Don't know what to do.

[Sofiamia123]

I am only 20 years old, and started losing hair when i started college, multiple factors have led to the fall out. Growing up, my hair was my crowning glory. The long thick wavy blonde hair women envied. Now... it's this scary thin hair that people assume i've had chemo treatments.
I have good days, and i have bad days. I want to say some of the "triggering" sheds are caused by these things in my life:

Vegetarian/vegan: I was one for almost 2 years. I began in high school... but i didn't start losing hair till around the 3rd month of college. I think it may have helped the process begin in some way.

Stress: As a beggining college student... i'd never imagined the stress i would be under. I'd never pulled an all nighter till college, and i'd never taken so much math/science. Staying up late and the burden of school weakened my immune system, and took my hair with it.

Birth Control: I started taking it a year after the hair loss began. I was on and off Nuva Ring, and i have to say, the majority of my hair loss was my freshman year of college, but birth control getting on and off caused me to have major hairloss.

Low iron: I don't get enough, and this apparently causes hair loss too. Great.

I've been to a dermatologist, and he just pushed me aside, and told me to use Rogaine claiming i was worrying about nothing... but, i swear i am not. I feel like i will be bald soon.

The weird thing is... i am an identical twin, and the exact same thing is happening to her right now too.

What should we do?

[Angela]

Where you immunized before entering college?

[Sofiamia123]

Nope...

I didn't know we'd need to be. Do you think it'd benefit us, even though we are going into our Junior year?

[Angela]

There are some vaccinations that can trigger hair loss, that's why I was asking.

[Sofiamia123]

We'll i don't think that could be it. We both did guardasil, but that was after when we already had the majority of our hair loss.

[kawawa]

I had identical twin nephews and they always experienced the exact same medical issues. I won't go into their story, but they have both passed on from identical testicular cancers.

There have been studies to show the genetic links for twins. It seems that you and your twin my have some sort of genes for the HL.

You may share the same allergies that cause it.

I am 44 an just recently found out that allergies may be the cause of a few of my lingering issues.

Have you thought about see a genetic doc and an allergy doc?

[Sofiamia123]

No, we haven't seen them. Just a dermatologist who thought we were "over reacting," which is really not the case. We both have lost the majority of our hair at the same time. She lost a bit more when she got of birth control, but then i did a few months later and i lost about the same as her.

I guess we could see a genetic doctor if it helps, anything to stop this!

Thanks for the advice!