Losing Hair/Stress?

[ACG]

Recently at the beauty shop my hair dresser was alarmed at how much hair was falling out. He knows my situation at home and feels it is stress. I have tons of wavy/curly hair. But I've noticed my hair feels thinner too. I wash my hair daily, as I work out every day. Is there something I can do? The stress I can't too much about. I'm nursing a spouse back to health, working, got kids, etc. Until he is better - I'm stuck. There are a lot of other underlying issues that are making things not easy. Riding is my only outlet. I also do some mild weightlifting and jogging twice a week. I don't want to give up my workouts as that is when I'm most at peace. I do not take vitamins. Yes that is bad. Any suggestions?

[Biking Kitsune]

For your stress, I'd suggest either St. John's wort or Kava Kava.... St. John's Wort particularly if your stress also brings on depression.
For your hair, I'd try taking gelatin capsules. They're just caps with powderized gelatin in them, but they work wonders for thickening hair. I used to have high-grade panic attacks, and these were suggested to me for my hair loss, etc. Still, you might want to see your doctor before starting the herbal supplement (gelatin is just the same stuff as in jello, so that shouldn't interfere with anything) to see if there might be something else triggering your hair loss.

Calcium and Vitamins C and E tend to cushion the body against extreme stressors, too.

[reacted]

While I agree that St. John's Wort is great for stress and mild depression. I would caution that it is thought that it can interfear with hormonal birth control methods (pill, patch, ring) story (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/OnCall_stj_wort_pregnancy020211.html)

[emily_in_nc]

Kava kava has been found to cause liver problems in some. Please be careful before taking herbs - despite the fact that they are natural, they aren't always benign or beneficial.

Kava info:

http://www.cassmd.com/library/kava.warnings.html

Have you recently gone off the pill? Hormonal changes like that can cause hair loss as well.

Emily

[roadiechick]

ACG

I had a friend with the same problem, her hair was falling out a lot more than usual. She was really worried about it and ended up seeing a doctor. They did a blood test and worked out it was an underactive thyroid. They told her that it is a common problem especially in women and could be easily treated with some medication. She is on some tablets now and her hair has stopped falling out. Maybe it would be worth having a blood test just to put your mind at ease incase it is a thyroid problem.

hope this helps

roadiechick

[pedalfaster]

Not sure if this pertains to you , but certain birth control pills cause hair loss as well. I had that problem when my provider switched brands on me last year. What a mess!

[trekchic]

"hypo" or "hyper" thyroid both can cause hair loss. I experienced hair loss with "hyper" thyroid... I am on synthroid and had too high of a dose. That is totally diagnosed with a blood test. Do you have an enlarged thyroid? Is it hard to swallow or do you suffer with frequent sore throats? Are you skin, nails and eyes dry frequently? These are also symptoms of thyroid problems.

All this being said, there is a direct link between hair loss and stress. Look up the term "alopecia" (not sure about the spelling). Lots of women that have hair loss, usually total hair loss, are diagnosed with this condition and it is said to be linked to phycological problems such as stress.

I'd go see my physician soon, just to illiminate the worry of... "do I have a disease?"

Hope it's nothing!
Kim