SHOULD I SHAVE MY HEAD (To anyone who has a heart. just 2 mins of your time ).. PLEASE?

[Anonymous]

Here's my story...

I had long, healthy hair which I started relaxing in 2009. My hairdressers used to tell me to keep the relaxers in until I felt burning sensations. So they would be applying relaxers in my hair for 10 mins and then I would wait another 10 mins or whenever I felt burns. I relaxed my hair every 2 months and treated at least 2 times in between. In September 2013, I got into a car accident (actually knocked down) and shortly after that my hair starting falling out in strands.
Like sometimes I would just sit and pull as much strands out without much effort.. sometimes handfuls. As of August 2014, I had scalp itchiness and I went to the doctor who told me I had mild seborrhic dermatitis. I was prescribed ketonozole. After just one use , the itchiness went and my scalp was relieved and seemed normal again. I kept using it though, once or twice every other week but my hair still fell out.
Today (2015) it is still falling out and I can see the bulb or is it the root? when it falls out , It has a white tip sometimes shaped like a club or sometimes a long point. Another doctor (not in my country) told me it sounds like Telogen Effluvium and if so am I yet to discover what is causing it. I did a thyroid test (which my mom hates me for up to this day) and it came back negative. I take iron tabs regularly because I normally menstruate heavily. I think am eating healthy. Meats, rice, grains, vegetables ( every chance I get) and I drink 8 glasses sometimes 6 a day cause I sweat a lot. I dont know what is wrong. I am a very laid back person cause when I stress I get sick so I try not to.
Presently, My hair feels like brillo pad. It also feels puffy (if that makes sense). The strands are really straight. I can't even maintain a curl or tame the frizz. So , my question is should I shave my hair off? If I do , would it make my hair grow back healthier?

Ps. am trying some deep conditioners, no results yet but am praying.

A) Shave my hair and wear a wig

B) Do not shave , try to treat it and see what happens

C) There is no hope :(

[Intraluminal]

Hi,

Let me start by saying that this is NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. You will need to see a physician. I will give you some hopefully helpful ideas. Hair loss may have many causes, including poor diet, tight braiding, male hormones, lupus, etc. Some types of hair loss have no KNOWN cause. This of course does not mean that they have no cause, simply that science does not yet know what that cause is.

Outside of having a BAD diet, having a great diet will not make your hair grow. I'm trying to think of a simile. This is a lousy simile, but it's the best I can come up with. Think of it this way: A bad diet is like a knife. If you stab yourself with it, you can die. The worse the diet, the bigger the knife blade is, and the sicker you get (until you die). BUT once you make the blade of the knife short enough that it cannot penetrate your skin, stabbing yourself with a bladeless knife will not make you healthier. Same with your hair, a bad diet can make you lose hair, but a super-wonderful diet will not give you more hair than an "OK" diet.

The other thing is that shaving your hair off will NOT cause your hair to grow, so if you want to wear a wig rather than whatever hair you have now, then fine, but shaving will NOT help.

You should first, if you can afford it, go to a good doctor, preferably a DERMATOLOGIST for a complete workup. This may be expensive, because you should be checked for hormone levels (male hormone, female hormones, etc.), antibody levels (including antinuclear antigen levels etc., and others that are usually used to check for lupus. Finally, the doctor can check for other syndromes that can cause hair loss.

If the physician cannot find any cause (again, any KNOWN cause) then he/she may suggest a course of treatment that can help you. This may include Rogaine or other medications.

There may be a way to treat your condition. Until you are seen by a good, caring, physician who will take the time to give you a thorough work-up, you should eat healthily but normally, avoid stress (which can cause hair loss), and avoid injury to your scalp - don't use relaxers or anything that irritates your scalp.

Good luck

[Asker]

@Intraluminal thanks. This is very good advice. I need to save some money to get to that dermatalogist pronto. I am also looking into a really good wig. I feel so old and sad but hopeful. :( :)

[Intraluminal]

I'm glad I could help. I truly feel for you because I can only imagine how this would affect a woman, given that it's no picnic for a man either. Have you signed up for Obamacare or do you live in one of the Republican states that have "saved" you from having health insurance?

The other thing is, and again THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, there are some fairly serious disorders that can cause hair loss, so if you can get this checked sooner rather than later, that would be great. I am not trying to panic you, you have been checked out by at least two physicians according to your post, but it's still concerning, especially lupus (although this is NOT what lupus generally looks like), which is more common in women of color (which I gather you are since you use "relaxers"). Would you feel comfortable emailing me a picture of your scalp? Please know that many people suffer from hair loss, and that in all probability this can be treated successfully.

[theville]

Maybe go to a BETTER hair dresser. Take biotin.. but yes check your thyroid -- I had a lot of hair all my life it came out but it might have been some product I was using plus I was home relaxing. So now in a full weave for about 6-9 months THEN back to my hair and YES its growing out well NOW.. GOOD LUCK!!

[Asker]

@theville thanks for your response. Biotin is like $55.00 a bottle in my country and i have checked my thyroid which turned out to be negative but maybe i need to do a radio graph. I even cleansed myself. sighss. I am thinkin about using a wig cause honestly my hair is so thing and so puffy , the weaves aren't gonna hold onto it properly... Yea its that fragile!!

[theville]

Ok keep looking for biotin get it on line, also Jamaican black castor oil helps grow it in... If u need to do the wig then and STILL keep caring for your hair. Do scalp massages, get a GOOD person to do your hair that is into HAIR CARE not weaves as u sound like ME wanting to wear your OWN hair which is great... Coconut oil and jojoba oil is great also. Try inverting also good so the blood goes to your scalp. Good luck IT will grow back no worries...

[Asker]

thank you for your advice I will give the JA castor oil an inverting a try :)

[theville]

ok good luck - just don't stress or worry about it which IS hard.. IF u are too focused or stressed get the wig and be happy with it and care for your food intake, hair care, and there are A LOT of black hair sites to get good info also.. and if u go to a Chinese tea store they also have tea for growing hair - like Foti root - but it will come back in!!!

[Asker]

I am concerned and yes i am using coconut oil. avocado, olive oil. I drink lots of water and eat food. I just hope it comes back

[SirenDep]

Leave your hair alone and it will gradually become healthier! No chemical procedures, relaxing, applying heat or dying it. It's better to have healthy natural hair than no hair at all

[Asker]

@SirenDep ok thank you. My hair is a real mess right now.

[SirenDep]

I wish your hair becomes healthy again! personally my hair has such a fine texture, it gets split ends just by straightening it. Some years ago it looked sparse and fried, because I was dying and straightening it all the time. It's been 2 years since I last dyed it, and I use less heat on it, and when I do, I use heat protection spray. Though, I don't know that much about medical conditions. Go see another doctor, try to go to a good dermatologist.

[Asker]

thanks for all your advice and I would have a check up with my Dermatalogist

[SirenDep]

you're welcome!

[SirenDep]

thanks for mhg!

[Asker]

no :P

[Asker]

np :) **

[YaGirlKatie]

Shave your hair and don't wear a wig it will be fine

[Asker]

how so?

[YaGirlKatie]

I had a similar situation. Not as bad as yours though. I shaved my head for a a few months and then it grow back healthy and thicker. My hair is to my shoulder and is healthy

[Asker]

and you wore no wig?

[YaGirlKatie]

Yes I hate wig. And people liked it. I had good comments and after a while I could grow it into a cute pixie and have different styles

[YaGirlKatie]

Sorry I didn't have a wig. I hate them

[Asker]

Oh ok. guess your stylist did a good job. thats great

[Asker]

message me , pls

[YaGirlKatie]

I can't your anonymous

[Asker]

whats ur user name then?

[YaGirlKatie]

look now

[Anonymous]

Just try to treat it!

[Asker]

thanks. In the process