Sudden hair loss, HBC the culprit?

[may-third.livejournal.com]

Ahhh! VPers! I have insanely thick hair and all of the sudden, seemingly out of no where, it's falling out all over the place! Every time I run my hands through my hair, brush it, or shower and wash it, at least 10 hairs seem to be coming out. In the shower it's worse. I had been off HBC for a while and had 4 or 5 fine, regular periods and didn't notice anything...But then I went back on it last month and ever since it seems like I'm shedding a profuse amount of hair. I read in a health magazine that losing 40 or so hairs a day or enough to fill up a shower drain is considered normal for the hair cycle, but this is abnormal for me and it's freaking me out. It might be the HBC, or the fact that I've been wearing my hear up in a bun/braid/ponytail a lot more lately. Have any of you had experiences with shedding a lot? I guess I just need some peace of mind, I've read online a few places that HBC can cause hair loss but I need to be reassured D: Also since starting my HBC again, my scalp has been itchy. The itchiness just started within these past 2 weeks or so...Hormones, WTF?! Is it most likely hormones? The fact that I haven't been getting enough iron lately? I dunno! It's really starting to weird me out though. My hair doesn't LOOK like it's thinning, it's not noticeable by any means when you just look at me...but I seem to be shedding so much. :( Any anecdotal info/suggestions about what I could do would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

As you've been on & off the same type of HBC, I would think this is unrelated. You mention wearing your hair up alot - wearing it up means that all the hairs that were loose and would ordinarily fall down throughout the day can't do so, meaning they only fall out in the shower, looking much more dramatic than usual.

As far as itching, has it been hot where you are? Any change in washing routine, products, etc?

If you're concerned, you can speak with your medical provider and ask for blood work to ensure you're not anemic and that your thyroid is normal, but again, this sounds very benign to me.

[biggestsmall.livejournal.com]

What HBC are you using (what kind of progestin is in the HBC?) When I was taking levonogesterel I had hair loss. It could have been just me, but I'm curious.

[moonmad.livejournal.com]

Hmm, while I'm not sure about the birth control angle, I notice that when I wear my hair up in a bun or braid, or even ponytail, I lose much more hair in the shower and when I brush it than when I wear it down. However, for me, this is because strands haven't had the opportunity to fall out gradually and less noticeably throughout the day as they'd been constrained. I'm fairly certain, however, that the amount of hair loss remains the same.

[brittyyyy.livejournal.com]

It could be your HBC. I recently switched back to a high dose pill, from a low dose because it was making my hair fall out. But also my friend who is a hairdresser said people go through 'shedding phases'. Mine is typically in the beginning of summer when it starts to get hot and it's been like that for a good 5-6 years. I'll shed probably 40-50 hairs a day for a week or two, and it seems like a lot.. But, now, 3 months later I'm starting to see a ton of 1" baby hairs (I keep my hair pretty short now, so they're not AS noticeable, but I tend to have a lot of fly-aways lol).

There's a ton of other factors though.. Like the wearing your hair up or in a bun, this could be causing breakage, or the pulling of the hairs while up could just me making a couple of extra fall out. Keeping your hair up could also be causing the itching.. Your scalp isn't able to breathe as much if you have your hair pulled against it, plus it's keeping oils and stuff trapped closer. If could also be the climate, a change in shampoos, etc.

[gummi711.livejournal.com]

I don't know too much about HBC, but it does sound almost completely attributed to the hairdo's you're sporting. When I had long/medium hair I used to use tons of hairs on my brushes and in the shower, at the slightest touch, just from wearing it in ponytails everyday. Now that it's shorter and I can't do that anymore, I lose hardly any at all.

That previously mentioned "shedding phase" also sounds pretty on the money. Hot climates could cause your body to lose some of that unnecessary heat trap. You lose most of your heat out of your head, you know. :) (Not a euphemism, I swear to God.)

[gummi711.livejournal.com]

*lose tons of hairs

[allinyerhead.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain! I lose clumps of hair at a time, but it looks like there are a lot more hairs when I am in the shower...I'm not even on birth control and I lose hairs like nutts :(