seasonal hair loss

[Roseanne]

I am 46 years old and for the past four/five years have been plagued by hairloss. At first I thought it was due to stress (I'm a teacher and would always happen at the beginning of the school year), but now I think it is more related to the change in seasons because my job is now much less stressful. It starts in September and lasts until about January. I have had my hormones tested and they were all quite low. I am now on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. My doctor says that progesterone levels are the ones that affect hairloss the most, so she just recently increased the levels of progesterone that I take, as well as giving me a topical prescription (liquid form) that I put directly on my scalp each night. I have just started but will let you all know if it seems to help.

It is so demoralizing to see the clumps of hair in the drain each morning, and I find myself looking enviously at women with full, thick heads of hair. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, and I hope we all find help soon!

[kchev]

I've come to this thread a couple times now. My experience is so much like those you've all written about. I am 38 and I have been losing my hair between sept-feb or so for the last three years. I live the Pacific Northwest so I am pretty sure excessive heat has nothing to do with my case. I've tried the shampoos that clean the oils and buildup from the scalp, I've taken iron supplements, and I've had my thyroid and ferritin levels checked. My ferritin was in the low end of the range but still normal. Nothing has worked and I don't know what I will do if this continues. I feel like I have so little hair left, I can hardly keep a ponytail in sometimes. I feel a little lucky because I started with pretty thick hair and it is kind of puffy, so it's never flat to my head. I'm just so scared that I will bald before I am 45.

I have no family history of this although my sister, who lives in another state, was experiencing hair loss for a couple years, too. Hers seems to have stopped.

I had my second child several months before the hair loss began.

Stress? Well who knows. There is always stress in life but that doesn't explain this seasonal pattern of loss.

My heart goes out to all of you because I know how painful it is to experience this.

[stride]

seasonal hair loss in normal, however if it is not replaced then it is not. The first time I was aware of seasonal shedding was that it wasnt replacing I found out I had an iron deficiency. My ferritin is now 90 and a year later still no regrowth. I have just had another seasonal shed and thankfully this one is regrowing. I too am on progesterone cream to balance hormones and also have an anxiety problem so this probably isnt helping my lost hair to regrow. I am dreading my next shed it makes my hair so thin and loses all the bulk at the bottom. If your seasonal shed doesnt regrow you need to look into it. Hormones, thyroid, protein, iron etc

[panzer]

A blue eyed, fine haired BLOND here. Midwestern location.

I am a mid to mid-August thru around first week of Nov. shedder.

There is a name for what mine seems to do -- telegen effluvium .... you can google that. Basically, this means FULL SCALP SUDDEN SHEDDING (not to much a pattern to it, just the full scalp). And, if you can take around 25 hairs in your hand, tug, and pull out at least 5, then you have this condition.

The question is finding out WHY.

I got hormone, T-3, T-4 testosterone, etc. tested last year. The test were normal. My question is, if the LOSS takes 3-5 months to show up AFTER the "event" (hormones, stress, whatever), then really, I have to wonder what a test would show in the APRIL, MAY, JUNE time frame? Has anyone tried that?

I am 42 and mine started about 3-4 years ago. It became just terrible these last 2, however. I go to likely get my hair cut off tomorrow.


My hair also gets really nasty at this time of shedding. The whole structure changes from flexible and healthy to drier (on the ends) and brittle and very break-away. It gets stringy looking, even right after a wash. My scalp also hurts and I DO get white heads and small sores on it (very small, pin head sized, if that). ...

I am wondering if I need to be seeing a dermatologist or a endocrinologist? The tests last year ran around $2K. Word to the wise, do NOT let your Doc. put ALOPECIA in the Dx code box! Insurance will REFUSE to pay that, saying it is cosmetic. Have him put "suspected Thyroid dysfunction .... or some other creative Dx!

FWIW -- In efforts to curb the loss without severe hormone shifts or oral drugs, I started a natural progesterone cream last year. And, the NIOXIN line of products. My hair started to come back in nicely, and even CURLIER than before ... which was great ... the extra body is needed to puff up the appearance of the massive losses .... I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing and hoping it was a one time shed ...

Well ... my hair was in the middle of regrowth when THIS season's loss hit. I have also looked at variables and patterns of events, vitamins, etc. I also maintain a very healthy lifestyle and am very very active and outdoorsy, as well.

Anyway, no answers. But, one point I wanted to make -- it is NOT JUST HAIR LOSS. The hair loss coincides with a peculiar event -- boisterously GROWING NAILS. My nails are otherwise thin and soft and IMPOSSIBLE to grow. Yet, while the hair lay in piles and all over the seats of my car ... the nails ... I can't keep them short and they turn into a newfound mini weapon. They go NUTS ... rapidly accelarated growth ... and their texture ALSO changes ... they get TOUGH AND HARD as bowling balls ... I have to CLIP them ....

(Really, God. I didn't need the nails that badly - they make glue ons! GIMME MY HAIR BACK, PLEASE! )

Panzer

[ellen]

Hi Ladies,

Sorry for my English but I an Dutch and my English is not well.
I have hair loss from july to november. It scares me, it is terrible. I am 28 years and loved to travel around the world, and every winter I made a trip to a nice warm country. But 3 month later the hair loss began.
I hoped that this obvious connection would bring the solution, but no doctor is interested in seasonal shedding.
My ferritin was low (26) and it took me a year to raise it to 74. I am taking iron pills. I read on this forum something about yeast on your head during the summer and that is what I have got. In the summer my scalp is itchy, in the winter it isn't. I am searching many hours on the internet for information. I think maybe there is a link with hormones, in the summer DHEA levels are higher then in the winter. Also melatonin is low in the summer.
I hope some doctor wil do research on this problem.

Ellen

[chichijunk]

thank you for this forum. i was wondering if anyone else has this problem. i am also experiencing excessive seasonal hair loss (fall to winter months) and this year is really bad. i have nothing re-growing yet (have always regrown every year) and the fallen hair all over my back and clothing and floor and in my hands is very stressful although i try real hard not to be stressed by it. i tell myself it will stop falling out any day now and start growing back like it always has in the past. i've had so much fall out in past seasons, that when it Does start growing back, my head gets a "cap" of short hair and keeps my head warm in the cold weather.
this year, any short hair that is trying to grow back is falling out too.

i keep cutting my hair shorter and shorter so that the thin-ness is not so noticeable, but it's all i can think about because there is so little left to fall out. my hair was thick over the summer (i live in Cleveland, OH) and it didn't take long to go from voluptuous hair to zilch. although it is falling out consistently from all over the scalp, it feels like there are entire chunks missing. my volume went from 3" ponytail circumference to about an inch.

my nails, usually very flimsy, are alot longer and harder than normal as mentioned by someone else in this forum. never noticed the coincidence, but now it's ironic that that has occurred to me too. my breasts also feel larger than usual and more swollen. annoying.

i have no healthcare and cannot afford doctor's visits to find out my iron levels. i am 49, caucasian, olive-skinned (tan easily), have had hysterectomy, have one ovary left, last child born 10 yrs ago, am in menopause, my hot-flashes kept me warm all winter last year (saved on heating bills!) but are not as intense this season as they were in previous months. night sweats diminished (were worse in the summer and am not getting a sweaty scalp at all) i am not on any medications, no estrogen therapy (might start taking Zoloft soon if this hair-loss continues to combat the depression it will generate), just started taking vitamins a couple of days ago. i am stressed with major career change, get depressedabout once every two weeks, smoke alot, drink occasionally, divorced 5 yrs, engaged 1 year - but huge stress is usually normal for me. divorce was much more stressful than anything i'm dealing with now and i didn't lose my hair over it so i'm at a loss to understand why it's falling out in handfuls now. i've determined that it's that "seasonal thing" and just hope that it will stop falling out before there's nothing left and start regrowing like it's always done before.
should i try extra iron pills and hope that my multi-vitamin has enough D in it to replace what i'm not getting from the sun in these winter months? should i go to a tanning booth a couple of times to fool my scalp into thinking it's summertime?
another thing i've noticed is that my shower drain doesn't have the hair in it. it falls out More after i've towel-dried it and brushed it ever so carefully when i Blow -dry. i always blow-dry with the lightest air and least heat possible. it won't hold a curl anymore, so i don't even bother with the curling iron. my hair is all over the floor when i'm drying it, but if i don't blow dry it, it will be flat against my head and will look like i haven't any at all.
i sympathize with every one of you who are dealing with this too - it is awful!! - but if i offer some hope here that it will stop falling out at some point and will start the re-growth process, i hope i helped at least one person. i am waiting for mine to stop the shedding process and reverse itself hopefully soon. it just gets very worrisome until it happens. i can't afford to lose any more.

and thanks for all of the great comments. i've learned a few things i didn't know. and it feels good to get this off of my chest. i'm hoping that helps too in an inward-psychological kind of way.

[ellen]

I am 46 years old and for the past four/five years have been plagued by hairloss. At first I thought it was due to stress (I'm a teacher and would always happen at the beginning of the school year), but now I think it is more related to the change in seasons because my job is now much less stressful. It starts in September and lasts until about January. I have had my hormones tested and they were all quite low. I am now on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. My doctor says that progesterone levels are the ones that affect hairloss the most, so she just recently increased the levels of progesterone that I take, as well as giving me a topical prescription (liquid form) that I put directly on my scalp each night. I have just started but will let you all know if it seems to help.

It is so demoralizing to see the clumps of hair in the drain each morning, and I find myself looking enviously at women with full, thick heads of hair. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, and I hope we all find help soon!

Hello Roseanne,

How has your hair loss been this winter ? i am curious because I read that you use a progesterone topical. I am starting with natural progesterone cream and I hope that will help. But the topical is new for me and if it worked for you , may be it will work for me.
I hope you will post a message.
Ellen

[Roseanne]

Hi Ellen,
Just saw your post. I'm relieved to report that my excessive hair loss has pretty much stopped. I would say that now I'm losing even less than a "normal" amount. I think that the combination of the oral and topical progesterone did help, and I've noticed a positive effect on my skin as well which a few friends commented looks "glowing." If it's at all possible, I would recommend having your hormone levels tested and then get your doctor to write a prescription for bioidentical hormones prepared at a compounding pharmacy. They will be able to individualize the perscription for your particular needs, and balance all the hormones properly. I had previously tried an over-the-counter progesterone cream, and I don't think it was as effective for me. If you happen to live in New England, check out the website for Custom Medicine in Beverly, MA. They might be able to recommend a doctor who understands this issue.

I hope this helps. Let us know how it goes. The true test for me will be if my hair starts to shed again next September, in which case it's back to the drawing board!

[OKmomof2]

I noticed this thread was started several years ago, but am encouraged to see there are others like me. I am 36 and started experiencing "Fall Hair Loss" about 3-4 years ago. My hair is dirty blonde and very fine. I am not noticing it growing back. I have had numerous test done by different doctors and nutritionists with little to no explanation for why it is falling out. Did anyone find anything that worked for them. Any anwers??? I would love to talk to anyone else who has or is experiencing this.

[Deborah]

My hair is falling out, too. It started a few years ago and is much worse in the warm months. I've taken a lot of nutritional supplements to help counteract it but I'm not sure how much help they've been. (Maybe I'd have NO hair right now if I hadn't used them. I'll never know.) I've used Rogaine for about a year now, and it seems to have helped to some degree. But I'm using it only on my temples and the forehead. I'm now menopausal, but this began before I had any hormonal issues, so I'm not sure it's related. Could be genetic. My grandmother had thin hair. But both my parents, who are in their 70s, have more hair than I do right now! I'm originally from Toronto. Maybe driving on the 401 causes hair loss. If not...it should.

My doctors don't seem to care much. They just say they don't know what's causing it, or what to do about it, and have no suggestions whatsoever.