Caution: Hair Falling

Well it has started.  My hair is falling out. I knew it was coming; everyone warned me.  I am bummed because I have always wanted long, blond hair and  I finally have it.  I was born a very dark , very curly brunette.  I went completely gray in my 20's and started dyeing it blond then.  It was always short because when I was little my mom didn't want to deal with it and when I was older I was active duty military and it was just easier.  I started growing it out a couple of years ago.  I have an appointment for a color and trim in 2 weeks.  I'm wondering if I should wait until it gets really thin to cut it or just do it now.  I think  it is inevitable.  My bangs are looking very sparse and stringy so it is only a matter of time before the rest looks like that.

How did you deal with it?

Sorry but you are right, it happens to most of us.  I thought I had dodged the bullet because mine started later than normal but kept going.  I even took tons of bioten for months before and after surgery and it may have delayed it but didn't stop it for sure.

I got my hair cut some, like to chin lenght when it was getting really thin.  Then I recently had it cut really short when I was in rehab for my knee.  It has been really short most of my life and I was not sad to go back to it.  Short does seem to make it look fuller. 

We want pix when you get it cut if that is what you decide.

My hair had been short for the past 15 years or so, which I felt helped with the shedding. But what I did see was that it started looking scarecrow-ish as I lost hair. I went to my stylist in a panic, and she told me that it was just that with the loss/regrowth cycle, I had less of the long hair and more of the shorter hair (and this was with short hair in the first place!).

For about a year, I found that I needed to have more frequent trims to keep away from the scarecrow look, and that really helped. Now I'm growing it longer, but because there's still some newer growth after the reconstruction, I still wind up with a scarecrow going on at about 12 weeks (I prefer to wait 16 weeks between cuts... but oh well).

As Price said, short will make it look more full, so that may be an option for you to go with. Just keep up with the trims, and it'll come back.

I wear mine short, so it was easier to deal with.  I've always read on OH those with long hair say keeping it trimmed helps.

The best advice -- don't look in a mirror for about 4 months! LOL just kidding. I had no bangs when I went through that phase and kept it tucked behind my ears and flipped up on the ends. Chin up -- this will pass fast!!

Meg

 I've actually lived through this twice already.  Once when I had my thyroid ablated when my youngest child was just born.  I really lost a lot of hair that time. Postpartum and thyroid disease equal a lot of destroyed hair growth.   I even had a bald spot.  Then in September of last year I had surgery on my legs for chronic compression syndrome.  Quite a bit of hair started falling out in November and December just in time for my WLS surgery in January.  So I think your advice works!  No mirrors for me.  It's almost summer so maybe I will sweep my bangs to the side and wear a ponytail till it grows back in!

I have light hair (not quite as blond as you, but I dye it to what my natural color was).  Before WLS, I had a ton of very fine wavy hair.  Then with my protein deficiency, it was shedding, and looked horrible.  My hair has gotten a lot better in the last few weeks so I'll pass on what I've learned.

First - make sure you get your protein
Take Biotin
Get a really good hair cut and trimmed every 6 weeks 
Use a shampoo and conditioner for damaged hair (Herbal Essences Hello Hydration works for me)
Use a leave-in moisturerizer or mouse to give some additional body.  I use one of those leave-in moisturize and shine products.

I've got my waves back, and my hair looks pretty decent. 

 

 Thanks!  I am going to up my protein even though my labs are ok.  I always get my hair colored and trimmed every 5-6 weeks because my hair grows silly fast and I get a white stripe at the root line.  I use L'Oreals  Sulfate Free shampoo and conditioner for colored hair.  I also use Nexxus leave in conditioner for split end prevention and Chi silk oil.  I just tried a deep conditioner by Nexxus that you sleep in and rinse in the morning.  Love it!   I just bought a B12 supplement with Biotin in it.  I'm starting that now!  It seems I am on the right track.  I just have to let it take it's course I guess.

my hair is falling out alot ..how long does this continue I'm only 5 months out ..i hear that biotin doesnt really do much..your hair will still fall out