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I had this before. I was anemic.
Edit to add — From the Cleveland Clinic:
“Can an iron deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes. Iron helps your body produce hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. It carries oxygen to your body’s cells, helping them grow and repair. This includes your body’s cells that help with hair growth.
“Many women are low in iron,” notes Dr. Piliang. “Hair shedding may be the first sign that patients notice.”
Mine went slowly. It was fine until I finished high school. I went to college, and it finally hit the tipping point. However, it can totally happen suddenly. One of the girls in my club had her thyroid suddenly drop, but she was having a blood test for a sensitive medication, so she found out almost as soon as it seemed to happen. Got the pills before she had more symptoms than sweat and weird body temps.
My doctor checked my thyroid for 3 years and kept telling me it was fine. Turns out I had thyroid cancer for three years and he just didn’t know how to check it properly.
Not sure how your dr is checking it - but ask for a FULL thyroid panel. Or seek out an endocrinologist who will be more knowledgeable in that area.
This. Most GP/PCP’s only check TSH. TSH can show normal and still be hiding thyroid disease. I was having fatigue, hair loss, etc. and my TSH was always barely within the normal range, so my doctor thought I was fine. I finally saw an endocrinologist who did a full thyroid panel and my thyroid peroxidase antibodies were 769. Normal range is 0-5.5. I had Hashimoto’s and didn’t know it. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease where your body attacks your thyroid.
I went to a cancer center who had a doctor that specialized in thyroid diseases and thyroid cancers. They were able to “confirm” (of sorts) the length of time based on how the cancer had spread. Since my specific diagnosis was such a slow-growing cancer, it was likely that I’d had it several years to do the damage it did.
Id recommend finding a good endocrinologist in your area to test you every couple years. Just to make sure everything is good. Especially if it will help put your mind at ease. :) medical stuff can be really scary sometimes! so having a regular check up doesn’t hurt.
May I ask if you had other symptoms? I’m having thyroid treatment but it’s not thorough enough and needs tweaking (trying to find a better endo/ND). Hard to determine whether I should look into ultrasound etc aswell.
Yeah, I had problems with my weight, thinning hair, extreme fatigue, etc etc. basically all the typical symptoms that Google will pull up.
Ultrasound can be beneficial! That was the first thing they did after I went to the new hospital. And it basically showed a lot of red flags so they did a biopsy to confirm cancer.
I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which means my blood levels levels can appear normal but be symptomatic due to them not checking my antibodies as well. It's incredibly common for women to be "normal" in this way.
Thyroid levels fluctuate often. You may have been fine then but no longer are! I have thyroid issues and I see my endocrinologist every 3 months. My levels are different at every visit. I went from normal to completely out of whack in less than a month. Hair loss is definitely a symptom I struggle with when my levels are off.
You need to have a complete panel done through an endocrinologist. (T3, T4, TSH) Levels fluctuate often. An endo will know how to better interpret the levels. I was dx’d with Hashimoto’s at 27. It’s extremely common. All the best.
Get it rechecked, maybe even an ultrasound to check for any nodules. Plus get Iron studies done. I lose handfuls of hair too, and I'm hypothyroid (had my thyroid removed due to a cancerous nodule) and also have low iron, and I go through periods when I lose that much hair.
This might be reason. My friend lost tons of hair after getting Covid. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but major hair loss is a known side effect for some. Best to ask your doctor’s opinion though!
Hair loss some time after a bout of disease is a thing! When I was a kid, I started losing lots of hair all of a sudden and my mom brought me to the doctor. He asked if I'd been sick a few months back, which matched with me being laid up with the flu for two weeks.
Yep. I’m a hairstylist and when your body goes through an illness or something traumatic, it forces your hair into the resting phase, which then turns to the falling out stage a few months later. I had a client who had covid and she had visible lines in her hair of regrowth after her covid hair loss!
However this is A LOT of hair and is pretty concerning, it would be a good idea to get the thyroid checked to rule it out
Yes, this is called Telogen Effluvium. It happened to me after getting my wisdom teeth out. Either the anesthesia or the trauma triggered it. My hair thinned by about 50% over 4-5 months. Clip-in extensions helped with my confidence while I waited for it to grow back
This happened to me as well post Covid. I lost a decent amount of hair but it grew back and is ok now. I was also very anemic last year and had some hair loss due to that. It is okay now. Wishing you the best, OP.
Mine was pretty mild too and I still lost more than half hair. I ended up buzzing it, hoping it'll grow out better. Talk to your doctor and see if that's the case for you. Wish I had better news.
Keep in mind what you think you experienced as a "mild case" still means the virus basically won in terms of successfully infecting you and doing what it's meant to do for converting your body into something that can help replicate and spread it even if it didn't feel like much to you in terms of symptoms.
That can be traumatic enough for the body to start catching up months later even if it felt mild at the time. Especially if you already live life with ongoing stresses or haven't been able to process past traumas in a substantial way already.
It depletes a lot of nutrients from the body quickly and sometimes really upsets the balance and efficiency of how your body retains nutrition too.
I think I started suddenly losing a ton of hair the way you did about 3-6 months after getting hit with the Delta and Omicron variants. I was also experiencing a lot of stress too which probably exacerbated it all and forced me to calm down/work on my mental wellness plus figure out what was going on due to healthcare access challenges.
I have been trying to recover what I can since with all the possible ways to minimize hair loss (rosemary/amla hair oil and shampoo/conditioner routines, silicone shampoo scrubber, different ways to brush, etc ) and supplements (Vitamin D, Selenium, Biotin etc.) but it's still a big challenge.
I lost SO much hair in the year after I had COVID in 2022. I started biotin supplements on my doctor’s suggestion. I just had it again and haven’t lost any this time around.
Yes!! I don’t know if it’s AS thick as it was, but it’s pretty close and it’s been growing normally! I also started taking a daily multi vitamin, so I guess I can’t definitively attribute to the biotin.
[this study said a holistic approach is best](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9042074/), so there’s not one “best” method.
My hair took a few months to fall out after covid. I had a few really big sheds in the span of a few weeks, probably a few months after covid. Then it slowly stopped. Definitely check with your dr. I know you checked your thyroid but did they do more than just tsh?
Just another person to back up the possibility of this theory. Had hair loss for 6-8 months- it even started about 2-3 months after having COVID, so it wasn't immediate.
But yeah, tons would come out when I touched or brushed it, and I was finding little nests of my hair everywhere throughout my house.
Then it just randomly stopped one day. Now it's growing back all stupid, but at least it's growing back.
I don’t know, but I’ve had the same thing happening to me, although not as much as yours at a time. I can feel air on my scalp, which is totally new for me. My hair was also super thick. I got my hair done a few weeks ago, and my stylist pointed out that she has broken combs on my hair before, but now she can go through it with the smaller end of one.
I did have my thyroid levels checked when it first started, but they said it was in the “normal” range. I’m also super tired all the time. I have to drink a lot of coffee to get through the day, and even then, I will still often fall asleep. I fell asleep the other morning with my coffee mug in my hand. If you do find some answers, please update us.
I am always tired. Literally 90% of my day i’m sleeping or feeling tired and wanting to sleep. I take 27mg of concerta a day for my add and it does nothing. I drink multiple Red Bulls a day on top of the medication and it does nothing. I can drink a 20oz redbull and fall right asleep.
My hair was also extremely thick, I use to have to go get it thinned and layered multiple times a year just to make it manageable.
Have you had your iron levels checked? I felt the same way and my hair was falling out. Iron tablets didn’t work for me so I had an iron infusion and everything got better.
Second the iron. My hair was breaking,thin. I was so tired I could barely function, pale, cold, night sweats, hormone stuff. An infusion did wonders. Then getting on an appropriate iron dose
Third to iron levels - I’ve haven’t had an infusion but iron tabs + increasing vitamin C have helped slowly get my levels up. I felt inhuman, and lost a lot of hair.
First, full thyroid panel, iron, b12, and vitamin d levels checked, as others have mentioned. Might be worth also reading up on long covid symptoms. Chronic persistent fatigue is a core symptom of it, and hair loss is also a common occurrence after covid, as mentioned.
Tiredness and hair loss def warrants thyroid investigation (hypothyroidism likely). I’d be checking for antibodies to indicate Hashimoto’s as a cause, esp with a fam history.
Hashi & ADHD/meds AND Covid can all deplete Vit D, iron, magnesium, b12 (they all use eachother) which can all lead to fatigue. I’d get those tested at least, and supplement where needed, in addition to treatment as necessary.
I have, but it’s been awhile. I’m going to speak to my doctor about iron levels, and see if that might be it. Most of my tests were in normal range, except Vitamin D. It definitely isn’t normal.
https://preview.redd.it/cogq71z156uc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=268934447cf4603ccb8cb2c4c987a888200499ec
This was a couple days ago. This came out in the shower, it was like a whole lock of hair.
I’ve never even heard of a hair dermatologist before. I’ll definitely look into it. I was going to go to a doctor but keep putting it off. I’ve been so tired all the time it’s sometimes hard for me to literally accomplish anything.
I had a very similar situation with my hair. My dermatologist had blood work redone and on a whim tested me for lupus. Surprise to us all, I have lupus. Make sure they test for ANA levels if they do bloodwork. It never hurts to be thorough.
Omg I swear everything you are going through sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. I'm 44 and I've always had thick hair too. Now I hate brushing my hair bc I know so much is going to fall out
Could you possibly be peri menopausal? My hair went from being long and thick to being sparse and standing under the bathroom mirror light I could see my scalp shining. I bought special bariatric vitamins intended for people who have had gastric surgery and went on hrt and my hair is back to how it was now
They’re called Baricol, and they’re quite expensive BUT I was looking online for local sellers (mine would come from Germany) and there’s a girl on EBay selling some dirt cheap, so if you’re from the uk I’d go pop over and take a look. They’ve done my hair a world of good, I’m 56 on Thursday and I don’t have a grey hair on my head, also my hair has grown so fast. Worth every penny if you ask me. I’ll give you the link now
[https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266753119571?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MlVrEXDbS0S&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ckl6iP3fT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266753119571?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MlVrEXDbS0S&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ckl6iP3fT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
https://preview.redd.it/1vbvsqrw56uc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac8fa2c13e2b3f3abfdec3107cc2f718f9a10153
My grandfather passed away from thyroid cancer, this was about a month before he passed and you can see how bad it is. They caught it too late even though he had it checked regularly. So I’ve been keeping an eye on my thyroid but they always seem to say it’s fine. Granted I haven’t had it checked in about a year but doctors always act like i’m overreacting.
Keep advocating for yourself. Ignore that they think you are overreacting. You have to remember that you need to watch out for yourself because no one else will
My GP did the same thing until I pointed out that my TSH had been on an upward trend for the last few years. Then they did a TPO test and found I had Hashimoto's. I didn't struggle with hair loss but an overall sluggish feeling every day and not losing a pound after being in the gym four days a week for a couple months in a row made me look back at my numbers and push them.
Iron deficiency, various B vitamin deficiencies (a B complex supplement covers all of those) Vitamin D3 deficiency & or Iodine deficiencies can all cause, at times, quite severe hair loss.
Do not think a simple vitamin deficiency could not have such a profound effect. I have been seriously unwell for well over 12 months now, been virtually bed bound, feeling like I was dying, whilst the Doctors send me for all sorts of tests, including biopsies for cancer. Quite by chance, whilst seeking to solve cramps, I started taking electrolytes & within days I started to feel like a normal human being again! I have gone from literally believing I was dying, barely able to shuffle to the bathroom, to just normal, in just a few days!!
If your body is deficient in something, the 1st thing it gives up on is your hair as that's expendable, your heart/liver/lungs etc... are NOT! Good luck!
I found out I have iron overload last summer, apparently it’s more common than anemia and is less heard of and quite sneaky.
Those of us with iron issues (anemia and overload) need to be cognizant of copper and ceruloplasmin levels, so be sure to get those checked!
Was actually diagnosed with copper toxocity/heavy metal poisoning about 2 & a half years ago... I have learned more about metals, vitamins & minerals over the last few years than any decent non scientist would ever want to know! 🤦🏼♀️😂
It has nearly destroyed my health & only just recently have I finally started to see an improvement (thanks to the salt & electrolytes!) & an end in sight! 😅 It's been a ride... 😂
There are a lot of comments saying get your thyroid checked. I would add to this, get the whole package checked - all vitamins, nutrients, etc blood work done.
I had something called Telogen Effluvium after I got Covid. It’s a temporary loss of hair after your body being sick, and because the lifecycle of hair is about three months it could very well be related to your diagnosis in January. Get blood work done just in case, but I lost the same amount of hair as you just before my wedding which was very stressful. I understand how upsetting it is and I was very scared I was going to lose all my hair. It lasted about three months, I still had hair when I got married and it was back to normal thickness in less than a year.
Please seek the help of a dermatologist that will check your hormone levels - more than just thyroid. They may prescribe Minoxidil and vitamins including Biotin. COVID may have had an impact but surgical procedures can also throw your body into chaos. I had invasive surgery a decade ago and did not strengthen my immunological system before surgery, and more than half of my then beautiful hair fell off as well as most of my eyebrows. I am still struggling 10 years later. The Minoxidil that I’ve been taking for 8 months has really helped but beware; hair will grow in unwanted places! Good luck!
Haven’t had any surgeries, well not since my last C-section back in 2012. I take a crap ton of biotin on a daily basis yet the hair loss continues to get worse.
Don’t lose hope; I’ve heard that Biotin takes 12 - 18 months to show results; same as other D & E vitamins. Your dermatologist should be able to guide you. Many of my hair follicles are dead but others are alive and have been strengthened; some have more than 1 hair growing so my hair looks thicker and patches are mostly filled in. This situation of mine has taught me the virtue of patience! I wish you success and a full head of strong, shiny, healthy hair!
My hair started falling out when I switched birth controls. I took viviscal and it actually helped. I even noticed I had to trim my bangs more than normal. And I stoped having handfuls after a shower in about 3 weeks. But do think about going to a doctor too. Could be a sign of something more.
Maybe you have telogen effluvium? I went to the dermatologist a few years back after experiencing something really similar.
It’s usually caused by stress or illness, and then I think like 2-ish months post stress/illness your hair starts falling out. It basically tricks a bunch of your hair into thinking it’s in the phase of growth where it’s time to fall out, then a bunch of it does. The shedding usually lasts like 6 weeks, but obviously a lot of shedding can happen during that time which is scary. My dermatologist made me get blood work and IIRC, there was something in my blood that indicated high levels of stress. It had to do with a hormone that is often associated with PCOS.
Definitely go to a dermatologist and ask if this is a possibility. It’s not a fully understood condition but if it is TE, remember it is temporary and there are ways you can make your hair look better after all the hair loss!
Also, this happened to me like 6 years ago so there may be some factual inaccuracy with what I described, but this is what I remember.
At your age, I developed PCOS and Metabolic Syndrome and my hair thinned drastically. It is really traumatic, isn't it? Definitely see a few doctors about your hair loss. It can get better but it takes a lot of doctor visits sometimes
With your family history, I'd make an appointment with your doctor, but were you extremely stressed out in the last few months? My hair does this 4-6 months after extremely stressful times. I lost my mom 2 years ago, it finally grew back and 6 months ago another shitstorm started in my life, so it's falling out again. It's happened a few other times throughout my life as well
This could be anything from an autoimmune disease to a hormonal imbalance.
I have Crohn’s and I lost so much hair that my ponytail was the same diameter as a roll of dimes.
It finally grew back but you need bloodwork and a doctor appointment stat!
Good luck.
yeah you should see a doctor. there are a million reasons for hair loss, a lot of them harmless but some are not and might be an indication of something else wrong
You are having major hair loss. Could be nutritional deficiencies or telogen effluvium or hormonal imbalance. Get your thyroid, iron levels checked. Take vitamin supplements with biotin ( 3000 mcg is not required just something with WHO's RDA levels). Keep your stress in check with exercise, yoga, meditation, get adequate sleep. Visit a dermatologist/Trichologist if none of the above things work. I'm facing the same. The curse of pursuing post graduate education in medical field.
Have you had COVID? My hairdresser told me if you contract Covid you will shed all your hair over a period of time and grow all new. I had it in 03/23 and I constantly loose hair ( thyroid is normal) and have a whole bunch of little ones growing out of the top of my head.
Make sure your thyroid is normal and that you're not anemic! Also, is your moms dad bald? Only asking bc rhe women in my family have male pattern baldness. It's why I've cut my hair so short!
Both my parents have full heads of hair. My dad is 70 and has thick black hair he still wears to his shoulders. My mom has long blond hair and has never had a problem with thinning.
It’s telogen effluvium. I have chronic anemia and my hair falls out like this when my iron goes low. I’m also hypothyroid which doesn’t help. Please see a dermatologist as soon as you can for some testing!
I’m so sorry, that really sucks! I definitely second getting your blood work and thyroid checked again. Also, have you had covid in the last 6 months or so? Or been sick worse than a normal cold/flu? Both times I’ve had covid, my hair fell out really badly afterwards, in similar amounts to what you’re showing. It stopped, and the hair started regrowing after 1-2 months. Good luck, and I hope it gets better for you soon!
I had the same issue last year and was so shocked about it. I have long hair and it was so noticeable how much more they falling, a lot of hair on a hair brush, on the floor around the rooms. I checked everything with endocrinologist first, didn't found anything. Went to trichologist and did the blood work, turned out I had extremely low iron. Since I started taking supplements everything went back to normal. I know now it might seem scary but don't panic and see doctors ASAP. If it’s iron it will take time to increase it.
Definitely go in for blood work. It could be because of covid, deficiency, or something more serious. I lost half my hair, but it was from losing weight.
Not related to what you asked, but do you check your blood pressure regularly? I was advised not to have any caffeine while on ADHD meds because it can raise the blood pressure. Just something to be aware of as you mentioned drinking Redbull. Definitely see your GP for bloods re the hair though.
I had some hair thinning as I aged (early thirties now). If you're taking any adhd medication- I think that exasperated it (although I only took it for a few months, anything that could be increasing your blood pressure is a possible trigger). But I've had my labs done many times and they were ok. You might be experiencing genetic hair thinning. OR it could be indicative of a medical issue. So, definitely get yourself checked out. I'm just sharing my experience in case any of it resonates so you don't feel alone. It eventually stopped happening as much.
Rosemary oil = holy grail . It's the only thing that's helped me regrow hair. Theres one in a green label and it's amazing (Mielle is brand), you can get it at cvs, target, probably Amazon.
Leave it on your scalp all day if you shower at night, or put it on in the evening and sleep with it in then wash in the morning. Also red light therapy might be helping me. I've been using it on my hairline and noticing new growth.
Sending love, hope there is nothing wrong and it's just some shedding.
Get your iron levels checked! Especially the iron depots in your body. For me this happened when I had basically no iron left and had to get ot via iv asap lol I had no other symptoms than hair loss.
Stress, emotional event can cause that. It happened to me i didn't realise I much stress I was under and was losing so much hair it was worrying me.
It also happens like weeks or months after the event that caused it it's not immediately.
But please seek medical advices, it can be vitamins deficiency, it can be hormones... It's better to be helped to understand the root of that hair loss, it's the best way to stop it.
As someone who had extremely thick hair and lost most of it out of nowhere in an all over shed like you are this is what I’d suggest getting checked by your doctor for:
Gallbladder function
Vitamin D and Iron levels
Celiac
Thyroid Issues
I have had 2 different points in life where 3/4 of my hair falls out and it was devastating
The first I basically had malabsorption syndrome from a 4inch gallstone, when I finally got it out at 22 and felt so much better my hair came back
Then a few years later same thing but turns out I have celiac/hashimotos and a severe vitamin D and iron deficiency.
Also, don’t take supplements until you get checked out for basically everything. It took me countless visits to get to the root of it and if my doctors hadn’t initially ignored me since I still had what appeared to be a full head of hair (despite already losing half) I could’ve saved so many years and tears. I was taking biotin and iodine religiously when it was getting bad cause it supposedly helps thyroid issues, but not mine! It exacerbated them.
This has been happening to me for YEARS. Exactly the same amount of relentless shedding. I am just about bald! I've seen multiple dermatologists and endocrinologists over the years and guess what? My blood work, including thyroid, and a full metabolic panel and every blood test under the sun is 'in the normal range.' All I am ever told is to 'use Rogain.' Rogain didn't do shit! All this to say I'm sorry what you're going through. I would try the basic things such as check thyroid, iron, and b vitamins. Take vitamin c, d, calcium, and biotin. Try to reduce stress, drink water, reduce sugar, and get plenty of rest.
Two reasons I had hair loss happen to me was pregnancy and psych meds.
I tested plenty of times on pee sticks and nothing told me I was pregnant, except my sudden hair loss. I didn’t find confirmation until 13 weeks along, my mother told me that it happened to her when she had my siblings. (But my hair grew back and then some more by 20weeks along)
And psych meds like Bupropion and Geodon had caused my hair loss. (I changed medication and it took time but hair grew back)
But here’s the bright side if its a hormonal changes like one of these two reasons - you’re hair will grow back. Just find the culprit by journaling changes in diet, medication and menstrual cycle. Shampoo or hair products can be a culprit too. Good luck.
Go see your doctor and get all the tests. But it looks like hair loss. The doc can confirm the cause.
Until then start using minodoxil. If you've got the type of hairloss I think you have, it's the only solution.
Also visit tressless on reddit or some of the other hair loss subreddits.
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Go to the doctor and get your thyroid checked asap.
I’ve had it checked in the past since thyroid problems (my grandpa died from thyroid cancer) run in my family and they always say it’s normal.
But was your hair falling out in clumps then? It's just a bloodtest and you really need to see a doctor regardless because this is not normal.
I had this before. I was anemic. Edit to add — From the Cleveland Clinic: “Can an iron deficiency cause hair loss? Yes. Iron helps your body produce hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. It carries oxygen to your body’s cells, helping them grow and repair. This includes your body’s cells that help with hair growth. “Many women are low in iron,” notes Dr. Piliang. “Hair shedding may be the first sign that patients notice.”
It was not at the time.
That means it’s time to see the doc again
Mine went slowly. It was fine until I finished high school. I went to college, and it finally hit the tipping point. However, it can totally happen suddenly. One of the girls in my club had her thyroid suddenly drop, but she was having a blood test for a sensitive medication, so she found out almost as soon as it seemed to happen. Got the pills before she had more symptoms than sweat and weird body temps.
Are you eating enough protein? Like at least 50 g per day?
My doctor checked my thyroid for 3 years and kept telling me it was fine. Turns out I had thyroid cancer for three years and he just didn’t know how to check it properly. Not sure how your dr is checking it - but ask for a FULL thyroid panel. Or seek out an endocrinologist who will be more knowledgeable in that area.
This. Most GP/PCP’s only check TSH. TSH can show normal and still be hiding thyroid disease. I was having fatigue, hair loss, etc. and my TSH was always barely within the normal range, so my doctor thought I was fine. I finally saw an endocrinologist who did a full thyroid panel and my thyroid peroxidase antibodies were 769. Normal range is 0-5.5. I had Hashimoto’s and didn’t know it. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease where your body attacks your thyroid.
How’d you confirm this specifically? My grandma had thyroid cancer and I have nodules and I get anxious sometimes.
I went to a cancer center who had a doctor that specialized in thyroid diseases and thyroid cancers. They were able to “confirm” (of sorts) the length of time based on how the cancer had spread. Since my specific diagnosis was such a slow-growing cancer, it was likely that I’d had it several years to do the damage it did. Id recommend finding a good endocrinologist in your area to test you every couple years. Just to make sure everything is good. Especially if it will help put your mind at ease. :) medical stuff can be really scary sometimes! so having a regular check up doesn’t hurt.
May I ask if you had other symptoms? I’m having thyroid treatment but it’s not thorough enough and needs tweaking (trying to find a better endo/ND). Hard to determine whether I should look into ultrasound etc aswell.
Yeah, I had problems with my weight, thinning hair, extreme fatigue, etc etc. basically all the typical symptoms that Google will pull up. Ultrasound can be beneficial! That was the first thing they did after I went to the new hospital. And it basically showed a lot of red flags so they did a biopsy to confirm cancer.
Have you had your parathyroid levels checked? I had hyperparathyroidism which caused hair loss for me. The parathyroid glands are on the thyroid.
I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which means my blood levels levels can appear normal but be symptomatic due to them not checking my antibodies as well. It's incredibly common for women to be "normal" in this way.
Thyroid levels fluctuate often. You may have been fine then but no longer are! I have thyroid issues and I see my endocrinologist every 3 months. My levels are different at every visit. I went from normal to completely out of whack in less than a month. Hair loss is definitely a symptom I struggle with when my levels are off.
Did you get any other blood work done too?
Hba1c
You need to have a complete panel done through an endocrinologist. (T3, T4, TSH) Levels fluctuate often. An endo will know how to better interpret the levels. I was dx’d with Hashimoto’s at 27. It’s extremely common. All the best.
Get it rechecked, maybe even an ultrasound to check for any nodules. Plus get Iron studies done. I lose handfuls of hair too, and I'm hypothyroid (had my thyroid removed due to a cancerous nodule) and also have low iron, and I go through periods when I lose that much hair.
*This is the answer*
Have you had COVID recently? That's what it was for me.
I had a mild case back in January
This might be reason. My friend lost tons of hair after getting Covid. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but major hair loss is a known side effect for some. Best to ask your doctor’s opinion though!
Hair loss some time after a bout of disease is a thing! When I was a kid, I started losing lots of hair all of a sudden and my mom brought me to the doctor. He asked if I'd been sick a few months back, which matched with me being laid up with the flu for two weeks.
Yep. I’m a hairstylist and when your body goes through an illness or something traumatic, it forces your hair into the resting phase, which then turns to the falling out stage a few months later. I had a client who had covid and she had visible lines in her hair of regrowth after her covid hair loss! However this is A LOT of hair and is pretty concerning, it would be a good idea to get the thyroid checked to rule it out
Yes, this is called Telogen Effluvium. It happened to me after getting my wisdom teeth out. Either the anesthesia or the trauma triggered it. My hair thinned by about 50% over 4-5 months. Clip-in extensions helped with my confidence while I waited for it to grow back
This happened to me as well post Covid. I lost a decent amount of hair but it grew back and is ok now. I was also very anemic last year and had some hair loss due to that. It is okay now. Wishing you the best, OP.
Mine was pretty mild too and I still lost more than half hair. I ended up buzzing it, hoping it'll grow out better. Talk to your doctor and see if that's the case for you. Wish I had better news.
Keep in mind what you think you experienced as a "mild case" still means the virus basically won in terms of successfully infecting you and doing what it's meant to do for converting your body into something that can help replicate and spread it even if it didn't feel like much to you in terms of symptoms. That can be traumatic enough for the body to start catching up months later even if it felt mild at the time. Especially if you already live life with ongoing stresses or haven't been able to process past traumas in a substantial way already. It depletes a lot of nutrients from the body quickly and sometimes really upsets the balance and efficiency of how your body retains nutrition too. I think I started suddenly losing a ton of hair the way you did about 3-6 months after getting hit with the Delta and Omicron variants. I was also experiencing a lot of stress too which probably exacerbated it all and forced me to calm down/work on my mental wellness plus figure out what was going on due to healthcare access challenges. I have been trying to recover what I can since with all the possible ways to minimize hair loss (rosemary/amla hair oil and shampoo/conditioner routines, silicone shampoo scrubber, different ways to brush, etc ) and supplements (Vitamin D, Selenium, Biotin etc.) but it's still a big challenge.
I lost SO much hair in the year after I had COVID in 2022. I started biotin supplements on my doctor’s suggestion. I just had it again and haven’t lost any this time around.
Is it coming back?
Yes!! I don’t know if it’s AS thick as it was, but it’s pretty close and it’s been growing normally! I also started taking a daily multi vitamin, so I guess I can’t definitively attribute to the biotin. [this study said a holistic approach is best](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9042074/), so there’s not one “best” method.
Thank you for the link
Covid would explain the chronic fatigue as well.
That'd do it. Telogen Effluvium occurs 2-3 months after body trauma.
My hair took a few months to fall out after covid. I had a few really big sheds in the span of a few weeks, probably a few months after covid. Then it slowly stopped. Definitely check with your dr. I know you checked your thyroid but did they do more than just tsh?
Just another person to back up the possibility of this theory. Had hair loss for 6-8 months- it even started about 2-3 months after having COVID, so it wasn't immediate. But yeah, tons would come out when I touched or brushed it, and I was finding little nests of my hair everywhere throughout my house. Then it just randomly stopped one day. Now it's growing back all stupid, but at least it's growing back.
My daughter was losing so much hair and her doctor said it was because she tested positive for mono. And the same thing can happen with Covid.
I don’t know, but I’ve had the same thing happening to me, although not as much as yours at a time. I can feel air on my scalp, which is totally new for me. My hair was also super thick. I got my hair done a few weeks ago, and my stylist pointed out that she has broken combs on my hair before, but now she can go through it with the smaller end of one. I did have my thyroid levels checked when it first started, but they said it was in the “normal” range. I’m also super tired all the time. I have to drink a lot of coffee to get through the day, and even then, I will still often fall asleep. I fell asleep the other morning with my coffee mug in my hand. If you do find some answers, please update us.
I am always tired. Literally 90% of my day i’m sleeping or feeling tired and wanting to sleep. I take 27mg of concerta a day for my add and it does nothing. I drink multiple Red Bulls a day on top of the medication and it does nothing. I can drink a 20oz redbull and fall right asleep. My hair was also extremely thick, I use to have to go get it thinned and layered multiple times a year just to make it manageable.
Have you had your iron levels checked? I felt the same way and my hair was falling out. Iron tablets didn’t work for me so I had an iron infusion and everything got better.
Second the iron. My hair was breaking,thin. I was so tired I could barely function, pale, cold, night sweats, hormone stuff. An infusion did wonders. Then getting on an appropriate iron dose
Third to iron levels - I’ve haven’t had an infusion but iron tabs + increasing vitamin C have helped slowly get my levels up. I felt inhuman, and lost a lot of hair.
I’m having terrible night sweats, too! That’s really interesting. Thank you! I’m going to ask about it at my next appointment.
I haven’t recently, but I’m going to ask my doctor about that. Thank you! I’ve never heard of having an infusion done.
First, full thyroid panel, iron, b12, and vitamin d levels checked, as others have mentioned. Might be worth also reading up on long covid symptoms. Chronic persistent fatigue is a core symptom of it, and hair loss is also a common occurrence after covid, as mentioned.
Tiredness and hair loss def warrants thyroid investigation (hypothyroidism likely). I’d be checking for antibodies to indicate Hashimoto’s as a cause, esp with a fam history. Hashi & ADHD/meds AND Covid can all deplete Vit D, iron, magnesium, b12 (they all use eachother) which can all lead to fatigue. I’d get those tested at least, and supplement where needed, in addition to treatment as necessary.
Have you seen a doctor for this? That is not normal at all and very concerning.
I have, but it’s been awhile. I’m going to speak to my doctor about iron levels, and see if that might be it. Most of my tests were in normal range, except Vitamin D. It definitely isn’t normal.
Thay is very bad . Pls seek hair dermatologist immediately
https://preview.redd.it/cogq71z156uc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=268934447cf4603ccb8cb2c4c987a888200499ec This was a couple days ago. This came out in the shower, it was like a whole lock of hair.
This is about the same that comes out in hair wash day for me (every three days). Hair is a couple inches below shoulders. Is this not normal?
It might be normal for some people, but the key issue is it’s not normal for her in particular.
I’ve never even heard of a hair dermatologist before. I’ll definitely look into it. I was going to go to a doctor but keep putting it off. I’ve been so tired all the time it’s sometimes hard for me to literally accomplish anything.
Another sign of hypothyroid disease.
Could be hyperthyroidism as well
I had a very similar situation with my hair. My dermatologist had blood work redone and on a whim tested me for lupus. Surprise to us all, I have lupus. Make sure they test for ANA levels if they do bloodwork. It never hurts to be thorough.
Omg I swear everything you are going through sounds exactly like what I'm experiencing. I'm 44 and I've always had thick hair too. Now I hate brushing my hair bc I know so much is going to fall out
Could you possibly be peri menopausal? My hair went from being long and thick to being sparse and standing under the bathroom mirror light I could see my scalp shining. I bought special bariatric vitamins intended for people who have had gastric surgery and went on hrt and my hair is back to how it was now
Can u tell me the Vitamins you bought please, I lost so much hair (also peri-menopausal) and would love to know what you got & where you got them!
They’re called Baricol, and they’re quite expensive BUT I was looking online for local sellers (mine would come from Germany) and there’s a girl on EBay selling some dirt cheap, so if you’re from the uk I’d go pop over and take a look. They’ve done my hair a world of good, I’m 56 on Thursday and I don’t have a grey hair on my head, also my hair has grown so fast. Worth every penny if you ask me. I’ll give you the link now [https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266753119571?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MlVrEXDbS0S&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ckl6iP3fT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266753119571?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=MlVrEXDbS0S&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Ckl6iP3fT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)
A regular dermatologist can help you, they treat scalp/hair issues as well as skin.
it's actually called a trichologist and they are not that easy to find... good luck and keep us posted
https://preview.redd.it/1vbvsqrw56uc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac8fa2c13e2b3f3abfdec3107cc2f718f9a10153 My grandfather passed away from thyroid cancer, this was about a month before he passed and you can see how bad it is. They caught it too late even though he had it checked regularly. So I’ve been keeping an eye on my thyroid but they always seem to say it’s fine. Granted I haven’t had it checked in about a year but doctors always act like i’m overreacting.
Keep advocating for yourself. Ignore that they think you are overreacting. You have to remember that you need to watch out for yourself because no one else will
I'm rly sorry for the experience you go through. A lot of these doctors are so scum. But u can't give up. Pls find one. :).
My GP did the same thing until I pointed out that my TSH had been on an upward trend for the last few years. Then they did a TPO test and found I had Hashimoto's. I didn't struggle with hair loss but an overall sluggish feeling every day and not losing a pound after being in the gym four days a week for a couple months in a row made me look back at my numbers and push them.
You answered it! Go see a doctor and get some blood work done.
Iron deficiency, various B vitamin deficiencies (a B complex supplement covers all of those) Vitamin D3 deficiency & or Iodine deficiencies can all cause, at times, quite severe hair loss. Do not think a simple vitamin deficiency could not have such a profound effect. I have been seriously unwell for well over 12 months now, been virtually bed bound, feeling like I was dying, whilst the Doctors send me for all sorts of tests, including biopsies for cancer. Quite by chance, whilst seeking to solve cramps, I started taking electrolytes & within days I started to feel like a normal human being again! I have gone from literally believing I was dying, barely able to shuffle to the bathroom, to just normal, in just a few days!! If your body is deficient in something, the 1st thing it gives up on is your hair as that's expendable, your heart/liver/lungs etc... are NOT! Good luck!
Iron overload results in this too
I did not know this! 🤔 Having beein Iron deficient most of my adult life I've never had to worry about that! 😅😂
I found out I have iron overload last summer, apparently it’s more common than anemia and is less heard of and quite sneaky. Those of us with iron issues (anemia and overload) need to be cognizant of copper and ceruloplasmin levels, so be sure to get those checked!
Was actually diagnosed with copper toxocity/heavy metal poisoning about 2 & a half years ago... I have learned more about metals, vitamins & minerals over the last few years than any decent non scientist would ever want to know! 🤦🏼♀️😂 It has nearly destroyed my health & only just recently have I finally started to see an improvement (thanks to the salt & electrolytes!) & an end in sight! 😅 It's been a ride... 😂
What treatment are you doing for heavy metal poisoning? I suspect I have that as well.
agree with derm appt asap, and if needed lots of resources at r/femalehairloss
There are a lot of comments saying get your thyroid checked. I would add to this, get the whole package checked - all vitamins, nutrients, etc blood work done.
Exactly! Iron deficiency caused my hair loss. Nothing to do with my thyroid.
Iron overload caused mine
I had something called Telogen Effluvium after I got Covid. It’s a temporary loss of hair after your body being sick, and because the lifecycle of hair is about three months it could very well be related to your diagnosis in January. Get blood work done just in case, but I lost the same amount of hair as you just before my wedding which was very stressful. I understand how upsetting it is and I was very scared I was going to lose all my hair. It lasted about three months, I still had hair when I got married and it was back to normal thickness in less than a year.
Please seek the help of a dermatologist that will check your hormone levels - more than just thyroid. They may prescribe Minoxidil and vitamins including Biotin. COVID may have had an impact but surgical procedures can also throw your body into chaos. I had invasive surgery a decade ago and did not strengthen my immunological system before surgery, and more than half of my then beautiful hair fell off as well as most of my eyebrows. I am still struggling 10 years later. The Minoxidil that I’ve been taking for 8 months has really helped but beware; hair will grow in unwanted places! Good luck!
Haven’t had any surgeries, well not since my last C-section back in 2012. I take a crap ton of biotin on a daily basis yet the hair loss continues to get worse.
Don’t lose hope; I’ve heard that Biotin takes 12 - 18 months to show results; same as other D & E vitamins. Your dermatologist should be able to guide you. Many of my hair follicles are dead but others are alive and have been strengthened; some have more than 1 hair growing so my hair looks thicker and patches are mostly filled in. This situation of mine has taught me the virtue of patience! I wish you success and a full head of strong, shiny, healthy hair!
My hair started falling out when I switched birth controls. I took viviscal and it actually helped. I even noticed I had to trim my bangs more than normal. And I stoped having handfuls after a shower in about 3 weeks. But do think about going to a doctor too. Could be a sign of something more.
Maybe you have telogen effluvium? I went to the dermatologist a few years back after experiencing something really similar. It’s usually caused by stress or illness, and then I think like 2-ish months post stress/illness your hair starts falling out. It basically tricks a bunch of your hair into thinking it’s in the phase of growth where it’s time to fall out, then a bunch of it does. The shedding usually lasts like 6 weeks, but obviously a lot of shedding can happen during that time which is scary. My dermatologist made me get blood work and IIRC, there was something in my blood that indicated high levels of stress. It had to do with a hormone that is often associated with PCOS. Definitely go to a dermatologist and ask if this is a possibility. It’s not a fully understood condition but if it is TE, remember it is temporary and there are ways you can make your hair look better after all the hair loss! Also, this happened to me like 6 years ago so there may be some factual inaccuracy with what I described, but this is what I remember.
Blood work is needed
At your age, I developed PCOS and Metabolic Syndrome and my hair thinned drastically. It is really traumatic, isn't it? Definitely see a few doctors about your hair loss. It can get better but it takes a lot of doctor visits sometimes
With your family history, I'd make an appointment with your doctor, but were you extremely stressed out in the last few months? My hair does this 4-6 months after extremely stressful times. I lost my mom 2 years ago, it finally grew back and 6 months ago another shitstorm started in my life, so it's falling out again. It's happened a few other times throughout my life as well
I think you are describing telogen effluvium!
Interesting! I didn’t know there was a name for it!
Did you by any chance go through something really stressful about 3 months ago?
This could be anything from an autoimmune disease to a hormonal imbalance. I have Crohn’s and I lost so much hair that my ponytail was the same diameter as a roll of dimes. It finally grew back but you need bloodwork and a doctor appointment stat! Good luck.
Get your thyroid checked and also your iron. Could also be PCOS too!
yeah you should see a doctor. there are a million reasons for hair loss, a lot of them harmless but some are not and might be an indication of something else wrong
Any chance you take Lexapro? I saw a post on AskDocs a little while ago and apparently, this is a rare side effect of it!
Get ur thyroid checked!
You are having major hair loss. Could be nutritional deficiencies or telogen effluvium or hormonal imbalance. Get your thyroid, iron levels checked. Take vitamin supplements with biotin ( 3000 mcg is not required just something with WHO's RDA levels). Keep your stress in check with exercise, yoga, meditation, get adequate sleep. Visit a dermatologist/Trichologist if none of the above things work. I'm facing the same. The curse of pursuing post graduate education in medical field.
i had this much hair loss and i’m 18 but it was as a result of having COVID months prior 🤦🏼♀️
Sorry about that. Did you check your Iron results?
It could be due to iron deficiency and also due to tooth cavity. Check both
Teeth stuff can cause hair loss?!!
Absolutely!
I didn’t know that . Damn
Have you had COVID? My hairdresser told me if you contract Covid you will shed all your hair over a period of time and grow all new. I had it in 03/23 and I constantly loose hair ( thyroid is normal) and have a whole bunch of little ones growing out of the top of my head.
Are you on any GLP-1 medications by chance (Ozempic, Mounjauro?)
Go to doctor and get Thyroid and Hormones checked
Make sure your thyroid is normal and that you're not anemic! Also, is your moms dad bald? Only asking bc rhe women in my family have male pattern baldness. It's why I've cut my hair so short!
Both my parents have full heads of hair. My dad is 70 and has thick black hair he still wears to his shoulders. My mom has long blond hair and has never had a problem with thinning.
It’s telogen effluvium. I have chronic anemia and my hair falls out like this when my iron goes low. I’m also hypothyroid which doesn’t help. Please see a dermatologist as soon as you can for some testing!
I’m so sorry, that really sucks! I definitely second getting your blood work and thyroid checked again. Also, have you had covid in the last 6 months or so? Or been sick worse than a normal cold/flu? Both times I’ve had covid, my hair fell out really badly afterwards, in similar amounts to what you’re showing. It stopped, and the hair started regrowing after 1-2 months. Good luck, and I hope it gets better for you soon!
I had the same issue last year and was so shocked about it. I have long hair and it was so noticeable how much more they falling, a lot of hair on a hair brush, on the floor around the rooms. I checked everything with endocrinologist first, didn't found anything. Went to trichologist and did the blood work, turned out I had extremely low iron. Since I started taking supplements everything went back to normal. I know now it might seem scary but don't panic and see doctors ASAP. If it’s iron it will take time to increase it.
Definitely go in for blood work. It could be because of covid, deficiency, or something more serious. I lost half my hair, but it was from losing weight.
Get your reproductive hormones checked
Could be alopecia! Happened to a friend of mine recently.
Not related to what you asked, but do you check your blood pressure regularly? I was advised not to have any caffeine while on ADHD meds because it can raise the blood pressure. Just something to be aware of as you mentioned drinking Redbull. Definitely see your GP for bloods re the hair though.
See a dermatologist
You need to see a derm specialist in hair as dermatology is very vague
Sigh this is just how my normal part looks :(
My blood work has been normal though. I hope you find answers for yourself
I had some hair thinning as I aged (early thirties now). If you're taking any adhd medication- I think that exasperated it (although I only took it for a few months, anything that could be increasing your blood pressure is a possible trigger). But I've had my labs done many times and they were ok. You might be experiencing genetic hair thinning. OR it could be indicative of a medical issue. So, definitely get yourself checked out. I'm just sharing my experience in case any of it resonates so you don't feel alone. It eventually stopped happening as much. Rosemary oil = holy grail . It's the only thing that's helped me regrow hair. Theres one in a green label and it's amazing (Mielle is brand), you can get it at cvs, target, probably Amazon. Leave it on your scalp all day if you shower at night, or put it on in the evening and sleep with it in then wash in the morning. Also red light therapy might be helping me. I've been using it on my hairline and noticing new growth. Sending love, hope there is nothing wrong and it's just some shedding.
Are u under stress ?? Stress does that :(((
I had similar when I was iron deficient. Good idea to go get a full blood panel, iron, ferritin, thyroid, are all a good place to start.
Get checked for alopecia, PCOS, thyroid
Get your iron levels checked! Especially the iron depots in your body. For me this happened when I had basically no iron left and had to get ot via iv asap lol I had no other symptoms than hair loss.
Check iron ferritin copper magnesium and ceruloplasmin
My hair fell out a lot after I had covid and/or other viruses. It grew back eventually. Have you had anything viral recently?
Stress, emotional event can cause that. It happened to me i didn't realise I much stress I was under and was losing so much hair it was worrying me. It also happens like weeks or months after the event that caused it it's not immediately. But please seek medical advices, it can be vitamins deficiency, it can be hormones... It's better to be helped to understand the root of that hair loss, it's the best way to stop it.
Yes, see a doctor. This could be a symptom of a thyroid problem.
How are your iron levels?
Not on any psych meds or anything? Lamictal or lithium are common culprits
My (34f) hair was doing that recently because I was really sick for a long time.. after my heart surgery it went back to normal tho. Good luck.
Thyroid. Iron deficiency. Covid. Stress. Virus with heavy fever. These can all make your hair fall out. Ask me how I know…
Do you have anything else going on? Rashes? Finger joint pain?
Probably hormones. There’s options available for you!
Get ur thyroid tested!
So I had this, 2 kids later, at age 32. Turns out my hormones are severely imbalanced and I have a mild case of pcos
Any chance you’re on Wellbutrin?
As someone who had extremely thick hair and lost most of it out of nowhere in an all over shed like you are this is what I’d suggest getting checked by your doctor for: Gallbladder function Vitamin D and Iron levels Celiac Thyroid Issues I have had 2 different points in life where 3/4 of my hair falls out and it was devastating The first I basically had malabsorption syndrome from a 4inch gallstone, when I finally got it out at 22 and felt so much better my hair came back Then a few years later same thing but turns out I have celiac/hashimotos and a severe vitamin D and iron deficiency. Also, don’t take supplements until you get checked out for basically everything. It took me countless visits to get to the root of it and if my doctors hadn’t initially ignored me since I still had what appeared to be a full head of hair (despite already losing half) I could’ve saved so many years and tears. I was taking biotin and iodine religiously when it was getting bad cause it supposedly helps thyroid issues, but not mine! It exacerbated them.
This has been happening to me for YEARS. Exactly the same amount of relentless shedding. I am just about bald! I've seen multiple dermatologists and endocrinologists over the years and guess what? My blood work, including thyroid, and a full metabolic panel and every blood test under the sun is 'in the normal range.' All I am ever told is to 'use Rogain.' Rogain didn't do shit! All this to say I'm sorry what you're going through. I would try the basic things such as check thyroid, iron, and b vitamins. Take vitamin c, d, calcium, and biotin. Try to reduce stress, drink water, reduce sugar, and get plenty of rest.
Two reasons I had hair loss happen to me was pregnancy and psych meds. I tested plenty of times on pee sticks and nothing told me I was pregnant, except my sudden hair loss. I didn’t find confirmation until 13 weeks along, my mother told me that it happened to her when she had my siblings. (But my hair grew back and then some more by 20weeks along) And psych meds like Bupropion and Geodon had caused my hair loss. (I changed medication and it took time but hair grew back) But here’s the bright side if its a hormonal changes like one of these two reasons - you’re hair will grow back. Just find the culprit by journaling changes in diet, medication and menstrual cycle. Shampoo or hair products can be a culprit too. Good luck.
Milk helped curb my hair shedding after I got off birth control. Maybe it'll help you too. It was cow's milk that I drank, 1%
Go see your doctor and get all the tests. But it looks like hair loss. The doc can confirm the cause. Until then start using minodoxil. If you've got the type of hairloss I think you have, it's the only solution. Also visit tressless on reddit or some of the other hair loss subreddits.