know your panic, it's scary AF. And doesn't matter how 'normal' people say it is to lose x hairs, you know when you know.

Exactly this. It used to make me angry when not taken seriously but the person in question sees, feels and as you said it ... knows it.


Can't give the op specific "hair growth" advice, and as hard as this sounds but as someone who started loosing lots of hair, tinnitus, vision decline, gum receeding... w/e it is one starts noticing ... one huge issue is the stress and the panic that comes with it.

Initiall anger/sadness and panic is normal, but as wierd as it sounds, not reacting/responding to that stimulus (seeing it in the mirror, going trough it with the hands etc.) as intensely is a big step in not to overexcrete stress hormones. It may sounds like i am telling the op not to "care" about it, but thats not what i mean, on the contrary, its not acceptable to have this issue, but try to keep the emotional/psychological stress reaction low as to not fall into unecessary vicious cycles. Distracting yourself while simultanously employing w/e change necessary to fix the issue. Ofcourse this is easier said than done.

Checking the hair/scalp everyday, multiple times a day is a sign of stress/obsession that is counterpoductive for healing.

 

[bavy]

Are you eating enough calories? Given you've upped your thyroid dose that could be important. Some people need more cals simply because 'Peating' boosts their BMR.

You might also want to look into red light therapy.

Also, try not to feel "lost" about this - that could just stress you out further. There's plenty of time to turn things around! In the meantime, your hairline looks fine to me.

I am averaging about 1900 calories and eating until I’m full. I’m a small lady so forcing anything more gets stored right away I’ve noticed.

My red light just came in today, thankfully. And you’re right, if this is stress related, thinking about it like this could make it worse.

 

[bavy]

I seen from your posts that you have a history of fasting, do you also have a history of eating lots of PUFA? The stress of fasting alone is what causes most 'health conscious' people to start losing their hair. The studies that haidut has shared show that fasting causes high estrogen/cortisol and low vitamin D. I would not stress too much about it, you seem to be doing all the right things now, and the stress from fasting will slowly be healed, but it takes time.

The things I would make sure I'm doing are:
- Getting a vitamin D test and making sure its at least 50 ng/mL, getting as much light as possible
- Carrot salad daily (carrot, olive oil, vinegar, salt)
- Not becoming calorie/sugar deficient, eating when first wake up and eating frequent meals of protein, carbs and fat
- Experiment with cycling 1mg cyproheptadine to lower stress/pituitary hormones
- Experiment with Progest-E (This is a helpful guide). I have responded the best to this brand, not sure about the others. From my experience, there doesn't seem to be a dose that is too high, even as a male
- Aiming for 2 grams of calcium daily
- Massaging for 20-40 minutes daily or a few times per week (Rob at PHH has reported many cases of females improving their hair and stopping shedding from these massages, although it usually takes around 8 months before people can see progress)
- Yoga or some sort of light exercise seems helpful (the magnesium, progesterone, cyproheptadine will all help loosen any tightness in muscles)
- Not worrying about the problem, and having trust in the process

Yes I do have a history with intense fasting in 2020. One meal a day type deal. Thank you for this list! I have never heard of cyproheptadine, I will be trying out.

 

[bavy]

FWIW, I’ve noticed a lot of young women like you thinning around the temples. Do you wear your hair in a ponytail a lot? That seems to be the commonality among the women I’ve observed.

I think women underestimate the stress placed on the hair and scalp from pulling hair back and anchoring it with a scrunchie, ponytail holder or rubber band at the back of their head. You can definitely change a hairline by wearing the hair tied back in a clip or ponytail all the time.

Lots of women sleep with their hair up at night which could add to the problem. Side sleeping in a bun or ponytail can cause addition tension and stress on the temple area. This could affect rate of shedding and hair growth.

I keep it in a low clip or satin scrunchie for this exact reason and at night I sleep with a satin pillow and a satin hair cap.

 

[bavy]

coconut oil topically. nacent iodine drops ( Mary Ruths ) , Floradix iron supplement liquid ,( Amazon ) Cocoa Locks hot cocoa powder. ( from UK you can order it online. ) this is what i used to grow my hair super thick and long after i overdosed on Progest E it lowered my estrogen so much i lost my hair.

Wow wow how did you know it lowered your estrogen? I base my estrogen on my monthly cycle. It usually clots which tells me I am estrogen dominant more than insufficient.

 

[bavy]

Can you share your recipe? I've ordered some piroctone olamine for experimentation.

Surgery in April sounds like the most probable culprit. It's common to experience telogen effluvium 2-3 months after a trauma or injury to the body, and it can last for several months. I had Covid in April and started experiencing this some weeks ago. Not a whole lot you can do except wait for it to grow back.

In the meantime... Niacinamide and caffeine topically may help; see the thread on SolBan for concentrations. Piroctone olamine shampoos were shown (in one study) to increase hair length and diameter; those are available in any pharmacy. Taurine orally (perhaps even topically) is probably helpful.

EDIT: Do you have or did you have white horizontal lines on your nails? Those are another sign of past stress. I noticed mine at the same time the hair loss started.

Ah yes the waiting game. Okay, thanks for sharing. Yep, I am using Sol Ban and taurine.

And YES! Actually, I just noticed that the ridges are way more intense this month than ever before. I use to pride myself on my nail health. I am so glad you mentioned this. This makes me feel better in a weird way. Thank you!!

 

[bavy]

Agree with Revenant..Surgery did that to me- Nov. years ago, had general anesthesia. 3 months later lost half the volume of my hair. It did grow back but I can totally understand why you are upset. My ponytail became the size of a dime, drain was full of hair. It stopped stay calm if you can, and eat protein

This is so helpful - thank you thank you thank you!

 

[bavy]

Yeah calcium is super important!

One thing I noticed recently is the more raw milk I drink, the softer my scalp gets. There's a fast, noticeable difference. Honestly it was surprising at first.

I am scared to try raw milk as I’m still a little hypothyroid and I’m prone to infections. Let me get my thyroid up and running fully then I can try this out again.

 

[bavy]

Surgery WILL turn T4 into reverse T3. So anything to raise T3 naturally. Mainly, selenium and zinc via foods and or take T3 only for a couple of weeks. When someone knows they are having surgery, they should be prepared to take T3 only during recovery…other things that increase reverse T3 are stress, keto, injuries, even dental work, extreme cold, etc. Anesthesia can deplete B12 and zinc I think. My son had a surgery performed and a few months later he had a tiny bald patch on his head. It eventually grew back.

Incredibly fascinating. I had no idea, thank you for sharing. I am glad he grew it back, that gives me hope. I was taking a hefty dose of t4 both before and after surgery. I eat oysters or mussels every day with lunch.

 

[bavy]

Totally know your panic, it's scary AF. And doesn't matter how 'normal' people say it is to lose x hairs, you know when you know.

Don't know what your maintenance regime is but beyond the many peaty/Roddy/Georgi pearls of wisdom, one thing I can't recommend more is eliminating shampoos/conditioners/hair products entirely. After months of disgustingly waxy scalp reconfiguration, my hair now has never felt so soft and healthy. Scalp somehow feels different, like it's less sensitive, doesn't grease up so rapidly. Just a one-ingredient coconut soap and diluted acv rinse.
Don't ya just love sticking the finger up to all these useless health and beauty industries ?

Thank you for seeing me, Tash And yes I know the physical and emotional feeling of freedom that is attached to saying goodbye to both hair and makeup products!

 

[bavy]

You might try biotin and saw palmetto. I might be imagining it but I think the combo is helping my hair stop shedding and maybe growing back at the temples.

Interesting, I will give it a go! I intake lots of eggs naturally but maybe I could take more just to see what happens?

 

[bavy]

Exactly this. It used to make me angry when not taken seriously but the person in question sees, feels and as you said it ... knows it.


Can't give the op specific "hair growth" advice, and as hard as this sounds but as someone who started loosing lots of hair, tinnitus, vision decline, gum receeding... w/e it is one starts noticing ... one huge issue is the stress and the panic that comes with it.

Initiall anger/sadness and panic is normal, but as wierd as it sounds, not reacting/responding to that stimulus (seeing it in the mirror, going trough it with the hands etc.) as intensely is a big step in not to overexcrete stress hormones. It may sounds like i am telling the op not to "care" about it, but thats not what i mean, on the contrary, its not acceptable to have this issue, but try to keep the emotional/psychological stress reaction low as to not fall into unecessary vicious cycles. Distracting yourself while simultanously employing w/e change necessary to fix the issue. Ofcourse this is easier said than done.

Checking the hair/scalp everyday, multiple times a day is a sign of stress/obsession that is counterpoductive for healing.

Its so interesting you say this because today I finally let myself feel really, really angry for my hairloss and it helped my stress immensely!

There is something to be said for really feeling our ***t. Today I was screaming and crying like “hey hi hello I see you, feeling. You exist!” And it became less intense as soon as I validated it in my body.

I was ignoring the feeling of anger this entire time and it was building and building. I feel a little lighter now letting it out.

 

[bavy]

What are your numbers for total iron and ferritin? When my iron is low, my hair falls out in handfuls, my periods are heavy, and I'm very tired. Be sure to test before supplementing iron, as excess iron can be harmful.
Also what is your vitamin D at?
Optimal D range is 60-90.

Component	Your Value	Standard Range
Iron	77 UG/DL	28 to 170 UG/DL 28 - 170 UG/DL
Transferrin	296 mg/dL	192 to 382 mg/dL 192 - 382 mg/dL
Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)	414 UG/DL	250 to 450 UG/DL 250 - 450 UG/DL
Iron Saturation	19 %	20 to 55 % 20 - 55 %

this was in February but I’m upping my intake of oxtail and lamb shank as I’m losing my hair more. I am terrified of iron supplementation, especially having been on the pill for half my life. There’s no way I’m actually low in iron. It’s all stored.

 

[bavy]

Try monatomic ruthenium. Helped me grow some back.

Thank you! I will add it to the self experiment list.

 

[Sulcuscentralis]

Totally know your panic, it's scary AF. And doesn't matter how 'normal' people say it is to lose x hairs, you know when you know.

Don't know what your maintenance regime is but beyond the many peaty/Roddy/Georgi pearls of wisdom, one thing I can't recommend more is eliminating shampoos/conditioners/hair products entirely. After months of disgustingly waxy scalp reconfiguration, my hair now has never felt so soft and healthy. Scalp somehow feels different, like it's less sensitive, doesn't grease up so rapidly. Just a one-ingredient coconut soap and diluted acv rinse.
Don't ya just love sticking the finger up to all these useless health and beauty industries ?

The only time i’ve seen some progress in halting my MPB is when is stopped using any soap/shampoo on my hair - only water rinse after the gym. It took more than a month to stabilize the scalp oil homeostasis and it was a greasy mess at one point, but after it became nice and shiny. I don’t know what it is, but scalp hair compared to body hair tend to be very sensitive to everything - stress, endocrine disruptors, cosmetics, etc. I could rub radioactive waist from Chernobyl on my chest hair and it will still grow, but scalp hair will fall out like autumn leaves before winter. ?

 

[Vins7]

In regards to the bloating this was one of my major symptoms for many, many years. Doesn't matter what I tried - peat wise or non peat wise - nothing helped. Only after eliminating my beloved starches (especially all grains) my bloating disappeared - and I am a new human since then. So there is a good chance that it can also be endotoxin related in your case.

And other than that I would not worry too much. From what I can see on the pictures your hair looks really good .

Did you have to eliminate all starches for fixing the bloating? Even potatoes and rice? I Sony know what to do to fix this issue