5 months plus of shedding after weight loss: telogen efflivium?

[z1z2z3z4]

About 4 or 5 months ago I started to shed a ton of hair. I chalked it up to a nasty scalp infection I got from a stray cat I took in (fair warning). That cleared up, but my hair continued to shed. I have no genetic predisposition for baldness of any kind (no one one my mother or father's sides of the family: brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc) and I'm not losing hair in the male pattern baldness spots (my hairline isn't receding at all). All the hairs have white bulbs at the end of them and I've had no other real changes in my hair other than the fact that I hate washing it now.

I did, 2 months previous to the hair loss, lose over 15 pounds in a month. I was working out and attempting to gain weight by eating a ton of food and had a really high intake of protein (which I read, in low quantities, can cause hair shedding) ...and then I just stopped (I got depressed).

I've been using 5% minoxidil in order to attempt to curb the shedding and that's it. I had blood work done to check my thyroid - everything came out fine. I'm 33 and this is the first time this has ever happened to me and while I can accept that getting older does come with certain unfortunate consequences (thinning hair and such) ...I just want this to stop. Anyone have anything similar happen to them or have any suggestions? I'm what you would call "self-employed" and can't afford to go to a dermatologist right now. Has anyone had any luck with increases in protein intake or iron intake (which I also read can impact hair shedding). Suggestions would be very helpful.

Or does anyone know a dermatologist in the Portland, Oregon area that is relatively inexpensive to see?

 

[joey]

Dear friend..
I am on the same track, lost 40 pounds in 40 days..in a crash diet...then go 3 weeks in a gym 5x in a week...
I am 37..been to dermatologist, she said probably iron deficiency..will do iron deficiency blood lab.. my diet was mainly fruits... Gym and starvation stopped 20 days ago.
I shaved portion of my head at back, and after 20 days I see only 20%-30% hairs coming out, I regularly shaved that..it was like horse hairs..got a haircut 2x monthly..now nothing to cut.
Also all hair which falls is with white bulbs. I can pull my body hairs so easily now..before it was nightmare... It seems that I stopped shedding, that would be big +. Eating vitamins supplements..and drinking some home remedy which had some iron content, now I stopped...must be clean from supplements to check iron levels.
Dermatologist said that my hair will fall of...for 3-6 months at least, and maybe more... follicles are shocked, and they go to resting phase..and they dream dreams....I hope my diagnosis is true.
She did a pull test...it was negative...probably because massive shedding happen before..week ago was showering head only...100+ hairs went off... Never in my life before..didn't count hairs who fall off.. On first example of my recovery I will shave my head... and I will elaborate all this after it finish....now taking photos...and on...

All my relatives don't have male pattern baldness. I had one uncle with weak hair..but he has severe illness... I have the weakest hair in my family.. my dad with 70+ years has much stronger hair.
You have some photos in my "Tell my story" section. I had military haircut week before I had on a diet... 5mm sides...short hairs at scalp..now it is impossible.. In 2 months my estimation is that I lost 50% of hairs..and my hair seems so soft...

 

[guitarboyled]

Same situation... about 15 years ago I lost 45 pounds in 45 days... I had a mega full set of hair and started shedding (on the top of my head) like crazy 3 months later. The shedding stopped a few weeks later. Some hair grew back but never like before.

Then last year, I lost 30 pounds in 15 weeks... Same thing all over again, I started losing hair on the top o my head 3 months later.

Losing weight is a b**ch

Not sure what I should do... propecia, rogain, etc.

 

[joey]

Well, now a month is passed since end of diet and gym.. positive is no shedding...no hairs on pillow, and very few after showering..10 days ago there were many hairs on pillow. I regulated my food intake, my hair seems much stronger, probably follicles produce stronger hair, on touch feels better, stronger.. no weight gain...keeping ok, no regrow jet.. They say after 3-6 months hair will regrow, so I should wait 2-5 months more. I am eating some vitamins, biotin, omega-3, whey protein...and shampoo for sensitive hair, started with it month before. I lost about 30% of hairs... I would be happy if I return half of it in 6 months. I noticed thin hair 2 months after started... I didn't know even that hairs fall of every 5-6 years before, now I know hair production cycle, phases... I am documenting everything....taking pictures...basically state is not getting worse... When in diet, I was surprised how rarely I shaved my facial hairs....didn't notice that my head hair was suffering, I was thinking "I will save on these razors..hahhahhah" .... I have pictures from first month of diet...few day before....movies...I was having short hairs...and now I cant imagine having that kind of haircut, although in my youth days..I was bald... i have that mean look...like those guys on club entrances.... hahhah

Losing weigh is a really b**ch.... but after this episode finish, I will shave my head again... in summer I hope so.... also hope to document that...

 

[Gman2000]

Same Deal

33 white male.

Had stressful period in January. Around March I noticed some thinning only on top of my head, hairline is getting weak but not receding. This was also coupled with me being out of the gym for (3) months. Weight dropped maybe 10 pounds in three months.

Aside from the stressful event I also started taking 1200mg of fish oil and rainbow light for men vitamin about once every day. In April I stopped both as they were the only thing new I introduced to my body.

Started using Nioxin shampoo in April. Noticed hair got a little healthier but still shedding.

Hair appears to still be thinning out. The weird thing is that I really do not have any hairs on my pillow in the morning (maybe like two or three at most). If I lightly rub my hands through my hair over paper maybe a hair or two sometimes will fall out. Did notice that majority of the hairs that fall out have the white bulb on the end. There is no male pattern baldness in the family on either side.

I recently got a prescription for finasteride. Have not started using it yet. Going to wait till mid July which will mark the four month mark of noticed hair loss. Hoping that I see some regrowth.


Question: Can finasteride jump start hair out of remission for those suffering from telogen efflivium? And if it does will I be reliant on finasteride for the rest of my life?

 

[Ianbeale123]

How many hairs were you shedding?

 

[Ziggyz123]

Scalp infection from a stray cat? I had some recent hair loss on finasteride after a year accompanied by burning and itching and I too took in a stray cat.... What was the infection because that may have been what happened to me as well! Or were you just guessing that you had a scalp infection?