Girls Got to Lose Her Head Once
Betwixt periods, the menopause and, well, so many other subjects, sometimes it seems as if there'due south an countless listing of chat topics that are deemed just too uncouth for us women to talk nigh openly - female hair loss included.
But, as with every 'taboo' topic, a conversation about the reality of suffering from female hair loss is manner overdue.
The question is: Why should a status that affects a massive percentage of men, exist so taboo for women? And, like anything, just how much worse is it when y'all feel completely alone with information technology?
It's time to speak out.
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After an uncomfortable altercation at this year's Oscars between Volition Smith and Chris Rock where the comedian referenced Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, the world's focus has moved to Pinkett Smith's ain experience of hair loss as a consequence of baldness.
The latest glory to open up most how alopecia has affected her life, in recent years Pinkett Smith has turned to social media to share her diagnosis with the condition. 'It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear,' Pinkett Smith said on an episode of her conversation evidence 'Cerise Tabular array Talk'. 'That's why I cutting my hair and continued to cut it.'
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Actor Kristin Davis aka SATC's Charlotte, has also publicly discussed her ain struggles with thinning hair, proverb to WWD:
'Information technology was very fine, like it had gone away, there was just hardly any hair there… when I tried to do something or had to go somewhere I was like, "Where is my hair?"'
With NHS figures suggesting that around half of women over the age of 65 will experience female pattern hair loss, not to mention a whole plethora of other forms of hair loss affecting women everywhere, surely it'southward time to shake that taboo off once and for all and become talking.
But why is our hair falling out? Nosotros turned to the pros...
What Causes Female Pilus Loss?
'At that place are several possible factors that may result in hair loss for women and not all are hands managed,' says Head of Inquiry and Development at Leonor Greyl, David Brooks.
one.Genetics
'Genetics and or intense emotional or physical stress can be very difficult to manage. In the case of 'Bad Genetics' you volition probably become your best results from using something over the counter such equally minoxidil (a medication used for the treatment of male-pattern hair loss).
'Unfortunately when you finish using minoxidil it'southward possible that you can more likely experience even worse hair loss than before you began using it,' explains Brooks.
2. Diet
'Other causes of female person hair loss may be nutritional deficiencies or using sure medications. These tin easily be remedied past correcting your diet or stopping the use of medications (consult your doc before stopping).'
iii. Over-Processing And Styling Hair
'Over processing your pilus, dandruff and scalp psoriasis and wearing too-tight hairstyles is also ofttimes something that is really disregarded. The obvious solution is to stop! Yous're simply pulling at the roots and thus weakening them over fourth dimension. The hair volition merely fall out and non grow back.'
iv. Childbirth And Menopause
'Childbirth and menopause are another possible crusade of female hair loss,' says Brooks. 'The rapid rise and fall in hormone levels can be very hard to manage on many levels.'
Can Coronavirus cause hair loss?
Although non officially listed as a symptom of Coronavirus, a moving ridge of women have come forwards with claims of hair loss as a effect of having the virus.
'Patients who have suffered prolonged and heavy onset of coronavirus nigh 2-iv months prior are now reporting severe hair loss,' says hair loss and growth expert Laura Sagen.
'Hair loss is non on the list of the official symptoms, so at offset it'south easy to go alarmed around potentially one more symptom to start looking out for. Notably, it occurs after the onset of the disease rather than prior. This tin can be a result of astringent stress that patients who suffered a severe or prolonged form of coronavirus, otherwise known every bit telogen effluvium – stress-related hair loss.'
With more and more women experiencing dramatic hair loss on peak of other symptoms it seems to exist more than than mere coincidence.
Only, as any women that have suffered from hair loss themselves could tell you, the sterile medical explanation of hair loss rarely correlates to the human experience of being a woman that's losing their hair.
Nosotros spoke to six women most their personal experiences and how they're giving female pilus loss the finger, one mean solar day at a time...
Jenny Pitt - Hair Loss As A Side Event Of Coronavirus
It was mid-March when I was admitted to Kingston Hospital with Coronavirus. I'd been really sick for two weeks with a loftier temperature and awful gastric pains merely information technology had been getting worse and worse. Somewhen, I was taken to A&E and put on oxygen for four days.
Once I left hospital, I idea information technology was all over. Merely, suddenly, I started to experience a bit rough again. I was breathless and my scalp began to burn and feel painful to the impact. I was washing my hair everyday as usual and as I combed it I started to find that information technology but would not stop falling out. There were handfuls of information technology in the shower all effectually my feet. I simply thought, 'Oh my god'.
I hoped it was possibly a one off experience. I'd had so many bad things happen to me in the weeks earlier that I just idea I'd get on with it and not worry. Merely it connected to happen. Everyday for a month whenever I would comb or brush my hair it would autumn out and encompass my chamber floor. It merely kept shedding.
It got to the bespeak where my scalp was and then sore it was too painful to even prevarication my caput on my pillow. Before I had Coronavirus my pilus was my pride and joy. I'd get a half head of highlights done every eight weeks and get blowdries before a big dark out. I'one thousand a mum and then information technology was my way of looking after myself. Feeling it falling out and seeing it expect so thin around my hairline was then lamentable. I just couldn't believe how much was falling out. I'd been and so lucky to avoid going to intensive care so to experience like I was ill all over again eight weeks later was horrible. I had this atrocious fear that it wasn't going to stop and I would have to wear wigs. I idea I was going bald.
I felt then unwell and my hair loss had go and then dramatic that I started panicking that I still had Coronavirus. I decided to go to the doctors. I idea that the physical stress of being ill might have atomic number 82 to baldness but my GP examined my scalp and without whatever baldheaded patches he concluded that wasn't the instance. 'I recall this is Covid', he said. He told me that the high temperature I'd had for so long equally a result of Coronavirus had acquired my hair to fall out.
Then, as quickly as it started, four weeks subsequently it stopped. I'd had a calendar month of wondering if it would ever cease, clumps of hair falling out, fugitive brushing or annihilation that might make it worse and suddenly it just stopped. It looked so straggly and sparse - I knew I had to cut information technology. Any sort of pilus dyeing was fully off the cards but I thought a expert haircut might at least take the weight out of information technology. My hairdresser cut it to my shoulders - chopping off the dead pilus felt so cathartic.
Now information technology'due south started to grow back in tufts that are grey and mousey chocolate-brown. Before I would accept been horrified to have gray tufts of pilus sticking upwards but now I'g just so excited that it's growing dorsum I'thou showing them off. The relief that I'm non going bald and I tin can come across that my pilus is recovering is positive enough for me.
Gina Knight - Telogen Effluvium Brought On By Post Natal Depression
After I had my first baby, I started getting post-partum pilus shedding, which is totally normal. When yous're pregnant you retain all your hair and it'south shiny and thick and lovely, and and so one time you give nascency it starts to shed. It can seem quite extreme considering you haven't been shedding your hair naturally over fourth dimension like you would when you're not pregnant, simply it'due south totally normal.
I was expecting the shedding, simply after three to four months, the pilus loss was becoming really concentrated in sure areas. The crown of my caput and the sides of my pilus had fallen out and it was very noticeable and when I went to the doctors, they assumed that because I'd had a baby that it was just the usual shedding.
I saw three or iv doctors because I wasn't happy with their diagnosis. Considering I'thou black, doctors assumed my hair was falling out considering of bad pilus practices like wearing tight braids or a weave which couldn't have been more than off the mark. At the time I was a hair blogger and actually into holistic hair treatments, not to mention I'd never had braids or a weave.
After that, doctors tried to diagnose me with almost annihilation, including a fungal infection! They prescribed me topical creams that didn't work, and the next phase was to exam a patch of my hair. I already felt self conscious about the patches of hair I was missing, I didn't want to give upwards some other clamper.
Instead, I did loads of research and decided to cut out whatever hair styling products and simply waterwashed (where you simply rinse your hair nether h2o) for half dozen months. I knew then, that if my pilus kept on falling out that information technology was considering of something happening internally, non because of a production I was applying externally.
It took almost a year before I was properly diagnosed with stress-related alopecia every bit part of my post-natal depression and PTSD. Information technology turned out that my body'due south way of dealing with it was to reject my pilus.
I had a new baby to look after and knowing my hair was falling out just added to the stress. There was a point where my mail service-natal low got so bad that the md wanted to prescribe me anti-depressants. Simply every bit much as the hair loss was bringing me downwards, as a new mum I just didn't want to feel out of information technology. A lot of people cull to accept medication and that's totally their selection, but for me I didn't want to be in a haze at such an early stage of my child'southward life, or ever really.
After the diagnosis people kept saying 'Why don't you merely shave your head?', because I'd done that previously. But, there's a big departure between choosing to shave your pilus, and having to shave your hair. You feel so out of control.
Instead, I started playing around with wigs. Having been known equally a hair blogger with big hair, losing it knocked my confidence. I'grand an improvident person and I still wanted to be fabulous without dissentious my hair even farther.
At the time most wigs used eurocentric textures or looked so false, so I started making my own instead. Likewise every bit wearing and creating wigs for other women who suffer from hair loss, I also practice a lot of meditation to help deal with my anxieties. They haven't disappeared totally, they never actually do, but the way I deal with them now is a lot clearer.
I've simply had my second baby and the pilus loss is ever in the back of my mind. The shedding has started once more and the areas that lost more pilus before are still much thinner. People often recollect that hair loss is something you can put a cream on and you'll be cured but a lot of the time that's not the case. Sometimes, you lot just have to face up that it's never going to grow back and deal with that.
Juliet Cooke - Hair Loss Caused Past Alopecia
Nine months ago, whilst blow drying my hair, I noticed a small circular bald patch on my left temple. I had no idea what information technology was and instantly called the doctors surgery hoping to book an date. I was told over the telephone that it sounded like I had something chosen Alopecia and the doctor couldn't encounter me for a few weeks, but there's no cure, then I wasn't an urgent example compared to others.
The offset thing I did was get on the internet to see what this mysterious thing called Alopecia was, having no existent idea myself. The internet was covered with photos of bald people and those destructive words printed everywhere, no cure...
The panic I felt in that moment was and then overwhelming and actually indescribable. The thoughts rushing through my head wouldn't terminate… "What if I lose all my hair?" "Who volition ever want to await at me?" "How volition I expect at myself?" It went on and on.
Over the months to follow, I lost hair every day, whether it was in the shower coming out in handfuls or waking up with information technology all over my pillow. My parents and I tried everything to stop it, injections, steroid creams, immunologists, trichologists, dermatologists… a never ending stream of appointments which always resulted with the same answer -I had Alopecia, no ane knew why, what it was from or how I could stop it.
There was simply one thing to do in my mind and that was to go on a smile on my face up and pretend it wasn't happening. Putting on a forepart is ane of the easiest things to practise, I had done plenty of times in the by so why not now. Unfortunately at that place's only then much you tin mask before the emotion comes pouring out at the seams, and information technology did.
The twenty-four hours I started to lose my eyebrows was the day I lost all promise. I hit rock bottom. I couldn't get upward in the mornings or prove my face in public. It wasn't that I was crying every day, because I honestly didn't have the energy or fifty-fifty care enough to do that. I simply felt totally flat. I couldn't run into a manner out of the large black hole and I'm not sure at that moment in time if I actually cared enough well-nigh myself to even try. Alopecia is not only a concrete condition but it massively affects your mental state too. Depression is another thing people rarely speak about, but it's finally getting the media attention it so greatly deserves.
One twenty-four hour period, about two months ago, I fabricated the decision to turn my life around and become myself back on runway. I was sitting at my family'due south holiday cottage in Strangford and the sun was glimmering on the lough and in through the window and it felt similar for the kickoff time I had energy and even a little hope. I decided information technology was time to share my journey with anybody so I didn't have to hide anymore.
I sat downwards, switched on my iPad and started to talk, explaining to people what I had personally been going through, what Alopecia was, showing them my hidden bald patches, and so sang a song as music had helped me through the toughest of times. I posted it on Facebook before really thinking. I had never been a public person, just for some reason, there was no doubt in my mind that my deed of self-help had to be done in a very public way. We are all different, and this was my mode of dealing with it.
I finally found the courage to beat out Baldness to the punch and I shaved my head, taking dorsum the control the status had stolen away from me. They say stress causes Alopecia, just let's exist honest losing your hair causes stress and there'southward only ane fashion to cease that cycle.
Emily May Armstrong - Pilus Loss Acquired By Trichotillomania
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I'm Emily, a 24 twelvemonth old PhD student living in Glasgow studying institute science and I've been living with Trich for 15 years.
Trichotillomania is a compulsive torso-focused-repetitive-disorder, a sub-type of OCD. It's characterised by a compulsion to pull, or remove hair; about usually from the head, simply information technology tin can likewise involve eyelashes, eyebrows, or pubic pilus.
I was showtime diagnosed with Trich when I was nine years old, when I suddenly lost all the hair from my caput. I'm 24 now, and although information technology gets worse in peaks and troughs, you're never really free from the urge. Or, you lot merely selection up bad habits, similar smoking, to get through it.
Trich is nether-researched in the Great britain, with the NHS pretty pushed for resource to endeavor and treat information technology. I was referred to CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) when I was 10, which but made me more than broken-hearted and depressed. Trying to identify Trich-triggers is incredibly difficult; they can be emotional, physical, situational and differ vastly between individuals. For me, currently information technology's mostly when I come upward against confusing stuff in my PhD enquiry; feet and stress also induce it.
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Trich is generally considered untreatable; there's not plenty research into the mental, or neurophysiological mechanisms of action to really underpin the crusade. I suspect it works in a similar mode to whatsoever other habit; a stimulus similar a small amount of pain induces a dopamine response, a pleasurable feeling. Later on a while, your physiological urge for the dopamine striking overpowers your reasoning to stop.
The most isolating function of Trich is trying as hard every bit you tin can to stop, you don't want to do it, simply you just tin can't. It'd be similar request an alcoholic to quit drinking, if they had wine bottles attached to their hands 24/7. It feels impossible sometimes.
I'm in a crude patch with Trich at the moment; missing near one-half of my hair. Luckily I've 'trained' myself to go for less noticeable areas, pregnant for the almost part you tin't tell from most angles, or unless y'all're really looking.
Information technology's a massive self-esteem destroyer, I know I'm guilty of isolating myself from friends when I'1000 feeling especially vulnerable, turning downwardly nights out and otherwise enjoyable social events. It'south a cruel cycle, you experience depressed, you lot lose your pilus. Y'all've lost your hair, and then you feel depressed. I've been suicidal over it earlier, no doubt about that.
I've never worn a wig, the remaining hair I do accept is thick and really curly so it tends to hide things for me. I feel if information technology significantly progressed and I couldn't control it any more than, then I almost definitely would. The high quality ones are very expensive though, which is a barrier for a lot of sufferers. I'm because shaving my pilus at the moment; but I know it'd be impossible for me not to pull the re-growth entirely.
Women'due south pilus loss is all the same so taboo considering the socio-economic system we exist under puts unwarranted and unnecessary 'value' on physical appearance and social status, regardless of gender. Until nosotros tin liberate ourselves from this patriarchal and repressive system profiting from our insecurity, it will e'er exist a taboo to stand up out from 'the normal', which contributes to a lot of mental health problems across the lath.
I'm trying to embrace my differences; I've got a long manner to go.
Hannah Robinson - Pilus Loss As A Result Of Polycistic Ovary Syndrome
I started to lose my pilus when I was virtually 13 years old.
I didn't notice at starting time as it was a gradual thinning, but one time I realised I was losing my thick, red-gilded hair, it was devastating. I had always taken my hair for granted, and had received compliments my whole life for information technology. Suddenly I was a teenager with hair loss, which makes an already difficult catamenia of life even harder.
I plant out I take PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome) coupled with insulin resistance, which were the causes of the pilus loss. This was over 12 years agone and unfortunately for me non much was known nigh the condition, which affects and so many women. All the GPs and specialists I saw were middle aged men, who were dismissive and often clueless virtually what was going on. I was told there was really not much to be done, and put on the pill which was supposed to rest things out. At one point I was fifty-fifty told not to worry over something as trivial as hair loss.
It was difficult going through my teenage years with very thin hair. I never had any bald spots but at times it was and so thin you could encounter my scalp easily, and if I wore my pilus loose it looked like only a few wispy strands.
Nobody seems to empathise how it makes y'all feel, what a negative impact it has on your self-esteem and confidence. When somebody has 'a bad pilus day' they mean the whole day is a bad 24-hour interval - that's how information technology feels everyday every bit somebody with hair loss. All my friends would be styling their hair and dressing up for nights out and I would be panicking most how to make myself not look similar I was balding.
Thick pilus is a sign of youth, health and vitality - it's something everyone strives for. We're bombarded with adverts for hair thickening products, so to have such thin hair, you feel unattractive, unhealthy, and abnormal, especially when all your friends have thick hair.
Thick pilus and femininity are intrinsically linked. Cut your pilus off or shaving your head as a women is seen as a rebellious, daring move, or plain crazy (remember Britney'due south meltdown?). But think of all the attractive male person celebrities with bald or shaved heads. Thinning hair is seen as a masculine trait, so when a woman suffers from information technology, it can make you feel less of a adult female.
I personally love short hair on women, I cut my ain hair very short a couple of times. But it's hard to shake off that feeling that somehow you've failed as a woman, because y'all don't take luscious flowing locks. The corporeality of times I've had guys ask me if I was a lesbian when I had short hair just illustrates the fact that we alive in a world where people guess even your sexuality by what your hair looks like!
My hair has go slightly thicker in recent years due to trying out some other medications, and I have recently started using Regaine foam for women. I've had to come up to terms with the fact I will never have thick hair, merely it still gets me downward now and then, specially when I go through periods of stress and it thins again. I plant that about vi months after I was hospitalised whilst travelling in Africa, and after the 2022 earthquake in Nepal (I was a volunteer there at the time) my hair of a sudden thinned again, which is apparently common after traumatic events.
Your hair is such a part of your identity that it's difficult not to be afflicted negatively by losing information technology. Mine also changed colour equally information technology thinned and then I'thousand no longer the red-head I once was. It's good to know that it's beingness talked virtually more now, and hopefully the stigma around beingness a woman with pilus loss will gradually disappear.
Julia Esgate Christmas - Alopecia Brought On Past Genetically Inherited Auto Immune Illness
I beginning noticed a patch of hair missing when I was doing a ski flavour in France, aged nineteen and living away from my parents for the first time.
I was drying my pilus and I felt it. After pretending to exist fine with information technology I cried a lot that night when I went to bed. I went to the resort doctor the adjacent day and he informed me it was due to stress and not looking after myself properly. He was right, I was working every day and out having fun about nights. He informed me there was nothing I could do about it but wait for it to grow dorsum and to look after myself and my diet.
I was gutted, every bit my hair has ever been my safety blanket. Luckily I could cover it up with the residue of my hair, however I was constantly paranoid that someone would exist able to see it – especially when I tied my hair up.
Eventually it grew dorsum, and the new hair was super curly and soft when the balance of my hair is simply a little wavy. Later on thinking this was it, it struck again in my first year of University aged 22 on the opposite side of my head. I didn't notice this until one of my colleagues at my weekend job asked, very tactfully, if I'd noticed.
The patch got larger and I went to the doctor once more, who informed me that because I have a family unit history of auto immune disease (my mother has rheumatoid arthritis) this may have affected my hair loss. Over again, there was cypher to exist washed except take care of myself and wait for it to grow back. Again, I was so self-conscious of it beingness seen by other people. It's still growing dorsum now and I have to straighten the roll down.
Hair loss is not spoken near enough; information technology'due south causeless that information technology doesn't happen to immature people. I've tried to speak as openly as possible about it with my friends and others to erase the stigma surrounding alopecia areata as it tin happen to anyone.
A few of my friends have rung me to tell me that information technology'south happened to them and they knew I'd suffered then they'd enquire for tips and the just advice I can give is; accept care of yourself as much as possible, talk to people nigh how information technology's affecting you and never brush your hair when information technology'southward wet!
You're not the first and you won't be the last!
Source: https://www.elle.com/uk/beauty/hair/longform/a36858/female-hair-loss/
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