Have you experienced hair thinning? Please share your story in the comments. I hope you found this helpful, even if it was just to know you're not alone. Summary of everything I discussed is on my blog: genamarie.co/2023/02/why-your-hair-is-thinning-how-to-fix-it/
Really appreciate you being open about your own struggles with health and how it has affected your hair. It's refreshing to see the honest conversation about things like hair loss, which is often normal and affects us all as we age!
Omg, you helped me realize that my insane amount of "breakage" is actually new growth! I was so confused, because I've been taking great care of my hair quite intentionally for a few years now. Thank you for another fabulous video, Gena.
Many years ago I had a lot of hair that was being shed in the shower - like clumps. It was devastating. I stopped coloring my hair, even those branded as more natural, as they use ethanolamine, which can cause hair loss. It improved but my hair density was thinning. I also had a medical workup and found my ferritin was very low. It was like 14 and the doc thought that was okay but another doc said that it should be above 70 for hair growth. I started taking iron supplements. Long story short, by accident, last year they found that I have celiac disease. My gut was not absorbing nutrients (one reason my ferritin was so low). Since, I have been on a gluten free diet and my hair and nails are doing so much better now. I have significantly less hair loss. I'm not insinuating that everyone should go gluten free. I only am suggesting looking at Celiac Disease and getting tested as a factor in hair loss.
YES TOTALLY AGREE I have more hair on wash day..I did an experiment and washed my hair every other day a few times instead of every 4 days and realized yes I lose fewer hairs every other
First, I have hashimotos. Then I got c*vid super bad in the summer of 2022. I lost a ton of hair and covered it with scarves. Here’s what I discovered that created a turn around. 1. Corrected Vit D and iron 2. Added selenium and saw palmetto 3. Made my own hair oil: avocado oil, castor oil, rosemary oil, sage, magnesium oil, red pepper flakes. 4. Applied oil 2-3 times a week with massage. Washed out the next day. I have restored all lost hair plus gained more including a widows peak that I forgot I had.
I also experienced c*vid induced hair loss and it was super traumatic and scary. What made it worse was the stress I had with the vocal strain I had induced by c*vid (Im a classical vocalist) and my vocal cords were in extreme pain, but eventually resolved. I was shedding chunks of hair for 3 months, but eventually it stopped shedding so abnormally. I didn’t really do anything different except just to calm down and I understand that it happens with huge shocks to the immune system. Everyone’s treatment will be different due to the circumstance.
I would love your recipe for your oil. My loss is because of a prolonged period of extremely poor health and nutrition combined with extremely bad hair care. I think it’ll come back with a good diet and oiling the night before I shampoo. I would be super grateful if you shared 🙏🏻
Gena, this video is excellent and you literally covered all the bases! I’ve been through 3 phases of hair loss since I was 14 and I wish there had been more info when I was younger. My first, in high school, was from anemia so when I started iron and just eating more, my hair grew back and it was great! I’m college, I got sick with mono and pneumonia, enough to be hospitalized, and then subsequently had thyroiditis and telogen effluvium and lost probably over half of my hair density. That was a long road, but I grew my hair back once again. Most recently, it was last year that I noticed some thinning, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as in the past. It turned out to be a culmination of stress, scalp health, and not getting enough protein!! I got married last year so that was the stress. With hair care, I just wasn’t cleansing my scalp as well and had to come to terms with diving back into actual shampoo again-I am a Wen care to the core for the last 15 years, but it just doesn’t work for my scalp all the time anymore. The last point about the protein: I started really making leaps and bounds in my weight lifting training and realized that I was not eating nearly enough protein for my new prs and gains. I think this really hindered new growth for me, but I’ve really increased my intake. I also do scalp oiling twice a week with the ordinary hair serum and rosemary oil and that helps too!! You are so right in saying get to the root of the problem!!!! It’s really imperative to get your health measures checked and evaluate lifestyle and habits to figure out what’s going on. I’ve had thin hair/shedding 3 times now, but you can grow it back! It’s definitely possible so my advice is to remember that on the days where you just want to cry.
I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I have had several blood transfusions, and iron infusions, had my heart stopped and restarted, survived a couple life-threatening cases of sepsis, developed a blood clot in my heart, endured covid, and underwent several surgeries all within the last 2 years. My hair is really thin now. It seems to be getting fuller now but it took me a while to realize that my hair doesn't respond well to protein now. My curls looked the most defined the more protein I used but I realized my hair getting lighter at my mid-lengths to ends. My hair had severe breakage (it looked shredded) from protein overload.
Great video! My thick, very slightly wavy hair was pushed into telogen effluvium from covid, immediately followed by pneumonia. I lost over 3/4 of my hair in about a 3 month period. It all grew back, just as thick as before, but with one major change. It grew back curly. My curls are now 3A/some 3B. I have mostly ringlets and some spiral curls. I love my hair, now! All of this happened several years after menopause, so hormonal changes did not have an affect on my hair's density. I had no idea my hair was growing back curly until my hairdresser told me. I just thought it was growing back frizzy. I kept brushing it to try and flatten it out. 😂 The one thing I made sure to do was to take my one-a-day supplements, AND I took Biotin. I continued all my vitamins during and after my hair loss. Biotin is a B vitamin that is good for hair, skin, and nails and is not stored in the body. Like vitamin C, the body sheds any excess Biotin, so it's virtually impossible to overdose on it. Vitamin C and Vitamin D are crucial in the absorption of iron and for the absorption of each other, especially as women age. Good luck, Gena! I hope your hair returns to the density it used to be. It does take a while for the hair to grow back, but it usually does come back. That's what my doctor and others were telling me, and they were right. It was scary, for sure, but it all worked out. Hang in there!
I was anemic for years and didn't supplement because the iron taken on an empty stomach made my stomach hurt. As a result, my hair started falling out and it took me a while to notice. Finally, a friend told me she took the iron with food and it still worked, so I started doing that and what a difference! First of all, I stopped feeling so tired all the time and I noticed a huge difference in respiratory fitness when exercising. But, also my hair started growing back. My hairdresser started noticing tons of new growth. You're right that it took a long time to really get my density back, but it DOES come. It just takes time.
I am using Minoxidil (Rogaine for Women) with great success! At first for bald spots from years of trichotillomania. Recently, I notice thinness at temples and right and left of crown extending down. These are areas that have never been pulled! I am low thyroid but have been on Levothyroxine for many years and blood work is always good. Made appointment with dermatologist but it is not until May!
My hair loss was caused by stress, low vitamin D, potassium and iron levels! It can take years to stop losing and start regrowing. Vitamin E has been one of the biggest helps in regrowing my hair! Got the other issues fixed, taking vitamins then needed to add in vitamin E bc it was a bit low. Started getting hair on my legs, brows, chin 😂and head! 😊😂
I have an auto immune disease. Last summer, I had a bout with sepsis. Long story short, as I was recovering, my hair was falling out by the handfuls. Each wash day, the ball of hair was the size of a golf ball. Of course I went back to my doctor, nothing seemed to be off. I had lost over 30 lbs in the 7 weeks I was ill and off work. That was in July of 2022. Fast forward to March of 2023: my hair fall is so much better. My hair still feels thin, but I thank God I am alive every day. For a bit the hair was the least of my worries. But I'm happy the hair fall has all but stopped. I, like you run everything by my doctor, right down to my daily vitamin. You are correct in saying most of the hair issues are internal. I believe when I started gaining my weight back, that is when the hair fall started to correct itself. Thank you. I enjoy your videos.
I have been using the Irestore red light therapy helmet. It has helped quite well in regrowing my hair after years of hypothyroidism and after having the "crud".
I completely agree that the root of the problem needs to be addressed first. I use a lot of Ayurvedic treatments. There have been studies to prove that Amla is affective at hair growth, and I can personally testify that my hair grows faster when I use Amla and Rosemary. Other herbs and plants are beneficial also, for instance, using onion juice as a pre-poo reduces shedding, fenugreek thickens hair, and zyziphus helps with curl definition.
Yes yes!! I henna my hair every 6 weeks and every 2 weeks in between I use a cassia, amala, zyzphus, aloe powder, and feengreek mask. I leave it on my hair for 2 hours. I also do a scalp massage with a battery operated scalp massager every day and I wash my hair every 2 weeks and this has really helped with my hair growth and oiling my ends several days a week has helped my length retention. Also, olaplex products are really bad for your hair. All of those products have caused hair loss and hair breakage in many people. There is a lawsuit against them. There is also a huge Facebook group of people whose hair has been damaged by olaplex.
Thank you! My hair used to be so thick that I would have to get it thinned because it caused headaches and was just too hot. Now for the past several years I would swear up and down that my hair was thinning or I was losing it. It barely covers my scalp now. I tried all sorts of products and hair vitamins and nothing worked. I recently found out I'm extremely deficient in B12, vitamin D, and protein. I've been treating that for about a month, but so far no changes to my hair. I also suspect I'm anemic from other blood levels I've seen. It was just nice to see that vitamin levels could very well be the cause and that there is hope I will get my thick hair back one day. Great video!
Sharing my story. I’ve lost a lot of hair over the years from anemia, hypothyroidism and also androgenetic alopecia runs in my family. I had iron infusions but it’s still a struggle to maintain my iron levels. I’m also on thyroid replacement and my levels aren’t bad, but not like super great. I’m taking a compounded pill with minoxidil and dutasteride in it, that one is to stimulate the hair follicles and fight loss from androgenetic alopecia. It just takes so much effort to keep hair on my head 😢 but I’m seeing some improvements with the compounded hair pill, I have little hairs filling in my hairline and my temples. I’m fighting it from all aspects since it’s hard to tell in my case which problem is giving me the most hair loss. For the anemia, I take iron supplements and continuous birth control to stop my periods.
My hair stylist told me having COVID can also cause hair loss - I've noticed some more shedding than usual, as well. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.
I got covid twice and both times about 3 months later I lost large amounts of hair. I'm lucky that I had thick hair before so it wasn't as noticeable to other people. It's now growing back and I'm having a ton of new growth that I have to keep my hair down because I can't get it all in a hair tie right now and it looks crazy lol (I only use scrunchies and soft hair ties now)
Oh yes, ‘post viral illness’ from many viruses can cause massive hair shedding. Not just Covid. Epstein Barr Virus is another common culprit & can be reactivated during stressful life phases…
I lost about half my hair - maybe more. It was so thin I couldn’t put it in a pony tail. It’s wavy curly so it looked awful…the curl clumps were only a few strands and you could see my scalp all over. My hair actually looked like a mullet which I thought was odd. I actually quit watching any curly hair videos because styling curly wasn’t really an option. I usually wore a cap when I could. Pregnant now so my hair shedding has slowed and I’m noticing some growth. It’s super short but growing. Trying to prepare for postpartum hair loss. And now that my new baby hairs are a couple inches I’m trying to learn how to style it since most of my hair is short with a few long strands.
Its crazy how an Iron deficiency makes you feel and how often it still goes unnoticed. I think I had an iron deficiency for years before I got bloods done and found it. I was told to take an iron supplement every day and to eat red meat 2-3 times per week (which is annoying for me). It took 18 months for me to get into the normal range and it definitely coincided with when I started to feel way more energetic. It was also before I started doing anything with my hair so don’t know about whether it affected my density. I’ve had healthy levels for a year now and my hair is extremely dense (and very fine strands!). Hopefully your density is already on the way back. Either way, your hair is so beautiful!
I recommend using the Hask biotin boost conditioner! I actually picked it up on accident and was trying to get their curl care conditioner but picked up the wrong bottle but ended up using it anyways because I needed to condition my hair and I have thin hair anyways so I didn’t mind. My hair density drastically changed and got thicker in a week! I haven’t tried it with the matching shampoo but plan to use both of them together to see how my hair improves. I’m also currently using the Mielle Organics rosemary mint oil because I heard it’s a really popular hair oil that helps with hair growth, I’ve only used it twice but have high hopes that it will help strengthen and grow my thin hair.
I want to echo your recommendation that people not supplement iron without first having their levels checked by a health care provider, and to broaden that recommendation to all supplementation. I started taking selenium pills about two years ago in an attempt to improve my (fairly minor) menopause-related hair thinning. Instead, it caused my shedding to increase dramatically. Turns out that a low selenium level can cause hair loss--but so can excess selenium. So beware of supplements! They should only be taken with a professional's guidance.
Iron supplements have so many side-effects. As someone who has anemia and thalassemia, doctors have always pushed pills on me to "fix me". I decided that I'm going to fix my iron levels though food not pills.
My iron supplements side-effects included constipation, stomach ache, itchiness on different parts of my skin, nausea, headaches. I know that once or twice in my life while I wasn't on supplements, my iron levels were good. No more taking pills.
This is great! My hair loss began, well I started noticing in October 2022. I had covid on July 29, 2022. Nobody thought that was the issue but I a not convinced. I went through tons of tests/blood work and finally in March the dermatologist (who was not nice or helpful) said my ferritin was 17 and my vitamin d was low. So she just assumed that is why. I started iron and then had infusions in March 2023 and started Vitamin D in February also. Some days are better than others but in general my hair as of today is literally at best 40% of what it was. All I think about all day is my hair, even when I am sleeping and worrying will it continue to get worse or even worse yet all fall out. Yes, I see regrowth but I do not notice any thickness returning. So if I go by when the excessive shedding started it has been ten months. If I go by when I started vitamins it has been five months. My hair will still shed up to 50 a day, which I wonder how when I feel like I have so little. How are you doing now? Thank you for doing this - my plan, if I ever get better is to do the same. Everything online says you will return to normal within 3-4 months, that is so false. I wish someone could tell the truth so those of us that take things literal could know what to expect. Like, ok you lose hair for 9 months, it will take 2 years from that point to actually be back to any kind of normal. I mean at this point, I hope and pray that is even true.
I had/have a Biotin and Iron deficiency after I went vegetarian. Biotin deficiencies are rare but check your nails. If they splinter and grow thin and as separated layers(you will now what I mean when you see it). That’s a strong sign for this deficiency. In general it won’t hurt you to take a hair gummy. There is some weak evidence that biotin may thicken and strengthens hair even when you don’t have a deficiency. Please if you can afford to see a doctor when you think you are experiencing hair loss.
Diet is so important in hair loss. Vitamin D and Iron deficiencies are both common in vegetarian and vegan diets so if that describes you, make sure you are eating foods with vitamin D, iron and getting out in the natural sunlight when possible!
I started using oway vivifying density treatment and waiting to see the results. I noticed my scalp feels so much better, not getting oily soon, adds more root volume, and in general not itchy. I want to try their densifying shampoo as well now
Thank you so much for this. I’m watching this as I’m in the process of wash day. I’m using a medical shampoo and shampoo that’s supposed to help with hair loss. I’m grateful for your videos. Have a great week.
Thank you for sharing. I have lost so much hair over the past years, and I hate how much scalp I can see. I haven’t tried brush styling yet because I’m afraid of more hair coming out than when I style with my fingers. The methods I used before, more styling upside down and side to side, and not in sections are just not working for me too well. It’s a little scary. 😢
I had thinning hair since 2019. I had a lack of b-vitamins (caused by endometriosis medication), they improved my hair by narrowing the widened part. But the shedding went on. I switched to sulfate free shampoo, and now there is 60-75% less hair shedding on washday. Also almost no more hair coming out while brushing.
If it’s ok I’d like to talk more about my journey. About 10 years ago I noticed hair loss went to the dermatologist and was given a prescription shampoo and told it’s normal. Fast forward to roughly 3years saw a different dermatologist had a scalp analysis and blood work. Was given medical shampoo and scalp treatment since I have psoriasis. I have added a product line that’s supposed to help with hair loss. It take me over an hour to do my hair. Best wishes to you all that are reading this and on the same hair loss journey as I am.
I’ve had scalp psoriasis since August. It’s awful. Thankfully it’s in one area to the right of my center part. There’s some hair loss there and I’ve had to part it differently to hide it. It’s so painful.
Great advice.Totally agree with the getting blunt cuts and having to kind of give up on having your hair below the shoulders. I had to come to that realization. I used to get layers and really try with the longer hair, but it does look so much healthier shorter and my iron levels were a little low. I take a vitamin with iron and that has helped a lot also.
i lost like more than 50% of my hair this past year bc of birth control + i lost my curl pattern:( i went from a 3b to a 2a/b/c, my hair became really silky (it looked oily) like kid's hair.... i got a lot of test done and i also found out i had Iron deficiency now after some months my hair is almost as it used to be!!! some things i did : - stop taking birth control (it was also making me crazy lol) + eat more protein + iron + almonds/pumpking seeds/ raisins + Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density by the ordinary + biotin pills / hair vitamins, vitamin d pills and collagen! - changed my shampoo... stop using shampoos for curly hair and started using shampoo for hair growth like the wasabi shan kui by lush or biotin shampoo by difeel - stop using conditioner - less products for styling + all my products now have protein
Have you ever considered trying amore natural hair wash day. Such as a clay wash. Flax seed gel for styling. There are more natural conditioners that can be made as well. I’m just curious how your hair would look. It could be life changing or a mess. I periodically do my hair this way because of scalp psoriasis and my hair most of the time looks amazing. There are days when it was a mistake though. Ain’t gonna lie but my scalp is always happy.
I have had a similar experience. Gradual thinning over a year and a half. Got worse in June and only finally settling down again. I too have low iron however mild so I was down to twice a week supplements and kept forgetting. So that contributed. Mine is multifactorial though, I am hypothyroid since I was a kid, however levels are good. I also have to supplement vitamin D. And I have a post viral condition very similar to long Covid and that was when it got worse. So far I have tried the curlsmith scalp treatments and use the morning one as it really moisturizes my scalp and then I tried kerotin line and I think there was more shedding and now using the innate life rosemary scalp treatment and I think it is helping. I am also much better at my iron supplements now.
Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your story! I have struggled with thinning hair for over 15 years and it is the most frustrating issue. I struggle daily with hiding my scalp, and the most terrifying thing for me is when people take candid photos of me and you see my scalp. Red light therapy seems very promising and of course, the most tried and true treatment is Minoxidil according to all the dermatologists that I’ve seen. I would suggest following Sam Ellis, she’s a dermatologist who posts videos here on UA-cam, she has a whole video on this topic which I found really helpful. I am limited in what I can do because I’ve been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the past 5 years (which has only made the problem worse). On a related note, do you know of a good scalp coverage product? I know it’s not ideal but I’m desperate at this point lol.
My niece’s love thick curly hair got thinner using Deva Curl products; she stopped and a year later her hair is back to normal. Also add 2-4Tbs collagen to your diet daily for hair and nails.
I've been taking collagen peptide & can see the new hair growth! I've been hearing a lot more curly/wavies are not layering anymore, such as Jannelle O'Shaughnessy & Marisa's Curls.
I had 2 surgeries, almost back to back, in 2021. The hair grew back, but then started thinning 8 months later and by now, I feel like 50% of it is gone. I go from dermatologist to dermatologist and they all say it's thyroid related, but my thyroid numbers are GREAT. Also there is a school of thought about anemia, but I am doubling down on iron supplements and there is no change.
I've had shedding/thinning due to a medication I've had to take repeatedly for a health issue that I've been dealing with. The medication causes low potassium as a side effect, which can lead to shedding. It was finally shedding less, and I had to restart the meds, and it's increased again. It took about 6 months after ceasing the meds last time for the thinning to decrease. It'll be a while BUT I can see that I do have new growth in those areas, so the density decreases but I know new hairs are filling in those areas. It still makes my scalp look sparse though, and it's SO alarming to have fingers-full of hair coming out during washing.
Thanks Gena, I'm a new subscriber from Australia. Love all your videos. This video was really informative for me, I'm 64 (how/when did that happen 🤔🙄😏jeepers!) I've noticed my hair especially thinning around hairline. I have complex trauma and take medications which have caused Psoriasis and thinking this is causing thinning also. I have fine curly wavy long hair - the pony tail measure - my tail is pretty pathetic. Thanks so much.
omg i had hair shedding ,i lost alot of hair after i put semi permanent hair dye,, i fixed it by using loadsa protein in products,curlsmirth bond curl one, if its too expensive giavanni reconstruct is a dupe which does similar thing i think, also the blue protein deep conditioner shea moisture and styled with protein based ingredients. started using my eco argan oil gel i think protein fixed it adding more as my hair is back to normal now! for thinning edges at front of my hair i used taliah waajid hairline help 2 in 1 ....that has helped bring back my front edges back.....including jamacian black castor oil. the taliah waajid hairline help is basically castor oil and rapeseed oil.
This was great! Thank you for sharing. I'm experiencing the same thing and I believe due to stress and deficiency. Not sure what else might be happening. Questions: how much iron were you recommend to take And have you noticed a decrease in hair fall?
Diffusing with heat!!! I HIGHLY recommend stopping any diffusing with any type of heat, even low heat. I notice in your videos even when you refresh you diffuse w heat. I know it’s hard to stop but diffusing with cold air has saved my hair. My hair got as thin as yours, and even down to the curl pattern was the same (box shaped curls ends were thinner). I’ve commented before saying this I just know firsthand this changed everything about my hair 🥹 Edit: I want to add when my hair got heat damage it was from low heat once a week max, and I was extremely diligent about using heat protectant.
the women in my family have female pattern baldness, my mom, her mom, etc. my mom said she started losing her hair at 22 and i'm 19 now. and tbh my hair has already gotten thinner, i can see my scalp a lot in the areas above my ears and i never used to. it's super discouraging and i feel hopeless because that's not really something i can treat, just lessen. i wanted to spend my 20s with long and full curls but i guess not :(
I started noticing more then usual shedding 3 yrs ago. I'm yet to figure it out. Been to doctors and obgyn had numerous amounts of blood wrk ,been to dermatologist and everything fine. All my family has loads hair so not genetics. Idk maybe age but I'm only 49, I think thats pretty young to have lost more then half of your hair. Idk. Anyone else in my situation?
Excellent, excellent video, this was so timely! I had 5 surgeries in 18 months and didn’t lose any noticeable hair. I had the flu in December 2021 and in exactly 3 months, my hair was coming out in handfuls. I read that there is a hair drop 2-3 months after a major illness, like the flu. After I was recouping my hair loss in 2022, I got Covid in October 2022, preceded by a thyroid nodule discovery, and after the stress of that, I dumped even more hair. I lost at least 1/3 of my density in a year. I am trying everything I can, I have upped some of my vitamins, use my laser cap, use minoxidil and I use Lush Roots which is FABULOUS. It immediately reduces shedding. I am taking Viviscal. I wanted to try Nutrafol, but it has a large amount of iodine and I can’t take that bc of my thyroid. I also use Nioxin scalp treatment, you put it on after shampooing and it thickens hair at the root and helps it stand up. I’m doing all kinds of scalp treatments, every time I wash my hair I do another one to try them out. So far, Lush’s Roots is a winner. I am post-menopausal so it’s an uphill battle, but I’m hoping at least to regain what I recently lost. At your age my hair was thick and shiny, even though I blew it dry every day, but I’ve come to accept what I am left with now. I refuse to go down without a fight! I find my hair gets too tangled when curly in ringlets and I fight with it, so I have stopped using gel and making ringlets because I have to be able to get my fingers through, so I am settling for wavy. I wish you all the world’s luck! I hope you regain your density! You most likely will, and then some. ♥️
When I was 21, my hair got thinner and thinner, I was taking the pill since I was 18. Then I stopped taking it when I was 25, because I only then found out its the reason for my hair thinning. But only today I know that the pill causes deficiency of iodine, vitamin b12, folat and zinc. But nobody told me, no doctor knew. Since I had massive hairfall after covid in 2022, I take hair vitamins with iodine, vitamin D, Vitamin B12, zinc and other ingredients. Today my hair is as full as in my teens again. Also Im taking iron, because I read about the important ferritin level of over 80. my ferritin never was higher than 30 all the years. Today it is even over 100. What was your reason for thinning hair?
Can I ask somehting about your haircut? Every time when I go to the hair dressers, they say it 'it had to be layering'. But my hair looks terrible every time. What is the normal way to get our curls cut? Is there a special way?
I was just at my dermatologist today and she recommended some herbal supplements. Pumpkin seed oil and banyan botanicals healthy hair. I thought I would pass this along . She did tell my that my scalp looked healthy. Hang in there everyone.
If you’re having massive shedding in perimeno or meno, work with a functional medicine MD & balance those hormones ladies! I lost about 30-40% of my density by age 50 & I assumed that was my lot in life. After 4 years of low dose progesterone & estrogen patches, it’s nearly all returned & I’m almost back to my age 35 hair density, which I never thought I’d see again. Unreal!
My case is genetics. It started when I was 35 I shred a lot up to the point you will see my scalp. It started growing back but not he same. I stop texturizing my hair when I was 55 but still coloring my roots. Still hair growing very slow. When I reach 60 I have a disorder and they used cortisone after 3 mo I had patches. It grow out slowly and transition to curly hair and silvers popping lol I had cortisone shot but I used immediately Curlsmith serum that so when the 3 rd month came my hair didn’t shed that much. Very happy with results of that serum. I used in the past Viviscal I use it for a year it stop the shed but not the growth. So I stick with CS. I’ve been following you and my hair it’s been great . Lots of compliments since I am fully silver curly locks😊. And love my CS routine.
Trauma and stress for me thinned out my hair but also a really bad diet. Now my hair is getting better. Better to just eat iron rich food than take supplements.
I know you love Curlsmith but I would encourage you to just experiment with no Curlsmith for a month and see how that goes! When you mentioned the Curlsmith scalp serums, I got this paranoid thought that they make products that cause hair loss so that you buy their scalp serums lol. It really does make you wonder.
I feel a film over my hair and I live in a state with extremely hard water. I can’t get a softener because I live in an apartment. I think I will at least get a filter. It’s so discouraging losing hair density and texture.
My hair started to thin in my mid 20s, come to find out it was hormonal because of diabetes. Then it started to shed 2x as bad in my 40s because of rapid weight loss.
@@GenaMarie Right… my hair is much thinner. The diameter of my hair is much smaller. I’ve lost about 50% of my hair due to actual hair loss and miniaturization
Miniaturization is when the hair gets finer and won’t grow as long because of multiple episodes of hair shedding. Many of us who truly suffer with hair loss understand this. Will have lots of baby hairs that never thicken up or grow more than a few inches. The follicle has become very weak over time. It can be a permanent result of chronic telogen effluvium and similar conditions. This is a good video but these conditions often go much deeper than the info covered here!
@@gemmasharpe1907 Yeah I need help with that. I understand it’s mostly hereditary too. 😔 I’ve had handfuls of hair come out too… that’s mostly stopped though. But hair is so thin, it barely curls anymore.
The thyroid problems most of the time are caused by iodine deficiency. You should try to take 200mg iodine a day. Iodine deficiency also causes hairloss
I love your videos and you're one of the very few channels that does a scientific research as opposed to ad hocs and myths. Just a cheerful feedback that you're videos are too long and sometimes I just skip watching them because it takes my version of forever to finish them. :) xo
Thank you! Yeah, it's a lot to cram in when it comes to scientific or instructional style videos. I find that if I shorten them I will be cutting out information and not covering everything. But totally understand! Fortunately this style of video can be watched more passively such as a podcast
There are a lot of detox and exfoliating stuff out there for hair and scalp health… I’m concerned about using any b/c of my sensitive skin but also worried about if they are abrasive
Covid vaccination can also cause hair loss for some people. My nurse practioner's receptionist told me that quite a few women in the clinic have experienced it. Would be similar to hair loss due to Covid.
Diet is so important in hair loss. Vitamin D and Iron deficiencies are both common in vegetarian and vegan diets so if that describes you, make sure you are eating foods with vitamin D, iron and getting out in the natural sunlight when possible!
Have you experienced hair thinning? Please share your story in the comments. I hope you found this helpful, even if it was just to know you're not alone. Summary of everything I discussed is on my blog: genamarie.co/2023/02/why-your-hair-is-thinning-how-to-fix-it/
I had major surgery and my hair is thinning. Took me awhile to find out what was wrong.
Just curious. How do you wear your hair and how do you cover your scalp? I have short thin low density black hair and my scalp is so noticeable.
Really appreciate you being open about your own struggles with health and how it has affected your hair. It's refreshing to see the honest conversation about things like hair loss, which is often normal and affects us all as we age!
Omg, you helped me realize that my insane amount of "breakage" is actually new growth! I was so confused, because I've been taking great care of my hair quite intentionally for a few years now.
Thank you for another fabulous video, Gena.
Many years ago I had a lot of hair that was being shed in the shower - like clumps. It was devastating. I stopped coloring my hair, even those branded as more natural, as they use ethanolamine, which can cause hair loss. It improved but my hair density was thinning. I also had a medical workup and found my ferritin was very low. It was like 14 and the doc thought that was okay but another doc said that it should be above 70 for hair growth. I started taking iron supplements. Long story short, by accident, last year they found that I have celiac disease. My gut was not absorbing nutrients (one reason my ferritin was so low). Since, I have been on a gluten free diet and my hair and nails are doing so much better now. I have significantly less hair loss. I'm not insinuating that everyone should go gluten free. I only am suggesting looking at Celiac Disease and getting tested as a factor in hair loss.
Great advice ❤
YES TOTALLY AGREE I have more hair on wash day..I did an experiment and washed my hair every other day a few times instead of every 4 days and realized yes I lose fewer hairs every other
First, I have hashimotos. Then I got c*vid super bad in the summer of 2022. I lost a ton of hair and covered it with scarves. Here’s what I discovered that created a turn around.
1. Corrected Vit D and iron
2. Added selenium and saw palmetto
3. Made my own hair oil: avocado oil, castor oil, rosemary oil, sage, magnesium oil, red pepper flakes.
4. Applied oil 2-3 times a week with massage. Washed out the next day.
I have restored all lost hair plus gained more including a widows peak that I forgot I had.
That's great!
I also experienced c*vid induced hair loss and it was super traumatic and scary. What made it worse was the stress I had with the vocal strain I had induced by c*vid (Im a classical vocalist) and my vocal cords were in extreme pain, but eventually resolved. I was shedding chunks of hair for 3 months, but eventually it stopped shedding so abnormally. I didn’t really do anything different except just to calm down and I understand that it happens with huge shocks to the immune system. Everyone’s treatment will be different due to the circumstance.
I would love your recipe for your oil. My loss is because of a prolonged period of extremely poor health and nutrition combined with extremely bad hair care. I think it’ll come back with a good diet and oiling the night before I shampoo. I would be super grateful if you shared 🙏🏻
Gena, this video is excellent and you literally covered all the bases! I’ve been through 3 phases of hair loss since I was 14 and I wish there had been more info when I was younger.
My first, in high school, was from anemia so when I started iron and just eating more, my hair grew back and it was great! I’m college, I got sick with mono and pneumonia, enough to be hospitalized, and then subsequently had thyroiditis and telogen effluvium and lost probably over half of my hair density. That was a long road, but I grew my hair back once again.
Most recently, it was last year that I noticed some thinning, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as in the past. It turned out to be a culmination of stress, scalp health, and not getting enough protein!!
I got married last year so that was the stress. With hair care, I just wasn’t cleansing my scalp as well and had to come to terms with diving back into actual shampoo again-I am a Wen care to the core for the last 15 years, but it just doesn’t work for my scalp all the time anymore.
The last point about the protein: I started really making leaps and bounds in my weight lifting training and realized that I was not eating nearly enough protein for my new prs and gains. I think this really hindered new growth for me, but I’ve really increased my intake.
I also do scalp oiling twice a week with the ordinary hair serum and rosemary oil and that helps too!!
You are so right in saying get to the root of the problem!!!! It’s really imperative to get your health measures checked and evaluate lifestyle and habits to figure out what’s going on.
I’ve had thin hair/shedding 3 times now, but you can grow it back! It’s definitely possible so my advice is to remember that on the days where you just want to cry.
Thank you so much girl!
Menopause gave me curly hair. I never would have guessed! It's amazing and there's so much to learn, thank you for the tips!!
Rosemary mint oil has helped me HUGE
I'm 50 and going through menopause. I've noticed my hair density is significantly less. Probably almost half! Not a happy camper lol
I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I have had several blood transfusions, and iron infusions, had my heart stopped and restarted, survived a couple life-threatening cases of sepsis, developed a blood clot in my heart, endured covid, and underwent several surgeries all within the last 2 years. My hair is really thin now. It seems to be getting fuller now but it took me a while to realize that my hair doesn't respond well to protein now. My curls looked the most defined the more protein I used but I realized my hair getting lighter at my mid-lengths to ends. My hair had severe breakage (it looked shredded) from protein overload.
Great video! My thick, very slightly wavy hair was pushed into telogen effluvium from covid, immediately followed by pneumonia. I lost over 3/4 of my hair in about a 3 month period. It all grew back, just as thick as before, but with one major change. It grew back curly. My curls are now 3A/some 3B. I have mostly ringlets and some spiral curls. I love my hair, now! All of this happened several years after menopause, so hormonal changes did not have an affect on my hair's density. I had no idea my hair was growing back curly until my hairdresser told me. I just thought it was growing back frizzy. I kept brushing it to try and flatten it out. 😂 The one thing I made sure to do was to take my one-a-day supplements, AND I took Biotin. I continued all my vitamins during and after my hair loss. Biotin is a B vitamin that is good for hair, skin, and nails and is not stored in the body. Like vitamin C, the body sheds any excess Biotin, so it's virtually impossible to overdose on it. Vitamin C and Vitamin D are crucial in the absorption of iron and for the absorption of each other, especially as women age.
Good luck, Gena! I hope your hair returns to the density it used to be. It does take a while for the hair to grow back, but it usually does come back. That's what my doctor and others were telling me, and they were right. It was scary, for sure, but it all worked out. Hang in there!
I was anemic for years and didn't supplement because the iron taken on an empty stomach made my stomach hurt. As a result, my hair started falling out and it took me a while to notice. Finally, a friend told me she took the iron with food and it still worked, so I started doing that and what a difference! First of all, I stopped feeling so tired all the time and I noticed a huge difference in respiratory fitness when exercising. But, also my hair started growing back. My hairdresser started noticing tons of new growth. You're right that it took a long time to really get my density back, but it DOES come. It just takes time.
I am using Minoxidil (Rogaine for Women) with great success! At first for bald spots from years of trichotillomania. Recently, I notice thinness at temples and right and left of crown extending down. These are areas that have never been pulled! I am low thyroid but have been on Levothyroxine for many years and blood work is always good. Made appointment with dermatologist but it is not until May!
My hair loss was caused by stress, low vitamin D, potassium and iron levels! It can take years to stop losing and start regrowing. Vitamin E has been one of the biggest helps in regrowing my hair! Got the other issues fixed, taking vitamins then needed to add in vitamin E bc it was a bit low. Started getting hair on my legs, brows, chin 😂and head! 😊😂
Thanks for sharing, I feel hopeful ❤
Thank you xx
I have an auto immune disease. Last summer, I had a bout with sepsis. Long story short, as I was recovering, my hair was falling out by the handfuls. Each wash day, the ball of hair was the size of a golf ball. Of course I went back to my doctor, nothing seemed to be off. I had lost over 30 lbs in the 7 weeks I was ill and off work. That was in July of 2022. Fast forward to March of 2023: my hair fall is so much better. My hair still feels thin, but I thank God I am alive every day. For a bit the hair was the least of my worries. But I'm happy the hair fall has all but stopped. I, like you run everything by my doctor, right down to my daily vitamin. You are correct in saying most of the hair issues are internal. I believe when I started gaining my weight back, that is when the hair fall started to correct itself. Thank you. I enjoy your videos.
Are there any updates?? How has your density changed over the last couple years?
I have been using the Irestore red light therapy helmet. It has helped quite well in regrowing my hair after years of hypothyroidism and after having the "crud".
did you buy your own red light product for your hair
@@loribeyer4643 I bought the Irestore helmet from their website.
I completely agree that the root of the problem needs to be addressed first.
I use a lot of Ayurvedic treatments. There have been studies to prove that Amla is affective at hair growth, and I can personally testify that my hair grows faster when I use Amla and Rosemary. Other herbs and plants are beneficial also, for instance, using onion juice as a pre-poo reduces shedding, fenugreek thickens hair, and zyziphus helps with curl definition.
Yes yes!! I henna my hair every 6 weeks and every 2 weeks in between I use a cassia, amala, zyzphus, aloe powder, and feengreek mask. I leave it on my hair for 2 hours. I also do a scalp massage with a battery operated scalp massager every day and I wash my hair every 2 weeks and this has really helped with my hair growth and oiling my ends several days a week has helped my length retention. Also, olaplex products are really bad for your hair. All of those products have caused hair loss and hair breakage in many people. There is a lawsuit against them. There is also a huge Facebook group of people whose hair has been damaged by olaplex.
Thank you! My hair used to be so thick that I would have to get it thinned because it caused headaches and was just too hot. Now for the past several years I would swear up and down that my hair was thinning or I was losing it. It barely covers my scalp now. I tried all sorts of products and hair vitamins and nothing worked. I recently found out I'm extremely deficient in B12, vitamin D, and protein. I've been treating that for about a month, but so far no changes to my hair. I also suspect I'm anemic from other blood levels I've seen. It was just nice to see that vitamin levels could very well be the cause and that there is hope I will get my thick hair back one day. Great video!
Sharing my story. I’ve lost a lot of hair over the years from anemia, hypothyroidism and also androgenetic alopecia runs in my family. I had iron infusions but it’s still a struggle to maintain my iron levels. I’m also on thyroid replacement and my levels aren’t bad, but not like super great.
I’m taking a compounded pill with minoxidil and dutasteride in it, that one is to stimulate the hair follicles and fight loss from androgenetic alopecia. It just takes so much effort to keep hair on my head 😢 but I’m seeing some improvements with the compounded hair pill, I have little hairs filling in my hairline and my temples. I’m fighting it from all aspects since it’s hard to tell in my case which problem is giving me the most hair loss. For the anemia, I take iron supplements and continuous birth control to stop my periods.
Katherine sewing is a great channel about vintage hair care
My hair stylist told me having COVID can also cause hair loss - I've noticed some more shedding than usual, as well. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this.
I got covid twice and both times about 3 months later I lost large amounts of hair. I'm lucky that I had thick hair before so it wasn't as noticeable to other people. It's now growing back and I'm having a ton of new growth that I have to keep my hair down because I can't get it all in a hair tie right now and it looks crazy lol (I only use scrunchies and soft hair ties now)
Covid definitely thinned my hair...on the top mainly.
Many ladies I work with noticed their hair has thinned, too, after having covid.
Oh yes, ‘post viral illness’ from many viruses can cause massive hair shedding. Not just Covid. Epstein Barr Virus is another common culprit & can be reactivated during stressful life phases…
I lost about half my hair - maybe more. It was so thin I couldn’t put it in a pony tail. It’s wavy curly so it looked awful…the curl clumps were only a few strands and you could see my scalp all over. My hair actually looked like a mullet which I thought was odd. I actually quit watching any curly hair videos because styling curly wasn’t really an option. I usually wore a cap when I could. Pregnant now so my hair shedding has slowed and I’m noticing some growth. It’s super short but growing. Trying to prepare for postpartum hair loss. And now that my new baby hairs are a couple inches I’m trying to learn how to style it since most of my hair is short with a few long strands.
Its crazy how an Iron deficiency makes you feel and how often it still goes unnoticed. I think I had an iron deficiency for years before I got bloods done and found it. I was told to take an iron supplement every day and to eat red meat 2-3 times per week (which is annoying for me). It took 18 months for me to get into the normal range and it definitely coincided with when I started to feel way more energetic. It was also before I started doing anything with my hair so don’t know about whether it affected my density. I’ve had healthy levels for a year now and my hair is extremely dense (and very fine strands!). Hopefully your density is already on the way back. Either way, your hair is so beautiful!
Yes! I would get so tired too and thought it was just my overall low-energy personality lol!
Make sure using shampoo that really cleans scalp not just cowashing and eating more protein helps
I recommend using the Hask biotin boost conditioner! I actually picked it up on accident and was trying to get their curl care conditioner but picked up the wrong bottle but ended up using it anyways because I needed to condition my hair and I have thin hair anyways so I didn’t mind. My hair density drastically changed and got thicker in a week! I haven’t tried it with the matching shampoo but plan to use both of them together to see how my hair improves. I’m also currently using the Mielle Organics rosemary mint oil because I heard it’s a really popular hair oil that helps with hair growth, I’ve only used it twice but have high hopes that it will help strengthen and grow my thin hair.
I want to echo your recommendation that people not supplement iron without first having their levels checked by a health care provider, and to broaden that recommendation to all supplementation. I started taking selenium pills about two years ago in an attempt to improve my (fairly minor) menopause-related hair thinning. Instead, it caused my shedding to increase dramatically. Turns out that a low selenium level can cause hair loss--but so can excess selenium. So beware of supplements! They should only be taken with a professional's guidance.
Iron supplements have so many side-effects. As someone who has anemia and thalassemia, doctors have always pushed pills on me to "fix me". I decided that I'm going to fix my iron levels though food not pills.
My iron supplements side-effects included constipation, stomach ache, itchiness on different parts of my skin, nausea, headaches. I know that once or twice in my life while I wasn't on supplements, my iron levels were good. No more taking pills.
This is great! My hair loss began, well I started noticing in October 2022. I had covid on July 29, 2022. Nobody thought that was the issue but I a not convinced. I went through tons of tests/blood work and finally in March the dermatologist (who was not nice or helpful) said my ferritin was 17 and my vitamin d was low. So she just assumed that is why. I started iron and then had infusions in March 2023 and started Vitamin D in February also. Some days are better than others but in general my hair as of today is literally at best 40% of what it was. All I think about all day is my hair, even when I am sleeping and worrying will it continue to get worse or even worse yet all fall out. Yes, I see regrowth but I do not notice any thickness returning. So if I go by when the excessive shedding started it has been ten months. If I go by when I started vitamins it has been five months. My hair will still shed up to 50 a day, which I wonder how when I feel like I have so little. How are you doing now? Thank you for doing this - my plan, if I ever get better is to do the same. Everything online says you will return to normal within 3-4 months, that is so false. I wish someone could tell the truth so those of us that take things literal could know what to expect. Like, ok you lose hair for 9 months, it will take 2 years from that point to actually be back to any kind of normal. I mean at this point, I hope and pray that is even true.
I had/have a Biotin and Iron deficiency after I went vegetarian. Biotin deficiencies are rare but check your nails. If they splinter and grow thin and as separated layers(you will now what I mean when you see it). That’s a strong sign for this deficiency. In general it won’t hurt you to take a hair gummy. There is some weak evidence that biotin may thicken and strengthens hair even when you don’t have a deficiency. Please if you can afford to see a doctor when you think you are experiencing hair loss.
Diet is so important in hair loss. Vitamin D and Iron deficiencies are both common in vegetarian and vegan diets so if that describes you, make sure you are eating foods with vitamin D, iron and getting out in the natural sunlight when possible!
I started using oway vivifying density treatment and waiting to see the results. I noticed my scalp feels so much better, not getting oily soon, adds more root volume, and in general not itchy. I want to try their densifying shampoo as well now
I want to try their products!
Thank you so much for this. I’m watching this as I’m in the process of wash day. I’m using a medical shampoo and shampoo that’s supposed to help with hair loss. I’m grateful for your videos. Have a great week.
You too! Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing. I have lost so much hair over the past years, and I hate how much scalp I can see. I haven’t tried brush styling yet because I’m afraid of more hair coming out than when I style with my fingers. The methods I used before, more styling upside down and side to side, and not in sections are just not working for me too well. It’s a little scary. 😢
I had thinning hair since 2019. I had a lack of b-vitamins (caused by endometriosis medication), they improved my hair by narrowing the widened part. But the shedding went on. I switched to sulfate free shampoo, and now there is 60-75% less hair shedding on washday. Also almost no more hair coming out while brushing.
I just love your curls! Your hair looks very healthy.
If it’s ok I’d like to talk more about my journey. About 10 years ago I noticed hair loss went to the dermatologist and was given a prescription shampoo and told it’s normal. Fast forward to roughly 3years saw a different dermatologist had a scalp analysis and blood work. Was given medical shampoo and scalp treatment since I have psoriasis. I have added a product line that’s supposed to help with hair loss. It take me over an hour to do my hair. Best wishes to you all that are reading this and on the same hair loss journey as I am.
I’ve had scalp psoriasis since August. It’s awful. Thankfully it’s in one area to the right of my center part. There’s some hair loss there and I’ve had to part it differently to hide it. It’s so painful.
I’m so sorry. Thank you for sharing.
@@Justme77400oh no! I’m so sorry.
Great advice.Totally agree with the getting blunt cuts and having to kind of give up on having your hair below the shoulders. I had to come to that realization. I used to get layers and really try with the longer hair, but it does look so much healthier shorter and my iron levels were a little low. I take a vitamin with iron and that has helped a lot also.
i lost like more than 50% of my hair this past year bc of birth control + i lost my curl pattern:( i went from a 3b to a 2a/b/c, my hair became really silky (it looked oily) like kid's hair.... i got a lot of test done and i also found out i had Iron deficiency now after some months my hair is almost as it used to be!!! some things i did :
- stop taking birth control (it was also making me crazy lol)
+ eat more protein + iron + almonds/pumpking seeds/ raisins
+ Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density by the ordinary
+ biotin pills / hair vitamins, vitamin d pills and collagen!
- changed my shampoo... stop using shampoos for curly hair and started using shampoo for hair growth like the wasabi shan kui by lush or biotin shampoo by difeel
- stop using conditioner
- less products for styling + all my products now have protein
I’m trying not to put styling products close to my root area as it may cause shedding as well I think…
Have you ever considered trying amore natural hair wash day. Such as a clay wash. Flax seed gel for styling. There are more natural conditioners that can be made as well. I’m just curious how your hair would look. It could be life changing or a mess. I periodically do my hair this way because of scalp psoriasis and my hair most of the time looks amazing. There are days when it was a mistake though. Ain’t gonna lie but my scalp is always happy.
I have had a similar experience. Gradual thinning over a year and a half. Got worse in June and only finally settling down again. I too have low iron however mild so I was down to twice a week supplements and kept forgetting. So that contributed. Mine is multifactorial though, I am hypothyroid since I was a kid, however levels are good. I also have to supplement vitamin D. And I have a post viral condition very similar to long Covid and that was when it got worse. So far I have tried the curlsmith scalp treatments and use the morning one as it really moisturizes my scalp and then I tried kerotin line and I think there was more shedding and now using the innate life rosemary scalp treatment and I think it is helping. I am also much better at my iron supplements now.
Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your story! I have struggled with thinning hair for over 15 years and it is the most frustrating issue. I struggle daily with hiding my scalp, and the most terrifying thing for me is when people take candid photos of me and you see my scalp.
Red light therapy seems very promising and of course, the most tried and true treatment is Minoxidil according to all the dermatologists that I’ve seen. I would suggest following Sam Ellis, she’s a dermatologist who posts videos here on UA-cam, she has a whole video on this topic which I found really helpful. I am limited in what I can do because I’ve been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the past 5 years (which has only made the problem worse).
On a related note, do you know of a good scalp coverage product? I know it’s not ideal but I’m desperate at this point lol.
Very informative for a lousy problem. There is some research around pumpkin seed oil caplets that you may find interesting
My niece’s love thick curly hair got thinner using Deva Curl products; she stopped and a year later her hair is back to normal. Also add 2-4Tbs collagen to your diet daily for hair and nails.
Menopause- UGH! The worst hair loss. Not too much help for it. I just use gentle products, no heavy styling.
HRT helps minimize hair loss.
I've been taking collagen peptide & can see the new hair growth! I've been hearing a lot more curly/wavies are not layering anymore, such as Jannelle O'Shaughnessy & Marisa's Curls.
i quit birth control 9 months ago and i notice my hair is getting thicker and curlier it's so awesome!
Suggestions for heat protectant.
Thank you for your honesty and well researched information.
❤❤❤❤ thank you for this Gena!!!!
I had 2 surgeries, almost back to back, in 2021. The hair grew back, but then started thinning 8 months later and by now, I feel like 50% of it is gone. I go from dermatologist to dermatologist and they all say it's thyroid related, but my thyroid numbers are GREAT. Also there is a school of thought about anemia, but I am doubling down on iron supplements and there is no change.
Did you ever check your iodine level or vitamin b12, folat, copper, vitamin d? These are important next to iron
Don't know if this will work for you but you can try Mill Creek Henna Shampoo. Every time I use it my hair dresser notices more baby hairs than usual.
I've had shedding/thinning due to a medication I've had to take repeatedly for a health issue that I've been dealing with. The medication causes low potassium as a side effect, which can lead to shedding. It was finally shedding less, and I had to restart the meds, and it's increased again. It took about 6 months after ceasing the meds last time for the thinning to decrease. It'll be a while BUT I can see that I do have new growth in those areas, so the density decreases but I know new hairs are filling in those areas. It still makes my scalp look sparse though, and it's SO alarming to have fingers-full of hair coming out during washing.
Thanks Gena, I'm a new subscriber from Australia. Love all your videos. This video was really informative for me, I'm 64 (how/when did that happen 🤔🙄😏jeepers!) I've noticed my hair especially thinning around hairline. I have complex trauma and take medications which have caused Psoriasis and thinking this is causing thinning also. I have fine curly wavy long hair - the pony tail measure - my tail is pretty pathetic. Thanks so much.
Great info! I appreciate all of the info!!
Thank for sharing
Have you ever used fresh aloe treatment on your hair before
Thanks for this. Going to try the two serums. Appreciate the advice.
omg i had hair shedding ,i lost alot of hair after i put semi permanent hair dye,, i fixed it by using loadsa protein in products,curlsmirth bond curl one, if its too expensive giavanni reconstruct is a dupe which does similar thing i think, also the blue protein deep conditioner shea moisture and styled with protein based ingredients. started using my eco argan oil gel i think protein fixed it adding more as my hair is back to normal now! for thinning edges at front of my hair i used taliah waajid hairline help 2 in 1 ....that has helped bring back my front edges back.....including jamacian black castor oil. the taliah waajid hairline help is basically castor oil and rapeseed oil.
Hi Gena ! Have you noticed any improvement in your hair density? Thank you
Yes some new growth coming in so far
This was great! Thank you for sharing. I'm experiencing the same thing and I believe due to stress and deficiency. Not sure what else might be happening. Questions: how much iron were you recommend to take And have you noticed a decrease in hair fall?
I go a week to 2 weeks so I lose a LOT of hair, but I still want to try and thicken my density, especially in my bang area.
Diffusing with heat!!! I HIGHLY recommend stopping any diffusing with any type of heat, even low heat. I notice in your videos even when you refresh you diffuse w heat. I know it’s hard to stop but diffusing with cold air has saved my hair. My hair got as thin as yours, and even down to the curl pattern was the same (box shaped curls ends were thinner). I’ve commented before saying this I just know firsthand this changed everything about my hair 🥹
Edit: I want to add when my hair got heat damage it was from low heat once a week max, and I was extremely diligent about using heat protectant.
the women in my family have female pattern baldness, my mom, her mom, etc. my mom said she started losing her hair at 22 and i'm 19 now. and tbh my hair has already gotten thinner, i can see my scalp a lot in the areas above my ears and i never used to. it's super discouraging and i feel hopeless because that's not really something i can treat, just lessen. i wanted to spend my 20s with long and full curls but i guess not :(
I started noticing more then usual shedding 3 yrs ago. I'm yet to figure it out. Been to doctors and obgyn had numerous amounts of blood wrk ,been to dermatologist and everything fine. All my family has loads hair so not genetics. Idk maybe age but I'm only 49, I think thats pretty young to have lost more then half of your hair. Idk. Anyone else in my situation?
Excellent, excellent video, this was so timely! I had 5 surgeries in 18 months and didn’t lose any noticeable hair. I had the flu in December 2021 and in exactly 3 months, my hair was coming out in handfuls. I read that there is a hair drop 2-3 months after a major illness, like the flu. After I was recouping my hair loss in 2022, I got Covid in October 2022, preceded by a thyroid nodule discovery, and after the stress of that, I dumped even more hair. I lost at least 1/3 of my density in a year. I am trying everything I can, I have upped some of my vitamins, use my laser cap, use minoxidil and I use Lush Roots which is FABULOUS. It immediately reduces shedding. I am taking Viviscal. I wanted to try Nutrafol, but it has a large amount of iodine and I can’t take that bc of my thyroid. I also use Nioxin scalp treatment, you put it on after shampooing and it thickens hair at the root and helps it stand up. I’m doing all kinds of scalp treatments, every time I wash my hair I do another one to try them out. So far, Lush’s Roots is a winner. I am post-menopausal so it’s an uphill battle, but I’m hoping at least to regain what I recently lost. At your age my hair was thick and shiny, even though I blew it dry every day, but I’ve come to accept what I am left with now. I refuse to go down without a fight! I find my hair gets too tangled when curly in ringlets and I fight with it, so I have stopped using gel and making ringlets because I have to be able to get my fingers through, so I am settling for wavy. I wish you all the world’s luck! I hope you regain your density! You most likely will, and then some. ♥️
Hi just wondering if you can post an update on this journey?
I'm definitely low in vitamin d and b12. Two weeks and feeling slightly better
When I was 21, my hair got thinner and thinner, I was taking the pill since I was 18. Then I stopped taking it when I was 25, because I only then found out its the reason for my hair thinning. But only today I know that the pill causes deficiency of iodine, vitamin b12, folat and zinc. But nobody told me, no doctor knew.
Since I had massive hairfall after covid in 2022, I take hair vitamins with iodine, vitamin D, Vitamin B12, zinc and other ingredients.
Today my hair is as full as in my teens again. Also Im taking iron, because I read about the important ferritin level of over 80. my ferritin never was higher than 30 all the years. Today it is even over 100.
What was your reason for thinning hair?
Can you do a reel or video about using scalp stuff between wash days? I’m worried about causing frizz at the roots or messing up my curls. 😣
Can I ask somehting about your haircut? Every time when I go to the hair dressers, they say it 'it had to be layering'. But my hair looks terrible every time. What is the normal way to get our curls cut? Is there a special way?
I was just at my dermatologist today and she recommended some herbal supplements. Pumpkin seed oil and banyan botanicals healthy hair. I thought I would pass this along . She did tell my that my scalp looked healthy. Hang in there everyone.
If you’re having massive shedding in perimeno or meno, work with a functional medicine MD & balance those hormones ladies! I lost about 30-40% of my density by age 50 & I assumed that was my lot in life. After 4 years of low dose progesterone & estrogen patches, it’s nearly all returned & I’m almost back to my age 35 hair density, which I never thought I’d see again. Unreal!
What caused my hair to thin is cantu coconut curling cream it dries my hair so badly and made it so thin
My case is genetics. It started when I was 35 I shred a lot up to the point you will see my scalp. It started growing back but not he same. I stop texturizing my hair when I was 55 but still coloring my roots. Still hair growing very slow. When I reach 60 I have a disorder and they used cortisone after 3 mo I had patches. It grow out slowly and transition to curly hair and silvers popping lol
I had cortisone shot but I used immediately Curlsmith serum that so when the 3 rd month came my hair didn’t shed that much.
Very happy with results of that serum. I used in the past Viviscal I use it for a year it stop the shed but not the growth.
So I stick with CS. I’ve been following you and my hair it’s been great . Lots of compliments since I am fully silver curly locks😊.
And love my CS routine.
What kind of oil do you put on your hair please ?
This one: tidd.ly/3OuP7T7
@@GenaMarie Thank you 🙏🏼
Trauma and stress for me thinned out my hair but also a really bad diet. Now my hair is getting better. Better to just eat iron rich food than take supplements.
I know you love Curlsmith but I would encourage you to just experiment with no Curlsmith for a month and see how that goes! When you mentioned the Curlsmith scalp serums, I got this paranoid thought that they make products that cause hair loss so that you buy their scalp serums lol. It really does make you wonder.
You’re spreading misinformation right now, that’s not cool. There’s zero proof that Curlsmith causes hair loss. They make great products.
I feel a film over my hair and I live in a state with extremely hard water. I can’t get a softener because I live in an apartment. I think I will at least get a filter. It’s so discouraging losing hair density and texture.
Thkz interesting videos
My hair is much thinner post pardom my third child. Congratulations on 200k!
Thank you!
I’m 57 and my hair has gotten thinner. I still have a nice head of hair though.
What oil do you use to dry detangle
Any oil will do, but I tend to use those one the most because it absorbs fast: tidd.ly/3OuP7T7
I get wads, nearly a handful and my density has lessened big time in my 40's.
Thank you
Is the Ion chelating shampoo a good hard water shampoo
Yes
My hair started to thin in my mid 20s, come to find out it was hormonal because of diabetes. Then it started to shed 2x as bad in my 40s because of rapid weight loss.
Thank you for the great information. Love you videos.
Please just speak more slowly. Have a nice day.
Are you referring to miniaturization?
I'm not sure what you mean? This video is about hair thinning and hair loss
@@GenaMarie Right… my hair is much thinner. The diameter of my hair is much smaller. I’ve lost about 50% of my hair due to actual hair loss and miniaturization
@@GenaMarie It’s so thin it breaks so easily
Miniaturization is when the hair gets finer and won’t grow as long because of multiple episodes of hair shedding. Many of us who truly suffer with hair loss understand this. Will have lots of baby hairs that never thicken up or grow more than a few inches. The follicle has become very weak over time. It can be a permanent result of chronic telogen effluvium and similar conditions. This is a good video but these conditions often go much deeper than the info covered here!
@@gemmasharpe1907 Yeah I need help with that. I understand it’s mostly hereditary too. 😔 I’ve had handfuls of hair come out too… that’s mostly stopped though. But hair is so thin, it barely curls anymore.
Yea I'm losing my hair little by little because thyroid problems my unbalanced hormones
Thyroid problems is the biggest problem in the usa 🇺🇸
The thyroid problems most of the time are caused by iodine deficiency. You should try to take 200mg iodine a day. Iodine deficiency also causes hairloss
I love your videos and you're one of the very few channels that does a scientific research as opposed to ad hocs and myths. Just a cheerful feedback that you're videos are too long and sometimes I just skip watching them because it takes my version of forever to finish them. :) xo
Thank you! Yeah, it's a lot to cram in when it comes to scientific or instructional style videos. I find that if I shorten them I will be cutting out information and not covering everything. But totally understand! Fortunately this style of video can be watched more passively such as a podcast
20 minutes is not that long, I think you’re the one with the attention deficit problem.
@@GenaMarieyour videos aren’t too long, and I appreciate all the good information. ❤❤
There are a lot of detox and exfoliating stuff out there for hair and scalp health… I’m concerned about using any b/c of my sensitive skin but also worried about if they are abrasive
Covid vaccination can also cause hair loss for some people. My nurse practioner's receptionist told me that quite a few women in the clinic have experienced it. Would be similar to hair loss due to Covid.
Please show us how you style your hair without brushes
Hola
Medications can impact your nutrient levels too. 😢
Yes I have really bad vitamin D deficiency 🥲 My Dr sent in a script for a 1 time booster & it was $80 with ins 😩
Diet is so important in hair loss. Vitamin D and Iron deficiencies are both common in vegetarian and vegan diets so if that describes you, make sure you are eating foods with vitamin D, iron and getting out in the natural sunlight when possible!