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[Pennyfarthing]

I have also been reading through this whole thread. A long story short at Christmas when i had a break from work I really noticed my hair loss. I stopped HRT 18 Jan as soon as I realised what might be causing it . the Provera and testosterone both have hair loss listed as side effect; with Provera it is listed as a common side effect. I had been cleaning out my hair brushes every week because of the volume of hair coming out. I went to my GP and also rang the nhs clinic of the menopause consultant I had been seeing last 7 months. My GP did blood tests which showed my ferritin is very low at 11 my GP said over 50 is needed to maintain normal hair growth. I went back over my records which show an earlier blood test last July at the clinic that Ferritin was at 17 then. I gave blood 3 times in the last year and research has shown that 2/3 female donors can suffer low ferritin. I found all this through my own reading and research. If you look at the Phillip Kingsley website one of the Trichologists has written about ferritin and hair loss. If it is low ferritin causing hair loss then it can be reversed. My gp sent me to an NHS dermatologist. He put me on high dose iron tablets and will see me again after blood tests in May. The menopause consultant rang me and started to talk about other patients experiencing hair loss on HRT. This came as a rotten shock to me. If I had realised I would not have taken it. I have felt ok since stopping HRT. Besides what is worse than losing your hair. I am going to see a Trichologists at PK next week and will update you. The dermatologist I saw wrote Alopecia as a preliminary diagnosis. He's not given me any other treatment than iron . He did hair pull tests and said it was positive I wasn't losing hair on the tests and that I wasn't losing hair from elsewhere. It was the menopause consultant who advised me to see a Trichologist. I will let you know how I get on. I am sharing my experience in the hope it is useful.

thanks for posting that.  I am pretty sure my hair loss is not linked to HRT as I have been on it for many years with no problems. I am on just 1 mg of Kliovance and it says on the leaflet that you may experience 'some side effects? when you first go on to HRT.  I had no side effects whatsoever.  Ait's only recently that my hair is thinning.

I went off for blood tests. 30 mile round trip in a packed room with 25 people in front of me and I waited 1 hour 20 minutes to be seen.  Should get results middle of next week.

[jaycee]

NS i know low ferritin can be a cause, but i have Haemochromatosis, which is overload of iron, although my ferrin has never been that high and i have refused to have a venesection [blood taken] in the past as my ferritin dropped too low,
I believe too much as well as not enough iron can cause hair loss,
I know for a fact the Norethisterone caused some hair loss, as stated in earlier post, my daughters hair started falling out on that too

[jaycee]

Same here stellajane, i felt to have a lot more energy on Evoral Conti, but couldn't do with the hair loss

[Pennyfarthing]

Update.  I washed my hair in a thickening shampoo and then used a thickening conditioner. I let it dry naturally without brushing at all. I got the big head thing on the hair dryer and turned my head over (went very dizzy!) to dry it.  I then scooped the top section up with my fingers and held it on top and pushed the rest up and secured with a small clip with prongs.  So my hair is up, it looks thicker and I haven't lost any hairs today as I haven't brushed it!  Obviously will only work on longer hair. 

I used to use  one of these clips about 5? long to hold all my hair securely now it all fits inside one about 2? max with much smaller prongs. 

[NuclearScientist]

Stella Jane thanks for your reply. To put it in context when I said what's worse than hair loss I made a well informed decision to try HRT 2.5 years ago now. I read Kathy Abernethy's 2 books on HRT and all the NICE and BMS guidance. I've tried patches tablets gel under the supervision of an NHS consultant the last 7 months. I stopped all HRT mid January because of significant hair loss .

In terms of my circumstances, I almost lost my brother and my husband in the space of 4 months between 2017-2018. My brother spent 2 months on life support. Thankfully they have both made good recoveries but I am very appreciative to be in good health as I know not everyone is that fortunate. That's why I became a blood donor to thank the NHS for what they did for my family and realising how much blood is needed.  The dermatologist I saw in Feb told me I need to stop worrying. Not easy when your hair is coming out. I honestly do think my hair loss is connected to the HRT. It could be a combination of that and low Ferritin. Best wishes.

[jaycee]

The dermatologist told me i had Telogen Effluvium and wasn't hormone related ,but stress related,and would grow back, i am still waiting ::)have to see him again on thursday, no idea why,don't think he can tell me anything different now

[Annie0710]

Hello ladies

A couple of products I like to use to at least give the impression of thicker hair is Aveda (i think ) thickening lotion and Bed Head dry shampoo (this stuff is amazing)

X

[Pennyfarthing]

Stress definitely kicked off my alopecia (won't go into all the details, some have heard it before) but then hormonal issues (thyroid and oestrogen) came along and complicated my hairloss further. The telogen effluvium is I think more hormone related.

Unfortunately even though I'm not under the same level of stress now I haven't seen any improvement in my bald areas and don't really expect to.

It's definitely the progesterone element of HRT which makes my hair shed.

I think it's stress for me too stellajane.  I have been looking after my Mum for 13 years since my Dad died.  In the last few years even though she is in a care home I visit every other day, do all her paperwork, do pedicure and manicure, make hair appointments, attend meetings, go to hospital with her, do her banking, buy toiletries and new clothes etc.     I get very stressed trying to do everything.

[Pennyfarthing]

Yes that was me.Dad died at 66 and mum was a handful from then on! Emotionally needy at first then physically and lastly mentally with dementia. Of course I was still working too and entering perimeno.
It's small wonder our bodies register stress despite the fact we just keep going!

Sorry to hear that Stellajane.

I have got my blood tests results just now and both thyroid and diabetes are apparently normal.  I have also made  appt to see same GP who sent me for blood tests. 2 weeks wait.

I am fed up with it!

[jaycee]

Saw my dermatologist yesterday,he said see him again at the end of the summer,my hair should have grown back by then.but still not convinced

[Pennyfarthing]

Saw my dermatologist yesterday,he said see him again at the end of the summer,my hair should have grown back by then.but still not convinced

Fingers crossed for you jaycee. X

[jaycee]

Thank you, getting very depressed about it now,but not likely to be going out much
My daughter and son in law had booked a mothers day meal for me and his mother, but cancelling now, as very nice but small place, would be sat close to others, and mostly older people,
He said if we caught anything he would never forgive himself.
Although we have no corona virus cases here at the moment,i prefer not to go anyway,being in the vulnerable group

[Pennyfarthing]

i just collected a book on regrowing hair  the natural way,  from the library.  Will let you know if there's anything useful in it.  Sounds a bit cranky because there's a self hypnosis CD with it. I think I need a bit more than going into a trance. 

[jaycee]

OoH that sounds interesting, i have seen lots on you tube about essential oils etc,helping hair to come back,hope you find something worth trying

[Pennyfarthing]

I have been on the Gummies for a month now and cannot see any difference at all. I start on the second bottle tomorrow and won't buy any more.  They are very expensive at ?20 a bottle and that was on special offer. 

Just washed  and conditioned hair with thickening stuff and then put some Argan oil on.  I then dried it a bit with the big accessory  on the hairdryer and added a big blob of volume  mousse.  Hubby says it looks thicker and smells lovely. 

My cousin told me about a product called Kerafiber which you sprinkle in your hair (various colours) and makes it look thicker. I have ordered some.