Why is my Hair Falling out all of a Sudden?

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gattara Echoing above references to Covid - my sister had Covid in May and her hair is now falling out at an alarming rate.

Well, if I had covid, it was asymptomatic. And I have not been testing for it. Does the hair grow back?

[lauradrops]

Hair loss or thinning can be thyroid issue. Also hair loss or thinning is normal after anesthesia and can take a year to get back to normal.

If this is something that came about in a short time, I would see a doctor for a check up just to make sure nothing is going on medically.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pellice As a woman, I am going to echo Chuckanut's statements, but I must add that qualities of mind and emotion will matter as much or more! I *think* most women are interested in more than appearance and money, and kindness and good, informed conversation (not necessarily education) go farthest! *Hair matters not. And, John Galt, I'm assuming that you are NOT aiming for Supermodel, Age 23.

Thanks for the encouraging words, Pellice. If a 23 year old supermodel became available to me, I would be skeptical of the whole thing, lol. Today I was out playing Pickleball, and when I checked my hair in the bathroom mirror beforehand, I saw how awfully thin it was on top, since I had the light coming down from above. I girded my loins and went out anyway, and I didn't notice lessening of approval from the females there. The females just want a confident guy, apparently. Actually, I like a confident woman, too.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gattara Echoing above references to Covid - my sister had Covid in May and her hair is now falling out at an alarming rate.

Hmmm. Yes, June, July, August. 3 months later.

[gattara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III Well, if I had covid, it was asymptomatic. And I have not been testing for it. Does the hair grow back?

Yes, her hair will grow back.

[Jenna]

I would look into Taurine supplement for a couple months and Danny Roddy has some good videos about hair loss on you tube-all based on pubmed articles, not just someones thoughts

[EastWest Gal]

Be grateful you have hair to lose at 68. DS has inherited my dad’s genes. Both started balding in their 20s.

However, look around your whole body-eyelashes, eyebrows, and elsewhere. If the hair loss is universal, that suggests a systemic problem.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastWest Gal Be grateful you have hair to lose at 68. DS has inherited my dad’s genes. Both started balding in their 20s. However, look around your whole body-eyelashes, eyebrows, and elsewhere. If the hair loss is universal, that suggests a systemic problem.

EWG, the eyebrows and eyelashes got thin about 10 years ago, and it didn't bother me much, anyway. And my son is going quite bald, thanks to his mother's side of the family. He is coping with it well, though. Keeps it short on the sides, and it looks OK, thank goodness.

[Al in Ohio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III For the last month or so, I am getting a lot more hairs in the brush after brushing. The hair on top is noticeably thinner. Less of it, and the hairs that are there are very thin, except a few clumps of thick strands here and there. I am 68, male. I guess this could just be what my DNA has decided to do with my hair. I have been using minoxidil for decades, and still do. Haven't changed my diet any lately, except for adding Vitamin D, but only take it once a week (5000 mg pill). Some stress, about starting to date again, lol. Great timing for hair loss to happen, right? Already googled it, can only find generic info. Thanks.

You’re just getting older. You never noticed that older people have far less hair and their quaff is thinner? The older you get the more hair loss occurs. It’s due to both hormonal reduction and hereditary factors. It will only get worse. Just get used to it or make adjustments.

[harllee]

My DH does not have much hair left, he just wears a snazzy hat.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee My DH does not have much hair left, he just wears a snazzy hat.

Hat's are very good at climate control. And the right hat adds some panache to any persons' look.

[EastWest Gal]

Today I played an outdoor band concert. We had tents, but the entire band did not fit under it. I applied clear spray on sunscreen before I left home, but brought the can along. Many of the guys are quite bald, and some have a fully shaved head. They all wanted the sunscreen, but they all wanted me to spray it on them. It was cute.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FloridaJim57 get a blood test for anemia. Mine thinned out about two years ago and a blood test revealed I was very low in iron. I take iron supplements and the hair grew back. Before taking iron though be sure you need it.

Iron and some other nutrients, as well as fungal infections, can cause hair loss, too - The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review (nih.gov).

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastWest Gal Today I played an outdoor band concert. We had tents, but the entire band did not fit under it. I applied clear spray on sunscreen before I left home, but brought the can along. Many of the guys are quite bald, and some have a fully shaved head. They all wanted the sunscreen, but they all wanted me to spray it on them. It was cute.

EWG, I'll have to remember that "can you please apply the cream to my shaved bald head?" as a future pickup line, lol. I was out at a huge music festival yesterday, wearing a baseball cap, to keep from burning my scalp. I was noticing all the variations of male hair styles (with the occasional time off to do some girlwatching, of course) and I noticed a lot of the quarter inch buzz cut with the bald center, which actually looked OK on a lot of guys. But not ALL. Once again, the DNA lottery. How will you look after you need to cut your hair to accommodate thinning/balding? Like someone else said here, we have to adjust, I guess.

[cyber888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III For the last month or so, I am getting a lot more hairs in the brush after brushing. The hair on top is noticeably thinner. Less of it, and the hairs that are there are very thin, except a few clumps of thick strands here and there. I am 68, male. I guess this could just be what my DNA has decided to do with my hair. I have been using minoxidil for decades, and still do. Haven't changed my diet any lately, except for adding Vitamin D, but only take it once a week (5000 mg pill). Some stress, about starting to date again, lol. Great timing for hair loss to happen, right? Already googled it, can only find generic info. Thanks.

Age? Best to take 20g of Collagen everyday. DW and my hair stop falling as soon as we started taking collagen powder - Orgain.

[badatmath]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Iron and some other nutrients, as well as fungal infections, can cause hair loss, too - The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review (nih.gov).

This article brought to mind something I had heard before - that biotin supplements can lead to false results on blood tests - so be sure to tell the doctor if you take it.

[Montclairbobbyb]

Shave your head... you'll never look back. I was losing my hair in my early 40s, and vowed I wouldn't lament over it, nor would EVER suffer the dreaded comb-over phase... So I shaved my head and went bald... cold turkey!

I've been clean-shaven for over 20 years and sporting hats like nobody's business. Honestly people tell me I look great. 😎👍

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montclairbobbyb Shave your head... you'll never look back. I was losing my hair in my early 40s, and vowed I wouldn't lament over it, nor would EVER suffer the dreaded comb-over phase... So I shaved my head and went bald... cold turkey! I've been clean-shaven for over 20 years and sporting hats like nobody's business. Honestly people tell me I look great. 😎👍

I have two friends with alopecia. Not a single hair anywhere on their bodies, and in both cases it started in their 20s. Great people, and after the first meeting I don't think any of their friends even notice it anymore.

[always_learning]

I'm just now seeing this thread thanks to the newsletter, but any 'shock to your system' can cause sudden hair loss, usually about three months later.

It can be all sorts of things like a bout with food poisoning, COVID, surgery, being in a car accident, shingles, a bad fall, even dealing with a sudden death of a loved one. If someone mentions sudden hair loss, I usually ask them to think back about three months and see if anything happened. If not, then I'd start looking at blood work and hormone levels.

The good news is that if the hair loss is caused by something that creates a shock to the body, it does grow back. However, the loss can continue for up so six months after it's first noticed, so it could be a while before any relief is seen.

[maestro]

Stress- reduce it! Right before I retired, I was pulling my hair out over the w*#k stress. That was FHL, i.e. Forced Hair Loss. (new acronym for us). 😂Yours is not 'forced', but women, dating, significant others can also do that to us, and that is UHL, unforced hair loss. Reduce your stress, get peace in your mind, say goodbye to UHL.