Non Stop Hair Shedding....

[Spazey]

I am a 29 Y.O Healthy Female who has been expierencing gradual hair loss and breakage for a year now. I first started noticing a receading hairline (and temple area) due to breaking of the hairs, it would break to about 1/2 inch from my scalp. Now at the year mark, I am not only still expierencing severe hair breakage, but I am thinning all over as well. My scalp is becoming more visable and is NOT prominent in any specific area of the scalp (TE?). My nails have also been prone to snapping, in clean breaks. I have been cleared of Thyroid Problems, Lupus, DHT, Testostorone, All other Hormones, Auto-Immunes, Nutritional, Infections and PCOS. In April, my Ferritin was 17, it is now 40. The Dr's say if I have risen that much and my hair hasn't stopped, then its NOT an Iron deficiency. I wash my hair 2 times a week, in which I lose 200-300 hairs per day on those days. I do not brush, dye, blowdry or process my hair in any way, and use mild shampoos/conditioners as far as I know. I do not oull or twist my hair, or use any devices that could damage the hair shaft. I conduct regular pull tests, and they are 99% of the time negative. The hairs I lose, dont seem to be clubbed, but most do have TINY little white point to them, of all different lengths. Patterned Baldness does not run in my family at all. Last year I was on Ativan (Lorazepam) for 5 months daily, as of March of this year, I am on NO Prescription meds of any kind. I have always taken vitamins, and the occasional Advil. I am boggled as to what could be causing this, I am not stressed, relatively healthy - tired a lot, and its NOT slowing. I did move into a new place around the time this started...which was not stressful, but got me thinking about MOLD ? Hard water tests are negative. I would love to get the feedback of someone, and also some advice on what I should ask the next Dr I visit, and they have all given up on me. HAIR LOSS DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN FOR NO REASON. This is killing me !!!

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary.

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treatment thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.

Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-loss/DS00278

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for this and then decide the cause and further plan of management.

Let us know if you need any other information.

Regards.