Hair thinning in women - what actually helps?

Sector

Sector

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Suppose there is a woman dealing with a bit of

Hair that is thinning, or shedding

Which natural and/or pharmaceutical approaches could be deployed to potentially help with this problem? Natural methods are what she would prefer, but every option is on the table.

1) A low dose of minoxidil struck me as a potentially useful addition, but honestly that is the extent of what I have so far.

My knowledge of the female side of this kind of care is admittedly thin, which is why I am asking for opinions here. Any help would be appreciated.

Keratin conditioners are something I know some women rave about as a way to strengthen their hair, and oiling the ends at night to stop breakage gets mentioned too.

Any and all input on what you think would help is very welcome to me.

Thank you so much!
 
Claims are made by a lot of hair care products, and they cost a fortune and suck. In my opinion what matters far more than the shampoo/conditioner is diet and how the hair is handled. Plenty of protein, with tons of biodiversity....high omegas....sardines!

On top of that, washing happens once every 12-14 days for me, a boar bristle brush pulls oils down the hair shaft, no heat, no dies, and the ends get oiled....my hair is long, and healthy.
 
Sorry that this is something you are dealing with. Your request is not something I can help with, but the first thing that occurred to me is, how does your diet look? What is your protein intake like?
 
CandyCap said:

Research suggests topical Ahk-Cu supports hair growth. Raw powder (sometimes sold as cosmetic grade) can be bought and mixed into a scalp serum.
Click to expand...
that has crossed my radar as well. My hair is decently thick, but keeping it that way appeals to me and I may give this a go
 
Stace_wow said:

Claims are made by a lot of hair care products, and they cost a fortune and suck. In my opinion what matters far more than the shampoo/conditioner is diet and how the hair is handled. Plenty of protein, with tons of biodiversity....high omegas....sardines!

On top of that, washing happens once every 12-14 days for me, a boar bristle brush pulls oils down the hair shaft, no heat, no dies, and the ends get oiled....my hair is long, and healthy.
Click to expand...
once every 12-14 days? That is impressive. I go about 5 and most people are shocked. Greasy hair is not an issue for you? Since I started working out regularly, more frequent washing has become necessary for me
 
Sector said:

Suppose there is a woman dealing with a bit of

Hair that is thinning, or shedding

Which natural and/or pharmaceutical approaches could be deployed to potentially help with this problem? Natural methods are what she would prefer, but every option is on the table.

1) A low dose of minoxidil struck me as a potentially useful addition, but honestly that is the extent of what I have so far.

My knowledge of the female side of this kind of care is admittedly thin, which is why I am asking for opinions here. Any help would be appreciated.

Keratin conditioners are something I know some women rave about as a way to strengthen their hair, and oiling the ends at night to stop breakage gets mentioned too.

Any and all input on what you think would help is very welcome to me.

Thank you so much!
Click to expand...
Korean options worth a look, all pharma grade

https://derma-solution.com/product-category/hair-treatment/
 
bamagirl26 said:

Stace_wow said:

Claims are made by a lot of hair care products, and they cost a fortune and suck. In my opinion what matters far more than the shampoo/conditioner is diet and how the hair is handled. Plenty of protein, with tons of biodiversity....high omegas....sardines!

On top of that, washing happens once every 12-14 days for me, a boar bristle brush pulls oils down the hair shaft, no heat, no dies, and the ends get oiled....my hair is long, and healthy.
Click to expand...
once every 12-14 days? That is impressive. I go about 5 and most people are shocked. Greasy hair is not an issue for you? Since I started working out regularly, more frequent washing has become necessary for me
Click to expand...
A little, and the climate where I live helps a ton tho! Cornstarch at the roots or an updo is what I reach for if it gets too much. Fingers crossed the GHKCU makes it thicker and longer!!! 😂
 
NagChamp said:

Just putting in a word for our furry friends: my understanding is that topical minoxidil is poisonous to cats and dogs both. Worth keeping in mind if that factors into your decision 😊
Click to expand...
Hmm. So is the warning about not applying it down there, or about keeping it away from your pets? If it's the pet thing, then what are we even doing in this thread.

Just wondering out loud
 
Having dealt with this myself, I've picked up quite a bit along the way. Topicals and haircare products might give you a little improvement, or they might do nothing at all. What they won't do is address the underlying cause (I can speak from experience on that)....

There are 3 primary root causes to consider:

1. Low ferritin (optimal is above 100). Once ferritin falls below 70, hair sheds. Iron supplementation is needed (heme or non heme), along with cofactors that support absorption (B12, folate, vitamin A, C, copper, etc.). Make sure a full iron panel gets run, plus an inflammation panel (CRP & ESR). If ferritin comes back high while hemoglobin, sat, TIBC, and WBC are low, it could be a false high, since inflammation can falsely raise ferritin on bloodwork even though the other markers indicate it's actually low.

2. High androgens - DHT in particular (the form of testosterone that shuts down hair follicles in male pattern balding and in women too). On the natural side, you can take saw palmetto extract to block DHT recpetors. On the pharmaceutical side, dutasteride is an option. If you're on HRT, steer clear of testosterone cream (injections convert to DHT at a much lower percentage). The reason: the 5A Reductase enzyme in the skin turns testosterone cream into DHT.

3. Not enough protein or too few carbohydrates pushes the metabolism into survival mode, and your body prioritizes vital organs over everything else - especially hair and skin. It works the same way with low ferritin: the body puts vital organs and hemoglobin first, ahead of less essential bodily functions.
 
CandyCap said:

Research suggests topical Ahk-Cu supports hair growth. Raw powder (sometimes sold as cosmetic grade) can be bought and mixed into a scalp serum.
Click to expand...
Has anything like this worked for you?
 
Stace_wow said:

Claims are made by a lot of hair care products, and they cost a fortune and suck. In my opinion what matters far more than the shampoo/conditioner is diet and how the hair is handled. Plenty of protein, with tons of biodiversity....high omegas....sardines!

On top of that, washing happens once every 12-14 days for me, a boar bristle brush pulls oils down the hair shaft, no heat, no dies, and the ends get oiled....my hair is long, and healthy.
Click to expand...
Only 12-14 days? That's really fortunate!! Mine gets greasy so fast that I basically have to wash it daily — it's unbelievably oily!!!
 
laansasa said:

Having dealt with this myself, I've picked up quite a bit along the way. Topicals and haircare products might give you a little improvement, or they might do nothing at all. What they won't do is address the underlying cause (I can speak from experience on that)....

There are 3 primary root causes to consider:

1. Low ferritin (optimal is above 100). Once ferritin falls below 70, hair sheds. Iron supplementation is needed (heme or non heme), along with cofactors that support absorption (B12, folate, vitamin A, C, copper, etc.). Make sure a full iron panel gets run, plus an inflammation panel (CRP & ESR). If ferritin comes back high while hemoglobin, sat, TIBC, and WBC are low, it could be a false high, since inflammation can falsely raise ferritin on bloodwork even though the other markers indicate it's actually low.

2. High androgens - DHT in particular (the form of testosterone that shuts down hair follicles in male pattern balding and in women too). On the natural side, you can take saw palmetto extract to block DHT recpetors. On the pharmaceutical side, dutasteride is an option. If you're on HRT, steer clear of testosterone cream (injections convert to DHT at a much lower percentage). The reason: the 5A Reductase enzyme in the skin turns testosterone cream into DHT.

3. Not enough protein or too few carbohydrates pushes the metabolism into survival mode, and your body prioritizes vital organs over everything else - especially hair and skin. It works the same way with low ferritin: the body puts vital organs and hemoglobin first, ahead of less essential bodily functions.
Click to expand...
Does the same thing apply to Testosterone gel? It was just prescribed to me. And if I use it together with Saw Palmetto, would that counteract the DHT being converted? The last thing I want is for my hair to thin out even more!!
 
WLBLD said:

Does the same thing apply to Testosterone gel? It was just prescribed to me. And if I use it together with Saw Palmetto, would that counteract the DHT being converted? The last thing I want is for my hair to thin out even more!!
Click to expand...
I haven't started any HRT, though I was given a prescription for testosterone gel that I never ended up using. My understanding is that it can trigger hair loss, because of an enzyme present in the skin that transforms it. So any testosterone applied topically will largely become DHT, given that it's topical. Injections could be a better option for you. As for saw palmetto extract, I use it, and the difference is obvious: when I take it consistently, my perimenopause chin hairs simply don't grow. If I take it, those hairs don't grow!

Low ferritin is my biggest problem. I'm trying to raise it, but with high iron dosages and cofactors it takes an extremely long time. There's a group called The Iron Protocol. If you have low iron and/or ferritin, it is a game changer.
 
My second pregnancy was followed by a hypothyroidism diagnosis, a condition that affects several people in my family. I used to have enough hair for 2 people, and I shed at least a 1/3 of it. Yo-yo dieting during the periods when I wasn't pregnant played a role too, no question. Finding the right thyroid medication took years, since doctor after doctor steered me to synthroid/levothyroxine, and that never did anything for me. Things got so bad that there was a point where the hair on my arms was completely invisible. An internist finally put me on Armour. Once I started HRT, the testosterone component wasn't doing me any good, so I dropped that part eventually. So what made the biggest difference? Getting the correct thyroid meds, quitting testosterone, cleaning up my diet, red light therapy, and taking oral minoxidil along with biotin.
 
laansasa said:

I haven't started any HRT, though I was given a prescription for testosterone gel that I never ended up using. My understanding is that it can trigger hair loss, because of an enzyme present in the skin that transforms it. So any testosterone applied topically will largely become DHT, given that it's topical. Injections could be a better option for you. As for saw palmetto extract, I use it, and the difference is obvious: when I take it consistently, my perimenopause chin hairs simply don't grow. If I take it, those hairs don't grow!

Low ferritin is my biggest problem. I'm trying to raise it, but with high iron dosages and cofactors it takes an extremely long time. There's a group called The Iron Protocol. If you have low iron and/or ferritin, it is a game changer.
Click to expand...
I'm really anxious about this! It's just really low and I'm wiped out, foggy-headed, and so on. Still, I should get my iron/ferritin checked again too. Has dealing with that helped you feel any improvement so far? Yay, the fun things we get!! 😉
 
Bollerhead said:

Hmm. So is the warning about not applying it down there, or about keeping it away from your pets? If it's the pet thing, then what are we even doing in this thread.

Just wondering out loud
Click to expand...
With dogs the danger is lower, but cats face extreme risk—even a quick lick off your skin (say, you put it on, then stroke them and they groom themselves afterward) can kill them.

If you share your home with cats, topical minoxidil is a no-go entirely; taking it orally, however, carries no such danger.
 
WLBLD said:

I'm really anxious about this! It's just really low and I'm wiped out, foggy-headed, and so on. Still, I should get my iron/ferritin checked again too. Has dealing with that helped you feel any improvement so far? Yay, the fun things we get!! 😉
Click to expand...
Yes, haha, every last bit of the fun! My ferritin came in at 39, and at that point I was completely wiped out, dealing with brain fog, feeling weak, losing hair, and so on. Following the protocol, I've been taking the maximum dose and still haven't gotten a chance to get retested. A flu plus a sinus infection set me back, so I have to let all of that fully resolve first, otherwise the inflammation will throw the numbers off. The exhaustion has eased somewhat and the brain fog is a little better, but the hair shedding is still a struggle. At 47, my hormones are beginning to act up as well. Nothing has come of any of the topical hair products I've tried (shampoo, topical AHK-Cu alongside GHK-Cu serum, and the like) - zero results. I've also been doing KLOW subQ for several months now, and the only change I notice is in my skin, not my hair. Whether getting ferritin up will finally do the trick, only time will tell... It's a long road ahead for me...
 
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