beauty through (hair) loss - part 2

If you’re still with me after reading my first post on beauty through hair loss, I both appreciate your time and share the pain of where we both stand.  When medical results turn up little help, and you’re diagnosed with telogen effluvium, as I was, it’s a very mixed blessing.  It’s of course nice to hear the hair loss is temporary and not permanent or hereditary, but it’s a rather confusing path to navigate from this point on.  You’ll hear, as I did, that stress is the main cause of “TE” and that the problem should alleviate itself in 6-8 months after the stressors occurred. 

I waited 2 years.

Granted, I suffered some stressful setbacks in 2009 through mid-2010, but – ahem – it’s 2013, and I’ve heard the whole time “It will get better.” Thanks, Docs, but it didn’t. 

I tackled my TE in several ways, some successful and many less so.  In this Part 2, I’ll cover the three health-related areas I covered to stall my hair loss and hopefully begin to reverse it.

Step 2 – Diet

In addition to my stressful periods of 2009-late 2010, I’d also been a vegetarian for about 5 years prior, and I almost never consumed dairy.  I don’t know the specific name for this, but I call it “nearly vegan” (Sure, real vegans, dispute me.  I get it.).  While I thought I felt healthier while eating this way, looking back at pictures of 2006-11 reveal a different story.  I was pale, skeletal, and fragile.  I’ve been accused of not doing vegetarianism “right,” and while I understand that while there’s probably more supplements I could have taken, or protein-filled legumes I could have consumed, my body eventually shut down to the point where it was painfully clear I had to change my eating.  This essay 

a coworker sent me was so simply and convincingly written, I all but teared up when I read it – it expressed my feelings and thoughts perfectly, I was convinced it was written for me. 

I’m not suggesting in way to radically change your diet.  Rather, take a look at your diet the past, say, 2 years. What changed? Crash dieting? New meal plan like Paleo, or low-carb?  Went vegan or vegetarian?  If there’s anything in there, particularly a change about 6 months ago, chances are the effects are hitting your hair now, on a delay. 

I can’t tell you to change your diet again or go back to the way you once ate, but I implore women suffering from hair loss to look closely at their diets.  There’s a certain amount of fats, oils, proteins, vitamins and minerals we all need, and those are best received through whole food sources versus supplements and powders. 

In addition, in light of the current gluten-free craze, for lack of better words, I will share with you that I decided to go gluten-free for up to 3-plus months a few times over the last 2.5 years.  While I didn’t notice a change in my hair loss (and please note no one will for a minimum of 2 months, if wheat is in fact part of the problem), I did notice I felt like I had more energy, less bloat, and better digestion.  After learning my lesson the hard way from having to ditch my “nearly vegan” diet, I have settled on what I call “gluten light.”  I avoid it when possible, but if it’s a special treat (like cupcake I’ve been dying to eat), I don’t deny myself.  Above all, I learned that it’s not wise for me to eliminate something from my diet altogether, as all whole foods have varieties of vitamins and minerals I now know I need to feel and look healthy.

Step 3 – Vitamins

When my doctor ran initial blood work for my hair loss, the results indicated I was one “point” away from being anemic.  So, let’s say the range for healthy, non-anemic blood is 30-45 with ideal results being around 37 or higher to be in the mid-range.  I was a 30.1.  While my doctor insisted that counted as not being “truly” anemic, since it’s technically in the safe range, I felt uncomfortably close.  Those blood results combined with my nearly vegan diet caused me to not only revisit my diet, but also look at the vitamins I was and wasn’t taking.  To both build my health back and hopefully help my hair loss at the same time, I researched vitamins and consulted with an acupuncturist who specialized in nutrition. 

Whether you’re anemic or not, there are key vitamins that women can take to help their overall health, and thus improve their hair by proxy.

I’m no salesperson, nor am I invested in any particular company.  I like the “Dr. Oz” approach of not listing brand names, but if you’re totally lost on where to start, check out my recommendations.  But! Please do yourself a huge favor and be leery of companies and people promoting expensive vitamins.  In my case, so many people I spoke to recommended their vitamin and tried to convince me it was “the” solution.  Bull.  A good-quality vitamin will suit you just fine – don’t break the bank on these.

Multi-vitamin – This is going to cover all your bases, particularly if something’s missing from your diet like meat or an abundance of fresh veggies.  Easy, helpful, and inexpensive, I like this brand.

Iron – Your multi-vitamin may contain iron already, but ensure you’re getting the daily recommended percentage, particularly if you’re vegetarian or vegan.  Iron is a key building block in promoting strong, healthy hair.

B-Vitamins -

Biotin – This may also be in your multi-vitamin, but for helping with hair loss, some extra biotin doesn’t hurt, as they body naturally eliminates excess, unused B vitamins.  While biotin liquid drops have a pretty awful flavor, the pill form is small and easy to take. 

B12 – This vitamin keeps your nerve and blood cells healthy, and it helps prevent anemia.  It’s often a key vitamin missing from vegetarians, as the strongest forms of B12 are from animal proteins. 

Step 4 – Supplements

I’ve called these out separately from vitamins because there’s no recommended daily dose – they’re “add ons” for those particularly desperate (like me!) and willing to try whatever may help. 

Collagen – I wrote about collagen in a blog about two weeks ago – check it out here.  In short, collagen is an easy way to booth your hair, skin, and nails - - that’s a win-win in my book.

Viviscal  - I feel like this was one of my first “snake oil” purchases out of desperation, but I ended up really liking the results of healthier, shinier hair.  While I was nervous about it being one of those seemingly cheesy products on the “advertisement” page of magazines, I also noticed it popping up in reputable places like Vogue magazine in an interview with a hairstylist, as well as Reese Witherspoon being quoted as using it after her hair was damaged from over-styling. Most online reviews also supported that it was effective, and I felt confident it was something I could commit to for at least three months.  The results took more like 3-6 months, but they were noticeable enough that I feel confident recommending this product.  In addition, as many hair-growth supplements are oils, lotions, and creams, the idea of popping pills was undeniable convenient, particularly because I am often out of town and on the go.

Shou Wu Chih – Never heard of it? Neither had I, and I fully expect you to roll your eyes right about now.  The second of the two acupuncturists I saw for my problem was a more traditional practitioner than the acupuncturist/nutritionist I first saw.  He started me on Shou Wu Chih, a liquid supplement common in China for overall health, but particularly hair loss.  As studies I read confirmed no damage from long-term use, the price was modest, and I both trusted the acupuncturist recommending the product, I tried this for over a few months.  I know that it helped hair a bit, but I can’t say how much, as I’d been on many other supplements & vitamins for 1-2 years at this point, and Shou Wu Chih was the last “add” to my daily regimen.  However, I really liked that it helped my overall energy levels and immunity, and it also helped with a bout of insomnia I suffer intermittently.   While I wish I could say more about how much it did or didn’t do for my hair, this product has my vote. 

Thank you so much for sticking with me.  I hope this info was useful, and please submit any comments or questions – I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I have one more related post coming – Part 3.  In it, I’ll cover the “beauty” part of hair loss – what you can do (and what not to do) to look your best during this frustrating time. 

Beautifully Simple Through Loss,

Nicole @ Vanity Cosmetics