The disturbing nightmare - thinning hair!

Prepare yourselves. Because I'm going to tell you right now - as you get older, your hair is going to start thinning, whether you want it to or not. It is alarming. It is disturbing. Why wouldn't it be? Who wants to lose their hair? Not one person, I know of.

I have done so much research on hair loss/thinning recently. Devoted so many hours upon hours in hopes of finding a solution to either stop or at the very least, slow down the process. I am NO professional in this area & I won't go into elaborate detail because it's so time consuming. If you have any questions, Google (& your dr., of course) is your friend. There is a lot of great information on the internet regarding thinning hair/hair loss on the internet!

Hair loss is one of the most difficult ailments to diagnose. So many things can contribute. From simple stress to serious health issues. The first thing you need to do, which is exactly what I did (several times), is see your doctor & rule out any serious problems. Be aware this isn't a simple process & it doesn't happen overnight. Literally, it can take several years. Which adds to stress & is more alarming, if you're losing hair. Ha! There's just no winning. I did realize one thing - don't stress over your thinning hair. Stressing won't make your hair grow any faster & really, it is what it is. Accept it, lower your stress (because remember, stress causes more hair loss) & just do what you can to get the problem rectified. Even rectified, like I mentioned above, your hair is still going to thin because that's a natural process with age. And it sucks.

Side note - I have noticed one thing. I have noticed (this is not a statistic!) about 90% of people who work out regularly do not appear to have major thinning hair. Coincidence? I think not, by that's just my opinion. Diet also plays a big part in healthy hair. Eat healthy, work out regularly & drink a ton of water. Three important factors for gorgeous hair!

Ok. So here is my regimen for my hair. I hate my hair. I always have. I'm very self conscious about my hair & that's why I wear visors almost every day of my life. - because I have this twisted thinking that hats improve the way my hair looks. True story. I have worn visors since about age 13! I have permanent indentions behind my ears on both sides of my head from wearing visors for so many years. I'm 47 now! That's long time! My hair is naturally curly = frizzy. And when it's humid (hello Texas) or rainy, good God, I'm so embarrassed. But now that it's thinning? I love my hair & want to keep it! I will do everything that I can to at least keep what I have. My researching will continue because new treatments are discovered & I want to know that they are. :)

Here's my DAILY regimen:



First things first - get rid of the crappy shampoo. Shampoos/conditioners with sulfates do nothing but dry out & damage your hair further. You can now find sulfate free shampoo at drugstores, which is awesome. They aren't that expensive. Currently, I am using Giovanni & I can get it at Walmart for about $8 - though I order mine from Vitacost & get it for about $5.00. Sprouts has it on sale occasionally for $5.99 & $6.99 (I've seen both). I love this tea tree/peppermint combination. Google sulfate free shampoos for more information & the damage harmful sulfates cause.

Nizoral is a chemical shampoo I use once a week to rid my scalp of any bacteria, etc. This is not a shampoo to use daily. It is very harsh & some people say it makes their hair loss worse. I only use it weekly, so I don't mind, because I know the Ketoconazole is effective. This is an anti-dandruff shampoo but others such as Head & Shoulders won't work because they don't contain Ketoconazole. That is the pertinent ingredient.

The rest are supplements. Side note - whenever I was low on a vitamin, I would pick it up wherever I happened to be shopping. Walmart, Target, Costco, etc. I don't do that anymore! I will never do that again. I have come a long way in the supplement department & now I only get them at Sprouts or Vitacost. I want more natural, effective supplements & many of them contain junk. When my drugstore brands run out, I am replacing them with better quality. There's not that much difference in price & to me, it's worth it.

Biotin - 10,000 mg daily
Evening Primrose
Zinc
Vitamin D
Iron - I am extremely low on Iron & Ferrin - I take 65 mg, 2 x daily - have your dr. check your Iron & Ferrin! It has to be requested.
B Complex
MSM
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Garlic
Acidophilus (not pictured, because I keep it in the frig & I forgot to pull it out for the photo)
Calcium (not pictured because I ran out & I plan to purchase the Vit. D supplement that contains calcium next time)

My dr. is not a lot of help when it comes to supplements. As a matter of fact, after 8 years, her & I really aren't getting along, so I'll be searching for a new dr. who is more knowledgable about supplements & healthier lifestyles. Anyway, watch the milligrams on your vitamins. Many come in different milligrams & I'm still playing around with what works for me. Ask your dr. & do some googling.

Question of the year:

Am I seeing an improvement with my hair? YES! I fully understand that my thinning hair will not be rectified overnight. It's very similar to weight loss. It didn't happen overnight & it won't be fixed overnight. I'm ok with that! I do see improvement, even with my hair texture. I see improvement in my eyebrows! Yep, I sure do! I still lose a lot (a lot) of hair daily. I try to keep in mind that my hair is long (thank you God!!) & that my hair loss may appear to be more than it is, because of the length. But the texture seems to be thicker & building a bit more bulk & that makes me VERY happy. I have been on this particular regimen for about a good 2 months & I can't WAIT to see my results after a year or so!

This is what is working for me & it may work for you, too! Be sure to check with your dr. before adding a lot of supplements like this & if YOU have any additional tips for me - please leave them in the comments! I am always, always looking for better results!

Here's to healthy, gorgeous hair & happy weekend! :)