Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => New Members => Topic started by: Captain on July 20, 2017, 01:21:34 PM
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Hello everyone,
Although not new to the menopause, I was so so happy to find you all as I looked to the internet recently to try and work out what on earth was happening to me. I am 51 and I took the peri-menopause, and the first year of the real thing in my stride. Then around April of this year I started to get aches and pains, diarrhea, became increasingly tired and somewhat emotional, and very forgetful to the extent that I was wondering about early onset Alzheimers. Then my always thick and glossy hair started to fall out. I think I would have coped ok with everything else. But never would I have guessed that approaching the hairbrush in the morning could strike such fear and dismay in me!
Off to the GP I went. My bloods showed my ovaries were going for a last hurrah and FSH levels had spiked. Also, my vitamin D was low. My GP worked through the pros and cons of HRT. I'm finding the hair loss devastating so I decided to give it a go to see if it helps. Three days ago I started on femoston-conti 1/5 and a vitamin D supplement. I also started to use alpecin caffeine shampoo.
The hair loss started with two patches of alopecia areata at the top of my head which I can disguise with a pulled back half pony tail. My GP says this is coincidental to the menopause. However about a month after the alopecia appeared I started to have diffuse hair loss all over which the GP does attribute to the menopause. I'm not sure how much longer I'll have enough hair to disguise the alopecia.
I know there have been threads on here before about menopause and hair loss which have been really useful. If anyone has any success in halting hair loss with my current mix of femostin conti and vitamin D I'd love to hear about it.
Thank you one and all who have ever posted on here, especially the hair loss brigade!
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Hi :welcomemm:
Can't help with the hair situation I'm afraid but someone will bound to be along soon with words of wisdom for you ::)
Just wanted to say glad to have you on board!
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:welcomemm:
As oestrogen levels drop off the muscles may become lax = aches and pains. Be ware of drying skin/vagina/eyes/nostrils/ears etc..
Have a look at Philip Sorbies web-site, he supports ladies with hair loss and makes wigs apparently but of course, the name of his web-site isn't at the front of my brain right now ::) - did you find out Doing Stupid Things thread ;-)
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Hi
The only thing I can add is ferretin levels? thyroid levels?
There is female pattern baldness (which is one I worry about :-\ ) where the hair follicles atrophy so the hairs get thin and then stop growing. This is mainly genetic.
Then there is hairloss through hormones, which should come back again, hopefully.
One thing to do is to use olive oil or argan oil, and massage your head so that your scalp relaxes and moves, then cover and leave overnight, then wash in the morning. This is good if you are having dry hair problems with it.
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I now have visions of the old fashioned nappy liner, hair net covered with a swimming cap ::)
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My grandmother used to use a polythene sandwich bag held on with a clothes peg ;D
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Hopefully she didn't have sandwiches inside, unless she got peckish in the night? ;)
So far my hair has remained where it should be! although other parts of my body (under my arms) don't need as much attention, My Chin however >:(
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Well if laughter helps, you have just made me giggle with your replies. I'd like to swap the growth on my chin for some on my head. Its like my hair got lost on the way to my scalp.
Dahliagirl, thanks for the input. Iron and thyroid all ok. There is no female pattern baldness and even the males in the family sport thick heads of hair into their dotage. But my teenagers are beginning to be freaked out, more about their own hairlines than having a bald mum.
Remaining hair is not too dry and I'm trying not to wash it every day, much and all as I think I could really rock the plastic bag on head (sandwiches optional) look. But massaging the scalp sounds good, I'll try that.
I'm off to look up the stupid things thread and feeling better already, thanks all.
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The massage should help - it is about improving circulation. I have seen nizoral shampoo (for dandruff/seborrhoeic dermatitis) mentioned for that too, but I expect the caffeine shampoo is doing the same thing.
So, with circulation in mind, does one wear a hat in the winter to maintain a warm head, or will it rub the hair off? ???
Hope you get lots of lovely new growth soon, Captain.
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I suffered thinning from menopause and was already on hrt for years, mine hit when I became post menopause.
Remedies to disguise:
Nanogen hair fibres
Hair toppers
Wigs
Lucinda Ellery mesh system extensions
I've tried a few lotions and potions and honestly, if it's not a deficiency of any kind, and not hereditary it's unlikely anything will work, sorry but that's my experience
I introduced testosterone and that seems to have stopped the shedding so perhaps that was my missing link but I'm not expecting my hair to go back to how it was but I do disguise mine
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we have a funny 'room' too ;)
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Thanks Annie0710, I didn't realise there was anything between a hat/scarf and a wig. Hair fibres look the business. I'll investigate the testosterone angle when I'm next in with GP.
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Nanogen hair fibres are the business, seriously, they hide the gaps and make the hair at scalp appear thicker plus they do trial sizes so you can work out your perfect shade x
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Hi Captain
:welcomemm:
I too had a giggle at this thread - especially the prospect of granny sleeping with sandwiches and argan oil under a plastic bag on her head!!!
Hurdity x
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Well Marge Simpson keeps just about everything in hers :D
My hair is thinning at an alarming rate, too - almost as fast as it's growing on my face. If I'm not careful I'll end up with a Mexican bandit type moustache. Hmmm, maybe I can let that grow and hide the thinning with a sombrero :o
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I am despairing of my hair today. It is determined to turn into a dry frizzy mess :-\
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Hi Dahliagirl,
My hair has always been a dry, frizzy mess :D
I'd just got used to handling it when meno kicked in and the texture has changed yet again - on the hair that's left, that is.
Have you tried treatments on your hair? I find using oil - anything from olive to coconut to avocado, as well as commercial oils available. They'll need a good wash out, though. Even dry, frizzy hair can get oil overload.
Another favourite treat for me is my once every 10 days protein mask (I use this when I'm going out or just want my hair to look and feel at its best). My two favourites are TiGi Dumb Blonde Reconstructor (I'm a bottle brunette), and the one from Lee Stafford (name escapes me now as he has a few, but you can tell the LS is a protein mask as it asks you to use a moisturising conditioner after rinsing it out - which you should always do after a protein mask).
If you do try these and have good results, don't be tempted to over-use as they can cause your hair to become brittle.
So, not really a menopause matter as such, though I think a lot of women have hair issues at our age, but I just wanted to pass on something I've found helped me.
Hope you have a better hair day tomorrow.
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Do they take it seriously now? I was tested annually for 15 years and came back "borderline" every year. I was told they don't medicate borderline.
My aunt lives in Australia and had similar results to me but was given treatment. She was a changed woman.
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That's food for thought Trey. My bloods were ok for thyroid so the fatigue, hair loss etc all attributed to meno because of the elevated FSH. I might go back to GP and get them done again. Unlike all you lucky NHS people, it costs 50 euro a go for a GP visit here in Ireland. Adding financial woes to everything else. :(
The hair treatments sound lovely but I'm shying away from too much washing because thats when the volume of hair in the hairbrush reaches the 'to hard to look' levels.
I'm also trying vitamins called head high with pro amino. Has anyone had any experience of them? The local health food shop recommended them.
And to onion relish...the sombrero a la Mexican badito look is a great idea! It'll make a nice change from my current 1900s peasant look complete with headscarf :)
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One has to push for 'within normal limits' thyroid results to be further investigated unless a GP is on the ball, maybe make a note of symptoms and see the Practice Nurse or a Pharmacist for advice?
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Sound advice CLKD. Thanks. I was reading elsewhere in my continuing search for hair loss information that keeping a menopause journal is a good idea. I'll do that and then head into the nurse with comprehensive facts instead of the emotional jumble of information I usually impart when I'm in there. It was the nurse who got my vitamin D checked so she's definitely on the ball.
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"jumble of information" - that's it to a T ;D
Let us know how you get on!
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I sent off for my trial pack of nanogen hair fibres today. I was expecting them to be hair but it seems to be powder? When they arrive I'll probably be back here to ask what to do with them!! Any advance words of wisdom?
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I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Just sprinkle them on sparse areas where you want coverage. They'll be undetectable. The beauty of these is they won't budge until you next shampoo. Wetting hair, rain etc won't affect them
Let us know how you get on x
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What if they are the wrong colour? ::)
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If you're grey you choose grey, brunette for brown etc
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aaaaahhhhh
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Sounds too good to be true annie0710! I'll definitely report back. I also have an appointment tomorrow with a trichologist - a profession I didn't know existed until now. Its a steep learning curve. I used to think women's position improved once childcare no longer an issue. I'm rapidly revising that notion.
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They give the impression of hair on the scalp. Unfortunately they don't help anywhere else for volume
Clip in hair would probs be your next step for volume all over x
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One has to push for 'within normal limits' thyroid results to be further investigated unless a GP is on the ball, maybe make a note of symptoms and see the Practice Nurse or a Pharmacist for advice?
I wish I had. I, too, have had multiple miscarriages - I remember the midwife's first visit for one of my later pregnancies, I signed a form for some study into thyroid/miscarriage link, but after I miscarried that one, nothing more was ever said.
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That's food for thought Trey. My bloods were ok for thyroid so the fatigue, hair loss etc all attributed to meno because of the elevated FSH. I might go back to GP and get them done again. Unlike all you lucky NHS people, it costs 50 euro a go for a GP visit here in Ireland. Adding financial woes to everything else. :(
The hair treatments sound lovely but I'm shying away from too much washing because thats when the volume of hair in the hairbrush reaches the 'to hard to look' levels.
I'm also trying vitamins called head high with pro amino. Has anyone had any experience of them? The local health food shop recommended them.
And to onion relish...the sombrero a la Mexican badito look is a great idea! It'll make a nice change from my current 1900s peasant look complete with headscarf :)
I mentioned the treatments as your hair will always look better and fuller when fresh and clean. I know the Philip Kingsley Clinic tells women to wash hair daily in case they have... sorry, meno brain here - some kind of fungal dermatitis that can cause hair loss. I believe that's why a lot of people use Nizoral shampoo and leave it on the scalp for several minutes.
If you're losing hair daily, maybe you could bite the bullet and see if washing more often will help IYSWIM. As far as I remember when researching my own hairloss, washing will only cause more loss if you have a problem with the ingredients in the shampoo. I've tried SLS free and don't see a difference, but for the sake of healthy looking hair, I now use L'Oreal's Low to wash it. It leaves my hair feeling and looking its best, even though loss is still evident for me.
And, wow. 50 euros a pop. Worth it if you have a good consult, though. The time, fuel and stress I used for my last GP appointment was a complete waste of all - as have quite a few of my appointments in the last 5 years. I'd gladly pay to have a good consult and end result. More importantly, to be treated like an intelligent woman! I really hope you get that at your appointments.