dry hair and breakages - is it hormonal or is it shampoo?
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enjoys freebies · Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:28 pm Quote

I keep changing shampoo. When I thought I might find The One, then 2 uses later, back to the same old same old. Now I wonder could it be hormonal? How do I get my hair health back?

enjoys freebies · Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:45 pm Quote

Im not a huge help, however I have a hormone imbalance PCOS and was finding my hair was snapping and falling from the root. I stick to shampoos that are hydrating and free from any form of SLS's. Also I have used nioxin in the past with great results this shampoo has SLS but is the only exception as I this reduces hair fall out.
Also I have been on adiet recently that lacked good fats and my hair fell out in clumps. I now am sure to take fish oils aswell as include a decent portion of good fats back in my diet including olive oil, avocados and nuts. I only wash my hair every 3-4 days and do a treatment atleast once a week.
Hope you can pull something from that:)

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 6:18 am Quote

I'm afraid I'm not the biggest help, either, but I switched up conditioners (changed from Pantene), and added MSM (up to 6000mg per day) to my diet. I'm going to guess it's the addition of MSM which truly made the difference.
HTH Smile

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:39 am Quote

I found biotin made a big difference for my hair. I take between 2,500-3,000 mcg daily.

Hormones/thyroid can cause issues with your hair. If you have some other symptoms, I'd check with your dr.

Is your hair chemically treated at all? Do you use any styling tools daily?

You might try switching to a SLS free shampoo, there is a recent someone where here with lots of suggestions. Or consider doing Condition Only wash.

Also make sure your hair is not getting too much protein, this is can be really drying.

You might want to consider a water filter. hard water can make your hair feel awful.

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:47 am Quote

Bira wrote:

I keep changing shampoo. When I thought I might find The One, then 2 uses later, back to the same old same old. Now I wonder could it be hormonal? How do I get my hair health back?

Breakage can be related to a hormone imbalance, the other reasons that are hair related rather diet or hormonal relate to the structure of the hair and the products you are using.

The test the condition of your hair, you need to do a strand test:
Wash your hair
Take about tiny bundle of hairs - 3/4 hairs and stretch the hair until you feel resistance
If the hair breaks then you have a lack of protein in the hair shaft, if the hair stretches and does not return to the original length you have a moisture imbalance in the hair structure.
If the hair springs back on stretch on the hair is balanced.

Things to correct a lack of protein, use protein enriched products, lots on the market, if the hair requires moisture, use moisture enriched, but don't confuse with oil back treatment packs, these don't address these issues.

The key element that damages the hair is if the the product in not acid balanced - for example baby shampoo has a PH of 7.0 to 7.3 so is neutral, the PH of the hair and skin is 5.5 so the hair is damaged by the neutral PH product, so in a nutshell make sure you using products that maintain the acid mantle of the skin and hair.

If your hair is still breaking, go and see a trichologist - details at:
http://www.trichologists.org.uk/

I studied the course but didn't take the exam so go and see a qualified person and they will help you fix your hair.

PQ

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:49 am Quote

I have used this range of products to repair hair so they do work in my experience:

http://www.mastey.net/category.php?c=3

PQ

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:54 pm Quote

pal wrote:

Im not a huge help, however I have a hormone imbalance PCOS and was finding my hair was snapping and falling from the root. I stick to shampoos that are hydrating and free from any form of SLS's. Also I have used nioxin in the past with great results this shampoo has SLS but is the only exception as I this reduces hair fall out.
Also I have been on adiet recently that lacked good fats and my hair fell out in clumps. I now am sure to take fish oils aswell as include a decent portion of good fats back in my diet including olive oil, avocados and nuts. I only wash my hair every 3-4 days and do a treatment atleast once a week.
Hope you can pull something from that:)

Hello, thank you. You are a big help. Any help is appreciated as I'm running out of ideas. LOL I was taking fish oil but can't stand the fishy taste, so I'm drinking chia seeds which are supposed to have good omega 3. I wash my hair every 3-4 days, too. I'm not doing any treatment right now though. Maybe I should.

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:56 pm Quote

pleiades wrote:

I'm afraid I'm not the biggest help, either, but I switched up conditioners (changed from Pantene), and added MSM (up to 6000mg per day) to my diet. I'm going to guess it's the addition of MSM which truly made the difference.
HTH Smile

Hello, pleiades, i was wondering how do you take MSM 6000 mg per day? Is it in powder form? Right now I'm taking 1000 mg a day. It's powder and very bitter. If you take powder, do you split it up like 6 times a day? If so, I think I can handle that.

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:59 pm Quote

GirlieGirl wrote:

I found biotin made a big difference for my hair. I take between 2,500-3,000 mcg daily.

Hormones/thyroid can cause issues with your hair. If you have some other symptoms, I'd check with your dr.

Is your hair chemically treated at all? Do you use any styling tools daily?

You might try switching to a SLS free shampoo, there is a recent someone where here with lots of suggestions. Or consider doing Condition Only wash.

Also make sure your hair is not getting too much protein, this is can be really drying.

You might want to consider a water filter. hard water can make your hair feel awful.

Hi GG,

No, my hair is not chemically treated since I'm too scared it'd worse the problems.

Oh you read my mind! I was just thinking to install water softener for my whole house. I wonder how expensive that would be. My skin is dry, too. I think it has to do with the chemicals in the water.

By the way, do you take pure biotin, or do you take the one that comes with other skin hair nail vitamins?

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:02 pm Quote

photoqueen wrote:

Bira wrote:

I keep changing shampoo. When I thought I might find The One, then 2 uses later, back to the same old same old. Now I wonder could it be hormonal? How do I get my hair health back?

Breakage can be related to a hormone imbalance, the other reasons that are hair related rather diet or hormonal relate to the structure of the hair and the products you are using.

The test the condition of your hair, you need to do a strand test:
Wash your hair
Take about tiny bundle of hairs - 3/4 hairs and stretch the hair until you feel resistance
If the hair breaks then you have a lack of protein in the hair shaft, if the hair stretches and does not return to the original length you have a moisture imbalance in the hair structure.
If the hair springs back on stretch on the hair is balanced.

Things to correct a lack of protein, use protein enriched products, lots on the market, if the hair requires moisture, use moisture enriched, but don't confuse with oil back treatment packs, these don't address these issues.

The key element that damages the hair is if the the product in not acid balanced - for example baby shampoo has a PH of 7.0 to 7.3 so is neutral, the PH of the hair and skin is 5.5 so the hair is damaged by the neutral PH product, so in a nutshell make sure you using products that maintain the acid mantle of the skin and hair.

If your hair is still breaking, go and see a trichologist - details at:
http://www.trichologists.org.uk/

I studied the course but didn't take the exam so go and see a qualified person and they will help you fix your hair.

PQ

Wow, PQ, thanks for the info. I heard about a place where I can send my hair for them to analyze. I have been wanting to do that. They promise that if your hair will benefit from the treatment (like shampoo I think), it will help regrow hair that was lost. I have not yet seen thinning issue, but so much is lost each wash. It is scaring me.

enjoys freebies · Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:06 pm Quote

photoqueen wrote:

I have used this range of products to repair hair so they do work in my experience:

http://www.mastey.net/category.php?c=3

PQ

I really appreciate the link! Will they ship to the USA? OH, never mind. lol They're in the US. I thought the name Paris meant they're in France. LOL

enjoys freebies · Sun Nov 08, 2009 5:52 am Quote

Bira wrote:

pleiades wrote:

I'm afraid I'm not the biggest help, either, but I switched up conditioners (changed from Pantene), and added MSM (up to 6000mg per day) to my diet. I'm going to guess it's the addition of MSM which truly made the difference.
HTH Smile

Hello, pleiades, i was wondering how do you take MSM 6000 mg per day? Is it in powder form? Right now I'm taking 1000 mg a day. It's powder and very bitter. If you take powder, do you split it up like 6 times a day? If so, I think I can handle that.

Hi Bira! I take MSM in 1000mg capsules; 3 caps in the morning and 3 caps 12 hours later. Here's a link which has been posted previously by another member: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-MSM-Methyl-sulfonylmethane Very economical, so I order my supply from them. Smile

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