THINNING DRY HAIR: PLEASE HELP
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Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:41 pm

For my 16 y/o son, dark, dry, coarse brown hair, med. skin tone, mod. oily facial skin, brown eyes.

Neurologist says hair follicles are viable and should be producing hair & feels it should come back and thicken. Felt problem from stress (his father & I divorced and his father did many many ugly things to the kids & I, & my disabling desease). Stress has lessened by a good 70-80% now. I'm wondering if it isn't hormones. 2 yrs.now, still same, but before his head of hair did this, he amassed overabundant growth of body hair everywhere; which also makes him feel severly self-conscious. He is very handsome (I,know I am his mom but he really is!), but his insecurity from both problems are very noticable. Of course my daughters & I tell him good things about him, but it doesn't change negative statements the kids at school (peers) say to him.

He's asked me to present his problem to you, and I agree! At present, his cosmetologist (barber) recommended using "Nioxin" by "Nioxin Research Laborotories". I'm concerned about him using something that could cause more problems with his head of hair. I really prefer natural products without chemicals and crap in them. I'm interested in topicals and systemic supplements for him, the best. I'm hoping too their is something out their to cause him to lose the unwanted body hair too.

PLEASE, PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU aleeta

free skin care · Tue Aug 09, 2005 9:24 pm

Hi aleetakline - Your son's problem sounds very much like it's hormonal in nature. Testosterone problems can cause increased body hair while at the same time thinned scalp hair. Has your son had a complete physical exam recently? If not, that's where I'd start. An Internist or General Practitioner can at least run some routine tests. If nothing turns up, perhaps you could consult an Endocrinologist.

Stress certainly affects hormone levels and general well-being, and I'm happy for you that your family life has finally calmed down. But you must also consider that this condition could be symptomatic of some other underlying health problem, so I think professional medical attention is imperative. An untreated illness could end up causing a lot more grief than these issues that concern you now.

Good luck!!!

Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:23 pm

I have used Nioxin before because I was concerned that I was losing too much hair. The stuff is *great* and I saw a really big diffence in how much hair I was losing when I washed my hair. So, overall this is a good shampoo/conditioner to use if you do have hair loss. However, if the issue is stress then while this may help, it will not stop the hair thinning completely. Just like it might help a bit if the hair loss is genetic but it's not going to prevent someone from going bold IMO. So I think he should try to address his stress levels & diet as well, while using Nioxin or a natural alternative if you find one. There are some supplements that help with strengthening hair (e.g. silica & MSM).

free skin care · Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:49 am

I started nioxin in febuary/march. I went to the hairdresser for the first time since then last week and she said she noticed a difference in my hair and asked what I was using.

My hair is fine and falls out easily. Also breaks off easily. Nioxin has stopped the nasty painful zits from appearing along the hairline and in my scalp. .

If you do try it for your son, shop around as prices vary quite a bit on the stuff.

Wed Aug 10, 2005 1:15 pm

My son says:"thank you very much for your answers, you validated my cosmetologist for me and since I had already bought it (I didn't know) I am going to use it right now. Thanks again".

Surprised

That's kids for you Exclamation

I took him to a Neurologist who said he saw no tumers & saw healthy follicles. But your right, I should take him to see an Endocrinologist. By the way, I should have mentioned that their is no genetic balding (alopecia) in either side of our family. His pediatrician never made a big-to-do about it, thought he would outgrow it.

Laughing

He's already in the shower. He said for all four different full sized products, he paid just $30.USD for all from his cosmetologist. If any of you are interested in buying them where he did, please let me know.

I bought Dermolagica's Stress Oil for the body for him. I had to talk him into using it, so I hope it really helps him. If anyone else has more suggestions, I would love to read them. Just wish I could find a way to help him get rid of the excess body hair now Exclamation

THANK YOU THANK YOU Exclamation

aleetakline

free skin care · Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:44 pm

aleetakline wrote:

I really prefer natural products without chemicals and crap in them. I'm interested in topicals and systemic supplements for him, the best. I'm hoping too their is something out their to cause him to lose the unwanted body hair too.

The problem with taking certain nutritional supplements to promote hair growth is that these supplements are not “smart” enough to know that you only want to regrow the hair on your head and not the hair covering the rest of your body!!

I discovered this myself when I began taking an “Hair/Skin/Nails” oral supplement containing – among other things – Silica and MSM in an effort to make my eyelash grow after an unfortunate incident with one of those clamp-type eyelash curlers a couple years ago. The supplements *did* help me attain my goal, but in addition to helping me regrow my eyelashes, it also made the hair on my head grow over twice as fast as usual (i.e.: 2 ½ inches per month rather than the mere inch it usually does) and I noticed that I had to shave my legs and “trim the garden hedge” much more often which I wasn’t too happy about.

My point is that while taking a nutritional supplement could very well help your son regrow a thick, healthy head of hair, it could exacerbate the growth of his body hair and make him even more self-conscious. It’s like being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea!

There is a certain essential oil that is known to help retard hair growth called Clary Sage oil. I have actually been using this EO as part of a homemade body oil that I apply each time after I shave my legs. It’s sort of my homemade answer to those so-called shave minimizing lotions, and I have actually seen a difference in how often I need to shave, although it should be noted that I have also begun using an epilator which has probably also contributed to my need to shave as often. But it probably isn’t convenient for your son to apply body oil all over the affected areas and you can’t apply essential oils to your skin “neat” (i.e.: undiluted).

I have heard of a product called Kalo that is supposed to eliminate unwanted body hair, but I haven’t tried it myself and so cannot offer a comment as to its effectiveness. Perhaps you can google “Kalo” to read more about it.

The other option for your son would be to have his overly hairy parts waxed. Someone here told me that this practice even has a name: “Back, sack and crack” waxing!! I know that when one thinks of men getting their bodies waxed, one typically thinks that it is a practice only done by gay men or athletes like bikers, swimmers and soccer players in order to enhance their performance, for example elimination of body hair for bikers and swimmers and divers is supposed to make them more “aerodynamic” as it eliminates resistance.

But believe it or not, there are millions of heterosexual, non-athletic men out there who regularly have their bodies waxed to either completely remove excess body hair, or else have it strategically cultivated so that it enhances their body and makes them appear more sexy (i.e.: there’s a way that a man can get his chest and stomach waxed so that it gives the illusion that the man has really tight abs and a washboard stomach).

If the excess body hair is really that much a social hindrance for your son, this might be an avenue that he should explore. I have a 20-year-old son myself, so I know how much boys can fret about their appearance just as much as girls do. My son has had problems with blackheads and pimples and his complexion didn’t actually begin to improve until he finally stopped buying all of those useless Clearasil and Neutrogena products and started listening to me when I tried to tell him about the wonders of an ACV toner and aspirin mask, etc.. But I am happy to report that once he realized that maybe Mom might actually know what she was talking about and began accepting her advice, his skin problems cleared up significantly!

HTH,
Carrie

Tue Aug 16, 2005 3:25 pm

hi..
sympathies to your wee lad, especially at his age when all kids are self-conscoius anyway. this probably won't help, but i'll pass it on anyway. I've suffered from thinning hair/hair loss for past few years, thought it was hormonal, my age! But had also been stressed and still am. (one of life's worry warts!)
I tried minoxidil - which stank and was not suitable for long term usuage, then tried a supplement called pilfood, contains silica, among other things,took it orally and used the shampoo for about a year with no effect.I also took additional vit/nutritional supplements, nothing worked though and i thought i was just gonna be a 'bald' young/old lady.
Then i started using this product called 'Imedeen time perfection' - it's a skincare supplement, contains nutrients that are supposed to reduce signs of ageing and maintain smooth and radiant complexion...and you have to take them for 3 months before any benefits are noticed...never noticed any difference to my skin, however, did notice that my hair had stopped falling out...now 7 months later and still the same...(touch wood!)
With regards to increase in body hair - can't say I've noticed any difference.

good luck to your son, wish him every
success with the treatments he's on, and if you need any other info i'd only be too happy to provide.

love your site by the way...I came on to find out about strivectin, and have been discovering a wealth of info...never knew all this anti-ageing stuff existed...totally confused now mind you!

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