Jojo
09-05-2009, 07:56 AM
Hi, my story is a bit involved and complicated, so please bare with me :).
I recently turned 40 years old with a wonderful, thick head of hair (my hair dresser would always comment about how beautiful it was). 3 months ago while I was vacationing in Greece I noticed my hair to start to shed and needless to say it's just gotten worse until now. I've lost about 30% volume and it just comes off in the shower (which I dread now!), and throughout the day. I see my hair lying on everything in the house!
So, I'm still not exactly sure what happened to cause it but my hair dresser was using an amonia based blonding cream that was applied directly to my scalp for about a year (so about 4 or 5 times). It was so painful when he applied it I would cry and not be able to breathe (yes I'm stupid for letting him continue it!). In addition, I did have some inital reaction to the blonding cream. I developed a very noticeable itchy, flaky dermatitis around my hair line. My doc have me a topical steroid cream and it disappeared within a few days so I thought no prob. My hair hadn't started to fall at this point. Right before I went to Greece I told my hair dresser that we were going to DC it but he talked me into using it "just one more time"! One week later in Greece it startd to fall and fall and well you know the rest....
This is where I am today: I developed a bacterial pneumonia (mycoplasma when I got back from Greece and a few other minor infections) and was on antibiotics for a month. I had gotten it last year with a sinus infection and has to take a month or so of antibiotics. This type of pneumonia requires longer term therapy. Anyway, so it's obvious I've been under a lot of physical as well of emotional stress for a while (I live far away from home etc).
Anyway, I've had all my tests done and I'm "normal" and they keep saying they I've had a shock from the chemical hair dye and stress and to take vitamins etc. Also my dermatologist said I had some yeast on my scalp that I had to clear up with Nizoral. My scalp was burning and itching throughout all of this and I even developed hives on my legs last week and had to take antihistiines.
Anyway, they're at a loss and say that it should clear up and grow back but it's falling -- mature and immature hairs rapidly. Over 200 a day! And it's not stopping.
Now what's worse is that I've been on Regaine 2% for 3 days and it's falling worse. I think I might discontinue it and see if it stops falling on it's own in the next month with exercise, now that I've gotten over the pneumonia.
What do you guys think? And if you've read this last statement; thanks for getting through this long post!
Jojo
I recently turned 40 years old with a wonderful, thick head of hair (my hair dresser would always comment about how beautiful it was). 3 months ago while I was vacationing in Greece I noticed my hair to start to shed and needless to say it's just gotten worse until now. I've lost about 30% volume and it just comes off in the shower (which I dread now!), and throughout the day. I see my hair lying on everything in the house!
So, I'm still not exactly sure what happened to cause it but my hair dresser was using an amonia based blonding cream that was applied directly to my scalp for about a year (so about 4 or 5 times). It was so painful when he applied it I would cry and not be able to breathe (yes I'm stupid for letting him continue it!). In addition, I did have some inital reaction to the blonding cream. I developed a very noticeable itchy, flaky dermatitis around my hair line. My doc have me a topical steroid cream and it disappeared within a few days so I thought no prob. My hair hadn't started to fall at this point. Right before I went to Greece I told my hair dresser that we were going to DC it but he talked me into using it "just one more time"! One week later in Greece it startd to fall and fall and well you know the rest....
This is where I am today: I developed a bacterial pneumonia (mycoplasma when I got back from Greece and a few other minor infections) and was on antibiotics for a month. I had gotten it last year with a sinus infection and has to take a month or so of antibiotics. This type of pneumonia requires longer term therapy. Anyway, so it's obvious I've been under a lot of physical as well of emotional stress for a while (I live far away from home etc).
Anyway, I've had all my tests done and I'm "normal" and they keep saying they I've had a shock from the chemical hair dye and stress and to take vitamins etc. Also my dermatologist said I had some yeast on my scalp that I had to clear up with Nizoral. My scalp was burning and itching throughout all of this and I even developed hives on my legs last week and had to take antihistiines.
Anyway, they're at a loss and say that it should clear up and grow back but it's falling -- mature and immature hairs rapidly. Over 200 a day! And it's not stopping.
Now what's worse is that I've been on Regaine 2% for 3 days and it's falling worse. I think I might discontinue it and see if it stops falling on it's own in the next month with exercise, now that I've gotten over the pneumonia.
What do you guys think? And if you've read this last statement; thanks for getting through this long post!
Jojo