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| The Organic Pharmacy Phytonutrients, Jason Thick to Thin Conditioner, Jason Thick to Thick Shampoo, Moroccanoil |
My heart sank the day I was first diagnosed with high blood pressure (otherwise known as hypertension). I was merely 35. I walked haltingly to the nearest pharmacy to pick up my dreaded medication. I was to be on it for life. "You want hypertension drug?! YOU?! You're 35, right? 35 and on the meds!", exclaimed the pharmacist shaking his head in disbelief as he walked back to the dispensary. Dude, thanks for making me feel lower than I already did.
It was four years later and ongoing hair loss that I'd finally put the two and two together. I was molting all over the floor. It wasn't uncommon to find strands of hair in my food. By the time I'd finished my shower, there would be a clump of hair stuck to the plughole. I had to clean my hairbrush everyday.
Initially, I chalked it down to post natal symptoms. By the time Lil L was 3, that wasn't supposed to be an issue. Stress? Not really. My family on either side didn't go bald at such an early age either. Three months ago, I was starting to see skin and sparse hair along the top. I was alarmed and it finally hit home that I have to do more research to find the root of my problem. I'd never thought I would experience hair loss. Me?! I mean I used to complain about my thick hair!
What I'd learned from this is if you're given prescriptions, no one, I mean no one unless the most conscientious doctor or pharmacist in the UK would bother to tell you about the side effects. Ask. Read the fine print (beta blockers can cause hair loss). My GP didn't even know until I told her. She was shocked. Long story short, I've swapped meds and hair loss is now very minimal. It'll be another 4 months to a year before I start seeing proper hair growth. I am one of the luckier ones because there are others who'd lost 50% of their hair within months of starting on the medication. I've also managed to hid it very well so no one with the exception of my hairdresser really noticed any hair loss. Unfortunately, there's little information out there about hair loss recovery due to medication.
I've now decided to take matters into my own hands with support of my GP. I've increased aerobic exercise, started juicing beets and celery (they are great to lower blood pressure), bought natural supplements to help with hair growth (and general health) as well as swapping to new and natural volumizing haircare products. My hair, particularly the fringe has a lot more volume and bounce, thanks to Jason Thin to Thick shampoo. I'm pleased that it doesn't contain and SLS, paraben or phthalates. The conditioner is thick and creamy but I haven't noticed any softness in my hair. I probably won't bother replacing it when the conditioner runs out.
The miracle wonder product would have to be Moroccanoil which really calmed down all the frizzy baby hair that's growing and makes my hair so silky and sleek. I bought the small bottle but you only need so little. I figure that it'll be at least another 6 months before I need to buy another.
Few people would talk about hair loss as it's still considered shameful and a stigma in the society. However, it's distressing to the sufferers. I'd love to hear any stories from those of you who have experienced hair loss.
Oh the hair loss and high blood pressure must have come as such a shock to you, I had my blood pressure taken yesterday with the announcement that I have the bp of a 20 year old - phew my entire family are on medication, so that pleased me no end. My hair is far thinner that it ever was but I'm 49 this year so that's just part and parcel of losing my looks to the menopause!
ReplyDeleteI've just been diagnosed with high blood pressure but have been put on water tablets 2.5mg which have bought it down from 159/90 to 135/90 within a month so doc said to stay on them now. I have no idea how water tablets treat it but they have certainly worked for me after going back three times and it hadn't budged but he said 159 wasn't overly high, it should be below 150. I've had no side effects thankfully and hair is still as thick as hell, although I shouldn't complain as feel for anybody especially women who suffer with this condition x
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your conditions. I've had hair loss and poor hair follicles for a few years due to lack of nutritions in my diet and am lactose intolerance. I find that eating congee mixing with large quantity of nuts, red/green beans, lots of type of beans in it, helps to reduce hairless and stronger roots.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your blood pressure, Marlene. I have known relatives who have dealt with hair loss, regular oil massage with herb-infused ayurvedic Indian oils is meant to help prevent it from worsening. If anything, I think the massage improves circulation and hair growth.
ReplyDeleteI use Moroccan oil treatment for my curly hair - it's a fantastic product.
I have a pal who has alopecia and has a blog on the subject (bold-bald-beautiful.blogspot.com) if anyone is interested. It must be awful to lose your hair, I really feel for anyone who suffers with this. So glad to hear that you've found the remedy Marlene.
ReplyDeleteHair loss due to medication and surgeries.
ReplyDeleteI went to a dermatologist who put me on Men's Rogaine for three months -- it worked, though it made my scalp feel like it was on fire by the end. The best way to deal with that side effect is to rub a mix of peppermint, tea tree, and jojoba oil into your scalp on days when you're not using the Rogaine. I also took Solgar skin and hair vitamins, and they're amazing.
Thank you so much for the tips. It seems that the consensus is rubbing oil into the scalp to stimulate hair growth. I'll try that for sure. Thanks again!
DeleteMarlene, have you tried collagen and kelp supplements as well? It seems like you're doing everything you can and sometimes GPs can't be trusted because they see so many crazy things on a day to day basis I think they sort of become numb.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I haven't thought of taking collagen and kelp supplements. I'm going to google this.
DeleteSo finally, after 3 years of shedding and 3/4 of my hair gone, I've finally managed to stop the process. You see, all the consumption of supplements (I've been taking Spirulina, Chlorella, Collagen, Biotin and Viviscal for almost 2 years now, and while they've helped new hair grow, they do nothing to strengthen the roots which means I was still dropping them faster than they could grow) only helped with half the problem. Then I made the switch to fully organic, nontoxic shampoo/conditioner specifically the Rahua Voluminous set and OH MY GOD. Each time I wash my hair with the pair, I lose between 13 to 20 strands. Only. And yes, I counted :) I am SO pleased. Hopefully, continuing this route will give me back some semblance of the hair I had in the past.
DeleteIt's so great that instead of dwelling on the problem you got out there, did your research and was able to reverse your problem. x
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem with high blood pressure, infact I found I had quite the opposite problem of low blood pressure and I only knew about this from the medical checks they do on you when you are pregnant. I was never told to do anything about it so I'm assuming (dangerous ostrich technique) that it's not as serious as high blood pressure. And hair loss - I can imagine that is really quite traumatic especially if you've always had luscious locks and lots of it. I got worried after having George as my hair just seemed to be shedding bucket loads by the day but seems to have settled down now but it does knock your confidence hugely. I can't offer any advice unfortunately but I think it's good that you are sharing and willing to talk about it as there will be people reading who will benefit from what you discover.
ReplyDeleteI had my first bout of alopecia a couple of years ago - a small quarter size patch of loss just suddenly appeared - it was terrifying!! I thought it must have been a symptom of something more serious but after hormone tests etc. it was put down to stress. I had to have cortisone shots in my scalp to help with regrowth. It was incredibly traumatic and as I was trying to avoid stress it just seemed to cause me more stress! I really started to empathise with women who have total alopecia. I decided if it ever happened to me I would go with the flow and not try to conceal it - how exhausting would that be everyday choosing a wig as well as clothes! I can only imagine how troubling it must be to discover yours was connected to meds. Exercise has lowered my blood pressure significantly and cutting back on salt. It will grow back never fear - but props to you for talking about it - SO many women suffer from it for many reasons and there seems to be much more shame/stigma associated with female hair loss. xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good info! Glad you found the cause for your hair loss before you lost any more!
ReplyDeleteMy hair is thinning for sure. I'm not on any meds so it's probably due to stress and aging....not a darn thing I can do about that!
One of my family members has been dealing with alopecia, and it was devastating for all of us, especially as a woman. On the one hand, I was always thankful it wasn't something seriously life-threatening, but on the other hand, my heart broke that she had to deal with something so unpredictable and life-changing.
ReplyDeleteI too was diagnosed with Hypertension, three years ago, and despite my best efforts, I cannot be without Quinapril because when I "am" on it, my pressure reads 180/130. To combat the hair loss, I've been taking Purvana Max Hair, Skin and Nails Vegetable Supplements for the past year. Since about six months ago, my nails have become like steel and I'm hopeful that my hair will follow suit. Until then, I'm placing an order for some of the items you've listed :) thank you for writing this.
ReplyDeletexo Sheela xo
Thanks for sharing your story with us Marlene. It's too bad that patients aren't always fully informed of potential side effects by the doctors treating them, and so it's awesome that you were able to pin point what was causing your hair loss on your own. Happy to hear that you found products that are working for you and all the best with the new regiments you're taking on! :)
ReplyDeletexxTheresa
this is such a great post, thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm so glad that you've found a new medication which works better for you and doesn't have such bad side effects.
ReplyDeleteI suffer from some (stress related) hair loss and I find that a lot of people don't want to talk about it, so it's nice to see people having a discussion about it in the comments here. someone told me that rubbing olbas oil into the scalp stimulates hair growth - this seems to work for me, so maybe something to try? (it smells lovely too, bonus!) :)
xx
I'm just amazed how many people out there are suffering from hair loss due to various reasons. Off to check out olbas oil. Thank you for sharing your tips!
DeleteHairloss in women is the biggest taboo around. I am a bald 40 year woman in a professional environment and it sucks! I have fun with it too nd have now like my pal above mentioned started to blog about it.
ReplyDeleteHello M, I realised that I had borderline high blood pressure during my last gynae visit. All my life I have been healthy and even through both pregnancies, things were good. I guess in recent times, it was stress at work and getting less uninterrupted sleep that is contributing to the bp. After reading your post, I have started on celery and apple juice every morning and I hope to see positive results in my next visit.
ReplyDeleteRe hair loss, I think I have never recovered my original hair density after my second child. I try to cut down on sugary food and take skin/hair/nail supplements, use a shampoo sans parabens/chemicals and apply hair tonic regularly.
Do you have alopecia? It's better to consult a doctor as early as now, so you can medicate it before it becomes worse. Hair is a woman's crowning glory and it's one source of their self-confidence. But, my mother said that childbirth is somewhat related to hair loss too. HairLab.net
ReplyDeleteWe have to uses natural products for hair loss treatment because it can be very beneficial for our health in the time of using toxic products. Argan oil is going to be the best effective and non-toxic products for preventing hair loss problem.
ReplyDeleteArgan Oil Hair Loss Treatment