** note, I will include important health info, not just hair care
Having experienced thinning hair, I know this occurs for many reasons, from hormones (endocrine system), stress, nutritional imbalances, autoimmune disorders, and medications. Since I don’t have experience with medication related hair loss, I urge you to please work with a specialist for this. I will discuss the other issues. In my case, depleted hormones (both thyroid and estrogen) caused my trouble. I will share what helped me and most importantly, what helped me tend to the health problems that caused hair loss.
As we age, our female hormones (the estrogens and progesterone) deplete and weaken the hair follicles. This causes hair to fall out too quickly. One surprising way to help is simply mechanics: hold the hair from the top to avoid pulling hard on the hair. We can literally pull hair out of our heads more easily once ANY issue impacts our hair (any of the causes I mentioned in my first paragraph). The follicles are not as strong now. Imagine holding a rope and someone pulls it out of your hand. You could yank your hair from its follicle. But when you brush, hold your hair as close to the roots as you can, and gently brush, beginning from the very tips of your hair. Slowly work your way up, gently disentangling the hair.
Once the hair has no more tangles, you can brush without holding the hair, as long as you have a hair brush that does not pull too hard. I have a very gentle “Wet Brush,” first link is Ebay, 2nd is Walmart
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=wet+brush
Only the Wet Brush (brand name) is gentle enough for my hair, and not the knock offs that are similar. You may find other brushes work for you, but this one has been a winner for me, because I have fine, curly, easily tangled hair. While I do find hair in my brush, I see far less than when I did not use this brush.
Organic castor oil encourages hair to re-grow.
The first link is for Walmart, second link is Ebay for this oil:
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=organic+castor+oil
But this is very thick and hard to apply to the back of the scalp. It is so easy to begin at the forehead and rub castor oil into the front of my hair.
I discovered a simple trick to get the oil in the back. I mix up very hot water and only a little castor oil in an empty dropper bottle. Even though the castor oil comes in a dropper bottle, don’t mix your whole bottle with water. Use a separate dropper bottle. Here are links to Ebay and then Walmart for small dropper bottles.
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=small+dropper+bottle
If you have an old, empty dropper from some other use, just clean it out and use it for free or else buy one at the links I have included. I shake it vigorously and then carefully push the dropper right against my scalp. Then I squeeze the oil/water mixture so it goes right to my scalp (and not all over my hair.)
I have a great recipe for hair treatment that I use 6 days per week (recipe at end of this post). I only use castor oil on the 3 nights per week before I will wash my hair. I don’t go anywhere that morning, so I can have slightly greasy hair. If you have a large empty, dropper bottle, just wash it out and use it for free. Otherwise use the link I provide below this and buy a large one from either Walmart or Ebay.
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=large+dropper+bottle
You won’t have to mix up the recipe as often if you use a larger bottle. If you get a smaller bottle, you divide the recipe. Always store this treatment in the refrigerator. I only apply the treatment to the top, temple area and the back of my head, because that’s where my hair is thinner. I used to only apply the castor oil and this treatment to the top and temples, but my daughter, Amy, was brushing my hair (sometimes she has fun doing hair styles on the rest of the family), and she noticed that area was thinning. She told her dad his hair is thin in this area too, so maybe this area is universally thinner on mature adults. Only treat areas where your hair needs it.
Let’s address another underlying cause of the thinning hair, low female hormones. I discussed how I managed my sagging female hormones in my article called “Menopause Relief.” So be sure to read that post to see how I addressed that cause, because once I improved my female hormones I did see improvement in my hair too.
Thyroid is next. I take prescription medicine for this problem. I tried every natural option to heal my thyroid, but only prescription medicine works for me. Please work with a specialist if you suspect you suffer from hypothyroidism. Here are some common symptoms: you run cold; your hair and nails are brittle (and hair thins); you are eating the same (or even less) but gaining weight; you are more tired than normal. These are the most common symptoms.
For thyroid and other hormone issues (and autoimmune too), you need to see a doctor or a nurse practitioner who specializes in hormones (my NP knows far more than my general doctor about female hormones). As such, if you have an HMO and need a referral, don’t let your GP ask for just any specialist. Find out who you want your GP) to refer you to. Use your online insurance portal and look up all the doctors in the specialty you need, within your network. This will take time but will save you sorrow. Then look up reviews of each doctor. I have found Yelp very helpful in showing me how patients feel about their doctors. This has enabled me to find safe and reliable doctors. It is essential you do this, because there are doctors who are in a hurry and who do not listen to their patients.
I once met an endocrinologist who said I should never listen to my body. I had explained that I knew something was wrong, even before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. That arrogant doctor said I was wrong for listening to my body and should only listen to him and do whatever he said, even if it felt wrong. He said I was just lucky that I could tell something was wrong and that the blood test proved it to be true (hypothyroidism). This is dangerous. Know your body. When something feels wrong, insist on being treated; especially make sure they figure out what is truly wrong. Doctors who have ignored their patients have left them with cancer and other dangers that the doctor simply missed the first time he or she checked. Pray about everything to do with your health and let God guide you to the right and safe doctor. I think about the verse from Psalm 139: 13-14, “You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Some doctors don’t think this way!
Be very careful, because some general doctors (and even some bad endocrinologists) will only test your TSH, the thyroid stimulating hormone. Think of this body part like an oil rig, pumping in a field. It is your body’s working mechanism to try to produce thyroid. Notice I said “try to produce.” When doctors only test the TSH levels, they will say, “The levels show it is working, so you are fine.”
How much sense does it make to see an oil rig pumping and not check to see if the well ran dry? Your TSH can be working very hard but NOT producing enough of the hormones! So next you must also have your specialist test the free T4 and freeT3 levels. These are the actual hormones. First that TSH makes T4, and then your body converts the T4 to T3 so it can actually use it. Think of T4 like crude oil. You cannot put it into your car. You need it refined into gasoline. T4 is like crude oil (not actually similar, but for comparison) in relation to the T3. You must have enough T3, because that is what your body runs on, just like your car runs on gasoline, not crude oil pumped from the oil rig. There is a range for the T4 and T3 levels, and some specialists say that as long as you have a few of these, even if you have the lowest possible level, that is good enough. NO! Don’t let your specialist settle for the lowest possible levels of T4 and T3. You want your levels to get back up into the higher end of the range. As such, you may need more than the traditional medicine “Synthroid,” (generic name is Levothyroxine). You may also need Cytomel (generic name is Liothyronine). Together these two prescription medicines may get your thyroid back to working better, although there are also supplements that can help support our thyroid hormones. Just so this post is not too long, I will write a “part two” to this post, about the thyroid gland, and also other tests a gal can have to see why she is gaining weight, since some women have asked me about this. There are some surprising reasons a gal is gaining weight, due to deficiencies that can be corrected (yay!) Stay tuned for more info in the next post.
I will also cover more about the nutritional imbalances in that post, but I will discuss the most basic ones here. Biotin deficiency is less common, but this can cause thinning of hair, and since it is a B vitamin and the body eliminates it if you take too much, it is safe to supplement with it. But be aware, you must stop taking biotin at least 4 days prior to a blood draw for thyroid, because this can cause the test to show a good level of thyroid hormones when you are actually deficient.
A deficiency of any of the vitamins (a-k) or minerals (from iron to zinc and all others), can cause a loss of hair. Also if your diet is too harsh and you do not get enough protein, fatty acids and antioxidants, your hair may thin. As such, rather than list all of these, a better idea is to look at your diet and see if it is balanced. Otherwise, supplementing with a multi vitamin with minerals may be a good idea, but please first consider working with a naturopathic nutritionist (not a dietician), and have blood drawn to test these. Then you know what you truly need. Since my hair thinned, due to my estrogen and thyroid hormones, I don’t have experience with nutritional deficiencies causing it.
This is also true of autoimmune issues. I have not suffered in this way, but I have friends who have suffered from autoimmune and then lost hair. One friend in particular was devastated by her hair loss. This is why I must urge you, please get a referral to see a good autoimmune doctor using the method I mentioned earlier in this post.
Especially for an autoimmune issue, look for a good doctor, because autoimmune issues are hard to diagnose. If you know something is wrong, don’t let anyone say you are crazy and should ignore your bad symptoms. You have lived in your body all these years and know when something is wrong. I cannot give you guidance in this area, except some basic aspects. One is that your autoimmune doctor may work with you for food allergies and sensitivities. Please listen if she finds something that harms you and make the changes you need. There are also support groups for people who suffer from this condition, because it can cause so much pain. I am sorry I don’t have more experience in this area, but wow do I have compassion (I have family members who suffer). Please know I believe you if you are suffering.
As for stress, I have discussed finding rest in the Lord in prior posts (Abiding in the Lord, part 3 Enjoying the Peace, Abiding in the Lord, part 2 Resisting the Blocks to Our Rest, Why Abiding in the Lord is Hard, Patience: Waiting on God is Hard) and I urge to re-read these posts. Keep praying and find good women friends who support and encourage you, because stress can cause so many other health issues, besides hair loss. See a Christian counselor if your fears and pain are too deep to keep to yourself. Be sure to rest too. We need to manage stress before we let our fears harm us.
OK, so this is has covered the basics about thinning hair and more importantly, your health! Thinning hair is a sign of something that is going wrong on the inside of our bodies. Our bodies are God’s temple, and we have every right to gently care for them. Never feel guilty about caring for it and for caring about your thinning hair. Our world says a woman’s hair is her glory, and while our hair may not be model perfect, we have a right to do our best and also to take care of our internal bodies. God loves us so much, and he wants to help nurture us. I agree with 1 Corinthians 3:16 that says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” God’s spirit dwells in us, and I think he is the one who gives us strange warnings when we do not feel right (so we seek help). We are allowed to care for our bodies, because they house us as long as we are on earth.
I pray I have blessed you with this quirky post. We love you!
^^ Hair treatment recipe
About 8 oz. aloe vera juice (I prefer Lily brand and I provide a link to Walmart)
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=aloe+vera+juice
Any essential oils you prefer (least 4 drops, more if you like their smell): (I am including links to Walmart and ebay oils)
https://www.walmart.com/search?q=essential+oils
Rosemary
Peppermint
Spikenard
Cedar wood
Clary sage
Lavender
Chamomile
Thyme (caution—this one is very strong smelling so I no longer use it)
Lemongrass
Extra options: a few drops of grapeseed oil and jojoba oil
Debbie…..you are fearless! You are so precious with this post. I love it. May i offer another idea with less mess and complexity? I have just discovered the Stem Cell Patches from Lifewave and now use them for a broad spectrum which all comes from the lack of
GHK cu.Copper Peptide is needed for stem cells to build and rebuild collagen in the body. I discovered them seeking an answer for pain in my knees. Would you like me to email you some links to look at? We all lose this peptide starting at age 30. By my age really depleted. No wonder my hair is not like in the early days! Soon it will be! Sending prayers for you. Love, Dianne