This is too funny as I just asked this question the other day. I'm only 28 and with all the hair loss I'm having a lot is coming back gray.. its terrible. I was wanting to dye it but worried about it causing more of the scarce amount of hair I have left to fall out. Maybe I will get it done afterall.
disregard this last...long post. I was combining to paste into a new post and hit the post button instead. So Sorry
Suzie
I was asked to repost this so that many of you can hopefully benefits from this.
Craniac3 asked this question:
My hair has been falling out for a few months now. I think (hope) I am getting stabilized on Synthroid (88 mcg). My gray roots are starting to show, so it's about time for a dye job, but I'm petrified to do anything to further aggravate the hair loss situation. On the other hand, it's crummy enough to feel lousy without having to look hideous, too... I hate to sound so vain and shallow when some of you are dealing with thyroid cancer and much more serious issues, but who knows these things better than you folks??!!
I am a cosmetology student about to finish and take my state boards by the end of the year. Without seeing or touching your hair I can only speculate but here goes...I have been diagnosed with hashimoto's thyroiditis and am 5 weeks post op. I am currently on 175mcg of Synthroid. I had lost a lot of hair prior to surgery and after surgery I lost quite a bit more...usually this is due to anesthesia. I will say that I have a lot of gray but I have never stopped coloring my hair. With that being said...I would have a professional do it, if it is too expensive you can go to a beauty school and get it at a reduced cost...yes it will be done by a student but will be supervised by a licensed instructor with a Cosmetology license as well. You have to be careful what type of color you use, I would probably go with a permanent haircolor on your regrowth and a demi-permanent (which is milder on your hair and is what I use). I would be careful about using a color that lightens or extremely blond highlights all over your hair but I found that just putting honey colored highlights on the top area of my head kept the gray from showing longer...kinda like it blended in with the gray as it grew out and buys you time in between color services. You can probably see from my pic when you cursor my screen name that I was blond...I am now a brunette of medium shade and highlights on top. At this time I can truly say that I do not ever plan on giving up my haircolor!!!
Another thing...any type of medication or vitamins that you take affect the way a haircolor service will process. This just means that when you go to get it done you need to tell them if you are on thyroid, diabetes, heart or high blood pressure medications. Anything you take orally into your body shows up in your hair. I would suggest a mild shampoo and some really good conditioning treatments. I prefer Paul Mitchell or Matrix Biolage reconstructive treatments but others like Nioxin to help stimulate the hair follicles for hair growth...I have used this and so has my mother. We both liked the product but when you stop using it the benefits don't continue. Not that you lose hair again but it just doesn't feel as good.
And don't worry ....it is not vain or shallow to worry about losing your hair under any circumstances.
Another thing...They now have touch up kits that slightly color your hair temporarily. When my hair was darker I even took Brown mascara and colored in around my hairline. It can get messy but after blow drying and spraying with hairspray I wore it out to a fancy dinner and it worked. I wasn't uncomfortable or paranoid about people seeing it. It blended very well.
My husband and I feel very strongly about this so we are opening our own Salon & Spa in our home town sometime next spring or summer. He is in massage therapy school. The one thing that really bothers me is that the 3pk of Nioxin is sold at some salons and even the school I attend for about $35 but we get it for $17.50. I think this is awful. I understand people wanting to make money but the people who need these products are those going through various types of illnesses from mild to severe and I feel it is taking advantage of someone when they are down. If any of you can't get it for the lower price I would be glad to get it and mail it to you at home or for safety reasons...a PO box.
I love to answer these questions...about hair and skin. It kinda tests me on what I know and need to know better. I have also been through most of these same problems and through working with my instructor we have used me as a guinea pig on a lot of products. I was the model for a $100 facial lift product...but found that my mix of distilled water, witch hazel and vitamin E oil worked much better. Of course with the facial lift you get the massage and cleansing too but you don't get any longer term benefits than with other products. I am a strong believer that people can mix up a lot of their own beauty products at home. I swear by Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter, Vitamin E oil and glycerin for my scrubs, lip balms and creams for stretch marks.
As another tidbit...that you might like to know if you have little school age kids or are around them alot did you know that in preventing head lice...lice hate Tea Tree Oil...You can wash your hair with Tea Tree Shampoo. I bought a bottle for my sons teacher last year because she was always so hands on...or should I say head to head with the kids. My little boy, husband and daughter(that worked at a daycare) all used it and never had a problem. My son's teacher said she never had a incident with lice and also recommended it to several parents in the class. Paul Mitchell probably has the best product and really gives your head a good tingle but the tea tree shampoo you buy at Sally's Beauty Supply has the same amount of tea tree oil but doesn't have the tingle.
I recommend chloestral conditioning treatments...it is about $5 for a large pot and mine has lasted about 6 to 8 months. This also can be bought at Sallys or any other public beauty supply.
Hope this helps everyone and sorry it was so long. I combined a few entries into one.
Suzie
If you guys think it will benefit everyone I will repost this but I wanted to add something. They now have touch up kits that slightly color your hair temporarily. When my hair was darker I even took Brown mascara and colored in around my hairline. It can get messy but after blow drying and spraying with hairspray I wore it out to a fancy dinner and it worked. I wasn't uncomfortable or paranoid about people seeing it. It blended very well.
My husband and I feel very strongly about this so we are opening our own Salon & Spa in our home town sometime next spring or summer. He is in massage therapy school. The one thing that really bothers me is that the 3pk of Nioxin is sold at some salons and even the school I attend for about $35 but we get it for $17.50. I think this is awful. I understand people wanting to make money but the people who need these products are those going through various types of illnesses from mild to severe and I feel it is taking advantage of someone when they are down. If any of you can't get it for the lower price I would be glad to get it and mail it to you at home or for safety reasons...a PO box.
I love to answer these questions...about hair and skin. It kinda tests me on what I know and need to know better. I have also been through most of these same problems and through working with my instructor we have used me as a guinea pig on a lot of products. I was the model for a $100 facial lift product...but found that my mix of distilled water, witch hazel and vitamin E oil worked much better. Of course with the facial lift you get the massage and cleansing too but you don't get any longer term benefits than with other products. I am a strong believer that people can mix up a lot of their own beauty products at home. I swear by Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter, Vitamin E oil and glycerin for my scrubs, lip balms and creams for stretch marks.
As another tidbit...that you might like to know if you have little school age kids or are around them alot did you know that in preventing head lice...lice hate Tea Tree Oil...You can wash your hair with Tea Tree Shampoo. I bought a bottle for my sons teacher last year because she was always so hands on...or should I say head to head with the kids. My little boy, husband and daughter(that worked at a daycare) all used it and never had a problem. My son's teacher said she never had a incident with lice and also recommended it to several parents in the class. Paul Mitchell probably has the best product and really gives your head a good tingle but the tea tree shampoo you buy at Sally's Beauty Supply has the same amount of tea tree oil but doesn't have the tingle.
OOOPS! I am rambling again!
Hope this helps.
Suzie
No. The combo pack is the shampoo/conditioner/treatment pack. Probably not really called that, I just call it that. =) The pills are separate. I have taken a hair supplement from California Naturals called HAIR, imagine that, that I actually think works better than the Nioxin pills, though and are MUCH cheaper, so think I'll go back to them.
Don't you love that tingle, though? My mom used it and always said it burned her a little instead of just tingling. Despite that she loved it, too.
Thanks for the info. I have been using Nioxin and I love the tingling sensation. I do have my hair colored professionally, but since just simple washing drops a handful or two of hair, I couldn't fathom what coloring might do. I have short naturally curly hair, so I can kind of maneuver it so it doesn't look too awful except my scalp is so WHITE it shows through! Even Rogaine stops working once you stop using it. I think the only long-term help is to get on the right dose of meds and maybe take some biotin and multivitamins to get it going from the inside. However, that takes time, and I will admit patience is NOT one of my virtues...
I don't understand what pills/combo pack you're referring to--are you talking about taking Nioxin internally??
I think you should post this just in general for all of us suffering from hair loss and such going through this long process. My mom was a beautician many yrs ago and one of my s-i-l is currently, but I never knew any of this.
Actually, I did know about Nioxin. I LOVE it!!! It makes my hair feel so incredible and when I was using it almost completely stopped any hair loss. Unfortunately it is too expensive for me to use all the time, b/c I really would if I could. There is not a cheaper alternative that works like that is there?
I am currently taking the pills, b/c they were more economical, but they do not have nearly the benefits that the combo pack has.
Now that you've posted this much info you know of course that you will be getting all kinds of hair questions, don't you? ;)
Dac
I am a cosmetology student about to finish and take my state boards by the end of the year. Without seeing or touching your hair I can only speculate but here goes...I have been diagnosed with hashimoto's thyroiditis and am 5 weeks post op. I am currently on 175mcg of Synthroid. I had lost a lot of hair prior to surgery and after surgery I lost quite a bit more...usually this is due to anesthesia. I will say that I have a lot of gray but I have never stopped coloring my hair. With that being said...I would have a professional do it, if it is too expensive you can go to a beauty school and get it at a reduced cost...yes it will be done by a student but will be supervised by a licensed instructor with a Cosmetology license as well. You have to be careful what type of color you use, I would probably go with a permanent haircolor on your regrowth and a demi-permanent (which is milder on your hair and is what I use). I would be careful about using a color that lightens or extremely blond highlights all over your hair but I found that just putting honey colored highlights on the top area of my head kept the gray from showing longer...kinda like it blended in with the gray as it grew out and buys you time in between color services. You can probably see from my pic when you cursor my screen name that I was blond...I am now a brunette of medium shade and highlights on top. At this time I can truly say that I do not ever plan on giving up my haircolor!!!
Another thing...any type of medication or vitamins that you take affect the way a haircolor service will process. This just means that when you go to get it done you need to tell them if you are on thyroid, diabetes, heart or high blood pressure medications. Anything you take orally into your body shows up in your hair. I would suggest a mild shampoo and some really good conditioning treatments. I prefer Paul Mitchell or Matrix Biolage reconstructive treatments but others like Nioxin to help stimulate the hair follicles for hair growth...I have used this and so has my mother. We both liked the product but when you stop using it the benefits don't continue. Not that you lose hair again but it just doesn't feel as good.
And don't worry ....it is not vain or shallow to worry about losing your hair under any circumstances.
Hope this helps
Suzie